Auburn Real Estate

Auburn, Georgia

Auburn is located primarily in Barrow County, with a small portion of the city extending west into Gwinnett County. It sits along U.S. Route 29 and Georgia State Route 316, roughly 42 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta and about 27 miles west of Athens, placing it at the outer edge of the Metro Atlanta area. From SRA Signature Realty's office in Tucker, Auburn is a drive northeast that passes through the Gwinnett County side of the metro before reaching the Barrow County line.

A Railroad Town on the Barrow Line

Auburn's history as an organized town begins with the railroad. The Seaboard Railroad Company surveyed and platted the settlement in 1891, and the first train reached Auburn that October, transforming what had been a rural farming area into a commercial stop. The town incorporated in 1892 as the railroad brought warehouses, cotton gins, a bank, and other businesses to what had previously been a scattered farming community. Two original section houses built for railroad workers still stand behind Auburn's City Hall, and a red caboose donated by CSX Railroad marks R.H. Burel Park downtown as a lasting nod to the railroad era that built the town. The Perry Rainey Center, a renovated building dating to 1902, hosts community and event gatherings, but the property has an earlier chapter as well. From 1894 to 1924, it was home to the Perry-Rainey Institute, a Baptist college named for Reverend Hiram R. Rainey and businessman William T. Perry.

Small Parks Throughout Downtown

Auburn has built a network of small parks around its historic downtown rather than concentrating everything in one large tract. Roy E. Parks Children's Playground gives families a place to play close to City Hall, R.H. Burel Park anchors downtown gatherings and hosts a farmers market, James Shackelford Memorial Park offers a nature trail that circles the property, and Whistlestop Park sits shaded by mature pecan trees across from Burel Park, next to a small retail space for local vendors known as Whistlestop Shops. A separate ballfield complex on Parks Mill Road rounds out the city's recreational offerings with baseball and softball fields.

A Small Town Reinvesting in Its Downtown

Auburn's downtown has been the focus of an ongoing revitalization effort, with new shops, restoration of historic buildings, and a redesigned streetscape planned alongside the city's existing events calendar. Recurring community gatherings, including a seasonal farmers market at Burel Park, give the compact downtown a steady rhythm of activity as the surrounding city continues to add new residents. City planners have pointed to a considerable amount of additional growth expected over the coming years, a reflection of Auburn's position as one of the more actively developing parts of Barrow County. U.S. Census Bureau figures back that up: Auburn's population stood at 7,495 at the 2020 census and had reached an estimated 10,110 by 2025, a substantial increase in a short span of years.

Homes in a Growing Barrow County City

Auburn's housing stock includes older homes near its historic downtown core, some tied to the railroad era that shaped the town, alongside a considerable amount of newer single family construction built as the city has expanded outward in recent decades. That mix gives buyers a choice between walkable streets close to downtown parks and newer neighborhoods spreading toward the edges of the city, where larger lots are more common than in the denser, closer-in parts of the metro area.

• R.H. Burel Park, with its CSX caboose and downtown farmers market


• James Shackelford Memorial Park's circular nature trail


• Whistlestop Park and the small vendor space at Whistlestop Shops


• Roy E. Parks Children's Playground near City Hall


• An active downtown revitalization effort with new shops and restored historic buildings

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is Auburn, Georgia in?

Auburn is located primarily in Barrow County, with a small part of the city extending into Gwinnett County.

How far is Auburn from Atlanta?

Auburn is approximately 42 miles from downtown Atlanta, reached primarily by U.S. Route 29 and Georgia State Route 316.

Is Auburn considered part of the Atlanta metro area?

Yes. Auburn sits at the outer edge of the Metro Atlanta region, in Barrow County, while also being about 27 miles from Athens to the east.

What is downtown Auburn like?

Downtown Auburn centers on a handful of small parks, including Burel Park and its CSX caboose, along with an ongoing revitalization effort bringing new shops and restored historic buildings to the area.

What kind of homes are available in Auburn?

Auburn has a mix of older homes near its historic downtown, some dating to its railroad era origins, and newer single family subdivisions built as the city has grown outward in recent decades.