Ellijay is a city in Gilmer County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,619 at the 2010 census. The city is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Gilmer County. Agriculture is important in Gilmer County, known as the "Apple Capital of Georgia." The city holds an annual Georgia Apple Festival in October. Former President

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...

and his wife Rosalynn own a pine cabin second home in Ellijay. Other tourists are attracted to the mountains and whitewater kayaking.

History

This area was long settled by cultures of indigenous peoples. It was known as part of the homeland of the historic

Cherokee people The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...

. They had a village here, at the confluence of the Ellijay and Cartecay rivers, which together form the Coosawattee River. Ellijay (sometimes formerly spelled "Elejoy") is the anglicized form or transliteration of the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...

name ''Elatseyi'', meaning "new ground". Other sources say it means "green place". Gilmer County was organized by territory cut from Cherokee County in 1832, and Ellijay was designated as its county seat in 1834. It was a fairly isolated and remote mountain community until the late nineteenth century. After the Marietta and Northern Georgia Railroad (later the

Louisville and Nashville Railroad The Louisville and Nashville Railroad , commonly called the L&N, was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1850, the road grew into one of t ...

) was constructed through here in 1884, the railroad stimulated a boom in the timber industry by providing a profitable way to get lumber to markets. Many timber companies came into the area with their workers. More than a century later, another major transportation improvement was construction of the Zell Miller Mountain Parkway ( Georgia 515, named for Georgia governor and U.S. senator Zell Miller), which was completed in 1991.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. It is situated at the confluence of the Ellijay and Cartecay rivers, which together form the Coosawattee River. The Coosawattee flows west as part of the Oostanaula/ Coosa/

Alabama River The Alabama River, in the U.S. state of Alabama, is formed by the Tallapoosa and Coosa rivers, which unite about north of Montgomery, near the town of Wetumpka. The river flows west to Selma, then southwest until, about from Mobile, it ...

watershed. The county seat is bordered to the east and south by the city of

East Ellijay East Ellijay is a city in Gilmer County, Georgia, United States. The population was 546 at the 2010 census, down from 707 in 2000. East Ellijay was originally the location of Fort Hetzel, one of the Cherokee removal forts built in 1838 to house th ...

Climate

Ellijay lies within the

Humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

zone along with the majority of the rest of the southeastern United States. The highest elevations in the surrounding region reside in the Subtropical highland climate. Ellijay enjoys cool winters and warm summers, but neither would be considered extreme thanks to its slightly higher elevation than other areas in the south. Winter snowfall is common, but generally on the lighter side. There are a few exceptions, one being the 1993 Storm of the Century which dropped 17 inches of snow in Ellijay. Summers are warm, though mild for southern standards, with temperatures topping out in the mid 80s during the summer months. Rain is evenly distributed throughout the year averaging 57.97 inches per year, as reported from the nearest NOAA reporting station in Jasper, Georgia.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 1,862 people, 844 households, and 520 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 1,584 people, 593 households, and 342 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 662 housing units at an average density of . There were 662 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.25%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 1.39%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.00% Native American, 1.70% Asian, 0.57%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 12.50% from other races, and 2.46% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 25.19% of the population. There were 593 households, out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.14. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $22,120, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $21,875 versus $20,469 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $13,740. About 20.3% of families and 27.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 27.3% of those under age 18 and 31.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Ellijay is governed by a five-member city council and a mayor. The current mayor is William Albert "Al" Hoyle.

Education

Gilmer County School District

The Gilmer County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of four elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school.Georgia Board of Education
Retrieved June 9, 2010. There is also Crossroads, which is the alternative school in Ellijay. *Ellijay Elementary School *Ellijay Primary School *Mountain View Elementary School *Oakland Elementary School (closed in 2011, due to county budget constraints) *Clear Creek Middle School *Gilmer Middle School * Gilmer High School

Private Schools

*North Georgia Christian Academy *Pleasant Hills Montessori School *Grace Christian School *Josephine Edwards Christian School *Mountain Academy *First Baptist Church Pre-School *Children's First Pre-School

Higher Education

Higher education

Dalton State College Dalton State College (DSC or Dalton State) is a public college in Dalton, Georgia. It is part of the University System of Georgia. Founded in 1963 as a junior college, the college became a four-year institution in 1998. Dalton State is accredite ...

Appalachian Campus - Gilmer County CenterDalton State - Extended Campus

. Retrieved 22 March 2012. This is a satellite campus of Dalton State

Notable people

* Johnny Quarles (1946–2008), western author wrote over a dozen novels and television screenplays, including iconic titles like ''Brack'' and ''Fool's Gold,'' and television screenplays for programs such as '' Lonesome Dove'', many of them featuring Ellijay settings *

Jay Allen Sanford Jay Allen Sanford (born February 18, 1960) is an American author and cartoonist best known for his work with Revolutionary Comics, Carnal Comics, and Pacific Comics. He began writing the comic book '' Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics'' (created by Todd L ...

(1960-present), author and cartoonist best known as the co-creator of Rock 'N' Roll Comics, and for his work with Revolutionary Comics, Carnal Comics, and the

San Diego Reader The ''San Diego Reader'' is an alternative press Alternative press may refer to: Individual publications * ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine Alternative journalism * Alternative media ** Alternative media (U.S. pol ...

* C. Thomas Howell (1966-present), actor known for films such as '' Soul Man'', '' The Hitcher'', '' Grandview U.S.A.'', '' Red Dawn'', '' Secret Admirer'' and '' The Outsiders''. * Col. Oscar Poole (1930-2020), longtime Methodist minister and radio personality whose Uncle Sam suit became a fixture at Republican events, where he promoted his Ellijay BBQ restaurant

References

{{authority control Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in Gilmer County, Georgia County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)