Clarkesville is a city that 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 st ...

Habersham County Habersham County is a County (United States), county located in the Northeast Georgia, northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the population was 43,041. The county s ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 1,911, up from the 2010 census population of 1,733, up from 1,248 at the 2000 census.

History

Clarkesville was founded in 1821 as the seat of Habersham County. The community was named after John Clark.

Geography

Clarkesville is located in central Habersham County on the south side of the

Soquee River The Soque River (Cherokee: ᏐᏈ) (Soquee River per 1972 Board on Geographic Names decision) and its watershed are located entirely within the county boundaries of Habersham County in northeast Georgia. The Soque is a tributary of the Chattahooc ...

, a southwest-flowing tributary of the

Chattahoochee River The Chattahoochee River forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida - Georgia border. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chatta ...

. 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 the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which are land and , or 1.20%, are water.

Climate

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 of ...

, there were 1,911 people, 709 households, and 402 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 incl ...

of 2000, there were 1,248 people, 580 households, and 335 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 639 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.06%

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 on ...

, 7.77%

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 ...

, 0.16% Native American, 0.72%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.32% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.96% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.36% of the population. There were 580 households, out of which 20.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.1% 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 t ...

living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 39.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.72. In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.1% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 27.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $27,880, and the median income for a family was $39,148. Males had a median income of $26,316 versus $23,977 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 $20,265. About 9.9% of families and 14.9% 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 t ...

, including 19.8% of those under age 18 and 16.6% of those age 65 or over.

Tourism

Clarkesville is home t
Miles Through Time Automotive Museum
which is a 501c3 nonprofit history & car museum that was started in 2017 by Sean Mathis with only his grandpa's car
1959 Cadillac Coupe De Ville
The museum is located inside o
Vintage Garage Antiques
which is the back of the Old Clarkesville Mill only a half miles from downtown Clarkesville. Vintage Garage Antiques helps support the mission of Miles Through Time and provides a unique visit to the small town of Clarkesville, Georgia.

Government

The current mayor is Barrie Aycock, the second female mayor in Clarkesville's history. She replaced previous mayor, Dr. Terry Greene.

Education

The

Habersham County School District The Habersham County School District is a public school district in Habersham County, Georgia, United States, based in Clarkesville. It serves the communities of Alto, Baldwin, Clarkesville, Cornelia, Demorest, Mount Airy, Raoul, and Tallu ...

holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of eight elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools. The district has 367 full-time teachers and over 5,955 students. North Georgia Technical College is located in Clarkesville.

Notable people

* Linda Anderson, according to NPR considered "one of the foremost living memory painters". *

Red Barron David Irenus "Red" Barron (June 21, 1900 – October 4, 1982) was an American football and baseball player. Barron was a three-sport Varsity letter, letterwinner at the Georgia Institute of Technology. In football, he was named second or third t ...

, football and baseball player * McKenzie Coan, 2016 Paralympic gold medalisthttp://www.teamusa.org/News/2016/September/09/McKenzie-Coan-Leads-Team-USAs-Three-Medal-Day-In-The-Pool-With-50-Meter-Freestyle-Gold *

Oliver Clyde Fuller Oliver Clyde Fuller (September 13, 1860 – August 17, 1942) was an American banker, financier, and golfer. Born September 13, 1860 on a plantation in Clarkesville, Georgia, Clarkesville, Habersham County, Georgia to Henry Alexander Fuller and M ...

, banker, financier, and golfer * April Masini, advice columnist, relationship expert and entertainment industry executive *

Johnny Mize John Robert Mize (January 7, 1913 – June 2, 1993), nicknamed "Big Jawn" and "The Big Cat", was an American professional baseball player, coach and scout. He played as a first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 15 seasons between 1936 an ...

, baseball player *

Benjamin Purcell Benjamin Harrison Purcell Jr. (February 14, 1928 – April 2, 2013) was a United States Army officer, businessman, and a state legislator. Background Born in Habersham County, Georgia, he enlisted in the United States Navy in 1946. In 1948 ...

, U.S. Army officer and state legislator

Other

The 2012 film ''

Wanderlust Wanderlust is a strong desire to wander or travel and explore the world. Etymology The first documented use of the term in English occurred in 1902 as a reflection of what was then seen as a characteristically German predilection for wandering ...

'' was mostly filmed in Clarkesville, largely near or on New Liberty Road. This message appears at the end of the movie's credits: "Thank you to the residents of Clarkesville, Georgia, for your hospitality."

References

External links

* {{authority control Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in Habersham County, Georgia County seats in Georgia (U.S. state) Populated places established in 1821 1821 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)