Hall County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of

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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 203,136, up from 179,684 at the 2010 census. 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 ...

is Gainesville. The entirety of Hall County comprises the Gainesville, Georgia, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also part of the

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

- Athens-Clarke County-

Sandy Springs Sandy Springs is a city in northern Fulton County, Georgia and an inner ring suburb of Atlanta. The city's population was 108,080 at the 2020 census, making it Georgia's seventh-largest city. It is the site of several corporate headquarters, i ...

Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan statistical area, metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and ...

History

Hall County was created on December 15, 1818, from Cherokee lands ceded by the Treaty of Cherokee Agency (1817) and Treaty of Washington (1819). The county is named for

Lyman Hall Lyman Hall (April 12, 1724 – October 19, 1790) was an American Founding Father, physician, clergyman, and statesman who signed the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Georgia. Hall County is named after him. He ...

, a signer of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of th ...

and

governor of Georgia The governor of Georgia is the head of government of Georgia and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor also has a duty to enforce state laws, the power to either veto or approve bills passed by the Georgia Legis ...

as both colony and state.

Geography

According to the

U.S. 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 county has a total area of , of which is land and (8.5%) is water. The county is located in the upper

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

region of the state in the foothills of the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virg ...

to the north. Slightly more than half of Hall County, the eastern portion of the county, is located in the Upper

Oconee River The Oconee River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map Accessed April 21, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its origin is in Hall County and it terminates where it joins ...

sub-basin of the

Altamaha River The Altamaha River is a major river in the U.S. state of Georgia. It flows generally eastward for 137 miles (220 km) from its origin at the confluence of the Oconee River and Ocmulgee River towards the Atlantic Ocean, where it empties ...

basin, while the western half of the county is located in the Upper

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 Chatt ...

sub-basin of the

ACF River Basin The ACF River Basin is the drainage basin, or watershed, of the Apalachicola River, Chattahoochee River, and Flint River, in the Southeastern United States. This area is alternatively known as simply the Apalachicola Basin and is listed by t ...

(Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). The

gathers strength in Hall County, as immortalized in

Sidney Lanier Sidney Clopton Lanier (February 3, 1842 – September 7, 1881) was an American musician, poet and author. He served in the Confederate States Army as a private, worked on a blockade-running ship for which he was imprisoned (resulting in his catch ...

poem Poetry (derived from the Greek '' poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meaning ...

, "Song of the Chattahoochee": :OUT of the hills of Habersham, :Down the valleys of Hall, :I hurry amain to reach the plain, :Run the rapid and leap the fall, :Split at the rock and together again,

Adjacent counties

* White County – north * Habersham County – northeast * Banks County – east * Jackson County – southeast * Barrow County – south *

Gwinnett County Gwinnett County ( ) is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It forms part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. In 2020, the population was 957,062, making it the second-most populous county in Georgia (after Fulton ...

– southwest * Forsyth County – west * Dawson County – northwest *

Lumpkin County Lumpkin County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,488. Its county seat is Dahlonega. History This area was settled by the Cherokee, who also occupie ...

– northwest

Attractions

* Atlanta Botanical Garden ( Gainesville) * Brenau Downtown Center (Gainesville) * Don Carter State Park * Elachee Nature Science Center (Gainesville) * Falcons Complex (

Flowery Branch Flowery Branch is a city in Hall County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 9,391. It is part of the Gainesville, Georgia metropolitan area, and lies on the shores of Lake Lanier. History Flowery Branch wa ...

) * Gainesville Theatre Alliance (Gainesville) * Interactive Neighborhood for Kids (Gainesville) *

Lake Lanier Islands Lake Lanier Islands is a resort complex built on a small group of islands on Lake Lanier, the largest lake in Georgia, located 60 miles northeast of Atlanta, Georgia. The resort complex was established in 1974 and includes a hotel, water park, g ...

(

Buford Buford may refer to: Places United States *Buford, Arkansas *Buford, Colorado, an unincorporated community * Buford, Georgia *Buford Highway corridor, in Fulton, DeKalb, and Gwinnett Counties in Georgia * Buford, North Dakota *Buford, Ohio *Bufo ...

) * Lake Sidney Lanier * Quinlan Visual Arts Center *

Road Atlanta Road Atlanta (known for sponsorship reasons as Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta) is a road course located just north of Braselton, Georgia, United States. The facility is utilized for a wide variety of events, including professional and amateur spo ...

(

Braselton Braselton ( ) is a town in Barrow, Gwinnett, Hall, and Jackson counties in the U.S. state of Georgia, approximately northeast of Atlanta. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 7,511, and in 2018 the estimated population was 11,65 ...

)

Transportation

Major highways

Interstate 985 Interstate 985 (I-985) is a auxiliary Interstate Highway in Northeast Georgia. It links the Atlanta metropolitan area to the city of Gainesville via Suwanee. I-985 is also known as the Sidney Lanier Parkway, after the musician and po ...

U.S. Route 23 * US 129

U.S. Route 129 U.S. Route 129 (US 129) is an auxiliary route of US 29, which it intersects in Athens, Georgia. US 129 currently runs for from an intersection with US 19/ US 27 ALT/ US 98 in Chiefland, Florida, to an interchange ...

State Route 11 * Georgia 11 Business

State Route 11 Business * Georgia 13

State Route 13 * Georgia 51

State Route 51 * Georgia 52

State Route 52 * Georgia 53

State Route 53 * Georgia 53 Connector

State Route 53 Connector * Georgia 60

State Route 60 * Georgia 82

State Route 82 * Georgia 115

State Route 115 * Georgia 136

State Route 136 * Georgia 211

State Route 211 * Georgia 254

State Route 254 * Georgia 283

State Route 283 * Georgia 284

State Route 284 * Georgia 323

State Route 323 * Georgia 332

State Route 332 * Georgia 347

State Route 347 * Georgia 365

State Route 365 * Georgia 369

State Route 369 * Georgia 419

State Route 419 (unsigned designation for I-985)

Mass transit

* The Gainesville AMTRAK station is situated at 116 Industrial Boulevard.

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada. ...

's ''

Crescent A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself. In Hinduism, Lord Shiva is often shown wearing a crescent moon on his ...

'' train connects Gainesville with the cities of New York City,

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

Greensboro Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

and

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

. * Gainesville has a bus transit system, the Gainesville Connection, with 130 stops along three routes through Gainesville. The Hall Area Transit Transportation System began operations in January 2001 with three buses and four mini-buses.

Pedestrians and cycling

* Chicopee Woods Bike Trail * Wilshire Trail

Demographics

Hall County remains extremely rural and many of its residents reside in unincorporated areas, accounting for more than half of the county's population.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, 139,277 people, 80,381 households and 80,009 families resided in the county. The population density was . There were 51,046 housing units at an average density of 130 per square mile (50/km²). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the county was 80.75% White, 7.27% Black or African American, 0.34% Native American, 1.35% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 8.75% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. About 19.56% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 80,381 households, 37.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.20% were married couples living together, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.00% were not families. About 19.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.26. Age distribution was 26.90% under the age of 18, 10.80% from 18 to 24, 32.30% from 25 to 44, 20.60% from 45 to 64, and 9.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.90 males. The

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of ...

was $44,908, and the median family income was $50,100. Males had a median income of $31,769 versus $24,550 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,690. About 8.50% of families and 12.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.20% of those under age 18 and 14.70% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

, there were 179,684 people, 60,691 households, and 45,275 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 68,825 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 74.1% white, 7.4% black or African American, 1.8% Asian, 0.5% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 13.9% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 26.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 16.8% were American, 10.6% were Irish, 9.3% were English, and 8.9% were German. Of the 60,691 households, 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 25.4% were non-families, and 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.35. The median age was 34.5 years. The median income for a household in the county was $50,876 and the median income for a family was $57,774. Males had a median income of $38,671 versus $31,378 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,675. About 11.3% of families and 14.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.3% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.

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 203,136 people, 65,625 households, and 48,776 families residing in the county.

Education

Colleges and universities

* Brenau University * Lanier Technical College *

University of North Georgia The University of North Georgia (UNG) is a public senior military college with multiple campuses in Georgia. It is part of the University System of Georgia. The university was established on January 8, 2013 by a merger of North Georgia College ...

, Gainesville Campus (formerly

Gainesville State College Gainesville State College was a state college of the University System of Georgia serving northeast Georgia. The Gainesville State College Gainesville Campus, located northeast of Atlanta and southwest of downtown Gainesville in Oakwood, was ...

)

High schools

* Cherokee Bluff High School *

Chestatee High School Chestatee High School is a public high school located in Gainesville, Georgia, United States, operated by Hall County Schools. The school was established in 2002 when the enrollment at North Hall High School grew too large. The school serves the ...

East Hall High School East Hall High School is a four-year comprehensive high school located in the eastern portion of Hall County, Georgia, United States. The school is operated by Hall County Schools, and serves the communities of Lula, Gainesville, and Gillsvill ...

Flowery Branch High School Flowery Branch High School is a four-year public high school located in Flowery Branch, Georgia, United States, operated by Hall County Schools. In 2007, Flowery Branch was voted Georgia's High School of Excellence. It is one of seven high school ...

* Gainesville High School * Johnson High School *

Lakeview Academy Lakeview Academy is a coeducational, private, college-preparatory school in Gainesville, Georgia, United States, for students from preschool through grade twelve. It opened during the period of desegregation of public schools in Gainesville. D ...

* North Georgia Christian SchoolNorth Georgia Christian School
/ref> *

North Hall High School North Hall High School is a public four-year comprehensive high school located in the northern portion of Hall County, Georgia, United States, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. North Hall serves Murrayville, Clermont, and portion ...

Riverside Military Academy Riverside Military Academy is a private, college preparatory, boarding and day school for boys in grades 6 through 12 in Gainesville, Georgia, United States. History Riverside Military Academy was founded in 1907 by local Professors and Busines ...

West Hall High School West Hall High School is a public high school located in the western portion of Hall County, Georgia, United States, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. West Hall is located about 10 miles southwest of Gainesville City, 20 miles South ...

Middle schools

* Academies of Discovery at South Hall * Alternative Learning Center/International Center * C. W. Davis Middle School * Cherokee Bluff Middle School * Chestatee Middle School * East Hall Middle School * Gainesville Middle School * Lanier Career Academy * North Georgia Christian School * North Hall Middle School * West Hall Middle School * World Language Academy Middle School (Shares building with South Hall)

Communities

Cities

(mostly in Gwinnett County) *

* Gainesville * Gillsville (partly in Banks County) * Lula (partly in Banks County) * Oakwood

Towns

* Braselton (partly in Jackson, Barrow, and Gwinnett Counties) * Clermont

Unincorporated communities

* Belmont * Candler *

Chestnut Mountain The Chestnut Mountain ski resort is located in Galena, Illinois, 20 miles southeast of Dubuque, Iowa, in Jo Daviess County. It is visible from a 10-mile radius. The ski resort opened in 1959 and features two restaurants, a lodge with 119 rooms, ...

* Murrayville (partly in Lumpkin and White Counties) * Chicopee * Rabbittown

Politics

Hall County had voting patterns similar to the

Solid South The Solid South or Southern bloc was the electoral voting bloc of the states of the Southern United States for issues that were regarded as particularly important to the interests of Democrats in those states. The Southern bloc existed especial ...

, with the exception of narrowly supporting

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...

against Catholic Democrat

Al Smith Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was an American politician who served four terms as Governor of New York and was the Democratic Party's candidate for president in 1928. The son of an Irish-American mother and a C ...

in 1928. Since then, it has been won by the GOP by landslide margins, in stark contrast to nearby inner suburban counties of Atlanta, with the exception of segregationist

George Wallace George Corley Wallace Jr. (August 25, 1919 – September 13, 1998) was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Alabama for four terms. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best remembered for his staunch segregationist and ...

in 1968 and

favorite son Favorite son (or favorite daughter) is a political term. * At the quadrennial American national political party conventions, a state delegation sometimes nominates a candidate from the state, or less often from the state's region, who is not a ...

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 ...

in both of his campaigns.

References

Hall In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and early Middle Ages in northern Europe, a mead hall was where a lord and his retainers ate and also slept. Later in the Middle Ages, the gr ...

Northeast Georgia Counties of Appalachia