Ellijay, occasionally spelled Elijay, is a city in
Gilmer County, Georgia, United States. Its population was 1,862 at the 2020 census.
The city is the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
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. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
owned a pine-cabin second home in Ellijay. Other tourists are attracted to the mountains and
whitewater kayaking
Whitewater kayaking is an outdoor adventure sport where paddlers navigate a river in a specially designed kayak. Whitewater kayaking includes several styles: river running, creeking, slalom, playboating, and squirt boating. Each style offers ...
.
History
This area was long settled by cultures of indigenous peoples. It was known as part of the historic homeland of the
Cherokee people until the US government's policy of ethnic cleansing of Native Americans from the Southern States saw them forcibly displaced to Oklahoma in 1838. They had a village here, at the confluence of the
Ellijay and
Cartecay Rivers, which together form the
Coosawattee River. About 4,000 Cherokees died in the ensuing trek to Oklahoma.
Ellijay (sometimes formerly spelled "Elejoy") is the anglicized form or transliteration of the
Cherokee
The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...
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 19th 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 ...
) 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
Zell Bryan Miller (February 24, 1932 – March 23, 2018) was an American politician who served as the 79th governor of Georgia from 1991 to 1999 and as a United States senator representing the state from 2000 to 2005. He was a member of the Dem ...
), which was completed in 1991.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, 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 River, Tallapoosa and Coosa River, Coosa rivers, which unite about north of Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery, near the town of Wetumpka, Alabama, Wetumpka.
Over a co ...
watershed. The county seat is bordered to the east and south by the city of
East Ellijay.
Climate
Ellijay lies within the
Humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
zone along with the majority of the rest of the Southeastern United States. The highest elevations in the surrounding region reside in the
oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...
. Ellijay enjoys cool winters and warm summers, but neither would be considered extreme due to its slightly higher elevation than other areas in the south. Winter snowfall is common, but generally on the lighter side. A few exceptions exist, one being the
1993 Storm of the Century
The 1993 Storm of the Century (also known as the 93 Superstorm, The No Name Storm, or the Great Blizzard of '93/1993) was a devastating cyclonic storm, or nor'easter, that formed over the Gulf of Mexico on March 12, 1993. The cold weather, heav ...
, 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. 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, 1,862 people, 844 households, and 520 families were residing in the city.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, 1,584 people, 593 households, and 342 families lived in the city. The population density was . The 662 housing units had an average density of . The
racial makeup of the city was 81.25% White, 1.39% African American, 0.00% Native American, 1.70% Asian, 0.57% Pacific Islander, 12.50% from other races, and 2.46% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 25.19% of the population.
Of the 593 households, 26.8% had children under 18 living with them, 36.1% were married couples living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were not families. About 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.49, and the average family size was 3.14.
In the city, the age distribution was 22.9% under 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 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $22,120, and 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 average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
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 18 and 31.7% of those 65 or over.
Government
Ellijay is governed by a five-member city council and a mayor. The current mayor is William Albert "Al" Hoyle (since 1997).
Education
Gilmer County School District
The
Gilmer County School District holds preschool to grade 12, and consists of three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.
Georgia Board of Education
Retrieved June 9, 2010. There is also Crossroads, which is the alternative school in Ellijay.
*Ellijay Elementary School
*Mountain View Elementary School
*Clear Creek Elementary School
*Oakland Elementary School (closed in 2011, due to county budget constraints)
*Clear Creek Middle School
* Gilmer High School
*Mountain Innovation Program
Private Schools
*North Georgia Christian Academy
*Pleasant Hills Montessori School
*Grace Christian School
*Josephine Edwards Christian School
*Mountain Academy
*First Baptist Church Preschool
*Children's First Preschool
Higher Education
Higher education
The Dalton State College Appalachian Campus - Gilmer County Center[Dalton State - Extended Campus]
Dalton State College. Retrieved 22 March 2012. is a satellite campus of Dalton State College.
Notable people
* Johnny Quarles (1946–2008), a Western author, wrote over a dozen novels and television screenplays, including the iconic titles ''Brack'' and ''Fool's Gold,'' many of them featuring Ellijay settings.
* Jay Allen Sanford (1960–present), author and cartoonist, is 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 newspaper in San Diego County, California. Published weekly since October 1972, the ''Reader'' is distributed free on Wednesday and Thursday via street boxes and cooperating retail outlets.
Hi ...
.
* Col. Oscar Poole (1930–2020) was a longtime Methodist minister and radio personality whose Uncle Sam suit became a fixture at Republican events, where he promoted his Ellijay BBQ restaurant.
* John Davis (1965–present) was a starting offensive lineman with the Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
and an All-American guard for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The teams have also been nicknamed the ...
.
References
{{authority control
Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)
Cities in Gilmer County, Georgia
County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)