Hall County, Georgia
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Hall County is a
county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
in the Northeast region of the U.S. state of
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
. 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 parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
is Gainesville. The entirety of Hall County comprises the Gainesville, Georgia, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also part of the
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
- Athens-Clarke County- Sandy Springs, Combined Statistical Area.


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, a signer of the
Declaration of Independence A declaration 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 the territory of another state or failed state, or are breaka ...
and
governor of Georgia The governor of Georgia is the head of government of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the commander-in-chief of the state's Georgia National Guard, National Guard, when not in federal service, and Georgia State Defense Force, State Defense Fo ...
as both colony and state.


Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (8.5%) is water. The county is located in the upper
Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
region of the state in the foothills of the
Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the United States, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Highlands range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States and extends 550 miles southwest from southern ...
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 join ...
sub-basin of the
Altamaha River The Altamaha River is a major river in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It flows generally eastward for from its Source (river or stream), origin at the confluence of the Oconee River and Ocmulgee River towards the Atlantic Oce ...
basin, while the western half of the county is located in the Upper
Chattahoochee River The Chattahoochee River () is a river in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern United States. It forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida and Georgia border. It ...
sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). The
Chattahoochee River The Chattahoochee River () is a river in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern United States. It forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida and Georgia border. It ...
gathers strength in Hall County, as immortalized in Sidney Lanier's
poem Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...
, "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 – southwest * Forsyth County – west * Dawson County – northwest * Lumpkin County – northwest


Attractions

* Atlanta Botanical Garden ( Gainesville) * Brenau Downtown Center (Gainesville) * Don Carter State Park * Elachee Nature Science Center (Gainesville) * Falcons Complex ( Flowery Branch) * Gainesville Theatre Alliance (Gainesville) * Interactive Neighborhood for Kids (Gainesville) * Lake Lanier Islands ( Buford) * Lake Sidney Lanier * Quinlan Visual Arts Center * Road Atlanta ( Braselton)


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, Georgia, Gainesville via Suwanee, Georgia, Suwanee. I-985 is also known as the Sidney Lanie ...
* U.S. Route 23 * U.S. Route 129 * State Route 11 * State Route 11 Business * State Route 13 * State Route 51 * State Route 52 * State Route 53 * State Route 53 Connector * State Route 60 * State Route 82 * State Route 115 * State Route 136 * State Route 211 * State Route 254 * State Route 283 * State Route 284 * State Route 323 * State Route 332 * State Route 347 * State Route 365 * State Route 365 Business * State Route 369 * 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, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
's ''
Crescent A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase (as it appears in the northern hemisphere) in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself. In Hindu iconography, Hind ...
'' train connects Gainesville with the cities of New York City,
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
, Washington,
Greensboro Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina, af ...
, Charlotte,
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
,
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
and
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
. * 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.


2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 203,136 people, 65,625 households, and 48,776 families residing in the county.


2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, 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.


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 . The racial makeup 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 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 und ...
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.


Education

Most of the county is in the Hall County School District. Portions in the city limits of Buford and Gainesville are in the Buford City School District and the Gainesville City School District, respectively.


Colleges and universities

*
Brenau University Brenau University is a private university in Gainesville, Georgia. Founded in 1878, the university enrolls more than 2,800 students from approximately 48 states and 17 foreign countries who seek degrees ranging from associate through doctoral ...
* Lanier Technical College * University of North Georgia, Gainesville Campus (formerly Gainesville State College)


High schools

* Cherokee Bluff High School * Chestatee High School * East Hall High School * Flowery Branch High School * Gainesville High School * Johnson High School * Lakeview Academy * North Georgia Christian SchoolNorth Georgia Christian School
/ref> * North Hall High School * Riverside Military Academy * West Hall High School


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 Middle School (shares building with South Hall)


Communities


Cities

* Buford (mostly in Gwinnett County) * Flowery Branch * 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 * Murrayville (partly in Lumpkin and White Counties) * Chicopee * Rabbittown


Politics

Hall County had voting patterns similar to the
Solid South The Solid South was the electoral voting bloc for the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the Southern United States between the end of the Reconstruction era in 1877 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In the aftermath of the Co ...
, voting Democrat in all presidential elections until 1968, with the exception of narrowly supporting
Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was the 31st president of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933. A wealthy mining engineer before his presidency, Hoover led the wartime Commission for Relief in Belgium and ...
against Catholic Democrat
Al Smith Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was the 42nd governor of New York, serving from 1919 to 1920 and again from 1923 to 1928. He was the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party's presidential nominee in the 1 ...
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 was the 45th and longest-serving governor of Alabama (1963–1967; 1971–1979; 1983–1987), and the List of longest-serving governors of U.S. s ...
in 1968 and favorite son
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 ...
in both of his campaigns. As a measure of how rapidly it turned to the GOP, Carter's 21-point victory in 1980 is the last time a Democrat managed even 40 percent of the county's vote. However, conservative Democrats held most state and local offices as late as 2000. In 2022, local media reported that Hall County Solicitor General Stephanie Woodard was under investigation for allegations of theft and misuse of public funds.


See also

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Hall County, Georgia * Gainesville Police Department *
List of counties in Georgia The U.S. state of Georgia is divided into 159 counties, the second-highest number after Texas, which has 254 counties. Under the Georgia State Constitution, all of its counties are granted home rule to deal with problems that are purely loca ...


References


External links


Hall County Government
official site
GaGEN Web Hall County section

Lake Lanier Convention & Visitors Bureau
* () web site from ''Roadside Georgia''

* ttp://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/Counties/Hall.html Documents from Hall County at the Digital Library of Georgia
Hall County Sesquicentennial
historical marker
Historic Redwine
historical marker {{Authority control 1818 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
Hall In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and the 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 gre ...
Georgia (U.S. state) counties Northeast Georgia Populated places established in 1818