Calhoun is a city in Gordon County, Georgia, United States. It is the main city of Gordon County. In 2020, about 16,949 people lived here. Calhoun is known as the "Land of the Cherokee."

History of Calhoun
- Calhoun During the Civil War
- Natural Disasters
Geography and Climate
- Land and Water
- Calhoun's Climate
People of Calhoun
- 2020 Census Data
Fun Things to See and Do
Schools in Calhoun
Media and News
- Local Newspaper
- Radio Stations
Famous People from Calhoun
Images for kids
See also

History of Calhoun

In 1827, Georgia claimed the lands where Gordon County is now. A small town called "Dawsonville" was started there. It was named after the owner of a local store. Later, the town was renamed "Calhoun" in honor of U.S. Senator John C. Calhoun after he passed away in 1850.

The local court chose Calhoun to be the county seat in 1851. This meant it would be the main city for government. The city officially became a city in January 1852.

Calhoun During the Civil War

In 1861, Georgia left the Union, leading to the American Civil War. People from Calhoun joined the Confederacy. Most of the fighting happened elsewhere. But in May 1864, Calhoun was close to where Union General William Tecumseh Sherman and Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston were preparing for the Battle of Adairsville. This was part of Sherman's Atlanta Campaign. A house called Oakleigh, owned by Dr. Wall, was used as Sherman's headquarters.

Natural Disasters

Calhoun faced two big disasters in 1888. A tornado on March 20 destroyed much of the city. Then, a large fire on October 23 burned most of what was left.

Geography and Climate

Calhoun is located in the western part of Gordon County. It sits where the Oostanaula River meets Oothkalooga Creek. This area is part of the Coosa River and Alabama River system.

Major roads like U.S. Route 41 and Interstate 75 pass through or near Calhoun. I-75 connects Calhoun to Chattanooga, Tennessee (about 49 miles north) and Atlanta (about 68 miles south).

Land and Water

The city of Calhoun covers about 16.11 square miles (41.72 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Calhoun's Climate

Calhoun has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has warm temperatures and rain throughout the year.

Climate data for Calhoun, Georgia
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	10 (50)	13 (55)	18 (64)	23 (73)	27 (80)	31 (87)	32 (90)	32 (89)	29 (84)	23 (74)	17 (63)	12 (54)	22 (72)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−2 (28)	−1 (31)	3 (38)	8 (46)	12 (54)	17 (62)	19 (66)	18 (65)	14 (58)	8 (46)	3 (37)	−1 (30)	8 (47)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	130 (5.1)	130 (5.1)	160 (6.2)	120 (4.8)	110 (4.4)	100 (4)	110 (4.5)	94 (3.7)	110 (4.2)	84 (3.3)	110 (4.2)	120 (4.8)	1,380 (54.2)
Source: Weatherbase

People of Calhoun

The population of Calhoun has grown a lot over the years. In 1870, there were only 427 people. By 2020, the population had grown to 16,949.

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1870	427	—
1880	510	19.4%
1890	680	33.3%
1900	851	25.1%
1910	1,652	94.1%
1920	1,955	18.3%
1930	2,371	21.3%
1940	2,955	24.6%
1950	3,231	9.3%
1960	3,587	11.0%
1970	4,748	32.4%
1980	5,563	17.2%
1990	7,135	28.3%
2000	10,667	49.5%
2010	15,650	46.7%
2020	16,949	8.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 Census Data

The 2020 census showed that Calhoun had 16,949 people. These people lived in 6,088 households, with 4,001 being families.

Calhoun Racial Composition
Race	Num.	Perc.
White	10,204	60.2%
Black or African American	1,154	6.81%
Native American	26	0.15%
Asian	454	2.68%
Pacific Islander	6	0.04%
Other/Mixed	708	4.18%
Hispanic or Latino	4,397	25.94%

Fun Things to See and Do

Calhoun has several interesting places to visit:

The Rock Garden has tiny castles and churches.
New Echota Historic Site was the first capital of the Cherokee Nation.
The Roland Hayes Museum is at the Harris Arts Center.
Oakleigh is a historic home and now the Gordon Historical Society.
You can find great deals at the Premium Outlets of Calhoun.
Phil Reeve Stadium is a local sports venue.
Sam's Treehouse is a unique attraction.

Schools in Calhoun

Calhoun has two main school districts: the Calhoun City School District and the Gordon County School District. There are also some private and higher education options.

Calhoun City Schools

This district serves students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. It has about 166 teachers and over 2,666 students.

Calhoun Early Learning Academy (Pre-K–K)
Calhoun Primary School (grades 1–3)
Calhoun Elementary School (grades 4–6)
Calhoun Middle School (grades 6–8)
Calhoun High School (grades 9–12)

Gordon County Schools

This district serves students outside the city limits, from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. It has about 365 teachers and over 6,259 students.

Red Bud Elementary (Pre-K–5)
W.L Swain Elementary (Pre-K–5)
Belwood Elementary School (Pre-K–5)
Sonoraville Elementary School (Pre-K–5)
Fairmount Elementary School (Pre-K–5)
Max V. Tolbert Elementary School (Pre-K–5)
Ashworth Middle School (grades 6–8)
Red Bud Middle School (grades 6–8)
Gordon Central High School (grades 9–12)
Sonoraville High School (grades 9–12)

Other Schools

John L. Coble Elementary School (K–8th grades) - a Seventh-day Adventist school.
Georgia-Cumberland Academy - a boarding high school for grades 9–12.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College - offers college-level courses.

Media and News

Calhoun has its own newspaper and several radio stations.

Local Newspaper

The Calhoun Times newspaper started in 1870. It is the oldest business still running in Gordon County. It comes out twice a week and also has a website.

Radio Stations

Calhoun is home to four radio stations:

WEBS AM 1030 plays oldies music.
WIPK FM 94.5 started in 2011 and plays country music.
WJTH AM 900 also plays country music.
WLOJ-LP 102.9 is a religious radio station.

You can also hear many other radio stations from nearby cities like Rome, Atlanta, and Chattanooga.

Famous People from Calhoun

Many interesting people have connections to Calhoun:

Elias Boudinot (1802–1839) was a Cherokee leader. He believed that learning new ways was important for his tribe to survive.
Ken Carson (born 2000) is an American rapper.
Charlie Culberson is a Major League Baseball player.
Kris Durham is a professional football player who played for the Oakland Raiders.
Roland Hayes (1887–1977) was a world-famous singer. He was one of the first African-American male concert artists to be widely recognized. He was born here and went to school in Calhoun.
Tre Lamb is a college football coach.
Bert Lance (1931–2013) was a businessman and worked in the government during the Carter presidency.
James Beverly Langford (1922–1996) was a lawyer, businessman, and state politician.
John Meadows III (1944–2018) was a businessman, Mayor of Calhoun, and state politician.
Larkin Poe is a music duo.
Sequoyah (c.1767–1843) was a Cherokee man who invented the Cherokee writing system. This was a very important achievement! The giant redwood trees in California, Sequoia sempervirens, are named after him.
William Thompson (1848–1918) was an Olympic gold medal winner in archery.
Stand Watie (1806–1871) was a Cherokee leader and a general in the Confederate army.
Dale Willis (born 1938) is a Major League Baseball player.

Images for kids

The Calhoun Railroad Depot, a train station from 1862.
The 1960 courthouse, built where an older one stood.
Oakleigh, a historic home once used by General Sherman.
Sam's Tree House, a unique local attraction.

Calhoun, Georgia facts for kids

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