Ellijay, Georgia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ellijay, Georgia
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Downtown Ellijay looking toward Walnut Mt.
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Location in Gilmer County and the state of Georgia
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Georgia | ||
| County | Gilmer | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 3.54 sq mi (9.18 km2) | ||
| • Land | 3.54 sq mi (9.18 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 1,280 ft (390 m) | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,862 | ||
| • Density | 525.40/sq mi (202.83/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | ||
| ZIP code |
30540
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| Area code(s) | 706/762 | ||
| FIPS code | 13-27092 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0331651 | ||
Ellijay, sometimes spelled Elijay, is a city in Gilmer County, Georgia, United States. In 2020, about 1,862 people lived there. It is the main city, or county seat, of Gilmer County.
Gilmer County is famous for its farms and is even called the "Apple Capital of Georgia." Every October, Ellijay hosts the fun Georgia Apple Festival.
People love visiting Ellijay for its beautiful mountains and exciting whitewater kayaking. Even former President Jimmy Carter used to have a home here!
Contents
History of Ellijay
Long ago, the Cherokee people lived in the area where Ellijay is now. They had a village where the Ellijay and Cartecay Rivers meet. These two rivers then form the Coosawattee River. In 1838, many Cherokee people were forced to leave their homes and move far away to Oklahoma. This difficult journey caused about 4,000 Cherokees to die.
The name Ellijay comes from the Cherokee word Elatseyi. It means "new ground" or sometimes "green place."
Gilmer County was created in 1832, and Ellijay became its main city in 1834. For a long time, Ellijay was a quiet, remote mountain town. But in 1884, a railroad was built through the area. This made it easier to transport wood, which helped the timber industry grow. Many logging companies came, bringing workers with them.
Much later, in 1991, a big new road called the Zell Miller Mountain Parkway (Georgia 515) was finished. This road made it much easier for people to travel to and from Ellijay.
Geography of Ellijay
Ellijay covers about 9.2 square kilometers (3.54 square miles) of land. It is located where the Ellijay and Cartecay Rivers join to form the Coosawattee River. The Coosawattee River flows west and is part of a larger river system that includes the Oostanaula, Coosa, and Alabama River. The city of Ellijay is next to East Ellijay on its east and south sides.
Ellijay's Climate
Ellijay has a Humid subtropical climate, which means it has warm summers and cool winters. Because it's a bit higher up in the mountains, the weather is not as extreme as in some other southern areas.
Snowfall is common in winter, but usually not very heavy. However, during the 1993 Storm of the Century, Ellijay received 17 inches of snow! Summers are warm but mild, with temperatures usually reaching the mid-80s Fahrenheit. Rain falls pretty evenly throughout the year, with about 57.97 inches per year.
| Climate data for Jasper, Georgia (1991–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 47.5 (8.6) |
51.7 (10.9) |
59.8 (15.4) |
68.4 (20.2) |
75.2 (24.0) |
81.6 (27.6) |
84.5 (29.2) |
83.6 (28.7) |
78.8 (26.0) |
69.0 (20.6) |
58.7 (14.8) |
50.8 (10.4) |
67.4 (19.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 31.1 (−0.5) |
33.7 (0.9) |
40.0 (4.4) |
47.2 (8.4) |
55.5 (13.1) |
58.1 (14.5) |
63.3 (17.4) |
66.1 (18.9) |
60.7 (15.9) |
49.7 (9.8) |
39.9 (4.4) |
34.7 (1.5) |
49.1 (9.5) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 5.53 (140) |
5.03 (128) |
5.89 (150) |
5.07 (129) |
4.31 (109) |
4.88 (124) |
4.60 (117) |
4.59 (117) |
4.18 (106) |
4.01 (102) |
4.55 (116) |
5.33 (135) |
57.97 (1,473) |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Ellijay's Population
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 200 | — | |
| 1890 | 437 | 118.5% | |
| 1900 | 581 | 33.0% | |
| 1910 | 659 | 13.4% | |
| 1920 | 632 | −4.1% | |
| 1930 | 657 | 4.0% | |
| 1940 | 1,497 | 127.9% | |
| 1950 | 1,527 | 2.0% | |
| 1960 | 1,320 | −13.6% | |
| 1970 | 1,326 | 0.5% | |
| 1980 | 1,507 | 13.7% | |
| 1990 | 1,178 | −21.8% | |
| 2000 | 1,584 | 34.5% | |
| 2010 | 1,619 | 2.2% | |
| 2020 | 1,862 | 15.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 Census Information
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,215 | 65.25% |
| Black or African American | 3 | 0.16% |
| Native American | 3 | 0.16% |
| Asian | 6 | 0.32% |
| Other/mixed | 47 | 2.52% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 588 | 31.58% |
In 2020, the city of Ellijay had 1,862 people living in 844 households. About 520 of these households were families.
Education in Ellijay
Ellijay has several schools for students of all ages.
Gilmer County School District
The Gilmer County School District serves students from preschool all the way to 12th grade. It includes:
- Ellijay Elementary School
- Mountain View Elementary School
- Clear Creek Elementary School
- Clear Creek Middle School
- Gilmer High School
- Mountain Innovation Program
There used to be an Oakland Elementary School, but it closed in 2011. There is also Crossroads, which is an alternative school in Ellijay.
Private Schools
Ellijay also has private schools, such as:
- 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 in Ellijay
For students who want to continue their education after high school, the Dalton State College Appalachian Campus - Gilmer County Center is located in Ellijay. It is a smaller campus of Dalton State College.
Notable People from Ellijay
Many interesting people have connections to Ellijay:
- Johnny Quarles (1946–2008) was a writer who wrote many Western novels and TV shows. His stories often took place in Ellijay.
- Jay Allen Sanford (born 1960) is an author and cartoonist. He is known for co-creating Rock 'N' Roll Comics.
- C. Thomas Howell (born 1966) is an actor who has been in many movies, including Soul Man and The Outsiders.
- Col. Oscar Poole (1930–2020) was a minister and radio personality. He was famous for wearing an Uncle Sam suit and promoting his BBQ restaurant in Ellijay.
- John Davis (born 1965) was a professional football player. He played as an offensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills and was an All-American for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
See also
In Spanish: Ellijay para niños
