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Helen
City
HelenGAstreet01.JPG
Motto(s): 
"Georgia‘s Alpine village"
Location in White County and the state of Georgia
Location in White County and the state of Georgia
Country United States
State Georgia
County White
Area
 • Total 2.09 sq mi (5.43 km2)
 • Land 2.09 sq mi (5.41 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation
1,447 ft (441 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 531
 • Density 254.19/sq mi (98.14/km2)
Time zone UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 (EDT)
ZIP Code
30545
Area code(s) 706
FIPS code 13-37788
GNIS feature ID 0331948
Website CityOfHelen.org

Helen is a city in White County, Georgia, United States, located along the Chattahoochee River. The population was 531 at the 2020 census.

History

Formerly a logging town that was in decline, the city resurrected itself by becoming a replica of a Bavarian alpine town, in the Appalachians instead of the Alps. This design is mandated through zoning first adopted in 1969, so that the classic south-German style is present on every building, even on the small number of national franchisees present (such as Huddle House and Wendy's).

Because of this, tourism is the main industry in Helen, catering mostly to weekend visitors from the Atlanta area and also motorcyclists who enjoy riding the beautiful roads of Helen and its surrounding areas during all seasons. Helen is extremely crowded in late October, when autumn leaves typically peak. It also hosts its own Oktoberfest during September, October and November. There are many events and festivals throughout the year. One of the most well-known is Southern Worthersee, which is a stateside Volkswagen and Audi event that pays tribute to the Worthersee Tour in Austria with attendance of approximately 20,000 people. Also the annual hot-air balloon race held the first weekend in June.

The main road through town is north/south Georgia 75. The Helen stream gauge (HDCG1) is located on its bridge over the Chattahoochee in the middle of downtown. A parallel route to the west is labeled Georgia 75 Alt to identify it as a bypass route around the town and its massive traffic jams in the autumn and on some weekends.

Unicoi State Park and Lodge, spanning 1,050 acres, is located immediately northeast of Helen on Georgia 356. The park encompasses Unicoi Lake, a 53-acre freshwater lake, offering outdoor activities for all seasons. Among them are a swimming beach, trout streams, wheelchair-accessible fishing docks, seasonal canoe, kayak and paddle boat rentals, seven picnic shelters with charcoal grills, three playgrounds for children, many spots for birding, 7.5 miles of hiking within the park (with adjacent trails in the Chattahoochee National Forest), 8 miles of mountain biking trails within the park, and plenty of places to enjoy the natural beauty of the lake and park. Unicoi State Park also offers lodging in several forms. Access to Anna Ruby Falls, part of the Chattahoochee National Forest, is located through the park.

In 1975, DOCUMERICA photographer Al Stephenson documented the life, recreation, and economy of the Helen area before and during the construction of Alpine Helen.

Geography

Helen is located at 34°42′9″N 83°43′39″W / 34.70250°N 83.72750°W / 34.70250; -83.72750 (34.702396, -83.727508).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km2), all of it land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1920 176 —
1930 252 43.2%
1940 198 −21.4%
1950 191 −3.5%
1960 227 18.8%
1970 252 11.0%
1980 265 5.2%
1990 300 13.2%
2000 430 43.3%
2010 510 18.6%
2020 531 4.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Helen racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 469 88.32%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 4 0.75%
Asian 17 3.2%
Other/Mixed 30 5.65%
Hispanic or Latino 11 2.07%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 531 people, 271 households, and 161 families residing in the city. The total population figure is disputed by city officials, as it is triple what is was a decade earlier. The discrepancy may be due changes in Census Bureau counting methodology.

Sister city

Gallery

  • OFFICE OF THE HELEN MOUNTAIN EAGLE, A MONTHLY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED IN HELEN, GEORGIA, NEAR ROBERTSTOWN - NARA - 557682

    Office of The Helen Mountain Eagle, July 1975

  • ENTRANCE TO HELEN, GEORGIA, NEAR ROBERTSTOWN. MAIN STREET SHOPS LINE HIGHWAY 17-75. THE TOWN WAS A TYPICAL GEORGIA... - NARA - 557652

    Entrance to Helen, May 1975

  • Unicoi Cloggers Bavarian Polka-557791

    Dancing at Oktoberfest in Helen, 1975

  • Helen Georgia

    Another view of Helen

  • HelenGAstorefront

    Various stores in Helen

  • Panorama Helena

    Panorama of the town.


Education

  • Alpine Public Schools are part of the White County School District, which includes four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.
  • Dr. Laurie Burkett is the Superintendent of Schools (since 2018). The district has 233 full-time teachers and over 3,758 students.

Transportation

Major roads

  • Georgia 17.svg State Route 17
  • Georgia 75.svg State Route 75
  • Georgia 356.svg State Route 356

Pedestrians and cycling

  • River Hiking Trail
  • Unicoi State Park Trail

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Helen (Georgia) para niños

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