Jefferson, Georgia Facts for Kids

Jefferson is a city located in Jackson County, Georgia, in the United States. It's also the main town, known as the county seat, where the county government offices are. In 2020, about 13,233 people lived there, and by 2024, the population was estimated to be around 17,215. This shows that Jefferson is a growing city!

A Look Back in Time
Where is Jefferson Located?
- Getting Around Jefferson
- Land and Water
Who Lives in Jefferson?
Education
Notable People
See also

A Look Back in Time

Jefferson was started in the year 1800. In the same year, it became the main town, or "county seat," for Jackson County. Before that, the county seat was in a place called Clarkesboro. Jefferson officially became a town in 1806. Later, in 1896, it was recognized as a city. The city was named after Thomas Jefferson, who was a very important person in American history.

Where is Jefferson Located?

View of the north side of the city's central square

Jefferson is in the middle of Jackson County. You can find it at these coordinates: 34°7′36″N 83°35′25″W / 34.12667°N 83.59028°W / 34.12667; -83.59028. It shares borders with Pendergrass to the northwest and Arcade to the southeast.

Getting Around Jefferson

A major road, U.S. Route 129, goes through the southwest part of the city. If you head northwest on this road, you'll reach Gainesville in about 21 miles. If you go southeast, you'll get to Athens in about 19 miles.

Interstate 85 also passes through the northern edge of Jefferson. It's about 5 miles northwest of the city center. You can get on or off I-85 at Exits 137 and 140. This interstate highway can take you southwest about 55 miles to Atlanta. Or, if you go northeast, you'll reach Greenville, South Carolina, which is about 90 miles away.

Land and Water

The United States Census Bureau says that Jefferson covers a total area of about 22.87 square miles (59.23 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 22.53 square miles (58.36 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.34 square miles (0.88 square kilometers), is water.

Curry Creek, a small river that flows into the North Oconee River, is just east of downtown Jefferson. The Middle Oconee River runs along the western side of the city.

Who Lives in Jefferson?

View towards the east side of the square showing the Confederate Memorial and the highway leading to Commerce, Georgia

The number of people living in Jefferson has changed a lot over the years. Here's how the population has grown:

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	419	—
1890	540	28.9%
1900	726	34.4%
1910	1,207	66.3%
1920	1,626	34.7%
1930	1,869	14.9%
1940	1,839	−1.6%
1950	2,040	10.9%
1960	1,746	−14.4%
1970	1,647	−5.7%
1980	1,820	10.5%
1990	2,763	51.8%
2000	3,825	38.4%
2010	9,432	146.6%
2020	13,233	40.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

Population in 2020

In 2020, the 2020 United States census counted 13,233 people living in Jefferson. There were 3,933 households, which are groups of people living together, and 2,885 families.

Growing Community

A report from 2024 by the U.S. Census Bureau said that Jefferson, Georgia, was the fastest-growing "micropolitan statistical area" in the country between 2020 and 2023. A micropolitan area is a city with a population between 10,000 and 50,000, plus the nearby areas that are connected to it. This means Jefferson's population grew by an estimated 16.24% during that time!

Diverse Community

Here's a look at the different groups of people who lived in Jefferson in 2020:

Jefferson racial composition as of 2020
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	10,240	77.38%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	1,087	8.21%
Native American	22	0.17%
Asian	269	2.03%
Pacific Islander	3	0.02%
Other/mixed	572	4.32%
Hispanic or Latino	1,040	7.86%

Education

View of the southeast side of the square with shops and parking

Jefferson is served by two main school districts, helping students from preschool all the way through high school.

Jackson County School District

The Jackson County School District teaches students from preschool up to twelfth grade. As of March 2024, this district had 10,646 students. It includes:

East Jackson Elementary School
Gum Springs Elementary School
Maysville Elementary School
North Jackson Elementary School
South Jackson Elementary School
West Jackson Elementary School
Heroes Elementary School
East Jackson Middle School
West Jackson Middle School
Legacy Knoll Middle School
East Jackson High School
Jackson County High School
EMPOWER College and Career Center (a special charter school)

Jefferson City School District

The Jefferson City School District also serves students from preschool to twelfth grade. In March 2024, this district had 4,218 students. Its schools are:

Center for Early Learning (preschool)
Jefferson Elementary School
Jefferson Academy
Jefferson Middle School
Jefferson High School

Martin Institute

The Martin Institute was an important school in Jefferson for many years. It operated from 1818 until 1942.

Notable People

Many interesting people have come from Jefferson, Georgia. Here are a few of them:

Chris Beck, a baseball pitcher for the New York Mets
Hiram Parks Bell, who served as a U.S. Representative
Damon Jesse Gause, a World War II war hero
Brantley Gilbert, a popular country music singer and songwriter
Crawford W. Long, a doctor famous for being the first to use ether to help people sleep during surgery
Brandon Mosley, a former football player for Auburn University and the New York Giants
Corey Smith, another country music singer and songwriter
Malaki Starks, a safety for the Georgia Bulldogs football team
Sammy Brown, a linebacker for the Clemson Tigers

Jefferson, Georgia facts for kids

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