Jackson County, Georgia

History

Most of the first non-Native American settlers came from Effingham County in 1786. On February 11, 1796, Jackson County was split off from part of Franklin County, Georgia. The new county was named in honor of Revolutionary War Lieutenant Colonel, Congressman, Senator and Governor James Jackson. The county originally covered an area of approximately 1800 sqmi, with Clarksboro as its first county seat.

In 1801, the Georgia General Assembly granted 40,000 acre of land in Jackson County for a state college. Franklin College (now University of Georgia) began classes the same year, and the city of Athens was developed around the school. Also the same year, a new county was developed around the new college town, and Jackson lost territory to the new Clarke. The county seat was moved to an old Indian village called Thomocoggan, a location with ample water supply from Curry Creek and four large springs. In 1804, the city was renamed Jefferson, after Thomas Jefferson.

Jackson lost more territory in 1811 in the creation of Madison County, in 1818 in the creation of Walton, Gwinnett, and Hall counties, in 1858 in the creation of Banks County, and in 1914 in the creation of Barrow County.

The first county courthouse, a log and wooden frame building with an attached jail, was built on south side of the public square; a second, larger, two-story brick courthouse with a separate jailhouse was built in 1817. In 1880, a third was built on a hill north of the square. This courthouse was the oldest continuously operating courthouse in the United States until 2004, when the current courthouse was constructed north of Jefferson.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 343 sqmi, of which 340 sqmi is land and 3.4 sqmi (1.0%) is water.

The vast majority of Jackson County is located in the Upper Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin, with just a small portion of the county's northern edge, between Maysville to just east of Commerce, located in the Broad River sub-basin of the Savannah River basin.

Rivers and creeks

• North Oconee River
  • Sandy Creek (Georgia)
  • Curry Creek
• Middle Oconee River
  • Pond Fork
  • Allen Creek (Holders Creek)
• Mulberry River

Adjacent counties

• Banks County - north
• Madison County - east
• Clarke County - southeast
• Barrow County - west
• Hall County - northwest

Communities

Cities

• Arcade
• Commerce
• Hoschton
• Jefferson
• Nicholson
• Pendergrass

Towns

• Braselton (partly in Gwinnett, Barrow and Hall)
• Maysville (partly in Banks)
• Talmo

Unincorporated communities

• Apple Valley
• Attica
• Brockton
• Center
• Clarksboro

Demographics

| align-fn = center 1790-1880 1890-1910 1920-1930 1930-1940 1940-1950 1960-1980 1980-2000 2010

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 75,907 people in the county. The median age was 38.2 years, 25.6% of residents were under the age of 18, and 15.0% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.7 males age 18 and over. 37.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 62.8% lived in rural areas.

The racial makeup of the county was 79.7% White, 6.9% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.3% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 4.1% from some other race, and 6.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 8.8% of the population.

As of the 2020 census, there were 26,174 households in the county, including 19,467 families; 39.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 20.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 27,699 housing units, of which 5.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 80.0% were owner-occupied and 20.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.6%.

Law and government

Politics

As of the 2020s, Jackson County is a strongly Republican voting county, voting 77% for Donald Trump in 2024. For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Jackson County is part of Georgia's 10th congressional district, currently represented by Mike Collins. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Jackson County is divided between districts 47 and 50. For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Jackson County is part of districts 119 and 120.

Education

Most of the county is in the Jackson County School District. Portions in Commerce and Jefferson are in, respectively, Commerce City School District and Jefferson City School District.

Attractions

• Chateau Elan (Braselton)
• La Vaquita Flea Market (Pendergrass)
• Mayfield Dairy Visitors Center (Braselton)
• Sandy Creek Golf Course (Commerce)
• Tanger Outlet Center (Commerce)

National Historic Places

• Braselton Historic District
• Commerce Commercial Historic District
• Governor L. G. Hardman House (Commerce)
• Hillcrest-Allen Clinic and Hospital (Hoschton)
• Holder Plantation (Jefferson)
• Hoschton Depot
• Old Jackson County Courthouse (Jefferson)
• Jefferson Historic District
• Oak Avenue Historic District(Jefferson)
• Paradise Cemetery (Jefferson)
• Seaborn M. Shankle House (Commerce)
• Shields-Etheridge Farm
• Talmo Historic District
• Williamson-Maley-Turner Farm (Jefferson)

Parks and cultural institutions

• Crawford W. Long Museum (Jefferson)
• Hurricane Shoals Park

Events

• Daisy Festival - May (first full weekend) (Nicholson)
• Mule Days - May (Shields-Etheridge Farm)
• Annual City Lights Festival - mid-June (Commerce)
• Celebrate Braselton - July 4 (Braselton)
• Art in the Park - mid-September (Hurricane Shoals)
• Annual Fall Festival - September (last weekend) (Hoschton)
• Jefferson High School and Jefferson Middle School Band Concerts - throughout the year (Jefferson)
• Jackson County Comprehensive High School, East Jackson Comprehensive High School, East Jackson Middle School, West Jackson Middle School, and Legacy Knoll Middle School Band Concerts - throughout the year

Transportation

Major highways

• [[File:I-85.svg|20px]] Interstate 85
• [[File:US 129.svg|25px]] U.S. Route 129
• [[File:Business plate.svg|25px]]
• [[File:US 441.svg|25px]] U.S. Route 441
• [[File:Business plate.svg|25px]]
• [[File:Georgia 11.svg|20px]] State Route 11
• [[File:Georgia 11 Business.svg|20px]] State Route 11 Business
• [[File:Georgia 11 Connector.svg|20px]] State Route 11 Connector
• [[File:Georgia 15.svg|20px]] State Route 15
• [[File:Georgia 15 Alternate.svg|20px]] State Route 15 Alternate
• [[File:Georgia 53.svg|20px]] State Route 53
• [[File:Georgia 59.svg|20px]] State Route 59
• [[File:Georgia 60.svg|20px]] State Route 60
• [[File:Georgia 82.svg|20px]] State Route 82
• [[File:Georgia 82 Connector.svg|20px]] State Route 82 Connector
• [[File:Georgia 98.svg|20px]] State Route 98
• [[File:Georgia 124.svg|20px]] State Route 124
• [[File:Georgia 330.svg|20px]] State Route 330
• [[File:Georgia 332.svg|20px]] State Route 332
• [[File:Georgia 334.svg|20px]] State Route 334
• [[File:Georgia 335.svg|20px]] State Route 335
• [[File:Georgia 346.svg|20px]] State Route 346 (former)
• [[File:Georgia 403.svg|20px]] State Route 403 (unsigned designation for I-85)

Pedestrians and cycling

• Fox Smallwood Dr Trail
• American Veterans Memorial Park Trail
• Commerce Middle School Track
• Curry Creek Reservoir Trail
• Jefferson Memorial Stadium Track
• East Jackson Park Walking Trail
• South Jackson Elementary Nature Trail & Walking Track
• Hurricane Shoals Nature Trail
• Sells Mill Nature Trail
• Sandy Creek Park Walking Trail
• Braselton Riverwalk Trail
• East Jackson High School Track
• W Jackson Middle School Track
• West Jackson Park Walking Track
• Jackson County High School Track & Nature Trail

References

References

1. "Census - Geography Profile: Jackson County, Georgia". [[United States Census Bureau]].
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
3. (1914). "The Early History of Jackson County, Georgia". W. E. White.
4. Gannett, Henry. (1905). "The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States". Govt. Print. Off..
5. (July 2025). "Map of the County of Jackson by James A. Green". Georgia Archives.
6. (February 12, 2011). "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". [[United States Census Bureau]].
7. "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission.
8. "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau.
9. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". United States Census Bureau.
10. (1880). "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800". United States Census Bureau.
11. (1910). "1910 Census of Population - Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
12. (1930). "1930 Census of Population - Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
13. (1940). "1940 Census of Population - Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
14. (1950). "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -". United States Census Bureau.
15. (1980). "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
16. (2000). "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
17. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
18. "Explore Census Data".
19. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
20. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
21. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
22. "Board of Commissioners".
23. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
24. "Georgia General Assembly".
25. "Georgia General Assembly".
26. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Jackson County, GA". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
27. "Walking Trails - Tourism - Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce".