Blue Ridge, Georgia | |
|---|---|
 City hall | |
 Seal | |
 Location inFannin County and the state ofGeorgia | |
| Coordinates:34°52′6″N84°19′16″W / 34.86833°N 84.32111°W /34.86833; -84.32111 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Fannin |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.68 sq mi (6.93 km2) |
| • Land | 2.68 sq mi (6.93 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,762 ft (537 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,253 |
| • Density | 468.1/sq mi (180.73/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 30513 |
| Area codes | 706/762 |
| FIPS code | 13-08928[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0331197[2] |
| Website | www |
Blue Ridge is a city inFannin County, Georgia, United States. As of the2020 census, the city had a population of 1,253. The city is thecounty seat of Fannin County and the largest city in the county.[4]
Prior toDecolonization of the Americas (1770–1820), the area that is now Blue Ridge was inhabited byCherokee and other Indigenous peoples.
Blue Ridge was laid out in 1886 when theMarietta and North Georgia Railroad was extended to that point.[5] It was incorporated in 1887 by colonelMike McKinney, who built the railroad.[6] In 1895, the seat of Fannin County was transferred to Blue Ridge fromMorganton.[7]
Blue Ridge is the home of theBlue Ridge Scenic Railway, a restored railroad that features a four-hour, 26 mile roundtrip journey along theToccoa River to the sister townsMcCaysville, Georgia, andCopperhill, Tennessee.[8]
The original tracks started inMarietta, Georgia, and reached Blue Ridge and the surrounding areas in 1886.
The city of Blue Ridge is located south of the center of Fannin County at34°52′6″N84°19′16″W / 34.86833°N 84.32111°W /34.86833; -84.32111 (34.868344, -84.320991).[9] The city sits on the divide between theTennessee River watershed to the north (via theToccoa River) and theAlabama River to the south (via Crooked Log Creek, theEllijay River, and several downstream rivers).
U.S. Route 76 andGeorgia State Route 515 (Zell Miller Mountain Parkway) pass through the west side of the city, leading east 22 miles (35 km) toBlairsville and southwest 15 miles (24 km) toEllijay.Georgia State Route 5 leads north from Blue Ridge 10 miles (16 km) toMcCaysville at theTennessee line.Atlanta is 93 miles (150 km) to the south via GA-5/515.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km2), all land.[10]
Appalachian-influencedCfa.
| Climate data for Blue Ridge, Georgia | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 74 (23) | 78 (26) | 85 (29) | 91 (33) | 94 (34) | 100 (38) | 103 (39) | 101 (38) | 98 (37) | 92 (33) | 83 (28) | 76 (24) | 103 (39) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 50 (10) | 54 (12) | 61 (16) | 71 (22) | 78 (26) | 84 (29) | 88 (31) | 87 (31) | 81 (27) | 72 (22) | 62 (17) | 52 (11) | 70 (21) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 38 (3) | 41 (5) | 48 (9) | 56 (13) | 64 (18) | 71 (22) | 76 (24) | 75 (24) | 68 (20) | 57 (14) | 48 (9) | 40 (4) | 57 (14) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 26 (−3) | 28 (−2) | 34 (1) | 40 (4) | 49 (9) | 58 (14) | 63 (17) | 62 (17) | 54 (12) | 42 (6) | 34 (1) | 28 (−2) | 43 (6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −16 (−27) | −5 (−21) | 2 (−17) | 17 (−8) | 29 (−2) | 37 (3) | 47 (8) | 46 (8) | 30 (−1) | 19 (−7) | −1 (−18) | −8 (−22) | −16 (−27) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 5.8 (150) | 5.5 (140) | 6.4 (160) | 4.9 (120) | 5.0 (130) | 4.6 (120) | 5.4 (140) | 4.8 (120) | 4.5 (110) | 3.3 (84) | 5.0 (130) | 5.0 (130) | 60.2 (1,534) |
| Source:[11] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 264 | — | |
| 1900 | 1,148 | 334.8% | |
| 1910 | 898 | −21.8% | |
| 1920 | 904 | 0.7% | |
| 1930 | 1,190 | 31.6% | |
| 1940 | 1,362 | 14.5% | |
| 1950 | 1,718 | 26.1% | |
| 1960 | 1,406 | −18.2% | |
| 1970 | 1,602 | 13.9% | |
| 1980 | 1,376 | −14.1% | |
| 1990 | 1,336 | −2.9% | |
| 2000 | 1,210 | −9.4% | |
| 2010 | 1,290 | 6.6% | |
| 2020 | 1,253 | −2.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,121 | 89.47% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 9 | 0.72% |
| Native American | 4 | 0.32% |
| Asian | 13 | 1.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 36 | 2.87% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 70 | 5.59% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 1,253 people, 476 households, and 249 families residing in the city.
As of the2010 United States census, there were 1,290 people residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 92.1% White, 1.2% Black, 0.2% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.7% from some other race and 0.9% from two or more races. 4.5% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
As of thecensus[3] of 2000, there were 1,210 people, 553 households, and 319 families residing in the city. The population density was 557.2 inhabitants per square mile (215.1/km2). There were 631 housing units at an average density of 290.6 units per square mile (112.2 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.26%White, 0.41%African American, 0.41%Asian, 0.17% fromother races, and 0.74% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 0.83% of the population.
There were 553 households, out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.9% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.3% were non-families. 38.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.3% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,214, and the median income for a family was $35,259. Males had a median income of $25,859 versus $17,941 for females.
Theper capita income for the city was $16,149. About 13.7% of families and 17.0% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 22.9% of those under age 18 and 16.6% of those age 65 or over.
In the late 2000s and continuing through the 2010s, the city has seen a surge in new business, particularly from theLGBT community which constitutes a larger percentage of the population than is typical for a rural community and one of the highest in Georgia.[14]
TheFannin County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school.[15] The district has 179 full-time teachers and more than 3,212 students.[16]
In 2015, theUniversity of North Georgia (UNG) opened a campus in Blue Ridge.[17]
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Municipalities and communities ofFannin County, Georgia,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
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