Jefferson, Georgia

Jefferson, Georgia
Jackson County Courthouse in Jefferson
Official seal of Jefferson, Georgia
Location in Jackson County and the state of Georgia
Location in Jackson County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 34°7′36″N 83°35′25″W / 34.12667°N 83.59028°W / 34.12667; -83.59028
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyJackson
Named forThomas Jefferson
Government
 • TypeLocal government
 • MayorJon Howell
 • City managerPriscilla Murphy
 • City councilSteve Kinney (D1)
Dawn Maddox (D2)
Cody Cain (D3)
Mark Mobley (D4)
Alex Crawford (D5)
Area
[1]
 • Total22.87 sq mi (59.23 km2)
 • Land22.53 sq mi (58.36 km2)
 • Water0.34 sq mi (0.88 km2)
Elevation
751 ft (229 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total13,233
 • Density587.32/sq mi (226.77/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
30549
Area code706
FIPS code13-41988[2]
GNIS feature ID0356332[3]
Websitewww.cityofjeffersonga.com

Jefferson is a city and the county seat of Jackson County, Georgia, United States. The population was 9,432 at the 2010 census,[4] up from 3,825 at the 2000 census. As of 2019 the estimated population was 12,032.[5][6]

History

Jefferson was founded in 1800. That same year, the seat of Jackson County was transferred to Jefferson from Clarkesboro. Jefferson was incorporated as a town in 1806 and as a city in 1896.[7] The city was named after Thomas Jefferson.[8]

Geography

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

Jefferson is located in central Jackson County at 34°7′36″N 83°35′25″W / 34.12667°N 83.59028°W / 34.12667; -83.59028 (34.126736, -83.590297).[9] It is bordered to the northwest by Pendergrass and to the southeast by Arcade. U.S. Route 129 passes through the southwest side of the city, leading northwest 21 miles (34 km) to Gainesville and southeast 19 miles (31 km) to Athens. Interstate 85 runs through the northern end of Jefferson, 5 miles (8 km) northwest of the center of town, with access from Exits 137 and 140. I-85 leads southwest 55 miles (89 km) to Atlanta and northeast 90 miles (140 km) to Greenville, South Carolina.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Jefferson has a total area of 22.0 square miles (57.0 km2), of which 21.7 square miles (56.1 km2) are land and 0.3 square miles (0.9 km2), or 1.53%, are water.[4] Curry Creek, a tributary of the North Oconee River, flows just to the east of downtown, and the Middle Oconee River runs along the western edge of the city.

Demographics

View towards the east side of the square showing the Confederate Memorial and the highway leading to Commerce, Georgia
Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1880419
189054028.9%
190072634.4%
19101,20766.3%
19201,62634.7%
19301,86914.9%
19401,839−1.6%
19502,04010.9%
19601,746−14.4%
19701,647−5.7%
19801,82010.5%
19902,76351.8%
20003,82538.4%
20109,432146.6%
202013,23340.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
Jefferson racial composition as of 2020[11]
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%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 13,233 people, 3,933 households, and 2,885 families residing in the city.

Education

Jackson County School District

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

The Jackson County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of six elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools, and one charter school. As of December 2020, the district had a total of 8,611 students.[12]

  • East Jackson Elementary School
  • Gum Springs Elementary School
  • Maysville Elementary School
  • North Jackson Elementary School
  • South Jackson Elementary School
  • West Jackson Elementary School
  • East Jackson Middle School
  • West Jackson Middle School
  • East Jackson Comprehensive High School
  • Jackson County Comprehensive High School
  • EMPOWER College and Career Center (charter school)

Jefferson City School District

The Jefferson City School District holds kindergarten to grade twelve, and consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school.[13] The district has 115 full-time teachers and over 1,525 students.[14]

  • Jefferson Elementary School
  • Jefferson Academy
  • Jefferson Middle School
  • Jefferson High School

Martin Institute

The Martin Institute was a school in Jefferson from 1818 to 1942.

Notable people

References

  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  2. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Jefferson city, Georgia". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  5. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  6. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  7. ^ Hellmann, Paul T. (May 13, 2013). Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Routledge. p. 234. ISBN 978-1135948597. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
  8. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 119. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
  9. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  10. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  11. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  12. ^ Wikipedia page for JCSS, Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  13. ^ Georgia Board of Education, Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  14. ^ School Stats, Retrieved June 5, 2010.

External links

  • City of Jefferson official website
  • The Jackson Herald, local newspaper
  • Builder of the Nation historical marker
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