| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Georgia |
| County | Habersham |
| Unit pref | Imperial |
| Area total | 6.44 km² |
| Area land | 6.37 km² |
| Area water | 0.07 km² |
| Area total | 2.49 sq mi |
| Area land | 2.46 sq mi |
| Area water | 0.03 sq mi |
| Population as of | 2020 |
| Population total | 1911 |
| Population density | 300.18 km² |
| Population density | 777.46 sq mi |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| Time zone (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Coordinates | 34°36′37″N 83°31′42″W |
| Elevation | 1404 ft |
| ZIP code | 30523-4712 |
| Area code | 706 |
| FIPS code | 13-16460[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2404056[2] |
| Website | clarkesvillega.com |
| Named for | John C. Clark |
Clarkesville is a city in and the county seat of Habersham County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 1,911,[3] up from the 2010 census population of 1,733,[4] up from 1,248 at the 2000 census.
History
Originally the city was Native American, and was called Sak-yi. Later, the name was used for the Soque River, originally called “So-Kee”.[5] The city was established along the route of the Unicoi Turnpike, a 1,000-year-old Native American trail. In the early 18th century, deerskins and furs were transported along the route from Tennessee to Savannah and Charleston for shipping to Europe.[6][7]
Clarkesville was founded in 1821 as the seat of Habersham County.[8] The community was named after John Clark, who was then the state's governor.[9]
Geography
Clarkesville is located in central Habersham County on the south side of the Soquee River, a southwest-flowing tributary of the Chattahoochee River.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.49 sq mi (6.45 square kilometres), of which 2.46 sq mi (6.37 square kilometres) are land and 0.03 sq mi (0.08 square kilometres), or 1.20%, are water.[4]
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Clarkesville had a population of 1,911. The median age was 38.4 years. 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 79.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 77.5 males age 18 and over.[10][11]
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,544 | 80.8% |
| Black or African American | 103 | 5.39% |
| Native American | 2 | 0.1% |
| Asian | 31 | 1.62% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.05% |
| Other/Mixed | 100 | 5.23% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 130 | 6.8% |
96.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 3.3% lived in rural areas.[13]
There were 792 households in Clarkesville, including 402 family households. Of all households, 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 38.1% were married-couple households, 14.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 42.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[10]
There were 866 housing units, of which 8.5% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.3%.[10]
2000 census
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,248 people, 580 households, and 335 families residing in the city. The population density was 670.6 inhabitants per square mile (258.9 /km2). There were 639 housing units at an average density of 343.3 inhabitants per square mile (132.5 /km2). The racial makeup of the city was 90.06% White, 7.77% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.32% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.36% of the population.
There were 580 households, out of which 20.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.1% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 39.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.72.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.1% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 27.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,880, and the median income for a family was $39,148. Males had a median income of $26,316 versus $23,977 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,265. About 9.9% of families and 14.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.8% of those under age 18 and 16.6% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The current mayor is Barrie Aycock, the second female mayor in Clarkesville's history.[14] In 2016 she replaced previous mayor, Terry Greene.
Education
The Habersham County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of eight elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools.[15] The district has 367 full-time teachers and over 5,955 students.[16] North Georgia Technical College is located in Clarkesville.
Notable people
- Linda Anderson, according to NPR considered "one of the foremost living memory painters".[17]
- Red Barron, football and baseball player
- Harold Ketron, college football player
- McKenzie Coan, 2016 Paralympic gold medalist[18]
- Oliver Clyde Fuller, banker, financier, and golfer
- April Masini, advice columnist, relationship expert and entertainment industry executive
- Benjamin Purcell, U.S. Army officer and state legislator
References
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
- ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Clarkesville city, Georgia". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 15, 2017. [dead link]
- ^ "Habersham County, Georgia History -- presented by the Genealogy Trails History Group"
- ^ "The Unicoi Turnpike Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
- ^ "Sautee Nacoochee Center". www.snca.org. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
- ^ Hellmann, Paul T. (May 13, 2013). Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Routledge. p. 223. ISBN 978-1135948597. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
- ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). "C". Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins. Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 44. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2026.
- ^ "Aycock begins service as Clarkesville's second female mayor"
- ^ Georgia Board of Education [dead link], Retrieved June 11, 2010.
- ^ School Stats, Retrieved June 11, 2010.
- ^ "Linda Anderson". NPR. 2019-04-07. Archived from the original on 7 April 2019. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
- ^ Joe Clarke (9 September 2016). "McKenzie Coan Leads Team USA's Three-Medal Day In The Pool With 50-Meter Freestyle Gold". Team USA. Archived 13 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine.