Blue Ridge is a city in Fannin County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 1,253. The city is the county seat of Fannin County and the largest city in the county.

History

Prior to European colonization, the area that is now Blue Ridge was inhabited by the Cherokee people and other Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Blue Ridge was laid out in 1886 when the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad was extended to that point. It was incorporated in 1887. In 1895, the seat of Fannin County was transferred to Blue Ridge from Morganton.

Blue Ridge Scenic Railway

Blue Ridge is the home of the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, a restored railroad that features a four-hour, 26 mile roundtrip journey along the Toccoa River to the sister towns McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee. The original tracks started in Marietta, Georgia, and reached Blue Ridge and the surrounding areas in 1886.

Geography

The city of Blue Ridge is located south of the center of Fannin County at 34.86833°N, -84.32111°W (34.868344, -84.320991). The city sits on the divide between the Tennessee River watershed to the north (via the Toccoa River) and the Alabama River to the south (via Crooked Log Creek, the Ellijay River, and several downstream rivers). U.S. Route 76 and Georgia State Route 515 (Zell Miller Mountain Parkway) pass through the west side of the city, leading east 22 mi to Blairsville and southwest 15 mi to Ellijay. Georgia State Route 5 leads north from Blue Ridge 10 mi to McCaysville at the Tennessee line. Atlanta is 93 mi to the south via GA-5/515. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.2 km2, all land.

Climate

Appalachian-influenced Cfa.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,253 people, 476 households, and 249 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the 2010 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 the census of 2000, there were 1,210 people, 553 households, and 319 families residing in the city. The population density was 557.2 PD/sqmi. There were 631 housing units at an average density of 290.6 /mi2. The racial makeup of the city was 98.26% White, 0.41% African American, 0.41% Asian, 0.17% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino 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. The per capita income for the city was $16,149. About 13.7% of families and 17.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.9% of those under age 18 and 16.6% of those age 65 or over.

LGBT community

In the late 2000s and continuing through the 2010s, the city has seen a surge in new business, particularly from the LGBT community which constitutes a larger percentage of the population than is typical for a rural community and one of the highest in Georgia.

Education

Fannin County School District

The Fannin County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 179 full-time teachers and more than 3,212 students.

UNG Blue Ridge campus

In 2015, the University of North Georgia (UNG) opened a campus in Blue Ridge.

Notable people