Clarkesville is a city that is the county seat of Habersham County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 1,911,[4] up from the 2010 census population of 1,733,[5] up from 1,248 at the 2000 census.

Clarkesville, Georgia
Location in Habersham County and the state of Georgia
Location in Habersham County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 34°36′37″N 83°31′42″W / 34.61028°N 83.52833°W / 34.61028; -83.52833
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyHabersham
Named forJohn C. Clark
Area
 • Total
2.49 sq mi (6.44 km2)
 • Land2.46 sq mi (6.37 km2)
 • Water0.03 sq mi (0.07 km2)
Elevation1,404 ft (428 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
1,911
 • Density777.46/sq mi (300.18/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
30523-4712
Area code706
FIPS code13-16460[3]
GNIS feature ID2404056[2]
Websiteclarkesvillega.com

History

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Originally the city was Native American, and was called Sak-yi. Later, the name was used for the Soque River, originally called “So-Kee”. [6] 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.[7][8]

Clarkesville was founded in 1821 as the seat of Habersham County.[9] The community was named after John Clark.[10]

Geography

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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 square miles (6.45 km2), of which 2.46 square miles (6.37 km2) are land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km2), or 1.20%, are water.[5]

Climate

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Climate data for Clarkesville, Georgia, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1990–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 76
(24)
78
(26)
85
(29)
89
(32)
93
(34)
103
(39)
102
(39)
99
(37)
96
(36)
95
(35)
84
(29)
77
(25)
103
(39)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 68.3
(20.2)
71.0
(21.7)
78.5
(25.8)
84.5
(29.2)
88.3
(31.3)
92.6
(33.7)
94.1
(34.5)
93.7
(34.3)
90.1
(32.3)
83.6
(28.7)
76.0
(24.4)
68.8
(20.4)
95.2
(35.1)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 51.4
(10.8)
55.3
(12.9)
63.0
(17.2)
71.9
(22.2)
78.7
(25.9)
85.1
(29.5)
88.2
(31.2)
87.1
(30.6)
81.6
(27.6)
72.0
(22.2)
61.9
(16.6)
53.6
(12.0)
70.8
(21.6)
Daily mean °F (°C) 40.3
(4.6)
42.9
(6.1)
49.8
(9.9)
58.1
(14.5)
66.0
(18.9)
73.2
(22.9)
76.9
(24.9)
76.0
(24.4)
70.2
(21.2)
59.0
(15.0)
48.8
(9.3)
42.3
(5.7)
58.6
(14.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 29.1
(−1.6)
30.5
(−0.8)
36.5
(2.5)
44.3
(6.8)
53.3
(11.8)
61.3
(16.3)
65.6
(18.7)
64.9
(18.3)
58.8
(14.9)
46.0
(7.8)
35.6
(2.0)
31.0
(−0.6)
46.4
(8.0)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 12.1
(−11.1)
16.5
(−8.6)
21.3
(−5.9)
29.3
(−1.5)
37.5
(3.1)
50.8
(10.4)
58.1
(14.5)
57.2
(14.0)
44.8
(7.1)
30.6
(−0.8)
22.0
(−5.6)
17.2
(−8.2)
10.3
(−12.1)
Record low °F (°C) 2
(−17)
1
(−17)
8
(−13)
21
(−6)
27
(−3)
43
(6)
51
(11)
49
(9)
37
(3)
23
(−5)
13
(−11)
3
(−16)
1
(−17)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 5.78
(147)
5.33
(135)
5.46
(139)
4.49
(114)
4.54
(115)
5.16
(131)
4.93
(125)
5.93
(151)
4.65
(118)
4.69
(119)
4.93
(125)
5.91
(150)
61.8
(1,569)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.6
(1.5)
0.4
(1.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.3
(0.76)
1.3
(3.26)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 11.2 10.4 11.8 10.2 11.2 12.2 12.3 12.9 9.2 8.2 8.9 11.0 129.5
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.6
Source 1: NOAA[11]
Source 2: National Weather Service[12]

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1850502
1870263
188029110.6%
189039636.1%
190049124.0%
19105287.5%
19205422.7%
193061713.8%
194085037.8%
19501,10630.1%
19601,35222.2%
19701,294−4.3%
19801,3484.2%
19901,151−14.6%
20001,2488.4%
20101,73338.9%
20201,91110.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[13]
 
Aerial photograph of Clarkesville in 1953

2020 census

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Clarkesville Racial Composition[14]
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%

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 1,911 people, 709 households, and 402 families residing in the city.

2000 census

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As of the census[3] 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 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

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The current mayor is Barrie Aycock, the second female mayor in Clarkesville's history.[15] In 2016 she replaced previous mayor, Terry Greene.

Education

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The Habersham County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of eight elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools.[16] The district has 367 full-time teachers and over 5,955 students.[17] North Georgia Technical College is located in Clarkesville.

Notable people

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References

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  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Clarkesville, Georgia
  3. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Clarkesville city, Georgia". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 15, 2017. [dead link]
  6. ^ http://genealogytrails.com/geo/habersham/towns.htm
  7. ^ "The Unicoi Turnpike Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  8. ^ "Sautee Nacoochee Center". www.snca.org. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  9. ^ Hellmann, Paul T. (May 13, 2013). Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Routledge. p. 223. ISBN 978-1138638597. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
  10. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 44. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
  11. ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Clarkesville, GA". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  12. ^ "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Greenville". National Weather Service. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  13. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  14. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  15. ^ "Aycock begins service as Clarkesville's second female mayor".
  16. ^ Georgia Board of Education [permanent dead link], Retrieved June 11, 2010.
  17. ^ School Stats, Retrieved June 11, 2010.
  18. ^ "Linda Anderson". NPR. April 7, 2019. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  19. ^ Joe Clarke (September 9, 2016). "McKenzie Coan Leads Team USA's Three-Medal Day In The Pool With 50-Meter Freestyle Gold". Team USA. Archived from the original on September 13, 2016.
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