Jefferson, Georgia, United States

🇺🇸 Jefferson is a city and the county seat of Jackson County, Georgia, United States.

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. The city was named after Thomas Jefferson.

Geography Jefferson is located in central Jackson County at 34°7′36″N 83°35′25″W (34.126736, -83.590297). It is bordered to the north-west by Pendergrass and to the south-east by Arcade. U.S. Route 129 passes through the south-west side of the city, leading north-west 21 miles (34 km) to Gainesville and south-east 19 miles (31 km) to Athens. Interstate 85 runs through the northern end of Jefferson, 5 miles (8 km) north-west of the centre of town, with access from Exits 137 and 140. I-85 leads south-west 55 miles (89 km) to Atlanta and north-east 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. 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 As of the 2020 United States census, there were 13,233 people, 3,933 households, and 2,885 families residing in the city. In a 2024 report, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that Jefferson, GA was the fastest growing micropolitan statistical area in the country from 2020 to 2023. The population increased by an estimated 16.24% in that period.

Education The Jackson County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of seven elementary schools, three middle schools, two high schools, and one charter school. As of March 2024, the district had a total of 10,646 students, not including enrollees of EMPOWER College and Career Center. • East Jackson Elementary School • Gum Springs Elementary School • Maysville Elementary School • North Jackson Elementary School • South Jackson Elementary School • West Jackson Elementary School • Heroes Elementary School • East Jackson Middle School • West Jackson Middle School • Legacy Knoll Middle School • East Jackson High School • Jackson County High School • EMPOWER College and Career Center (charter school); The Jefferson City School District holds preschool to grade twelve, and consists of one preschool, two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. As of March 2024, the district had 4,218 students. • Center for Early Learning • Jefferson Elementary School • Jefferson Academy • Jefferson Middle School • Jefferson High School.