Rabun County is a county in Georgia, United States, tucked into the state’s northeastern corner against the North Carolina and South Carolina lines in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It had a population of 16,883 at the 2020 census and covers 377 square miles (980 km2), of which 370 square miles (960 km2) are land, centred near 34°52′37″N 83°24′30″W.
Clayton is the county seat, and its postal code is 30525. The county holds 3 cities, 3 towns and 15 unincorporated communities, sits in the Eastern time zone, and has no civil townships.
Towns & Villages in Rabun County
Rabun County’s 21 named places split into six incorporated municipalities — three cities and three towns — and fifteen unincorporated communities that show up on maps and mail routes but have no town government of their own (marked “Unincorp.” below). Several of the smaller names, such as Antioch, Dickerson Mill, Germany, Kilby Mill, Laurel Falls, Spring Lake and Three Forks, are historic mill-and-crossroads communities without their own ZIP code; mail there is handled through the nearest post office town.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton | City · seat | — | 30525 |
| Dillard | City | — | 30537 |
| Sky Valley | City | — | — |
| Mountain City | Town | — | 30562 |
| Tallulah Falls | Town | — | 30573 |
| Tiger | Town | — | 30576 |
| Antioch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blalock | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dickerson Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Germany | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kilby Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lakemont | Unincorp. | — | 30552 |
| Laurel Falls | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Persimmon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pine Mountain | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rabun Gap | Unincorp. | — | 30568 |
| Satolah | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Spring Lake | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Three Forks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wiley | Unincorp. | — | 30581 |
| York | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 30525 — Clayton (also serves the surrounding county seat area)
- 30537 — Dillard
- 30552 — Lakemont
- 30562 — Mountain City
- 30568 — Rabun Gap
- 30573 — Tallulah Falls
- 30576 — Tiger
- 30581 — Wiley
Sky Valley and the smaller unincorporated communities have no ZIP code of their own; mail there is routed through the nearest post office town listed above.
Geography
Rabun County sits at the northeastern tip of Georgia in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the state’s highest and most rugged corner. The Chattooga River forms much of its eastern boundary with South Carolina, and Lake Burton, Lake Rabun and Lake Seed — a chain of Georgia Power reservoirs on the Tallulah River — cover a large share of the county’s water surface. Black Rock Mountain, at 3,640 feet, is Georgia’s highest state park.
Rabun County borders Macon County, North Carolina to the north, Oconee County, South Carolina to the east, Habersham County to the south, Towns County to the west, and Clay County, North Carolina to the northwest.
Demographics
The county had 16,883 residents at the 2020 census, worked out to roughly 46 people per square mile of land. Clayton and Dillard are its two largest communities. Rabun’s household income runs below the Georgia median of $74,632 (2023 ACS), reflecting an economy weighted toward tourism, service and retirement-age residents rather than higher-wage industry.
Economy & Local Life
Tourism drives much of Rabun County’s economy: Tallulah Gorge State Park, Black Rock Mountain State Park and whitewater rafting on the Chattooga River draw visitors from Atlanta and the Southeast year-round, and second-home and lake development around Lake Burton and Lake Rabun supports construction and property-services jobs. Mountain City is home to the Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center, built around the long-running Foxfire student magazine documenting Southern Appalachian folk life. Small-scale agriculture and forestry remain part of the rural economy outside the towns.
History
Rabun County was created December 21, 1819, and named for William Rabun, who served as Georgia’s 11th governor from 1817 until his death in office in 1819. The county was Cherokee land before white settlement, and its mountain isolation shaped a distinct highland culture later documented by the Foxfire project starting in the 1960s. Tallulah Falls became a nationally known resort after the Tallulah Falls Railway reached the gorge in 1882, drawing visitors to a chasm promoters billed as the “Niagara of the South” until hydroelectric development on the Tallulah River reduced the falls’ flow in the early 20th century. The Chattooga River, forming the county’s eastern edge, was the filming location for the 1972 film Deliverance.
Getting There
US Highway 23/441 runs north–south through the county and is the main route to Clayton and Mountain City; GA 246 and GA 197 connect the smaller lake and mountain communities.
- Franklin, North Carolina — about 20 miles north
- Toccoa — about 30 miles south
- Cornelia — about 25 miles south
- Atlanta — about 100 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, about 65 miles east in South Carolina.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Rabun County, Georgia?
It sits in the far northeastern corner of Georgia, bordering North Carolina and South Carolina in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
What is the population of Rabun County?
16,883 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Rabun County?
377 square miles (980 km2), of which 370 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Rabun County?
Clayton is the county seat.
How many towns are in Rabun County?
Six incorporated municipalities — three cities and three towns — plus fifteen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Rabun County?
30525 (Clayton), 30537 (Dillard), 30552 (Lakemont), 30562 (Mountain City), 30568 (Rabun Gap), 30573 (Tallulah Falls), 30576 (Tiger) and 30581 (Wiley).
What river forms Rabun County’s eastern border?
The Chattooga River, a National Wild and Scenic River known for whitewater rafting and as the setting of the 1972 film Deliverance.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Georgia.