Heard County, Georgia

Heard County is a county in Georgia, United States, on the Alabama state line in the west-central part of the state. It had a population of 11,412 at the 2020 census and covers 301 square miles (780 km2), of which 296 square miles are land, centred near 33°18′N 85°08′W.

Franklin is the county seat, and its postal code is 30217. The county has three incorporated municipalities — two cities and one town — plus a handful of small unincorporated crossroads communities. It sits in the Eastern time zone and carries FIPS code 13149.

Towns & Villages in Heard County

Heard County is almost entirely rural, and most named places on the map are unincorporated crossroads rather than chartered towns. Only Franklin, Ephesus and Centralhatchee are incorporated; everything else below is an unincorporated community (marked Unincorp.) or a census-designated place (CDP).

Every one of these places shares Franklin’s 30217 ZIP code, since the county has only a single postal delivery area. Franklin’s population figure above is the 2020 census count for the city proper; none of the smaller crossroads communities are separately enumerated by the Census Bureau, so their population cells read —.

ZIP Codes

• 30217 — Franklin (serves the entire county, including Ephesus, Centralhatchee and every unincorporated community listed above)

Heard County is unusual among Georgia counties in having only one ZIP code for its whole area — the small population and compact shape mean the Postal Service never split it into additional delivery zones.

Geography

Heard County lies in the west-central Piedmont of Georgia, its terrain a mix of rolling hills and pine and hardwood forest cut by the Chattahoochee River, which forms much of the county’s eastern and southern boundary. The county is bordered by Carroll County to the north, Coweta County to the east, Troup County to the south, and Randolph County, Alabama, to the west.

Of its neighbors on the Georgia side, Coweta County and Troup County both have live profiles on this site. Carroll County, Georgia, borders Heard to the north but is not yet published under its own state-suffixed page here.

Demographics

The 2020 census counted 11,412 residents, down slightly from 11,834 in 2010. Franklin, the seat, and Ephesus are the county’s two largest incorporated communities; the rest of the population lives on farms and in scattered rural subdivisions. The Census Bureau classifies Heard County as 100% rural — it has no urban cluster of its own. Median household income runs below the Georgia median of $74,632, consistent with the county’s mostly agricultural and commuter-dependent economy. Population density works out to roughly 39 people per square mile, one of the lower figures in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

Economy & Local Life

Heard County’s economy is anchored by agriculture and forestry — cattle, poultry and timber are the traditional mainstays — alongside a growing share of residents who commute east into the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro area for work, since the county is officially part of that Metropolitan Statistical Area. Franklin serves as the county’s small commercial and government center, home to the county courthouse and school system. The Chattahoochee River corridor supports some recreational fishing and boating traffic, a modest but steady draw for the county’s tourism economy.

History

Heard County was created on December 22, 1830, from portions of Carroll, Coweta and Troup counties, as part of Georgia’s land-lottery expansion into formerly Creek and Cherokee territory. It is named for Stephen Heard, a Revolutionary War veteran who served briefly as acting governor of Georgia in 1780 and was noted for his role in the Battle of Kettle Creek. Franklin was established as the county seat soon after the county’s formation and has held that role ever since.

Getting There

U.S. Route 27 runs north-south through the county, with Georgia Highways 1, 34, 100 and 219 providing the main cross-county connections.

• Newnan, Georgia — about 20 miles east
• LaGrange, Georgia — about 20 miles south
• Carrollton, Georgia — about 20 miles north
• Atlanta, Georgia — about 55 miles northeast

The nearest commercial airport is Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, roughly an hour’s drive to the northeast.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Heard County, Georgia?
It is in the west-central part of the state, on the Alabama border, within the Atlanta metropolitan statistical area.

What is the population of Heard County?
11,412 people at the 2020 census, down from 11,834 in 2010.

How big is Heard County?
301 square miles (780 km2) total, including 5.1 square miles of water.

What is the county seat of Heard County?
Franklin is the county seat.

How many towns are in Heard County?
Three incorporated municipalities — the cities of Franklin and Ephesus and the town of Centralhatchee — plus roughly three dozen unincorporated communities.

What ZIP codes are in Heard County?
The entire county is served by a single ZIP code, 30217 (Franklin).

Who is Heard County named after?
Stephen Heard, a Revolutionary War soldier who served as acting governor of Georgia in 1780.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Georgia.