Jackson County is a county in Georgia, United States, in the east-central part of the state, part of the Atlanta metropolitan area’s outer ring between Athens and Gainesville. It had a population of 75,907 at the 2020 census and covers 343 square miles (890 km2), of which 340 square miles (880 km2) are land, centred near 34°08′N 83°34′W.
Jefferson is the county seat, and its postal code is 30549. The county has six cities and three towns, plus several unincorporated communities. It sits in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Jackson County
Jackson County has nine incorporated places — six cities and three towns — along with unincorporated communities such as Arcade and Maysville, which have no municipal charter of their own. Georgia does not use CDP designations for most of these small places, so several have no separately reported 2020 population.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson | City · seat | — | 30549 |
| Commerce | City | — | 30529 |
| Hoschton | City | — | 30548 |
| Nicholson | City | — | 30565 |
| Pendergrass | City | — | 30567 |
| Arcade | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Braselton | Town | — | 30517 |
| Maysville | Town | — | — |
| Talmo | Town | — | 30575 |
Braselton and Maysville both straddle county lines — Braselton extends into Barrow and Hall counties and Maysville into Banks County — so their full populations are not counted entirely within Jackson County.
ZIP Codes
- 30549 — Jefferson
- 30529 — Commerce (also 30599, a single-entity unique ZIP)
- 30548 — Hoschton
- 30567 — Pendergrass
- 30565 — Nicholson
- 30575 — Talmo
- 30517 — Braselton
Arcade and Maysville have no post office of their own; mail there is addressed to Jefferson, Commerce, or a neighboring county’s town depending on location.
Geography
Jackson County lies in Georgia’s Piedmont, rolling terrain drained mainly by the Mulberry River and its tributaries, which feed Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee-Apalachicola-Flint river basin to the west. The county has little natural lake acreage of its own beyond small farm ponds and reservoir arms. It borders Banks County to the north, Madison County to the east, Clarke County to the southeast, Barrow County to the west, and Hall County to the northwest.
Demographics
Jackson County had 75,907 residents at the 2020 census, a population density of about 223 people per square mile. Commerce and Jefferson are its two largest communities. Median household income in the county runs below the Georgia median of $74,632, though Jackson has grown rapidly as Atlanta-area commuters have moved north along Interstate 85.
Economy & Local Life
Manufacturing and logistics anchor the local economy, helped by direct access to Interstate 85 and the Northeast Georgia Inland Port in Jefferson, a rail-served freight facility that connects to the Port of Savannah. Poultry processing and agriculture remain significant in the county’s rural stretches. Braselton is home to the Chateau Elan resort and winery and to a major Northeast Georgia Health System hospital campus, drawing visitors and workers from across the region.
History
Jackson County was created on February 11, 1796, from land taken out of Franklin County, and was named for James Jackson, a Revolutionary War officer who later served as a U.S. senator and as Georgia’s governor. The original county seat was Clarksboro; the seat moved to Jefferson, then called Thomocoggan, in 1804. Over the following century Jackson County lost territory to the creation of Clarke County (1801), Madison County (1811), Hall County (1818), Banks County (1858), and Barrow County (1914). Jefferson’s 1880 courthouse was, for many years, cited as the oldest continuously operating courthouse building in the United States.
Getting There
Interstate 85 crosses the southwestern part of the county through Braselton and Hoschton, with U.S. Route 129 and State Route 82 running through Jefferson and Commerce.
- Athens — 20 miles southeast
- Gainesville — 20 miles northwest
- Atlanta — 55 miles southwest
- Athens-Ben Epps Airport — the nearest general-aviation field, in Athens
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, about an hour’s drive southwest, is the nearest major commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Jackson County, Georgia?
It is in the east-central part of the state, between Athens and Gainesville, crossed by Interstate 85.
What is the population of Jackson County?
75,907 at the 2020 census.
How big is Jackson County?
343 square miles (890 km2), of which 340 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Jackson County?
Jefferson is the county seat.
How many towns and cities are in Jackson County?
Nine incorporated places — six cities and three towns — plus unincorporated communities such as Arcade and Maysville.
What ZIP codes are in Jackson County?
30549 (Jefferson), 30529 and 30599 (Commerce), 30548 (Hoschton), 30567 (Pendergrass), 30565 (Nicholson), 30575 (Talmo), and 30517 (Braselton).
What is Jackson County known for?
The Northeast Georgia Inland Port in Jefferson, the Chateau Elan resort in Braselton, and rapid growth from Atlanta-area commuters along Interstate 85.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Georgia.