Banks County is a county in the Northeast region of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,035, down from 18,395 in 2010. The county seat is Homer. The Old Banks County Courthouse is located in Homer and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A new county courthouse was constructed adjacent to the old one in 1983.
History
The law to establish Banks County was passed by the Georgia General Assembly on December 11, 1858. It was named for Dr. Richard E. Banks. The legislation called for the creation of Banks County on February 1, 1859, from Franklin and Habersham counties.
Ty Cobb, a Baseball Hall of Famer, was born in Banks County in 1886 in an area of the county known as The Narrows - a small farming community consisting of fewer than 100 people. The area and birthplace are on State Highway 105 in the northern part of the county near the Broad River. The legal organ for the county is The Banks County News, a member of Mainstreet News, Inc. One of the county's oldest church sites is the Hebron Presbyterian Church, established in 1796. Banks County is the home of the Atlanta Dragway, located near Banks Crossing. Banks County is also known for being the home of the former world's largest Easter egg hunt. (The 50th annual egg hunt in 2009 was the last in the series.)
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.8%) is water. Banks County is entirely located in the Broad River sub-basin of the Savannah River basin.
Major highways
- 20px Interstate 85
- 25px U.S. Route 441
- 20px State Route 15
- 20px State Route 51
- 20px State Route 52
- 20px State Route 59
- 20px State Route 63
- 20px State Route 98
- 25px State Route 105
- 25px State Route 164
- 25px State Route 184
- 25px State Route 198
- 25px State Route 323
- 25px State Route 326
- 20px State Route 403 (hidden designation for I-85)
Adjacent counties
- Habersham County - north
- Stephens County - northeast
- Madison County - southeast
- Jackson County - south
- Hall County - west
- Franklin County - east
National protected area
- Chattahoochee National Forest (part)