Blue Ridge is a city in Fannin County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 1,253. The city is the county seat of Fannin County and the largest city in the county.

History

Prior to Decolonization of the Americas (1770–1820), the area that is now Blue Ridge was inhabited by Cherokee and other Indigenous peoples.

Blue Ridge was laid out in 1886 when the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad was extended to that point. It was incorporated in 1887 by colonel Mike McKinney, who built the railroad. In 1895, the seat of Fannin County was transferred to Blue Ridge from Morganton.

Blue Ridge Scenic Railway

Blue Ridge is the home of the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, a restored railroad that features a four-hour, 26 mile roundtrip journey along the Toccoa River to the sister towns McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee.

The original tracks started in Marietta, Georgia, and reached Blue Ridge and the surrounding areas in 1886.

Geography

thumb|left|Downtown Blue Ridge

thumb|Downtown Blue Ridge

The city of Blue Ridge is located south of the center of Fannin County at (34.868344, -84.320991). The city sits on the divide between the Tennessee River watershed to the north (via the Toccoa River) and the Alabama River to the south (via Crooked Log Creek, the Ellijay River, and several downstream rivers).

U.S. Route 76 and Georgia State Route 515 (Zell Miller Mountain Parkway) pass through the west side of the city, leading east to Blairsville and southwest to Ellijay. Georgia State Route 5 leads north from Blue Ridge to McCaysville at the Tennessee line. Atlanta is to the south via GA-5/515.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Climate

Blue Ridge, Georgia, is located within the southern Appalachian region, which forms part of the broader Appalachian temperate rainforest - an area characterized by relatively high annual precipitation and complex, variable weather patterns influenced by mountainous terrain.

During winter, localized climatic variation is common due to elevation differences; higher elevations in the southern Appalachians often receive measurable snowfall, while nearby lower elevations may experience little or no accumulation.

Spring, summer, and early autumn are typically marked by alternating periods of significant rainfall and relative dryness, reflecting the interaction of moist air masses with complex topography. The mountainous terrain also contributes to an increased risk of flash flooding, as intense, short-duration rainfall events can exceed local drainage capacity, particularly in developed or low-lying areas.

On average, winter brings occasional minor snow events, though accumulation and frequency vary considerably depending on elevation and microclimatic conditions within the region.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Blue Ridge had a population of 1,253. The median age was 48.7 years. 18.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 27.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 85.7 males age 18 and over.

There were 552 households in Blue Ridge, of which 22.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 33.0% were married-couple households, 23.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 37.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 41.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

{| class="wikitable"

|+Blue Ridge racial composition

!Race

!Num.

!Perc.

|-

|White (non-Hispanic)

|1,121

|89.47%

|-

|Black or African American (non-Hispanic)

|9

|0.72%

|-

|Native American

|4

|0.32%

|-

|Asian

|13

|1.04%

|-

|Other/Mixed

|36

|2.87%

|-

|Hispanic or Latino

|70

|5.59%

|}

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 1,290 people residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 92.1% White, 1.2% Black, 0.2% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.7% from some other race and 0.9% from two or more races. 4.5% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census

As of the census

In the late 2000s and continuing through the 2010s, the city has seen a surge in new business, particularly from the LGBT community which constitutes a larger percentage of the population than is typical for a rural community and one of the highest in Georgia.

Education

Fannin County School District

thumb|Blue Ridge Elementary School

The Fannin County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 179 full-time teachers and more than 3,212 students.

  • Blue Ridge Elementary School
  • East Fannin Elementary School
  • West Fannin Elementary School
  • Fannin County Middle School
  • Fannin County High School

thumb|Lake Blue Ridge

UNG Blue Ridge campus

In 2015, the University of North Georgia (UNG) opened a campus in Blue Ridge.

Private education options

  • Calvary Chapel Christian School (K-5th Grade)
  • Mountain Area Christian Academy (Pre-K1 through 12th Grade)

Notable people

  • Mike McKinney (October 1, 1840 — August 9, 1925), American Civil War veteran and city founder