Clayton is a city in Rabun County, in the far northeast of Georgia, United States. Its population was 2,003 at the 2020 census. The county seat of Rabun County, it is in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
History
The area that eventually became Clayton was called the Dividings because it sat at the intersection of three crucial Cherokee trails. Explorer and naturalist William Bartram came through the Dividings in May 1775 while exploring what was later organized as Rabun County. Much later, after Clayton had grown to include the Dividings, two of the old Cherokee trails were improved as the main roads for Clayton and the county: U.S. 23/441 and U.S. 76.
Claytonsville was founded by European-American settlers in 1821 as the seat of Rabun County. In 1823, the town was incorporated and renamed Clayton. It was named after a prominent jurist and congressman, Judge Augustin S. Clayton, who served in both the Georgia House of Representatives and Georgia Senate before being elected as a Representative from Georgia, serving two terms from 1831 to 1835.
In 1824, were purchased from Solomon Beck for $150, and city representatives laid out a site for a courthouse and the surrounding streets.
In 1904, a significant development took place with the completion of the Tallulah Falls Railway to Clayton from Cornelia, Georgia. This railway was extended to Franklin, North Carolina, by 1907, marking a significant step in Clayton's transportation infrastructure. The town has been equipped with public water and sanitary sewer service since the 1920s, a testament to its commitment to public health and well-being. Initially, the water supply was sourced from two springs on nearby Buzzard Roost Mountain; today, it utilizes Lake Rabun as its water supply, showcasing the town's adaptability and resourcefulness.
In 1936, Clayton recorded of snowfall, the highest annual total for anywhere in Georgia.
Part of Disney's Old Yeller was shot in Clayton in 1957. Grizzly was filmed in Clayton, with many residents cast in supporting roles. Production began the week before Thanksgiving 1975, with shooting continuing for about six weeks. After release in May 1976, Grizzly became the most financially successful independent motion picture to date—a record it held for more than two years until John Carpenter's Halloween hit theaters in October 1978.
Much of William Gibson's 2014 novel The Peripheral is set in Clayton in the not-too-distant future.
Over the years, many films have been made in the Clayton and Tallulah Falls area.
Geography
Clayton is at the southern base of 3,640-foot Black Rock Mountain. Immediately to its east is 3,000-foot Screamer Mountain. Other Blue Ridge Mountain peaks between 2,500 and 3,500 feet surround the city.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Clayton has a total area of , all of it land. Its downtown is at , and a number of hilltops in the city limits exceed 2,200 feet.
Climate
Government
Clayton is governed by a mayor and a five-member city council.
As of 2025, the mayor is Mayor Pro Tem Stacy Fountain and the councilmembers are Tony Allen, Amanda Harrold, Sarah Gillespie and Althea Bleckley.
The City Manager is Trudy Crunkleton.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Clayton had a population of 2,003. The median age was 43.0 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 24.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 88.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 84.0 males age 18 and over.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 889 households in Clayton, of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 37.0% were married-couple households, 19.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 36.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The district has 140 full-time teachers and over 2,221 students.
- Rabun County Elementary School
- Rabun County Primary School
- Rabun County Middle School
- Rabun County High School
Private education
Rabun Gap Nacoochee School
Tallulah Falls School
Camps
The area around Clayton has long been the location for a number of camps for young people, mostly operated during the summertime.
- Camp Ramah Darom is located in the Persimmon Valley northwest of Clayton.
- Camp Rainey Mountain is located southeast of Clayton.
- Camp Blue Ridge
Notable people
- Mike Ciochetti – stock car racer
- Celestia Susannah Parrish – educator, is buried here
- John H. Pitchford – lawyer admitted to the bar in Clayton, later moved to Indian Territory, where he became a justice on the Oklahoma Supreme Court in 1923
- Tom Powers – stock car racer
- Billy Redden – actor who played the young banjo player in the film Deliverance (1972)
- Nancy Schaefer – Georgia State Senator
- Lillian Smith (1897–1966) – author and civil rights activist