Town sizes and drive times
| Town | County | Population, 2020 Census | From downtown Atlanta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dahlonega | Lumpkin (seat) | 7,537 Census | about 1 h 24 min |
| Helen | White | 531 Census | about 1 h 52 min |
| Clarkesville | Habersham (seat) | 1,911 Census | about 1 h 40 min |
| Clayton | Rabun (seat) | 2,003 Census | about 2 h 8 min |
| Blairsville | Union (seat) | 616 Census | about 2 h 9 min |
| Hiawassee | Towns (seat) | 981 Census | about 2 h 24 min |
| Young Harris | Towns | 1,098 Census | about 2 h 21 min |
| Blue Ridge | Fannin (seat) | 1,253 Census | about 1 h 50 min |
| Ellijay | Gilmer (seat) | 1,862 Census | about 1 h 33 min |
| Jasper | Pickens (seat) | 4,084 Census | about 1 h 12 min |
| Dawsonville | Dawson (seat) | 3,720 Census | about 1 h 15 min |
| Ball Ground | Cherokee | 2,560 Census | about 59 min |
| Canton | Cherokee (seat) | 32,973 Census | about 49 min |
| Cumming | Forsyth (seat) | 7,318 Census | about 51 min |
| Gainesville | Hall (seat) | 42,296 Census | about 1 h 4 min |
| Flowery Branch | Hall | 9,391 Census | about 53 min |
| Buford | Gwinnett | 17,144 Census | about 48 min |
| Suwanee | Gwinnett | 20,786 Census | about 42 min |
| Roswell | Fulton | 92,833 Census | about 35 min |
| Alpharetta | Fulton | 65,818 Census | about 36 min |
Populations: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census (P.L. 94-171), city totals. Drive times: OSRM router on OpenStreetMap data, no traffic, computed 2026-10-19.
Three kinds of North Georgia town
- Mountain towns. Dahlonega, Helen, Clarkesville, Clayton, Blairsville, Hiawassee, Young Harris, Blue Ridge, Ellijay and Jasper: county seats and small towns in the Blue Ridge, near the national forest and state parks.
- Foothills and Lake Lanier. Dawsonville, Ball Ground, Canton, Cumming, Gainesville, Flowery Branch and Buford.
- North metro. Suwanee, Roswell and Alpharetta, the closest to Atlanta.
Homes for sale
Gold Peach Realty is the North Georgia brokerage that publishes this journal. Its current listings appear below; call (770) 283-1223 to talk about any town on this page.
Questions about living here
Which North Georgia towns are county seats?
Of the towns we cover, these are county seats: Dahlonega (Lumpkin), Dawsonville (Dawson), Clarkesville (Habersham), Clayton (Rabun), Blairsville (Union), Hiawassee (Towns), Blue Ridge (Fannin), Ellijay (Gilmer), Jasper (Pickens), Canton (Cherokee), Cumming (Forsyth) and Gainesville (Hall). Alpharetta, established in 1858, was once the seat of government for the former Milton County.
Source: City of Dahlonega
What is the oldest town in North Georgia?
We have not found a primary source that settles it, so we list documented dates instead. Clayton (as Claytonsville) and Clarkesville were both incorporated in 1823. Dahlonega was incorporated on December 21, 1833, Ellijay on December 29, 1834, and Alpharetta was established on December 11, 1858. Gainesville's and Cumming's charter dates were not verifiable on their city sites at our check.
What is the biggest city in North Georgia?
Among the towns this journal covers, Roswell is the largest by the 2020 Census at 92,833 residents, followed by Alpharetta at 65,818 and Gainesville at 42,296. The smallest is Helen, with 531 residents, while Blairsville counted 616. Populations are the official 2020 Census counts for each incorporated city, which do not include surrounding unincorporated areas.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census Redistricting Data (P.L. 94-171), table P1
Is living in North Georgia a good idea if I work in Atlanta?
It depends on the commute you can accept. Without traffic, Roswell and Alpharetta are about 35 minutes from downtown Atlanta, Suwanee about 42, Buford 48, Canton 49 and Cumming 51; mountain towns such as Dahlonega (84 minutes) and Blue Ridge (110) suit remote or part-time commuters better. Rush-hour times are far longer than these OSRM free-flow estimates. Gold Peach Realty can talk through specific towns.
Source: OSRM demo routing engine, free-flow drive times computed 2026-10-19 (see drive.json)
Dates, times and rules can change. Each listing links the organizer or local government page it came from, with the date we checked it; confirm there before you go.
