Cherokee County, Georgia

Cherokee County
County
Cherokee County Justice Center
Flag Seal Logo
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 34°14′N84°28′W / 34.24°N 84.47°W / 34.24; -84.47
Country	United States
State	Georgia
Founded	1831;193 years ago (1831)
Named for	Cherokee people
Seat	Canton
Largest city	Woodstock
Area
• Total	434 sq mi (1,120 km2)
• Land	421 sq mi (1,090 km2)
• Water	13 sq mi (30 km2)  2.9%
Population  (2020)
• Total	266,620
• Estimate  (2023)	286,602
• Density	610/sq mi (240/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	6th, 11th
Website	cherokeega.com

Cherokee County is located in the US state of Georgia. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 266,620. ^{[1] [2]} The county seat is Canton. ^[3] The county Board of Commissioners is the governing body, with members elected to office. Cherokee County is included in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area.

History

Original territory

An 1822 map of Cherokee lands in Georgia

Cherokee County was created by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on December 26, 1831, covering a vast area northwest of the Chattahoochee River and Chestatee River (except for Carroll County). It was named after the Cherokee people who lived in the area at that time. ^[4]

The discovery of gold in local streams accelerated the push of European Americans to expel the Cherokee from their land.

In 1832, the State of Georgia implemented the Cherokee Land Lottery, which gave deeds of land that had previously belonged to the Cherokee people to white male citizens. ^[5] The forcible removal of the Cherokee people to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River began during this year.

Partition

An 1834 map of counties created from Cherokee land

The General Assembly passed a law on December 3, 1832, which created the counties of Forsyth, Lumpkin, Union, Cobb, Gilmer, Murray, Cass (now Bartow), Floyd, and Paulding from area that had previously been part of Cherokee County. ^[6]

Etowah was declared the county seat in 1833. Its name was later changed to Canton, which is still the county seat today.

In 1857, part of the southeastern corner of the county was ceded by the General Assembly to form Milton County (now the cities of Milton, Alpharetta, Roswell, and parts of Sandy Springs, within north Fulton County).

Development

In the 1890s, The Atlanta & Knoxville Railroad (later renamed the Marietta & North Georgia Railroad when it could not be completed to Knoxville) built a branch line through the middle of the county. When this line was bought by the Louisville & Nashville Railroad in the following decade, the L&N Railroad built stations at Woodstock and Holly Springs.

Cherokee County began to see rapid population growth following the construction of Interstate 575, the first phase of which opened in 1979. The freeway bisects the county and serves as its primary thoroughfare, running from Kennesaw north through Woodstock, Holly Springs, Canton, and Ball Ground. Today, the county is most densely populated in its southern areas, which are closest to the City of Atlanta.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 434 square miles (1,120 km²), of which 422 square miles (1,090 km²) are land and 13 square miles (34 km²) (2.9%) are covered by water. ^[7] Much of the water is in Lake Allatoona in the southwest. The lake is fed by the Etowah and Little Rivers (the county's primary waterways), and other large streams such as Noonday Creek. Much of the northern part of the county begins to rise toward the foothills of the north Georgia mountains.

The vast majority of Cherokee County is located in the [Etowah River] sub-basin of the Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin, with only a small northwesterly corner of the county located in the Coosawattee River sub-basin of the same basin. ^[8]

Mountains

Pine Log Mountain (left) and Bear Mountain (right)

Nine summits are listed by the United States Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System as being in the county. From tallest to lowest, they are:

• Bear Mountain – 2,297 feet (700 m)
• Pine Log Mountain – 2,260 feet (689 m)
• Oakey Mountain – 1,686 feet (514 m)
• Dry Pond Mountain – 1,644 feet (501 m)
• Hickory Log Mountain – 1,545 feet (471 m)
• Polecat Mountain – 1,503 feet (458 m)
• Byrd Mountain – 1,358 feet (414 m)
• Garland Mountain – 1,348 feet (411 m)
• Posey Mountain – 1,306 feet (398 m)

Adjacent counties

• Pickens – north
• Dawson – northeast
• Forsyth – east
• Fulton – southeast
• Cobb – south
• Bartow – west
• Gordon – northwest

Government, politics, and policing

As a majority-White exurban county of Metro Atlanta, Cherokee County is staunchly Republican. Having consistently followed a Solid South voting pattern for the bulk of the late 19th century and again from the Great Depression through the Civil Rights Movement, the most recent Democratic presidential candidate to win Cherokee County is Georgian Jimmy Carter, who carried it in both of his bids. In addition, it has not voted Democratic at the state level since it did so in the 1994 elections for Secretary of State and Agriculture Commissioner. ^[9] The GOP margin of victory has decreased in the past three presidential cycles as population growth has led Metro Atlanta and, in turn, the state as a whole to shift politically leftward.

United States presidential election results for Cherokee County, Georgia ^[10]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	112,142	68.97%	48,838	30.04%	1,611	0.99%
2020	99,585	68.75%	42,779	29.53%	2,495	1.72%
2016	80,649	71.51%	25,231	22.37%	6,904	6.12%
2012	76,514	77.73%	19,841	20.16%	2,084	2.12%
2008	70,279	74.79%	22,350	23.78%	1,344	1.43%
2004	58,238	78.99%	14,824	20.11%	665	0.90%
2000	38,033	72.65%	12,295	23.49%	2,020	3.86%
1996	24,527	63.41%	10,802	27.93%	3,348	8.66%
1992	16,054	54.95%	8,113	27.77%	5,047	17.28%
1988	14,593	76.45%	4,378	22.94%	117	0.61%
1984	11,146	76.11%	3,499	23.89%	0	0.00%
1980	5,250	44.96%	6,020	51.55%	408	3.49%
1976	2,609	28.52%	6,539	71.48%	0	0.00%
1972	5,509	82.62%	1,159	17.38%	0	0.00%
1968	2,675	35.85%	1,436	19.24%	3,351	44.91%
1964	3,398	51.59%	3,189	48.41%	0	0.00%
1960	2,341	43.21%	3,077	56.79%	0	0.00%
1956	1,829	46.43%	2,110	53.57%	0	0.00%
1952	1,618	39.75%	2,452	60.25%	0	0.00%
1948	631	29.31%	1,267	58.85%	255	11.84%
1944	1,059	44.00%	1,348	56.00%	0	0.00%
1940	1,017	39.39%	1,552	60.11%	13	0.50%
1936	842	40.87%	1,211	58.79%	7	0.34%
1932	314	15.25%	1,727	83.88%	18	0.87%
1928	1,679	74.29%	581	25.71%	0	0.00%
1924	601	39.99%	848	56.42%	54	3.59%
1920	1,138	67.66%	544	32.34%	0	0.00%
1916	292	18.16%	855	53.17%	461	28.67%
1912	21	1.57%	603	45.20%	710	53.22%
1908	665	59.80%	326	29.32%	121	10.88%
1904	246	20.08%	622	50.78%	357	29.14%
1900	550	48.12%	535	46.81%	58	5.07%
1896	702	47.24%	712	47.91%	72	4.85%
1892	382	18.16%	927	44.06%	795	37.79%
1888	459	22.36%	1,575	76.72%	19	0.93%
1884	140	13.93%	865	86.07%	0	0.00%
1880	125	6.45%	1,813	93.55%	0	0.00%

Government

The five-member board of commissioners is elected from four districts, with an at-large county commission chair. Thus, members are elected as residents of geographic districts, but the commission chair must receive the majority vote of the county in total. Each is elected to a four-year term.

Cherokee County sheriff and municipal police

The county is under the jurisdiction of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, which is headed by Sheriff Frank Reynolds. Unlike some other counties in Georgia, Sheriff's Office oversees the Cherokee County adult detention center, in addition to handling law enforcement for Cherokee County. The incorporated cities within Cherokee County, Woodstock, Canton, Holly Springs, and Ball Ground, have independent municipal police departments.

Cherokee County marshal

Originally formed by the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners as the Cherokee County Police, the Marshal's office handles code enforcement, liquor licenses, and animal control.

Politics

As of 2021, all state, county, and municipal elected officials representing Cherokee County are members of the Republican Party (with the exception of officials who hold officially non-partisan offices). ^{[11] [12]}

Cherokee County had voting patterns similar to most Solid South and Georgia counties prior to 1964 in presidential elections, though Democratic Party candidates did not win by as wide margins as they did in the rest of the state and the Deep South. In fact, the county backed Republican candidates four times between 1900 and 1960. From 1964 on, the county has swung strongly toward the Republicans, only failing to vote for the Republican in presidential elections since then in 1968 when segregationist George Wallace appealed to anti-Civil Rights Act sentiment and in the two elections Georgian Jimmy Carter was on the ballot. In addition, unlike the inner suburban counties of the Atlanta metropolitan area, Cherokee County has continued to vote for Republicans by landslide margins, although the margins have decreased slightly in the most recent elections with the growth of the metropolitan area. In the Presidential election of 2020, the majority of votes from all of the 42 county election precincts were cast for incumbent President Donald Trump. ^[13]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1840	5,895		—
1850	12,800		117.1%
1860	11,291		−11.8%
1870	10,399		−7.9%
1880	14,325		37.8%
1890	15,412		7.6%
1900	15,243		−1.1%
1910	16,661		9.3%
1920	18,569		11.5%
1930	20,003		7.7%
1940	20,126		0.6%
1950	20,750		3.1%
1960	23,001		10.8%
1970	31,059		35.0%
1980	51,699		66.5%
1990	90,204		74.5%
2000	141,903		57.3%
2010	214,346		51.1%
2020	266,620		24.4%
2023 (est.)	286,602	[14]	7.5%
U.S. Decennial Census [15] 1790-1880 [16] 1890-1910 [17] 1920-1930 [18] 1930-1940 [19] 1940-1950 [20] 1960-1980 [21] 1980-2000 [22] 2010 [23] 2020 [24]

2020 census

Cherokee County, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000 [25]	Pop 2010 [23]	Pop 2020 [24]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	127,618	174,243	197,867	89.93%	81.29%	74.21%
Black or African American alone (NH)	3,483	11,633	17,326	2.45%	5.43%	6.50%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	420	536	502	0.30%	0.25%	0.19%
Asian alone (NH)	1,127	3,484	5,429	0.79%	1.63%	2.04%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	32	84	100	0.02%	0.04%	0.04%
Other race alone (NH)	123	487	1,544	0.09%	0.23%	0.58%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	1,405	3,313	11,741	0.99%	1.55%	4.40%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	7,695	20,566	32,111	5.42%	9.59%	12.04%
Total	141,903	214,346	266,620	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 266,620 people, 93,441 households, and 69,257 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, 214,346 people, 75,936 households, and 57,876 families were living in the county. ^[26] The population density was 508.3 inhabitants per square mile (196.3/km²). The 82,360 housing units averaged 195.3 per square mile (75.4/km²). ^[27] The racial makeup of the county was 86.6% White, 5.65% Black or African American, 1.65% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.6% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin of any race made up 9.6% of the population. ^[26] In terms of ancestry, 16.2% were Irish, 16.1% were German, 14.1% were English, 10.7% were American, and 5.7% were Italian. ^[28]

Of the 75,936 households, 41.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.9% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 23.8% were not families, and 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.20. The median age was 36.3 years. ^[26]

The median income for a household in the county was $66,320 and for a family was $77,190. Males had a median income of $53,773 versus $40,153 for females. The per capita income for the county was $30,217. About 5.5% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.4% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over. ^[29]

2000 census

As of the census ^[30] of 2000, 141,903 people, 49,495 households, and 39,200 families resided in the county. The population density was 335 inhabitants per square mile (129/km²).

Of the 49,495 households, 41.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.20% were married couples living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.80% were not families. About 16.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the county, the population was distributed as 28.30% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 35.80% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 6.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $60,896, and for a family was $66,419. Males had a median income of $44,374 versus $31,036 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,871. About 3.50% of families and 5.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.50% of those under age 18 and 9.80% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Main article: Cherokee County School District (Georgia)

Public schools

• Cherokee County School District
• Cherokee Charter Academy

Private schools

Private schools in Cherokee County include:

• Lyndon Academy (Holly Springs)
• Cherokee Christian Schools (Woodstock)
• Cherokee Christian Academy (Woodstock)
• Community Christian School (Canton)
• Crossroads Christian School (Canton)
• Omega Learning Academy (Woodstock)
• The King's Academy (Woodstock)

Higher education

• Reinhardt University is a private, co-educational liberal arts college located in Waleska, Georgia.

Chattahoochee Technical College has campuses in Woodstock and Canton in Cherokee County.

Transportation

Major highways

• Interstate 75
• Interstate 575
• State Route 5
• State Route 5 Business (Canton)
• State Route 5 Business (Ball Ground)
• State Route 20
• State Route 92
• State Route 108
• State Route 140
• State Route 369
• State Route 372
• State Route 401 (unsigned designation for I-75)
• State Route 417 (unsigned designation for I-575)

Airport

The Cherokee County Airport (FAA LOC ID: CNI) is located adjacent to I-575 about six miles (9.7 km) northeast of downtown Canton.

A redevelopment project recently completed a 10,000-square-foot (930 m²) terminal, the lengthening of the runway from 3,414 to 5,000 feet (1,041 to 1,524 m), a new parallel taxiway, instrument landing equipment, and new hangars. The new facilities will accommodate 200 corporate aircraft in hangars and provide 100 tie-downs for smaller aircraft.

Public transportation

The Cherokee Area Transit Service serves all of the Cherokee County area, rural and suburban.

Communities

Cities

• Ball Ground
• Canton (county seat)
• Holly Springs
• Mountain Park (partially in Fulton County)
• Nelson (partially in Pickens County)
• Waleska
• Woodstock

Unincorporated communities

• Batesville
• Buffington
• Free Home
• Gold Ridge
• Hickory Flat
• Keithsburg
• Lake Arrowhead
• Lebanon
• Toonigh (neighborhood of Holly Springs)
• Macedonia
• Mica
• Oak Grove
• Orange
• Salacoa
• Sixes
• Sutallee
• Towne Lake
• Univeter
• Victoria

Notable residents

• Joseph E. Brown was elected governor of Georgia in 1857 and later served as U.S. Senator from Georgia. Brown's primary residence and law practice were in Canton, and he owned a farm believed to be near the Sutallee community.
• Ira Roe Foster was Quartermaster General of Georgia, a brigadier general in the Georgia Militia (1845), attorney, medical doctor, Cherokee County State Representative, first mayor of Eastman, Georgia, and Alabama state senator.
• Josh Holloway, actor and model, is most famous for his role as James "Sawyer" Ford on Lost . He attended Free Home Elementary in Free Home and Cherokee High School in Canton.
• Johnny Hunt was president of the Southern Baptist Convention in 2008–2010.
• Chris Kirk, a PGA Tour golfer, attended Etowah High School.
• Nick Markakis, MLB outfielder for the Atlanta Braves, attended Woodstock High School.
• Bruce Miller, NFL fullback, formerly played for the San Francisco 49ers, attended Woodstock High School.
• Robert Rechsteiner, better known as Rick Steiner, ex-professional wrestler, is now a part of the school board for the county.
• Blair Redford, an actor best known for his roles as Scotty Grainger on The Young and the Restless and Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald on Passions , grew up in Canton.
• Dean Rusk, U.S. Secretary of State, was born in Cherokee County. Dean Rusk Middle School was named after him.
• Buster Skrine, NFL cornerback for the New York Jets, attended Etowah High School.
• Drew Waters, professional baseball player for the Atlanta Braves, attended Etowah High School.

See also

• State of Georgia portal

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Cherokee County, Georgia
• List of counties in Georgia

References

1. US 2020 Census Bureau report, Cherokee County, Georgia
2. "2019 County Metro Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 3, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
4. Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 41. ISBN   0-915430-00-2. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 10, 2003.
5. "GeorgiaInfo has moved :: Carl Vinson Institute of Government". Cviog.uga.edu. Archived from the original on May 11, 2008. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
6. "GeorgiaInfo has moved :: Carl Vinson Institute of Government". Cviog.uga.edu. Archived from the original on February 18, 2008. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
7. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
8. "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
9. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
10. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
11. "Elected Official Directory" (PDF). Cherokee Chamber. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
12. "Elected Officials Listing" (PDF). Cherokee Elections and Voter Registration. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
13. "Election Results by Precinct" (PDF). Cherokee County Elections and Voter Registration. November 9, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 2, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
14. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
15. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". United States Census Bureau.
16. "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
17. "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910.
18. "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930.
19. "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
20. "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
21. "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
22. "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
23. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Cherokee County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
24. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Cherokee County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
25. "P004 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Cherokee County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
26. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
27. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 – County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
28. "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
29. "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
30. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.

External links

• Cherokee County government
• Cherokee County School District
• Cherokee County Airport – FAA Airport Master Record
• Cherokee County historical marker

Local newspapers

• TheCherokeeConnection.com – Cherokee County Ga News, Events, & Community Publication
• The Cherokee Ledger-News
• HomeTownCherokee.com – Cherokee's Online News & Community Publication
• Cherokee Tribune
• Cherokee Today

34°14′N84°28′W / 34.24°N 84.47°W / 34.24; -84.47