Moving to Ellijay, GA: what newcomers should know first

The first thing to learn about Ellijay is that “Ellijay” on an envelope doesn’t mean the City of Ellijay. Many of the people who use the name live outside the city limits, some of them in a different city altogether. That line decides which government you call, which council sets your tax rate and which rules apply when you build or renovate.

Here’s what the public record says, source by source.

How big Ellijay really is

All figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau. We didn’t pull an East Ellijay 2010 figure. The city covers about 3.5 square miles of land (3.544, with no water area) and East Ellijay about 3.4, according to the Census 2020 Gazetteer. Put the two together and you get a small pair of towns inside a county of more than 31,000 people. Most of the county lives in neither.

Ellijay or East Ellijay?

East Ellijay is its own incorporated city. Many businesses and homes with an “Ellijay” mailing address are actually in East Ellijay or in unincorporated Gilmer County. The Gilmer County Chamber’s office, for example, is at 696 First Avenue in East Ellijay, not on the square.

For a buyer, the practical question for any address is: which city is this in, if any? That tells you whether the City of Ellijay’s council, ordinances and historic district rules apply, or East Ellijay’s, or only the county’s. Ask for the answer in writing, and check it with the county before you rely on it.

The county seat, since 1834

Ellijay was incorporated and named the county seat of Gilmer County on December 29, 1834, according to the city’s history page. Gilmer County itself was created in 1832 and is named for George Rockingham Gilmer, Georgia’s governor at the time, according to the Gilmer Chamber. The county courthouse is at 1 Broad Street, and the county government lists its main phone as (706) 635-4361.

The city calls Ellijay “the Apple Capital of Georgia” and an Appalachian Trail Community. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy says Gilmer County holds the southern terminus of both the Appalachian Trail and the Benton MacKaye Trail, and sits “at the heart of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest.”

How far from Atlanta?

The Gilmer Chamber says Ellijay is “just 90 minutes north of Atlanta,” in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, on its Explore the Ellijays page. That’s the only drive time we found in a source, and it doesn’t say which part of Atlanta it’s measured from. Test the drive yourself at the hours you’d actually commute, and expect October weekends to be slower.

City Hall and how decisions get made

Ellijay City Hall is at 197 North Main Street, open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., (706) 635-4711, according to the city clerk’s page.

• City Council meets on the third Monday of each month at City Hall: a work session at 5:30 p.m. and the council meeting at 6 p.m. Meetings are open to the public, with time for public comment. Al Hoyle is mayor and chairs the council; the city council page says he is in his fourth term as mayor since 1997. The remaining 2026 meeting dates listed are October 19, November 16 and December 21.
• The 2027 budget. The city’s proposed 2027 budget is set to be presented at a special called meeting on October 26, 2026, at 8:30 a.m., followed by a public hearing at 8:45 a.m. at City Hall. Adoption is tentatively set for November 2, 2026, at 6 p.m., the same meeting where the millage rate will be set. The rate itself hasn’t been published, so we can’t quote it. If you’re weighing a house inside the city, that meeting is worth watching.
• The Downtown Development Authority meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. Its stated vision, on the DDA page, is for Ellijay to be “a vibrant destination for people of all ages to shop, dine, live, work, play and do business.”

Buying near the square: the historic district

Ellijay has a designated Historic District with architectural design guidelines, run by a Historic Preservation Commission that meets on the second Monday of each month at 6 p.m. The boundary is shown on the city’s HPC Map #6, in Appendix A of the guidelines. If a house or building you’re considering is inside that line, read the guidelines before you plan exterior changes.

Your first few weeks

• Harrison Park. The city’s 25.94-acre Harrison Park on McCutchen Street is dedicated to Gilmer County residents who served in the armed forces. It’s the former Pinson family farm, with a barn and corn crib from around 1940.
• The farmers market. The Ellijay Farmers & Artisans Market is a summer Saturday market, but the most recent schedule the city published was for 2023 (May through September, in the courthouse parking lot on Sand Street). No 2026 or 2027 season has been posted, so check before you go.
• Downtown events. Gilmer Arts’ free Acoustic Blends music night is on the third Friday of each month at the Playhouse, 135 Dalton St. See our events calendar for dated listings.
• Visitor information. The Gilmer County Chamber, 696 First Avenue, East Ellijay, 706-635-7400, info@gilmerchamber.com.

What we can’t tell you from public sources

We looked for a few things newcomers usually ask about and didn’t find official answers: everyday downtown parking rules, a verified elevation for the town, and drive times from the square to nearby lakes and parks. Where a question isn’t answered here, it’s because we didn’t find a source we trust, not because there’s nothing to know.

Thinking about a move?

This guide is published by Gold Peach Realty, a North Georgia brokerage. If you’re comparing houses inside Ellijay’s city limits with homes in East Ellijay or elsewhere in Gilmer County, the team can walk you through what’s on the market and the questions to ask about each address. Call (770) 283-1223 or email info@goldpeachrealty.com.

Questions people ask

Written by the Downtown Ellijay Editorial Team. AI tools help us draft; people check every fact before it publishes.

Dates, hours and fees change. For anything official, the city has the final word: City of Ellijay official site