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• Habersham county was formed by the Cherokee Cessions of July 8, 1817, and February 27, 1819
• The county is named for Colonel Joseph Habersham
• It is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northeast Georgia
• In general, the county sits between 1,400-2,000 feet above sea level. The highest point in the county, the summit of Young Lick Mountain (called Young Lick Knob), reaches 3,800 feet above sea level.
• The Appalachian Trail runs through Habersham County at Young Lick Knob.
• The Eastern Continental Divide terminates at Young Lick Knob. To the northeast side of the peak, water flows into the Atlantic Ocean; on the southeast and west sides, water flows to the Gulf of Mexico.
• Original size was 713 square miles; present size is 279 square miles. The county ranks 111th of 159 in total area.
• County population is estimated at 43,000 today; the 1990 census population was 27,621.
• The climate here is mild. Average rainfall is about 57.23 inches with an average snowfall of 4.5 inches. The median temperature is about 69.7 degrees.
• Minerals found here are gold, kyanite, mica, graphite, garnets, cornelians, augite, asbestos, tourmaline, rubies, plumbage, iron, and diamonds
• Agriculture is the No. 1 industry in the county. The main crops are peaches and apples and the main industries are poultry and beef.
• Tourism continues to be an integral factor in the county's economic development and growth. The county is also experiencing a steady growth in retirees.
• Main landmarks are Tallulah Gorge and the Big Red Apple
• Major rivers are the Chattahoochee, Soque, Tugaloo and Tallulah
• The largest lake is Lake Russell. Parts of Lakes Yonah and Tugaloo are in Habersham County, Other regional lakes include Lake Burton, the largest of Georgia Power's north Georgia lakes, with 62 miles of shoreline; Tallulah Falls Lake; the 834-acre Lake Rabun; and Lake Seed.
• Major highways are Hwy. 365 (divided four lane), Hwy. 441, Hwy. 23, Hwy. 17, Hwy. 115
• The county seat is Clarkesville and other cities and towns are: Alto, Baldwin, Cornelia, Demorest, Mt. Airy and Tallulah Falls. There is one unincorporated community, Turnerville. Other named communities are View, Hollywood and Batesville
• Habersham County Medical Center and the Habersham County Health Department serve local public health care needs.
• Public education facilities include eight elementary schools, two middle schools, a high school and two private schools. In 2005-2006, 6,374 young people attended public schools in Habersham County.
• Top Employers are: Fieldale Farms, 2,035; Habersham County Board of Education, 930; Habersham County Hospital Authority, 650; Mt. Vernon Mills, 550; Ethicon, 500; Lee Arrendale Correctional Institute, Alto, 500; Scovill, 380
• Annual events in Habersham County include the Mountain Laurel Festival in Clarkesville every May. Clarkesville also hosts the Chattahoochee Mountain Fair each September. Cornelia hosts the Big Red Apple Festival during October.
• Several famous individuals have roots in Habersham County. Johnny Mize, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, was born in Demorest. Robert Toombs was a U.S. Senator from 1848 to 1852 and lost the bid for president of the Confederacy to Jefferson Davis by one vote.
• Habersham County is home to two colleges, North Georgia Tech and Piedmont College.
• The newly-expanded Habersham Airport's main runway is 5,500 feet long.
• Tallulah Falls was once a popular destination for honeymooners, some historians say second only to Niagara Falls. The gorge has been called "the Grand Canyon of the East."
• Habersham residents outside city limits are protected by 15 full-time and 75 volunteer firefighters. Fire insurance classifications are 6 and 9.
• Clarkesville was incorporated as a village and designated the county seat in 1823. The current courthouse, the fourth, was built in 1963 (other sources say 1964).
• For a time there were county residents who strongly wished to relocate the county seat to Toccoa (then in Habersham County), leading to such a feud that when the Clarkesville courthouse was blown up in 1898, those advocating the move to Toccoa were blamed. The feud was ultimately resolved by the creation of Stephens County in 1905 with Toccoa as its seat.
• Demorest was founded in 1889 as a planned community advocating temperance. Its original settlers were from the Midwest and New England, and the town's architecture reflects their influence.
• Immigrants from Europe (primarily from Germany and Switzerland) arrived in the 1880s to plant vineyards and set up wineries, but the state of Georgia adopted a strict prohibition law before their labor could yield profits, and many of them returned to Europe
• Several museums are located in Habersham County: the Cornelia Railroad Depot Museum; the Johnny Mize Museum; the Loudermilk Boarding House Museum, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and home of the Panoramic Encyclopedia of Everything Elvis; and the Mauldin House Visitors Center.