Blue Ridge, Georgia

23 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1888 and the latest in 1988. It stands in the Blue Ridge census division. It lies in ZIP code area 30513. It stands on Mineral Springs Creek. The Survey maps it on the Blue Ridge quadrangle. 1,253 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,762 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Blue Ridge within Fannin County

On record in Blue Ridge

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 3 records

Surveyed buildings and structures 1 record

Fannin County Road 218 Bridge, Spanning Toccoa River, Blue Ridgefederal building survey, 5 photographs

Population over time

2 figures

Blue Ridge fell from 1,290 to 1,253 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

Year	People	Change
2010	1,290
2020	1,253	-37 (-3%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

13 surveys from 23 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

1888 USGS Ellijay quadrangle1:125000
1892 USGS Ellijay quadrangle1:125000
1898 USGS Ellijay quadrangle1:125000, 2 printings
1911 USGS Ellijay quadrangle1:125000, 4 printings
1935 USGS Lake Toccoa quadrangle1:24000
1946 USGS Blue Ridge quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
1947 USGS Lake Toccoa quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
1955 USGS Rome quadrangle1:250000
1958 USGS Rome quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
1961 USGS Rome quadrangle1:250000
1963 USGS Rome quadrangle1:250000
1981 USGS Dalton quadrangle1:100000
1988 USGS Blue Ridge quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings

Photographs

8 of 12 photographs shown, 2017

Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.

Gravestone in Blue Ridge of a member of the McKinney family, the founding family of the community in far-northwest Georgia, near the Tennessee line
Highsmith, Carol M, 2017. Library of Congress

Commercial building in Blue Ridge, a community in far-northwest Georgia, near the Tennessee line
Highsmith, Carol M, 2017. Library of Congress

Diesel engine of the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway in Blue Ridge, a community in far-northwest Georgia, near the Tennessee line
Highsmith, Carol M, 2017. Library of Congress

Plaque in the Blue Ridge, Georgia, graveyard honoring town founder Michael McKinney, a former Confederate Army officer who is the paternal great-great-great grandfather of American photographer Carol M. Highsmith
Highsmith, Carol M, 2017. Library of Congress

In the mountains of northern Georgia in a settlement called Chestnut Gap, this is the home built for Col. Michael McKinney and his wife, Hepsy Adaline McClure McKinney, founders of the city of Blue Ridge in far-northwest Georgia, near the Tennessee line
Highsmith, Carol M, 2017. Library of Congress

Gravestone in Blue Ridge of Col. Michael McKinney and his wife, Hepsy Adaline McClure McKinney, (identified here as just "A McKinney"), founders of the community in far-northwest Georgia, near the Tennessee line
Highsmith, Carol M, 2017. Library of Congress

Sign in the mountains of northern Georgia in a settlement called Chestnut Gap, next to the home built for Col. Michael McKinney and his wife, Hepsy Adaline McClure McKinney, founders of the nearby city of Blue Ridge in far-northwest Georgia, near the Tennnessee line
Highsmith, Carol M, 2017. Library of Congress

Fannin County Road 218 Bridge, Spanning Toccoa River, Blue Ridge, Fannin County, GA
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress

Every photograph of Fannin County

Fires near this place

475 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 475 fires within 5 miles of Blue Ridge between 1992 and 2020, burning about 706 acres in total. 4 started naturally. 84 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Debris and open burning	291
Arson/incendiarism	84
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	56
Smoking	11
Misuse of fire by a minor	11
Recreation and ceremony	10
Equipment and vehicle use	7
Natural	4
Railroad operations and maintenance	1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
8 September 1999	Arson/incendiarism	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
8 September 1999	Arson/incendiarism	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
7 September 1998	Equipment and vehicle use	3.2 acres	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
26 September 1999	Misuse of fire by a minor	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
25 September 1999	Smoking	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
25 September 1999	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
22 September 2007	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
2 September 1997	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Fannin County

Mines and quarries near this place

10 of 15 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 15 workings within 5 miles of Blue Ridge: 10 past producers, 2 prospects, 1 unknown, 1 occurrence. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Iron, Manganese, Marble, Dimension, Gold. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Site	Commodity	Status	Recorded
Hackney Placer	Gold	Past Producer	Stream Placer
McKinney Mine	Iron, Manganese	Past Producer	Residual
McKinney Mine.	Manganese, Iron	Past Producer	1812
Mineral Bluff Quarry	Flagstone	Producer
Samples Rock Quarry	Stone, Crushed/Broken	Past Producer
The W.M.Dallas Mine	Mica	Past Producer
Wishon Talc Mine	Talc-Soapstone	Past Producer
The Dickey Property	Marble, Dimension	Occurrence
The Park Property	Marble, Dimension	Past Producer
J.Y.Allen Property	Iron, Manganese	Prospect

Every working recorded in Fannin County

Storms near this place

45 since 1993

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Blue Ridge in 45 storm reports between 1993 and 2023: 19 thunderstorm wind, 12 hail, 7 lightning, 5 flash flood. The reports record 5 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
July 2004	Lightning	Blue Ridge	3 hurt, $1,000	The News Observer - Blue Ridge reported that three teenagers, who were tubing down a river in the Toccoa Valley Campground area, were injured when lightning struck the water nearby. All three were treated and released from the hospital. In addition, a minor fire was reported in a home struck by lightning in a separate incident. Damage was minor.
August 2003	Lightning	Blue Ridge	2 hurt	The News Observer of Blue Ridge reported that lightning struck two people at the Sugar Creek Raceway during its first night of the racing season. A 45-year old track announcer was injured when lightning struck the track's sound system and came through the microphone. Some papers on the desk were also ignited during this incident. In the stands, a fan was injured when he was struck by lightning. Neither of the injuries were fatal.
May 2011	Hail	Blue Ridge	$1,300,000	Numerous reports of large to very large damaging hail were received from the Fannin County 911 Center and the public across Fannin county. As the thunderstorm entered Fannin county from the southwest, it produced golf ball-sized hail near Blue Ridge. The hail grew in size to softballs (4.25 inch diameter) as the storm moved over the Morganton area. Extensive damage was reported to vehicles in the Morganton area and adjacent areas in the eastern part of the county.
March 2004	Hail	Blue Ridge	$250,000	The Fannin county 911 center reported that golf ball-sized hail was observed at the June Walker Chevrolet dealership just southwest of Blue Ridge.
May 2006	Lightning	Blue Ridge	$75,000	The News Observer of Blue Ridge reported that lightning struck a two-story garage and apartment on East Second Street and set it on fire. The upper portion of the building was a complete loss.
September 2000	Lightning	Blue Ridge	$55,000	The Blue Ridge News Observer reported that lightning struck the county's 911 emergency radio repeater tower on Brawley Mountain completely knocking out the normal emergency communications system.
May 1999	Tornado (F0)	Blue Ridge	$50,000	Fannin county 911 and newspaper accounts agreed that a minimal tornado was responsible for damage in the Sugar Creek Road and Tennis Court Road areas.The roof of an outbuilding at the water company was torn off, an outdoor pavilion at a church collapsed, and the church received damage to its roof. Trees were knocked down in a twisted pattern and blocked roads in the area.
June 1994	Thunderstorm Wind	Blue Ridge	$50,000	Several large trees and power lines were downed by thunderstorm winds along Georgia Highway 5 in Blue Ridge. Two homes received major damage to their roofs while a commercial business had several appliances damaged. Fannin County 2N Blue Ridge,28,1713EST,,,0,0,0,0,Hail (0.75) The Fannin County sheriff department reported dime size hail 2 miles north of Blue Ridge on Georgia Highway 5.
November 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Blue Ridge	$30,000	The News Observer of Blue Ridge reported that a large pine tree fell on two pickup trucks at a residence in the city. One of the trucks was totaled and the other sustained significant damage. At another residence, large tree limbs fell on and damaged the corner of a front porch. Winds were estimated at 60 to 70 mph by a local resident.
September 2009	Lightning	Blue Ridge	$25,000	The Fannin County 911 Center reported that a house fire was likely the result of a lightning strike.
July 2004	Flash Flood	Blue Ridge	$20,000	The News Observer - Blue Ridge reported that a man had to be rescued from his truck during flash flooding on Ada Street. The man drove his S-10 pickup truck into the high water when the truck stalled as the vehicle was submerged up to the windows with water. The man reported that water was up to his rib cage inside the truck. Ada street at Highway 5 was later closed. In addition, a storm spotter reported that a house was flooded in Blue Ridge.
June 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Blue Ridge	$10,000	Broadcast media reports numerous trees and powerlines downed along W Highland St just to the west of Blue Ridge.
October 2014	Thunderstorm Wind	Blue Ridge	$10,000	The Fannin County 911 Center reported dozens of trees down countywide.
May 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Blue Ridge	$10,000	The emergency manager reported a couple of signs, a storage building and a vehicle were damaged. The roof was ripped off the mini-storage building. Reports of a tornado could not be confirmed.
July 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Blue Ridge	$8,000	The Fannin County 911 Center reported numerous trees blown down across the county.
May 2009	Thunderstorm Wind	Blue Ridge	$5,000	The Fannin County 911 Center reported that at least a dozen trees were blown down near Blue Ridge on Raccoon Drive.
August 2003	Flash Flood	Blue Ridge	$5,000	The News Observer of Blue Ridge reported that local thunderstorms caused flash flooding in the downtown area of Blue Ridge. One house sustained damage when flood waters rose to the level of the window sills. Flood waters also caused damage at the Sheriff's Office. Furthermore, railroad tracks running through the area were also damaged by the flood waters.
June 2002	Lightning	Blue Ridge	$5,000	The News Observer of Blue Ridge reported that lightning struck a home in Blue Ridge on Damascus Road. The lightning traveled through a copper water pipe to an adjacent electrical circuit. The electrical circuit was damaged and the entire house suffered light smoke damage from burning wires. At another residence, lightning struck a tree on Georgia Highway 5 in Blue Ridge. The tree was set on fire.
May 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Blue Ridge	$3,000	The Fannin County 911 Center reported that several trees and power lines were down from Blue Ridge to east of Morganton.
July 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Blue Ridge	$3,000	Fannin 911 reported several trees were knocked down. Some fell on power lines, resulting in power outages.
July 1995	Thunderstorm Wind	Blue Ridge	$3,000	Thunderstorm winds knocked down numerous trees. Damage at the Blue Ridge Marina and pea-size hail.
June 2018	Thunderstorm Wind	Blue Ridge	$2,000	The Fannin County 911 center reported power lines blown down on East Main Street near the intersection with Messer Street.
April 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Blue Ridge	$2,000	The Fannin County 911 Center reported that two trees had fallen onto some power lines north of Blue Ridge.
August 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Blue Ridge	$1,000	A tree was reported down on Mineral Springs Rd in Blue Ridge.
July 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Blue Ridge	$1,000	The Fannin County 911 Center reported that four trees were down from west of Blue Ridge to near Mineral Bluff. The trees were down on Blackberry Drive, Sugar Creek Road, Scenic Drive, and Cutcane Road.
August 2006	Lightning	Blue Ridge	$1,000	The News Observer of Blue Ridge reported that lightning struck a home in the city causing the gas line from the propane tank to the furnance to ignite at the furnace. The homeowner was able to extinguish the fire with minimal damage.
January 1996	Flash Flood	Blue Ridge	$1,000	no account filed
June 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Blue Ridge	$500	The Fannin county 911 center reported that two trees were blown down.
August 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Blue Ridge	-	Mesonet station uga50 Blue Ridge .
June 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Blue Ridge	-	Mesonet site measured a 63 mph gust near the intersection of Blue Ridge Dr and Tall Oaks Lane.
February 2020	Flash Flood	Blue Ridge	-	The Emergency Manager reported flooding along Stites Road due to high flow through Mineral Springs Creek. Radar estimates indicate that 3 to 6 inches of rain occurred in the area, falling on already wet soils and resulting in flash flooding.
March 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Blue Ridge	-	A Georgia Department of Transportation RWIS sensor measured a 64 MPH wind gust.
March 2017	Hail	Blue Ridge	-	Quarter size hail was reported in Blue Ridge.
March 2010	Hail	Blue Ridge	-	A storm spotter observed quarter-sized hail near Epworth. Radar data suggests that hail of similar size likely continued northeast to near the Tennessee border and the city of McCaysville.
May 2008	Hail	Blue Ridge	-	The Fannin County 911 Center reported nickel-sized hail in the Blue Ridge area.
June 2007	Hail	Blue Ridge	-	The public observed penny-sized hail.
May 2006	Hail	Blue Ridge	-	The Fannin County 911 Center reported quarter-sized hail.
February 2005	Hail	Blue Ridge	-	The Fannin County 911 Center reported penny-sized hail.
July 2004	Hail	Blue Ridge	-	Several reports of hail, ranging in size from quarters to golf balls, were received from a storm spotter, the public, and the Fannin County 911 center. The largest hail fell in the vicinity of Blue Ridge, where hail up to the size of baseballs was reported. One person noted that one of the hail stones he saw looked like two golf balls glued together. Generally only nickel to quarter-sized hail was reported elsewhere.
July 2004	Heavy Rain	Blue Ridge	-	The Fannin County 911 center reported that several roads in Blue Ridge had to be closed because of high standing water. Georgia Highway 5 was flooded in two areas and Aiken Street in the city also had to be closed.
June 2002	Hail	Blue Ridge	-	The public reported dime size hail.
May 2000	Hail	Blue Ridge	-	The public reported a considerable amount of nickel size hail in Blue Ridge.
July 1999	Flash Flood	Blue Ridge	-	One to two inches of rain in a 2 hour period and a 24 hour total of around 4 inches caused the Toccoa river to go out of its banks.
June 1995	Hail	Blue Ridge	-	no account filed
March 1993	Thunderstorm Wind	Blue Ridge	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Fannin County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Place	Distance	Sheets
Elrod Mill	1.5 miles	23
Murphy Junction	1.7 miles	23
Greens Mill	2.0 miles	23
Sugar Creek	2.2 miles	23
Ballew Mill	2.2 miles	23
Stewart Mill	3.0 miles	23
Maxwell	3.2 miles	23
Morganton	3.7 miles	23

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on Blue Ridge	An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q2035614	The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 331197. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.