Clayton, Georgia
24 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1886 and the latest in 1988. It stands in the Clayton census division. It lies in ZIP code area 30525. It stands on Saddle Gap Branch. The Survey maps it on the Dillard quadrangle. 2,003 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,929 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Clayton
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 1 record
- James Henry and Rachel Kilby Houselisted 2005
Population over time
3 figuresClayton grew from 70 to 2,003 between 1870 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 70 | |
| 2010 | 2,047 | |
| 2020 | 2,003 | -44 (-2%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
10 surveys from 24 printed sheetsMatched 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.
- 1886 USGS Walhalla quadrangle1:125000
- 1892 USGS Walhalla quadrangle1:125000, 7 printings
- 1896 USGS Walhalla quadrangle1:125000
- 1935 USGS Dillard quadrangle1:24000
- 1946 USGS Dillard quadrangle1:24000, 4 printings
- 1947 USGS Dillard quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1954 USGS Greenville quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1958 USGS Greenville quadrangle1:250000
- 1981 USGS Toccoa quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1988 USGS Dillard quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
154 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 154 fires within 5 miles of Clayton between 1992 and 2019, burning about 1,326 acres in total. 4 started naturally. 22 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 | 88 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 22 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 17 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 5 |
| Other causes | 5 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 4 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 4 |
| Natural | 4 |
| Smoking | 3 |
| Fireworks | 1 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 September 1998 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest | SAWMILL |
| 17 September 2000 | Other causes | 1.0 acres | Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest | MOUNTAIN GROVE |
| 15 September 2016 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest | RHONDA |
| 2 August 2012 | Natural | under an acre | Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest | SAGA MTN |
| 11 August 2008 | Other causes | under an acre | Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest | LEAD TREE FIRE |
| 1 August 2012 | Natural | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2013-RABUN-001 |
| 17 July 2009 | Natural | under an acre | Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest | STUMP |
| 27 June 2008 | Natural | under an acre | Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest | DIVIDE GAP FIRE |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
3 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Clayton: 3 past producers. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Gold. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowers Placer | Gold | Past Producer | Stream Placer | |
| J.G. Welborn | Gold | Past Producer | Stream Placer | |
| Screamer Mt. | Gold | Past Producer | Stream Placer |
Storms near this place
60 of 67 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Clayton in 67 storm reports between 1993 and 2026: 31 hail, 30 thunderstorm wind, 5 flash flood, 1 dust devil. The reports record 1 injury. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | 1 hurt, $2,000 | A couple of trees were blown down. One tree fell on a van, causing minor injuries to the driver. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | $20,000 | County comms reported multiple trees blown down in and around Clayton, including on Stornoway Dr, Warwoman Rd, and Earls Ford Rd. A tree fell on a home on Stornoway Dr. |
| January 2026 | Flash Flood | Clayton | $1,000 | Emergency manager reported flash flooding developed across portions of central and southern Rabun County after 4 to 5.5 inches of rain fell across the area in around 24 hours, with around half of that falling in around six hours during the morning of the 10th. Impacts began with an embankment failure along Highway 76 just west of Clayton, where a lane of the highway was covered and a vehicle briefly trapped. Stekoa Creek overflowed its banks just south of Clayton, with water inundating Rickman Airfield Rd. Chechero Creek also overflowed onto Country Club Dr near Highway 76. Additionally, minor flooding was reported in spots along Tiger Creek from the headwaters to its confluence with the Tallulah River. Portions of Old Highway 441 were inundated, including at Shady Lane. |
| June 2025 | Hail | Clayton | - | Public reported 3/4 inch hail. |
| July 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | County comms reported trees blown down in Clayton and vicinity and a tree down at Warwoman Rd and Earls Ford Rd. Several power lines reported down in the area as well. |
| April 2020 | Hail | Clayton | - | Multiple public reports of quarter size hail in the Clayton area. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | County comms reported multiple trees blown down from the Clayton area north toward the North Carolina border. |
| May 2014 | Hail | Clayton | - | Public reported quarter size hail on Screamer Mountain just east of Clayton. |
| July 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | County comms reported multiple trees and power lines blown down in and around Clayton, including on Main St and Savannah St. One tree fell on a vehicle. |
| May 2013 | Hail | Clayton | - | Quarter size hail was reported on Camp Dixie Lane. |
| May 2013 | Hail | Clayton | - | Nickel size hail was reported in Clayton. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | A tree was blown down on Marsengill St a little south of Clayton and large tree limbs were blown down in the Tiger area. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | Several trees were blown down about 6 miles southeast of Clayton. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | A tree was blown down near Heaven's Landing Airpark. Also, the top of a tree was blown out and large limbs blown down on Germany Rd. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | Large tree limbs were blown down along Blackrock Mountain Parkway. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | At least two trees were blown down in the Clayton area. |
| August 2007 | Hail | Clayton | - | Ping-pong ball size hail reported on Seed Lake Rd. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | Several small trees were blown down near the south end of Lake Burton. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | Numerous trees blown down in and around Clayton, with some trees damaging homes. |
| April 2006 | Hail | Clayton | - | Hail fell at Lake Burton. |
| May 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | A few trees down. |
| May 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | Several trees down around Lake Rabun. |
| April 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | A couple of trees down at the highway 76/441 S intersection west of Clayton. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | Trees down and large hail of unspecified size. |
| July 2005 | Flash Flood | Clayton | - | A road near Cat Gap in the Persimmon Community was flooded and caved in. |
| August 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | A tree down on Warwoman Rd and another tree down on highway 76 east of Clayton. |
| August 2005 | Hail | Clayton | - | Golfball hail reported on the northeast side of Lake Burton. Also, a tree was blown down on highway 76 near Persimmon. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | Numerous trees were snapped. |
| August 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | Trees were blown across power lines, causing sporadic outages. |
| August 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | Trees and power lines were blown down. |
| August 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | Trees and power lines were blown down. |
| July 2003 | Flash Flood | Clayton | - | A slow-moving thunderstorm produced very heavy rainfall, which cuased a section of highway 76 to flood in the Persimmon Community. |
| April 2003 | Hail | Clayton | - | Hail was reported at Lake Burton. |
| September 2003 | Flash Flood | Clayton | - | Heavy rainfall caused Stecoah Creek to rise rapidly to flood south of Clayton. Another small creek flooded in Clayton, and a small pond overflowed. |
| September 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | Some trees were blown down near Highway 197. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | Several trees were blown down at Lake Rabun. |
| November 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | A few trees and a power pole were blown down. |
| June 2001 | Hail | Clayton | - | Golfball-sized hail damaged cars in the parking lot of the emergency operations center. |
| August 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | An early morning severe thunderstorm blew down trees on US Hwys 441 and 76. |
| April 2012 | Hail | Clayton | - | no account filed |
| April 2012 | Hail | Clayton | - | no account filed |
| June 2011 | Hail | Clayton | - | no account filed |
| September 2009 | Hail | Clayton | - | no account filed |
| March 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | no account filed |
| July 2008 | Hail | Clayton | - | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Hail | Clayton | - | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Hail | Clayton | - | no account filed |
| April 2007 | Dust Devil | Clayton | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Clayton | - | no account filed |
| May 2006 | Hail | Clayton | - | no account filed |
| May 2006 | Hail | Clayton | - | no account filed |
| March 2005 | Hail | Clayton | - | no account filed |
| August 2005 | Hail | Clayton | - | no account filed |
| April 2002 | Hail | Clayton | - | no account filed |
| April 2002 | Hail | Clayton | - | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Hail | Clayton | - | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Clayton | - | no account filed |
| May 1999 | Hail | Clayton | - | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Hail | Clayton | - | no account filed |
| January 1998 | Flash Flood | Clayton | - | no account filed |
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.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel Falls | 1.3 miles | 19 | |
| Tiger | 2.7 miles | 19 | |
| Mountain City | 2.9 miles | 24 | |
| Germany | 3.7 miles | 24 | |
| York | 4.0 miles | 24 | |
| Dickerson Mill | 4.7 miles | 24 | |
| Burton Junction (historical) | 5.3 miles | 19 | |
| Antioch | 5.5 miles | 24 |
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 Clayton | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q2600941 | 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 355183. 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.









