Banks

Formed February 1, 1859 (130^th county)

Banks County (18,037), Homer (1,261), Maysville (1,870)

A Modern style tan brick and concrete courthouse, located two blocks northwest of the city center on Yonah Homer Road, was built in 1987.  The building was remodeled in 2009.  Jacobs Architects, Inc., are the designers.  Georgia State Highway 51 is 2 blocks to the east.  The current courthouse features faux columns and veteran memorials on the grounds.  An earlier courthouse, also located in Homer, was built in 1863.  The county was formed from Franklin and Habersham counties on February 1, 1859 as the 130^th county.  New Lebanon (1859) and Homer (1860) have served as the county seat.  Banks County is named for Doctor Richard Banks, a Gainesville physician.  Homer got its name from settler Homer Jackson.  The county center is in Homer 1.3 miles Northwest of the city center. 

Banks County government consists of a manager, a sheriff, an administrator, a coroner, a clerk, and a tax commissioner (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Twenty-four Superior Court Judges serve Banks, Barrow, Burke, Clarke, Columbia, Elbert, Franklin, Glascock, Hart, Jackson, Lincoln, Madison, McDuffie, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Richmond, Taliaferro, Walton, Warren, and Wilkes counties and four County Judges, court clerk, and county attorney serve Banks County (judicial.) The county is the northeast part of the state northeast of Atlanta, Georgia and southwest of Greenville, South Carolina.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Habersham, Stephens, Madison, Jackson, and Hall counties. 

The area of the county is 234 square miles.  The county is 126 of 159 in the state.  It ranks 98 out of 159 in population in the state.  It has a density of 77.1 persons per square mile making it 69 out of 159 in the state.  Banks County has 20.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 85 goes northeast to southwest from Franklin County to Jackson County.  United States Highway 441 crosses north to south from Habersham County to Jackson County.  The county is shaped like a champagne cork pointing southeast.  Homer is slightly south of center in the county.  Maysville is on the southern border of the county and extends into Jackson County.  Homer is the county seat and Maysville is the largest city.  Homer is 7.0% of the county population while Maysville is 10.4% of the county population.