Formed December 3, 1832 (86th county)
Murray County (39,982), Chatsworth (4,893)
The columns break up the Neo-Classical Revival red brick 1916 courthouse. Spring Place has the 1886 courthouse. Chatsworth became the county seat in 1912. The structure is on a square at Market, 3rd, Fort, and 4th streets. United States Highway 76/411 are 3rd Street in the city. Alexander Blair is the building designer. Murray County was created on December 3, 1832 from Cherokee County as the 86th county. Dade, Walker, Catoosa, Whitfield, Gordon, Bartow and Chattooga counties were later separated out of Murray County. Georgia Legislator Thomas W. Murray inspired the county’s name. The county seat is reported to be named for a Railroad Officer or when a sign “Chatsworth” fell off of a railroad car. The county center is 3.5 miles Northeast of Chatsworth.
Murray County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, a coroner, a clerk, and a tax commissioner (executive). It has 1 Commissioner (legislative.) Thirty-two Superior Court Judges serve Murray, Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cobb, Dade, Douglas, Floyd, Gordon, Haralson, Paulding, Polk, Walker, and Whitfield counties and Seven County Judges, court clerk, and county attorney serve Murray County (judicial.) The county is located in northwest Georgia on the border with Tennessee. Chattanooga, Tennessee is northwest of the county and Atlanta, Georgia is south. The county is surrounded clockwise by Tennessee and Fannin, Gilmer, Gordon, and Whitfield counties.
The area of the county is 344 square miles. It is 78 out of 159 counties in the state. It ranks 52 out of 159 in population in the state. It has a density of 116.2 persons per square mile making it 52 out of 159 in the state. Murray County has 14.3% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 76 crosses the county east to west from Gilmer County to Whitfield County. United States Highway 411 goes north to south from Tennessee to Gordon County. The Conasauga River forms its western border. The county could be described as a crown pointing west. Chatsworth is located in the western third of the county. Chatsworth is the county seat and the largest city. It is 12.2% of the county population. This county is in the Dalton Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Chatsworth
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