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The Banks County lifestyle is about balance. The community is home to thriving businesses— from farms to retail stores— and the diversity of employment and business opportunities offers residents and visitors the chance to enjoy all the amenities and convenience of a modern hub of activity, while staying close to the area's rural roots.

Bank County's status as a progressive agribusiness center bridges the past to the future. Modern manufacturing plants also call the county home. Adding to the thriving retail trade of Banks Crossing, new construction continues along the I-85/441 corridor, attracting visitors traveling through northeast Georgia from the Carolinas and other points north to Atlanta and points south. Close proximity to a highway system considered to be one of the best in the nation, the county is poised to make even greater economic strides in the future. However, development will not come at the expense of the close-knit small-town feeling enjoyed by residents and visitors.

Certainly agriculture is the backbone of Banks County, which was created in 1858 from parts of Franklin, Habersham and Hall Counties. Initially the county's economy was based on corn and cotton production, but in the 1920s, the importance of cotton declined and farmers shifted their efforts to raising livestock and poultry, endeavors which remain healthy economic forces today.

The supremacy of agriculture as the primary economic base is facing competition from the manufacturing sector, with the textile industry and poultry processing leading the way. While agriculture provides 16 percent of the jobs and 31 percent of the employment earnings, manufacturing provides 27 percent of the jobs and 29 percent of the employment earnings. The retail trade accounts for 26 percent of the jobs and 12 percent of the employment earnings.

The area's economic development is well-served with Interstate 85 crossing the southeast section of Banks County. The evolution of Banks Crossing into the fastest-growing shopping destination in Georgia has led to a dynamic increase in the retail and service industries. With over one million square feet of retail space, shopping at the mega-crossroads where U.S. 441 and I-85 meet is an exciting adventure. Accompanying the extensive development of the area, the restaurant and hotel/motel trades have expanded to accommodate the influx of shoppers and tourists.

In addition to chain store outlet shopping, Banks Crossing is home to The Pottery, the South's largest pottery manufacturing outlet store, which also offers an extensive greenhouse and landscaping plants, home furnishings, a frame shop, custom silk plant decorating service, and a large variety of collectibles.

With the addition of Home Depot in 2004, Banks County proudly welcomes another well-known corporate citizen to the community.

In response to tremendous growth within certain areas of the county, a comprehensive plan has been developed to establish acceptable zoning and project regulations to protect the county's natural integrity. Integrating agribusiness, residential, commercial, and industrial zoning categories is creating a managed growth environment to maintain the balance between economic progress and the established and treasured way of life that Banks County residents enjoy.



Location: northeast Georgia, 75 miles northeast of Atlanta
Major Highways: I-85; US 441; GA 51, 98, 15
Towns: sections of Alto, Baldwin, Gillsville, Lula, and Maysville. Portions of these towns are in adjacent counties of Jackson, Habersham, and Hall, divided by railroad tracks.

From the foothills to the crossroads, Banks County is simply the best. Located in the Georgia Piedmont Region in north Georgia, Banks County is adjacent to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The land area comprises 231 square miles that rises to an elevation of 1,700 feet.

Banks County is served by several major highways, and it is an important link in the I-85 corridor connection with Atlanta, 75 miles; Greenville, SC, 78 miles; and Charlotte, NC, 178 miles; Athens. Gainesville is 24 miles via 365 and 51; U.S. 441, Georgia's most heavily-traveled route, provides direct access to Athens, 31 miles, and the north Georgia mountains. It is an alternate route for many Florida-bound tourists. State highways 51, 98 and 14 also have access to I-85.

Banks County is ideally located for tourists. With several motels and numerous restaurants, the area accommodates a steady flow of travelers and busloads of shoppers who come to take advantage of the huge variety of merchandise and collectibles in the outlet stores at Banks Crossing.



Hartsfield International, Atlanta 77 miles

Habersham County Airport (AJR), Cornelia 13 miles

Jackson County Airport (19A), Jefferson 28 miles

Lee Gilmer Airport (GVL), Gainesville 27 miles

Athens Ben Epps Airport (AHN), Athens 35 miles

Donaldson Center Airport, Greenville SC 79 miles