Welcome To Beautiful North Georgia

Ball Ground, in Cherokee County, is a lively community with a colorful history and spectacular scenery. It is served by State Highways 5, 372 and 754, as well as I-575, in the Atlanta metro area.

Only 2.5 miles east of Ball Ground, near the confluence of Long-Swamp Creek and the Etowah River, is the traditional site of 'Taliwa,' the most decisive battle of the war between Cherokee and Creek Indians in the 1700s.

Cherokee history says that the dispute over territory was determined by a stickball game here, thus giving us our unique name. Before the railroad came through in 1882, the community was almost entirely agricultural. After the railroad came, the town grew as a result of the marble-working industry.

Originally, Cherokee County was more like a territory than a county, covering everything northwest of the Chattahoochee River and Chestatee River except for Carroll County.

It was created in 1831 and named after the local Cherokee Indians. Several other counties were carved out of these lands as part of the Cherokee Land Lottery of 1832. The removal of the Cherokee people, leading up to the notorious Trail of Tears, began in this area the year before, and later was accelerated by the discovery of gold. In 1857, part of the southeastern corner of the county was ceded to form Milton County. In the 1890s, the Atlanta and Knoxville Railroad built a branch line up through the middle of the county.

On average, there are 219 sunny days per year in Ball Ground. The July high is around 87 degrees, and the January low is 31. The comfort index, which is based on humidity during the hot months, is 35 out of 100. The US average on the comfort index is 44. Annual precipitation is 56 inches, with only about 2 inches of snow. The number of days with any measurable precipitation is 110.

Various festivals in the area include the "First Day of Baseball" Parade, the annual Library 5K Road Race, Heritage Days Festival and more.

Colleges and universities near Ball Ground include Kennesaw State University, Life University, Southern Polytechnic State University, Chattahoochee Technical College, North Georgia College and State University, Gainesville College and Gwinnett Technical College.

Hospitals and medical centers near Ball Ground include Mountainside Medical Center, Northside Hospital Cherokee and Baptist Medical Center.

Cherokee County is home to a total of 48 lakes. Allatoona Lake, on the Etowah River, is a tributary of the Coosa River. It is the largest man-made lake in the state and one is one of the most frequently visited Corps of Engineers lakes in the nation with more than 6 million visitors each year enjoying picnicking, swimming, camping, hunting, fishing, boating and more. It abounds with all kinds of fish including spotted bass, hybrid bass, bream, crappie, catfish and striped bass. Other area lakes include Lake Harmony and Lake Arrowhead. You can also hit the beach in Cherokee County at Acworth Beach. It offers lake frontage, picnic areas, boating, fishing and swimming.

There are also many hiking trails in the area waiting to be challenged. Red Top Mountain Park is considered by many hikers to be a great hike. It has nearly 10 miles of easy to moderate trails plus lake views and an assortment of wildlife. A shorter hike is available at the site of a decisive Civil War battle. White Water Park also features one of the world's highest free falls plus a wave pool, water rides and more.

If the smell of car exhaust in the evening gets you going, you'll love the Dixie Speedway. It's a 3/8-mile banked clay oval that hosts stock car racing and everything from national events to weekly races, bombers, sportsman, cruiser cars and the super fast 600-horse powered late models that headline the feature event each week.