Chattooga County Georgia map | Summerville and Mountain Communities

This Chattooga County Georgia map is organized around the valley routes that connect the county’s four incorporated municipalities. Summerville occupies the central crossroads; Trion lies north on U.S. 27; Lyerly is southwest along State Route 114; and Menlo sits west toward the Alabama line on State Route 48. Reading those branches together with the Chattooga River and Taylor Ridge gives the labels geographic meaning that a simple city list cannot provide.

Quick Facts

The population figures come from the current U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts table. The July 1, 2025 estimate is not the same measure as the complete 2020 census count, so the reference year should stay attached whenever the number is reused. The county’s 2020 density was 79.7 residents per square mile, consistent with a landscape in which compact municipal centers occupy only part of a much larger rural and mountainous area.

What the Map Shows

Summerville anchors the center of the mapped settlement pattern. It lies in Chattooga Valley on the west side of Taylor Ridge, where U.S. 27 meets Georgia routes 48, 100, and 114. The highways divide the county into recognizable travel directions: U.S. 27 forms the north-south spine, SR 48 heads west toward Menlo and Alabama, SR 114 angles southwest toward Lyerly, and SR 100 provides a southern connection toward Floyd County and Rome.

Trion is about five miles north of Summerville on U.S. 27, also west of Taylor Ridge. Lyerly stands southwest of the county seat, immediately west of the Chattooga River and about six miles east of Alabama. Menlo occupies the far-western side of the county near the state line at SR 48 and Old Georgia 337. These are not interchangeable dots: each marks a different branch of the county’s road and valley system.

The image is intended for county-scale orientation. Municipal limits, parcel lines, driveways, elevation contours, and regulatory flood zones require their own authoritative layers. Mountain ridges also mean that straight-line separation can understate road distance, particularly away from the U.S. 27 corridor.

County Layout and Location

Chattooga County lies in northwestern Georgia and meets Alabama along its western side. The 2026 joint comprehensive plan describes the county as Appalachian foothill country, with most settlement concentrated in Chattooga Valley between uplands and the state boundary. That terrain explains why the municipal pattern appears elongated instead of evenly distributed across the county.

The strongest local pairing is Summerville and Trion. Their shared U.S. 27 corridor supports movement north toward Chattanooga and south through neighboring counties. Menlo faces west through SR 48, while Lyerly follows the river-side SR 114 branch to the southwest. Treating the map as a central trunk with two western and southwestern branches is a practical way to remember where the four municipalities sit.

Regional distances add another scale. The county plan places Chattanooga roughly 50 miles to the north and Atlanta about 90 miles to the southeast. Chattooga therefore functions as its own small-town and rural service area while remaining linked to larger employment and transportation networks through U.S. 27 and state highways.

Local Context

The county lies in Georgia’s Valley and Ridge physiographic province. Shale and limestone weather into deeper, more productive valley soils, whereas exposed sandstone and chert contribute to thinner, acidic soils on the ridges. Taylor Ridge and the southern portion of Johns Mountain are prominent examples. Forest cover on the steeper ground contrasts with farms, roads, and towns occupying the lower corridors.

The local Chattooga River flows southwest through Chattooga Valley into the Coosa River basin. It should not be confused with the larger Chattooga River in northeastern Georgia that forms part of the South Carolina boundary. Within this county, the river is especially useful for placing Lyerly and for understanding why water, transportation, and low-lying land recur in local planning.

Chattooga County was created from portions of Walker and Floyd counties in 1838 and named for the river. Railroad construction late in the nineteenth century encouraged town development around Summerville and Lyerly. Trion followed a different trajectory: its settlement identity grew around a cotton mill begun in the 1840s, leaving a distinct industrial pattern on the northern U.S. 27 corridor.

Public conservation and recreation lands reinforce the contrast between the valley towns and the uplands. The current county plan identifies national forest holdings, James H. “Sloppy” Floyd State Park, Johns Mountain Wildlife Management Area, and Otting Wildlife Management Area. Their forested setting limits the idea that every part of the county functions like the developed corridor around Summerville and Trion.

Ways to Use This Map

Start with Summerville as the hub, then trace the three main directions represented by U.S. 27, SR 48, and SR 114. A second source layer can then be selected for the actual question: historic rail alignments for local history, hydrology for river research, current road data for field travel, or government boundary records for administrative work.

• Geography lessons: Relate the linear municipal pattern to Valley and Ridge topography.
• Route sketches: Separate the Summerville-Trion U.S. 27 spine from the Menlo and Lyerly branches.
• Local-history research: Distinguish the county-seat, railroad, river, and mill-town settings before consulting archival records.
• Report graphics: Insert the JPG as a locator and label population data with its census or estimate year.
• Property or hazard follow-up: Move from this county view to official GIS, deed, road, and FEMA sources before making a site-specific decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the four municipalities in relation to Summerville?

Summerville is the central county seat. Trion is approximately five miles north on U.S. 27, Lyerly is southwest on SR 114 beside the Chattooga River, and Menlo is west on SR 48 near Alabama. The four labels represent incorporated municipalities, not every named or unincorporated community in the county.

Is this the same Chattooga River found on the Georgia-South Carolina border?

No. The river associated with Chattooga County runs southwest through the local valley and belongs to the Coosa River basin. The better-known northeastern river with the same name is a separate waterway, so adding “Chattooga County” or “Coosa basin” to a search prevents confusion.

Can the JPG establish a parcel boundary, city limit, or flood risk?

No. It is a locator graphic for the county outline and selected places, not a surveyed or regulatory layer. Site-specific work should rely on the latest county or municipal GIS, recorded land documents, road records, and FEMA flood information.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Chattooga County, Georgia — population, land area, density, and FIPS
• Georgia Department of Community Affairs: Joint Comprehensive Plan — 2026 plan materials for geography, transportation, waterways, and municipal locations
• New Georgia Encyclopedia: Chattooga County — county formation, naming, and municipal history

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