The name Ellijay means “New Ground Place”. Meaning the area has been newly prepared for planting. In downtown Ellijay the Ellijay and Cartecay Rivers join together within the city limits to form the Coosawattee River. Ellijay was Incorporated in 1834 and is known as "Georgia's Apple Capital.” The Georgia Apple Festival is an annual event each October for two weekends and people from all over the Southeast come to Ellijay to join in the fun.

It is also a great time to visit the pumpkin fields to pick your own pumpkin. There are several corn mazes that offer a great way to spend the afternoon with the kids.

As with most of North Georgia the Cherokee Indians were the first known settlers. The city of Ellijay is one of the few places that retains the same name and is located on the same site of the original Indian settlement.