White County is nestled in the mountains of Northeast Georgia approximately 85 miles from Atlanta. This land was home to the Cherokee Indians. The Nacoochee Indian Mound at the intersection of Georgia Highways 17 & 75, is an ancient Indian burial site and was part of a large Cherokee Indian Village. A gazebo marks the spot against the beautiful backdrop of Yonah Mountain, known as "Crouching Bear Mountain" to the Indians. The Nacoochee Valley has been a route of travel and migration for thousands of years. Unicoi Turnpike was the first "Wagon Road" across the southern Appalachian Mountains crossing the Cherokee Nation.

The history of the city of Helen in White county can be traced back to 1828 when gold was discovered at Duke's Creek. For the next 30 years, miners came in hopes of becoming rich. Next, Helen became a logging camp and was virtually stripped of all timber. The fate of Helen changed one day in 1968 when a group of local businessmen decided they wanted their town to be more than a broken down lumber town. With the help of a local artist, John Kollock, a plan was devised to transform it into an Alpine village complete with Bavarian shops, cobblestone alleys, and rust-roofed chalets.

Today, Helen, Cleveland, Unicoi and the Sautee-Nacoochee Valley are North Georgia's most visited areas. White County has much to offer its residents as well as visitors, backpacking, golf, trout-fishing in mountain streams, horseback riding, tubing, not to mention wonderful restaurants, exquisite shops and over 1,000 rooms for our visitors. The picturesque setting of this mountain community is more than just a wonderful spot to visit, it’s the perfect place to call home.

With the rapid growth of Georgia, particularly North Georgia, it was inevitable that White County's economic base would expand beyond an already successful tourism program. The White County Development Authority has guided this thriving county toward quality-oriented economic development. White County boasts a diverse industrial base and a reliable hard-working labor force. With the combination of excellent location to major southeast destinations, and a cooperative spirit between government, business, and industry, the future of White County's economic development is guaranteed to be bright.