Ellijay, occasionally spelled Elijay, is a city in Gilmer County, Georgia, United States.

[5] Agriculture is important in Gilmer County, known as the "Apple Capital of Georgia.

"[6] The city holds an annual Georgia Apple Festival in October.

It was known as part of the historic homeland of the Cherokee people until the US government's policy of ethnic cleansing of Native Americans from the Southern States saw them forcibly displaced to Oklahoma in 1838.

Ellijay (sometimes formerly spelled "Elejoy") is the anglicized form or transliteration of the Cherokee name Elatseyi, meaning "new ground".

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.2 km2), all land.

Ellijay lies within the Humid subtropical climate zone along with the majority of the rest of the Southeastern United States.

Ellijay enjoys cool winters and warm summers, but neither would be considered extreme due to its slightly higher elevation than other areas in the south.

A few exceptions exist, one being the 1993 Storm of the Century, which dropped 17 inches of snow in Ellijay.

As of the 2020 United States Census, 1,862 people, 844 households, and 520 families were residing in the city.