The community of Hickory Flat has a long history, dating to the period of frontier settlement of former Cherokee lands, associated with westward expansion and gold exploration in Georgia.

[3] Nonetheless, the community remained small and rural well into the 21st century, when urban sprawl from the Atlanta MSA stimulated economic growth and the movement of large numbers of new residents to the area.

The center of the community was for many years, and is still regarded today, as the four-way stoplight at the intersection of Georgia State Route 140 and East Cherokee Drive.

A store and gas station, built there in the 1950s was, for generations of local residents, the focal point and meeting place for the community.

[5] Once a sparsely populated community, with many acres of open land and few people per square mile, Hickory Flat has begun to embrace modern fast food outlets and retail stores.