Clarkesville is located in Habersham County, of which it is the county seat, northeast of Atlanta between Toccoa and Sautee along Highway 441 near the Chattahoochee National Forest in the Mountains Region of the state. The population estimate for July 1, 1998 was 1,160, an increase of 9 since 1990.
It was named after Gen. John C. Clark and built on the site of an Indian village.