Gilmer County is a county in the Northwest region of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,353. The county seat is Ellijay. named for a historic Cherokee town also spelled as Elejoy in the eighteenth century. The county was created on December 3, 1832, and was named for George Rockingham Gilmer, a politician who served two non-consecutive terms as governor of the state. Gilmer County is home of the annual Apple Festival, which is held in mid-October.