Hiawassee is one of two incorporated areas in Towns County and is situated along the shores of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Lake Chatuge. Hiawassee is Cherokee for “meadow” or “savanna” and was originally incorporated in 1870 under the original name of “Hiwassee.” In its early existance, Hiawassee found itself on hard times with very little economic activity. With the creation of the Chattahoochee National Forest in 1937, Lake Chatuge in 1941, and organization of the Georgia Mountain Fair in the early 1950s, the quiet rural town was on its way and has benefited economically from these early events. Today, tourism provides a significant contribution to the local economy with many of the visitors establishing permanent or seasonal homes in Hiawassee and the surrounding area.

Likely most notable for the Georgia Mountain Fair, Hiawassee is also a stopping point for nature enthusiasts who hike the many miles of nature trails, including the nearby Apalachian Trail. The Fred Hamilton Rhododendron Garden, located in Hiawassee, is the largest rhododendron garden in the state. The garden was named after Fred Hamilton who developed the only yellow Azalea known to be in existence.