The real Buckhead offers a quiet, outdoor lifestyle
Local historians say that Buckhead, established in 1908, was named when a pioneer hunted a buck and mounted its head on a tree in the town. Today, the wooden sign welcoming people into the community includes a relief carving of a buck. Home to fewer than 200 residents and not even 1 square mile in size, Buckhead is a rural Morgan County town situated between the foodie haven of Madison and the popular destination of Lake Oconee. “We like to call it the real Buckhead, not the high-end Buckhead in Atlanta,” says Jeanne Dufort, a local Realtor with Coldwell Banker Lake Oconee Real Estate. “You don’t come here for the shopping or the nightlife. You come here because you like the outdoors, whether it’s hunting, fishing, running a 5K or walking trails. It’s an hour outside of Metro Atlanta, but you feel like you’ve left all that noise.” In addition to the area’s quiet atmosphere, Buckhead receives a 1 out of 10 CAP Index Crime Score. Dufort mentions that the town is the more accessible route to reach Lake Oconee, where branching waterways extend for 20 miles. “You get off Interstate 20 and pass through the town on your way to the lake,” she says. “When you’re weekending on the lake, and a lot of people around here do, that cut through Buckhead saves you 15 minutes.”
Gathering at Old Buckhead Days and Lake Oconee
Near where Buckhead Road bends into Baldwin Dairy Road, the Buckhead Volunteer Fire Department serves as the meeting ground for many community events. Outside the station, which is also sometimes used as the Town Clerk’s office, there is a park area with a playground and tennis courts. The green space hosts the annual Old Buckhead Days’ post-race celebrations. The event begins with The Hill 5K, when residents run up the incline of Davis Lane. The event then continues outside the fire station, where there’s an artisan craft show, live music, food trucks and family-friendly activities like face-painting and visits from Disney princesses. “Lake folks and Madison folks will come out,” Dufort says. “We do like to party around here. Between Madison and Lake Oconee, there’s always something going on.” Next to the fire station, Got 2 B Rollin’ is a popular indoor roller-skating rink.
Buckhead residents live near a popular summertime camping and fishing destination, as Lake Oconee stretches nearly 20,000 acres along the town’s east side. A reservoir for Georgia Power, the lake features several tributaries that present go-to fishing spots and kayak launches. Nearby boat ramps and campgrounds include Sugar Creek Marina and Blue Springs Marina, which are both about a 5-mile drive from Buckhead. The latter offers dock space and gas, as well as a market with fishing supplies and select food items. “The lake is usually choppy from all the high-powered boats, but the Buckhead side of it is quieter and more bucolic,” Dufort says. “While it’s not safe to kayak on other parts, the Buckhead side is better for kayaking and fishing.”
Bungalows and cottages line the town’s country roads
The three country roads through town– Buckhead Road, Parks Mill Road and Seven Islands Road – are shaded by oak, pine and sycamore trees and dotted with farm fields and residences. While some homes sit on the main drags, many are tucked down narrow and unmarked streets, while others are tucked away up long, winding dirt driveways. Common housing styles include Craftsman bungalows and Cape Cod cottages, built from as early as 1903 to as recently as 2020. Properties offer 1,500 to 2,500 square feet of interior space and rest on 1 to 5 acres, with price tags that typically stay between $375,000 and $405,000. Around the outskirts of town, a bit beyond Buckhead’s bounds, farmhouse styles with more space and acreage can cost from $625,000 to $925,000.
Buckhead residents head to Madison to shop and dine
Buckhead Road meets Park Mills Road at Buckhead’s town center, which encapsulates the rural community’s retail corridor. “The town of Buckhead is just an intersection with a stop sign,” Dufort says. “There’s a little city hall, a little city park, a little convenience store and some churches.” Buckhead Grocery offers fishing supplies and some grocery essentials, as well as a kitchen that serves breakfast and lunch. Near the quiet intersection, Buckhead Baptist Church holds services in a Greek Revival building constructed in 1885. Also on the church campus is an education building and a Family Life Center, which hosts children’s activities and day programs.
Residents can find more shopping and dining options about 7 miles west in the larger town of Madison, where there’s a Walmart and several eateries. "It takes less than 15 minutes to get to downtown Madison,” Dufort says. “Restaurant Week there is amazing.” The Sinclair is a trendy coffee shop and cafe, and Ricardo’s Kouzzina specializes in Greek and Italian seafood cuisine. Nearby, Town 220 Restaurant provides upscale, white-tablecloth dining in an intimate setting.
Highly rated Morgan County public schools
Students living in Buckhead can begin at Morgan County Primary School for pre-kindergarten through second grade before progressing to Morgan County Elementary School, both of which receive an A-minus rating from Niche. Learners can then attend Morgan County Middle School, which also has an A-minus. Students can then advance to Morgan County High School, which holds an A rating and maintains a regional championship-winning girls basketball team and a state championship-winning literary team.
Buckhead residents are close to Interstate 20
The area is car-dependent, as no public bus or train services the community. Residents can head south on Seven Islands Road for a mile to hop onto Interstate 20. Once on the interstate, Atlanta is a 65-mile drive west, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is located on the south side of the city.
Both historic and recent fires affected town infrastructure
In 1914, a fire spread through Buckhead and destroyed most of the town's buildings. However, two historic establishments made it through the wreckage: the first known doctor’s office in Morgan County, built in 1835, and a former tavern for travelers and railroad workers, built in 1896. The tavern is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Fire struck again in April of 2025, this time damaging a beloved family-owned restaurant. Bonner’s Restaurant, located just south of Buckhead, served the community with southern-style cooking for more than 50 years. As of June 2025, the restaurant’s future was still uncertain, as the owners were weighing their options in regard to rebuilding it.
Written By
Mary Beth Greene
