LaFayette is a city in northwest Georgia and the county seat of Walker County, near the Tennessee and Alabama borders in the southern end of the Chattanooga metropolitan area. The 2020 census recorded a population of about 6,890, and the city serves as the government, education, and commercial hub for the surrounding county of roughly 67,000 people. The city's history is layered. It was founded in 1835 as Chattooga, the seat of the newly created Walker County, and renamed the following year for the Marquis de Lafayette, the French aristocrat who fought in the American Revolution. Walker County itself was formed in 1833 from former Cherokee Nation land, and the region carries a deep Civil War history: the Chickamauga campaign unfolded across the county, and the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park lies about fourteen miles to the north. LaFayette is often called the "Queen City of the Highlands," reflecting its position at the edge of the Appalachian Mountains. Education is provided by the Walker County School District, headquartered in LaFayette and enrolling roughly 8,400 students across the county's elementary, middle, and high schools. The district is a significant local employer and institution. LaFayette sits about thirty miles south of downtown Chattanooga via U.S. 27, making it a practical base for commuters who want the amenities of a Tennessee metro with the cost and pace of a Georgia small town. Lookout Mountain, Cloudland Canyon State Park, and the Pigeon Mountain area frame the region's outdoor recreation. For homebuyers, LaFayette offers historic character, newer subdivisions, and a strategic location in the northwest Georgia highlands.