The county seat, Monticello, was named after U.S. President Thomas Jefferson's home in Virginia by the town's founders, Virginians who had settled the area in 1808. Monticello was incorporated in 1810. Court was first held in the home of John Towns, one of the settlers. A log cabin served as courthouse until 1838, when it was replaced with a brick building. The current courthouse, made of marble and brick, was completed in 1907.

Among the other communities in Jasper County are Farrar, Hillsboro, Kelly, and Shady Dale. Shady Dale is the only other incorporated town.

Among the outdoor attractions is the Lloyd Shoals Dam, also called Jackson Lake, which covers 4,750 acres, with 135 miles of shoreline. The lake was formed when the Central Georgia Power Company created a dam and hydroelectric plant at Lloyd Shoals on the Ocmulgee River in 1910. Jasper County shares the lake with Butts and Newton counties. Part of the Oconee National Forest, the only national forest in Georgia's Piedmont, is in Jasper County. Much of this large wooded tract was deforested during the cotton plantation era but has been replanted for both people and wildlife to enjoy. The Seven Islands Trail is in Monticello.

The award-winning country music singer Trisha Yearwood was born in Monticello. In 2005, she released the album Jasper County, named for her home county.