Barrow County was created in 1914 as a way of settling a dispute among the citizens of the City of Winder, which at the time was located at the juncture of three counties. A new county was created from parts of Gwinnett, Jackson, and Walton counties, with Winder designated as the county seat. The new county was named for David Crenshaw "Uncle Dave" Barrow, long-time chancellor of the University of Georgia.

The county has five municipalities, including Auburn, Bethlehem, Carl, Statham, and Winder. The largest of these is Winder, with a 1990 population of over 7,000. The city of Russell in the county was one of 187 inactive municipalities to lose their charters in 1995 as a result of a 1993 Act of the General Assembly.

Winder was incorporated in 1893 when the Seaboard Air Line Railroad was built through the town. It was named after the president of the railroad, John H. Winder of North Carolina. Before being incorporated as Winder, the town was called Brandon. Prior to that, it had been known as Jug Tavern.

Fort Yargo State Park is located in the county. The park includes the old Fort Yargo, a log fort constructed in 1792 for protection from the Creek and Cherokee Indians.

Richard B. Russell, Jr., who served as governor of Georgia and as U.S. Senator from 1933 to 1971, was from Barrow County. His father, Richard Russell, Sr., was Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court from 1922-1938 and swore in his son as governor.

Barrow County is home to one of only 15 covered bridges remaining in Georgia, the Kilgore covered bridge.

Each August the county celebrates the Summer's End Festival, and the holiday season begins with a Christmas parade in Winder.