As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 27, 1997
                                      Registration No. 333-20887

                SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                     Washington, D.C.  20549
                    _________________________

                             FORM S-1
                      Registration Statement
                              Under
                    The Securities Act of 1933
                    _________________________

                   UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS, INC.
      (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
                    _________________________

       Georgia                 6712              58-1807304
   (State or other      (Primary Standard     (I.R.S. Employer
   jurisdiction of          Industrial         Identification
   incorporation or    Classification Code         Number)
    organization)            Number)

          P.O. Box 398              Mr. Christopher J. Bledsoe
         59 Highway 515              Chief Financial Officer
   Blairsville, Georgia  30512     United Community Banks, Inc.
         (706) 745-2151                    P.O. Box 398
  (Address, including zip code,           59 Highway 515
      and telephone number,        Blairsville, Georgia  30512
            including                     (706) 745-2151
   area code, of registrant's     (Name, address, including zip
  principal executive offices)     code, and telephone number,
                                  including area code, of agent
                                           for service)

                         With copies to:
                    Richard R. Cheatham, Esq.
                    Kilpatrick & Cody, L.L.P.
                            Suite 2800
                      1100 Peachtree Street
                     Atlanta, Georgia  30309
                          (404) 815-6500

     Approximate date of commencement of the proposed sale to the
public:  AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE AFTER THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT
BECOMES EFFECTIVE.

     If any of the securities being registered on this Form are being
offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule
415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following box.

     If this Form is filed to register additional securities for
an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act,
please check the following box and list the Securities Act
registration number of the earlier effective registration
statement for the same offering.  /x/ 333-20887

     If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to
Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and
list the Securities Act registration number of the earlier
effective registration statement for the same offering.

     If delivery of the prospectus is expected to be made
pursuant to Rule 434 please check the following box.


| Offering Price Per Share | Aggregate Offering Price | Registration Fee - -----------------------------|----------------|----------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------- Common Stock, par value | 50,000 | $22.00 | 1,100,000 | $333.33 $1.00 per share | | | | ============================================================================================================================== Estimated solely for the purpose of computing the registration fee
EXPLANATORY NOTE Pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, United Community Banks, Inc. (the "Company") hereby incorporates by reference into this Registration Statement on Form S-1 in its entirety the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-20887) declared effective March 7, 1997 by the Commission, including each of the documents filed by the Company with the Commission and included therein or deemed to be a part thereof. PART II ITEM 16. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES All exhibits filed with Registration Statement File No. 333-20887 are incorporated by reference into and shall be deemed a part of this Registration Statement, except the following, which are filed herewith: 5. Opinion of Kilpatrick Stockton LLP. 23.1 Consent of Porter Keadle Moore, LLP. 23.5 Consent of Kilpatrick Stockton LLP (included as part of Exhibit 5) 24 Power of Attorney (See Signature Page) SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, United Community Banks, Inc. has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Blairsville, State of Georgia, on March 27, 1997. UNITED COMMUNITY BANKS, INC. By:/s/ Jimmy C. Tallent Jimmy C. Tallent President POWER OF ATTORNEY Know all men by these presents, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Jimmy C. Tallent or Robert L. Head, or either of them, as attorney-in-fact, with each having the power of substitution, for him in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments to this Registration Statement on Form S-1 and to file the same, with exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact, or his substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on March 27, 1997. Signature Title /s/ Jimmy C. Tallent President and Director (Principal Executive Jimmy C. Tallent Officer) /s/ Robert L. Head, Jr. Robert L. Head, Jr. Chairman of the Board of Directors /s/ Christopher J. Bledsoe Chief Financial Officer (Principal Accounting Christopher J. Bledsoe and Financial Officer) /s/ James A. Brackett James A. Brackett Director /s/ Billy M. Decker Billy M. Decker Director [SIGNATURES CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGE] 55 [SIGNATURES CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE] /s/ Thomas C. Gilliland Thomas C. Gilliland Director /s/ Charles E. Hill Charles E. Hill Director /s/ Hoyt O. Holloway Hoyt O. Holloway Director /s/ P. Deral Home P. Deral Horne Director /s/ Clarence W. Mason, Sr. Clarence W. Mason, Sr. Director /s/ W. C. Nelson, Jr. W. C. Nelson, Jr. Director 56 EXHIBIT INDEX Exhibit No. Description of Exhibit - ------- ---------------------- 5. Opinion of Kilpatrick Stockton LLP. 23.1 Consent of Porter Keadle Moore, LLP. 23.5 Consent of Kilpatrick Stockton LLP (included as part of Exhibit 5) 24 Power of Attorney (See Signature Page)
KILPATRICK STOCKTON LLP
1100 PEACHTREE STREET
SUITE 2800
ATLANTA, GEORGIA  30309
DIRECT DIAL:  404-815-6302
FAX:  404-815-6555

MARCH 27, 1997

United Community Banks, Inc.
P.O. Box 398
Blairsville, Georgia  30512


     Re:  United Community Banks, Inc.
          Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed pursuant to
          Rule 462(b)
          -----------------------------------------------------

Gentlemen:

     At your request, we have examined the Registration Statement
on Form S-1 filed by United Community Banks, Inc. (the
"Company"), a Georgia corporation, with the Securities and
Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended with respect to the registration under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of 50,000 shares of common
stock, par value $1.00 per share, of the Company (the "Common
Stock"), to be sold to the public.

     As your counsel, and in connection with the preparation of
the Registration Statement, we have examined the originals or
copies of such documents, corporate records, certificates or
public officials, officers of the Company and other instruments
related to the authorization and issuance of the Common Stock as
we deemed relevant or necessary for the opinions expressed
herein.  Based upon the foregoing, it is our opinion that the
shares of Common Stock to be issued and sold by the Company to
the public will be, upon issuance, sale and delivery in the
manner and under the terms and conditions described in the
Registration Statement, validly issued, fully paid and
nonassessable.

     We hereby consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit
to the Registration Statement and further consent to the use of
our name in the "Legal Matters" section of the Registration
Statement, including the Prospectus constituting a part thereof,
and any amendments thereto.

                   Very truly yours,

                   KILPATRICK STOCKTON LLP

                   By: /s/ F. Sheffield Hale
                       F. Sheffield Hale
                       A Partner


EXHIBIT 23.1

         CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS



We have issued our report dated February 16, 1996, accompanying the
consolidated financial statements of United Community Banks, Inc. and
Subsidiaries contained in the Registration Statement (Form S-1 No. 333-20887)
and Prospectus and incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement
(abbreviated Form S-1, filed pursuant to Rule 462(b)).  We consent to the
use of the aforementioned report in the Registration Statements (Form S-1,
No. 333-20887 and this Registration Statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b)
on Form S-1) and related Prospectus, and to the use of our name as it appears
under the caption "Experts".


                                PORTER KEADLE MOORE, LLP


                                /S/ PORTER KEADLE MOORE, LLP

                                Successor to the practice of
                                Evans, Porter, Bryan & Co.

Atlanta, Georgia
March 27, 1997