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Columbus, Georgia

Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it officially merged in 1970; the original merger excluded Bibb City, which joined in 2000 after dissolving its own city charter.

Columbus is the second most populous city in Georgia (after Atlanta), and fields the state's fourth-largest metropolitan area. At the 2020 U.S. census, Columbus had a population of 206,922, with 328,883 in the Columbus metropolitan statistical area. The metro area joins the nearby Alabama cities of Auburn and Opelika to form the Columbus–Auburn–Opelika combined statistical area, which had a population of 563,967 in 2020.

Columbus lies 100 mi southwest of Atlanta. Fort Moore, the United States Army's Maneuver Center of Excellence and a major employer, is located south of the city in southern Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties. Columbus is home to museums and tourism sites, including the National Infantry Museum, dedicated to the U.S. Army's Infantry Branch. It has the longest urban whitewater rafting course in the world constructed on the Chattahoochee River.

From the Civilized Tribes to incorporation

This was for centuries the traditional territory of the Creek Indians, who became known as one of the Five Civilized Tribes of the Southeast after European contact. Those who lived closest to white-occupied areas conducted considerable trading and adopted some European American ways.

Founded in 1828 by an act of the Georgia Legislature, Columbus was situated at the beginning of the navigable portion of the Chattahoochee River and on the last stretch of the Federal Road before entering Alabama. The city was named for Christopher Columbus. The plan for the city was drawn up by Dr. Edwin L. DeGraffenried, who placed the town on a bluff overlooking the river. Across the river to the west, where Phenix City, Alabama, is now located, lived several tribes of the Creek and other Georgia and Alabama indigenous peoples. Most Creeks moved west with the 1826 Treaty of Washington. Those who stayed and made war were forcibly removed in 1836.

The river served as Columbus's connection to the world, particularly enabling it to ship its commodity cotton crops from the plantations to the international cotton market via New Orleans and ultimately Liverpool, England. The city's commercial importance increased in the 1850s with the arrival of the railroad. In addition, textile mills were developed along the river, bringing industry to an area reliant upon agriculture. By 1860, the city was one of the more important industrial centers of the South, earning it the nickname the Lowell of the South, referring to an important textile mill town in Massachusetts.

Civil War and Reconstruction
When the American Civil War broke out in 1861, the industries of Columbus expanded their production; this became one of the most important centers of industry in the Confederacy. During the war, Columbus ranked second only to the Confederate capital city of Richmond, Virginia in the manufacture of supplies for the Confederate army. The Eagle Manufacturing Company made various textiles, especially woolens for Confederate uniforms. The Columbus Iron Works manufactured cannons and machinery for the nearby Confederate Navy shipyard, Greenwood and Gray made firearms, and Louis and Elias Haimon produced swords and bayonets. Smaller firms provided additional munitions and sundries. As the war turned in favor of the Union, each industry faced exponentially growing shortages of raw materials and skilled labor, as well as worsening financial opportunities.

Unaware of Lee's surrender to Grant and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Union and Confederates clashed in the Battle of Columbus, Georgia, on Easter Sunday, April 16, 1865, when a Union detachment of two cavalry divisions under Maj. Gen. James H. Wilson attacked the lightly defended city and burned many of the industrial buildings. John Stith Pemberton, who later developed Coca-Cola in Columbus, was wounded in this battle. Col. Charles Augustus Lafayette Lamar, owner of the last slave ship in America, was also killed here. A historic marker erected in Columbus notes that this was the site of the "Last Land Battle in the War from 1861 to 1865".

Reconstruction began almost immediately and prosperity followed. Factories such as the Eagle and Phenix Mills were revived and the industrialization of the town led to rapid growth, causing the city to outgrow its original plan. The Springer Opera House was built during this time, attracting such notables as Irish writer Oscar Wilde. The Springer is now the official State Theater of Georgia.

By the time of the Spanish–American War, the city's modernization included the addition of a new waterworks, as well as trolleys extending to outlying neighborhoods such as Rose Hill and Lakebottom. Mayor Lucius Chappell also brought a training camp for soldiers to the area. This training camp, named Camp Benning, grew into present-day Fort Benning, named for General Henry L. Benning, a native of the city. Fort Benning was one of the ten U.S. Army installations named for former Confederate generals that were renamed on 11 May 2023, following a recommendation from the congressionally mandated Naming Commission that Fort Benning be renamed Fort Moore after Lieutenant General Hal Moore and his wife Julia Compton Moore, both of whom are buried on post.

Confederate Memorial Day
In the spring of 1866, the Ladies Memorial Association of Columbus passed a resolution to set aside one day annually to memorialize the Confederate dead. The secretary of the association, Mary Ann Williams, was directed to write a letter inviting the ladies of every Southern state to join them in the observance. The letter was written in March 1866 and sent to representatives of all of the principal cities in the South, including Atlanta, Macon, Montgomery, Memphis, Richmond, St. Louis, Alexandria, Columbia, and New Orleans. This was the beginning of the influential work by ladies' organizations to honor the war dead.

The date for the holiday was selected by Elizabeth Rutherford Ellis. She chose April 26, the first anniversary of Confederate General Johnston's final surrender to Union General Sherman at Bennett Place, North Carolina. For many in the South, that act marked the official end of the Civil War.

In 1868, General John A. Logan, commander in chief of the Union Civil War Veterans Fraternity called the Grand Army of the Republic, launched the Memorial Day holiday that is now observed across the entire United States. General Logan's wife said he had borrowed from practices of Confederate Memorial Day. She wrote that Logan "said it was not too late for the Union men of the nation to follow the example of the people of the South in perpetuating the memory of their friends who had died for the cause they thought just and right."

While two dozen cities across the country claim to have originated the Memorial Day holiday, Bellware and Gardiner firmly establish that the holiday began in Columbus. In The Genesis of the Memorial Day Holiday in America, they show that the Columbus Ladies Memorial Association's call to observe a day annually to decorate soldiers' graves inaugurated a movement first in the South and then in the North to honor the soldiers who died during the Civil War.

20th century
With the expansion of the city, leaders established Columbus College, a two-year institution, which later evolved into Columbus State University, now a comprehensive center of higher learning and part of the University System of Georgia.

The city government and the county consolidated in 1971, the first such consolidation in Georgia and one of only 16 in the U.S. at the time.

Expanding on its industrial base of textile mills, the city is the home of the headquarters for Aflac, Synovus, and TSYS.

From the 1960s through the 1980s, the subsidized construction of highways and suburbs resulted in drawing off the middle and upper classes, with urban blight, white flight, and prostitution in much of downtown Columbus and adjacent neighborhoods. Early efforts to halt the gradual deterioration of downtown began with the saving and restoration of the Springer Opera House in 1965. It was designated as the State Theatre of Georgia, helping spark a movement to preserve the city's history. This effort has documented and preserved various historic districts in and around downtown.

Through the late 1960s and early 1970s, large residential neighborhoods were built to accommodate the soldiers coming back from the Vietnam War and for those associated with Fort Benning. These range from Wesley Woods to Leesburg to Brittney and Willowbrook and the high-end Sears Woods and Windsor Park. Large tracts of blighted areas were cleaned up. A modern Columbus Consolidated Government Center was constructed in the city center. A significant period of urban renewal and revitalization followed in the mid- to late 1990s.

With these improvements, the city has attracted residents and businesses to formerly blighted areas. Municipal projects have included construction of a softball complex, which hosted the 1996 Olympic softball competition; the Chattahoochee RiverWalk; the National Civil War Naval Museum at Port Columbus; and the Coca-Cola Space Science Center. Other notable projects were the expansion of the Columbus Museum and road improvements to include a new downtown bridge crossing the Chattahoochee River and into Phenix City. During the late 1990s, commercial activity expanded north of downtown along the I-185 corridor.

21st century
During the 2000s, the city began a major initiative to revitalize the downtown area. The project began with the South Commons, an area south of downtown containing the softball complex, A. J. McClung Memorial Stadium, Synovus Park, the Columbus Civic Center, and the Jonathan Hatcher Skateboard Park. The National Infantry Museum was constructed in South Columbus, located outside the Fort Benning main gate.

In 2002, Columbus State University, which previously faced expansion limits due to existing residential and commercial districts surrounding it, began a second campus downtown, starting by moving the music department into the newly opened RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. The university's art, drama, and nursing departments also moved to downtown locations. Such initiatives have provided Columbus with a cultural niche; downtown features modern architecture mixed among older brick facades.

The Ready to Raft 2012 project created an estimated 700 new jobs and is projected to bring in $42 million annually to the Columbus area. Demolishing an up-river dam allowed the project to construct the longest urban whitewater rafting course in the world. According to the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau, this initiative, in addition to other outdoor and indoor tourist attractions, led to around 1.8 million visitors coming to Columbus during the city's 2015 fiscal year.

The city predicted that an additional 30,000 soldiers would be trained annually at Fort Benning in upcoming years due to base realignment and closure of other facilities.

Geography

Columbus is one of Georgia's three Fall Line cities, along with Augusta and Macon. The Fall Line is where the hilly lands of the Piedmont plateau meet the flat terrain of the coastal plain. As such, Columbus has a varied landscape of rolling hills on the north side and flat plains on the south. The fall line causes rivers in the area to decline rapidly towards sea level. Textile mills were established here in the 19th and early 20th centuries to take advantage of the water power from the falls.

Interstate 185 runs north-south through the middle of the city, with nine exits within Muscogee County. I-185 runs north about 50 mi from its beginning to a junction with I-85 just east of LaGrange and about 60 mi southwest of Atlanta. U.S. Route 27, U.S. Route 280, and Georgia State Route 520 (known as South Georgia Parkway) all meet in the interior of the city. U.S. Route 80 runs through the northern part of the city, locally known as J.R. Allen Parkway; Alternate U.S. Route 27 and Georgia State Route 85 run northeast from the city, locally known as Manchester Expressway.

The city is located at 32.48961°N, -84.94042°W.

According to the US Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 221.0 sqmi, of which 216.3 sqmi are land and 4.7 sqmi (2.14%) are covered by water.

Columbus borders Phenix City, its largest suburb (in Alabama). Columbus also borders Chattahoochee, Talbot, Harris, and Russell County, which is in Alabama.

Climate
Columbus has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). Daytime summer temperatures often reach highs in the mid-90°Fs, and low temperatures in the winter average in the upper 30s. Columbus is often considered a dividing line or "natural snowline" of the southeastern United States with areas north of the city receiving snowfall annually, with areas to the south typically not receiving snowfall every year or at all. Columbus is within USDA hardiness zone 8b in the city center and zone 8a in the suburbs.

Cityscape

Columbus is divided into five geographic areas:

 * Downtown, also sometimes called "Uptown" (though "Uptown" is actually the title given to both a nonprofit organization operating to encourage area growth and development or "urban renewal" in the city and also to the actual physical area of that development itself, which is an expanding subsection of the downtown district located in the areas from Broadway to the Chattahoochee River) is the city's central business district, and home to multiple historic districts, homes, and churches, such as the Columbus Historic Riverfront Industrial District, the Mott House, and the Church of the Holy Family.
 * East Columbus is a predominantly residential area located east of MidTown.
 * MidTown is a residential and commercial area located directly east of Downtown; several historic districts have been designated. It is the location of the corporate headquarters of Aflac.
 * North Columbus, also called Northside, is a diverse suburban area, home to established neighborhoods and subdivisions, such as Green Island Hills and Oldtown. It has multiple shopping and lifestyle areas.
 * South Columbus is situated just south of the MidTown region, and directly north of Fort Benning. It is the site of the National Infantry Museum, honoring the history of infantry forces in the U.S. Army. The museum was located here in an effort to introduce jobs and attract visitors to stimulate a variety of activities. It has had bars, honky tonks, and other businesses that appeal to young male soldiers from Fort Benning.

Metropolitan area
The Columbus metropolitan area includes four counties in Georgia, and one in Alabama. The Columbus-Auburn-Opelika, GA-AL combined statistical area includes two additional counties in Alabama. A 2013 census estimate showed 316,554 in the metro area, with 501,649 in the combined statistical area.

Demographics
Since the 1830 United States census, Columbus has maintained a relatively positive population growth. At the 2020 census, there were 206,922 people, 73,134 households, and 45,689 families residing in the city. At the 2010 census, Columbus had a total population of 189,885, up from 186,291 in the 2000 census. The 2010 census reported 189,885 people, 72,124 households, and 47,686 families residing in the city. The population density was 861.4 PD/sqmi. The 82,690 housing units had an average density of 352.3 /sqmi.

In 2010, the racial and ethnic composition of the city was 46.3% White, 45.5% African American, 2.2% Asian, 0.2% Native American, 0.14% Pacific Islander, and 1.90% from other races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 6.4% of the population. In 2020, its population was 38.22% non-Hispanic white, 45.77% African American, 0.24% Native American, 2.68% Asian, 0.25% Pacific Islander, 0.52% some other race, 4.35% multiracial, an 7.98% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

At the 2010 census, median income for a household in the city was $41,331, and for a family was 41,244. Males had a median income of $30,238 versus $24,336 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,514. About 12.8% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.0% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over. According to the 2022 American Community Survey, the median household income throughout the city was $53,750 with a per capita income of $31,393. Approximately 17.8% of the population lived at or below the poverty line.

Crime
Columbus' crime rate is above the national average. Columbus set a homicide record in 2021 with 70 homicides. Growing gang activity within the city is a major reason for the rise in crime. City leaders are actively working to reduce crime in the city.

Economy
Companies headquartered in Columbus include Aflac, TSYS, Realtree, Synovus and the W. C. Bradley Co.

Top employers
According to Columbus' 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city were:

Museums

 * Founded in 1953, the Columbus Museum (accredited by the American Alliance of Museums) contains artifacts of regional history and works of American art. It mounts displays from its permanent collection, as well as temporary exhibitions. It is the largest art and history museum in Georgia.
 * Moved from its previous location in Lumpkin, Columbus is now home to Historic Westville. With 17 buildings currently on site and interpreters throughout the village (such as a blacksmith and carpenter), guests can to go on self-guided tours learning about the homes and crafts of the 19th century.
 * The National Civil War Naval Museum at Port Columbus is a 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m2) facility that opened in 1962. It features two original Civil War military vessels, uniforms, equipment, and weapons used by the Union and Confederate navies.
 * The Coca-Cola Space Science Center opened in 1996 for the purpose of public education in science, physics, and astronomy. It includes four flight simulators and a planetarium.
 * The National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center opened in June 2009, and includes displays related to the history of the infantry from the founding of the nation to the present. Its IMAX theatre shows related films and special productions.
 * The Bo Bartlett Center is a 18,000+ square foot museum and gallery space. The venue features a permanent display of large-scale paintings by Columbus native Bo Bartlett, as well as rotating exhibitions by renowned contemporary artists.
 * The W.C. Bradley Museum is an 11,000 square foot art museum that features the art collection of the W.C. Bradley Company. Notable artists in the collection include Bo Bartlett and Garry Pound.

Shopping
Columbus is served by one major indoor shopping mall, Peachtree Mall, which is anchored by major department stores Dillard's, Macy's, and J.C. Penney. The total retail floor area is 821,000 f2t (76,300 m2). Major strip malls include Columbus Park Crossing, which opened in 2003, and The Landings, which opened in 2005. Columbus is also served by The Shoppes at Bradley Park, a lifestyle center.

MidTown contains two of the city's early suburban shopping centers (the Village on 13th and St. Elmo), both recently renovated and offering local shops, restaurants, and services.

Major venues

Major venues in the city of Columbus:

 * A. J. McClung Memorial Stadium, a football stadium, was the site of the football games between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Auburn Tigers (the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry) from 1916 to 1958. It became the home of college football's Pioneer Bowl in December 2010, and hosts annual rivalry games between Tuskegee University and Morehouse College, as well as between Albany State University and Fort Valley State University.
 * The Bradley Theater, a performance theatre, was opened in mid-1940 by Paramount Pictures.
 * Columbus Civic Center, a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena, opened in 1996. It is the primary arena used for concert and professional sporting events in Columbus. The Columbus Lions indoor football team and Columbus River Dragons ice hockey team both call the Civic Center home.
 * Synovus Park, a 5,000 seat baseball stadium, was the former home to the Columbus Catfish and the minor-league Columbus Redstixx, and as of June 2021, is the host stadium of the Columbus Chatt-A-Hoots. It was also the site of the softball events of the 1996 Summer Olympics. It opened in 1926, making it the oldest baseball park in the city.
 * RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, a 2,000-seat modern performance theatre, first opened in 2002 and is operated by the Columbus nonprofit organization RiverCenter Inc. It is commonly used for local events, and occasionally used for nationally recognized performances.
 * Springer Opera House, a historic live performance theater located in downtown, opened in early 1871. Former United States President Jimmy Carter proclaimed it the State Theatre of Georgia for the 1971–72 season. The legislature made the designation permanent in 1992.

Historic districts

Columbus is home to nine historic districts, all listed in the National Register of Historic Places listings in Muscogee County, Georgia. They are:

 * Bibb City Historic District
 * Columbus Historic District
 * Columbus Historic Riverfront Industrial District
 * Dinglewood Historic District
 * Peacock Woods-Dimon Circle Historic District
 * Weracoba-St. Elmo Historic District
 * Wynn's Hill-Overlook-Oak Circle Historic District
 * Wynnton Village Historic District
 * Waverly Terrace Historic District

Sports
Columbus Northern Little League won the 2006 Little League World Series, defeating the team from Kawaguchi, Japan in the championship. Current MLB player Josh Lester was a member of the championship team.

Parks and recreation
Columbus is home to upwards of 50 parks, four recreation centers, four senior centers and parks, and the Standing Boy Creek Wildlife Management Area.

Walking trails

 * The Chattahoochee RiverWalk is a 15 mi walking/bike trail that connects users from Downtown to South Columbus and the northern section of Fort Moore (formerly Ft. Benning).
 * The Columbus Fall Line Trace is an 11 mi fitness trail that runs from Downtown to the northeastern section of the city.
 * The Black Heritage Trail is a National Recreation Trail of historic and cultural significance.

Whitewater kayaking, rafting, and zip-line
The Chattahoochee River whitewater opened in 2012. After both the Eagle & Phenix Dam and the City Mills Dams were breached, river flow was restored to natural conditions, allowing the course to be created. The 2.5 mi course is the longest urban whitewater rafting and kayaking in the world, and has been ranked the world's best manmade whitewater course by USA Today. It also features the Blue Heron Adventure, a zip-line course connecting users from the Georgia side of the river to the Alabama side on an interstate zip-line over the Chattahoochee River. The course continues with several zip-lines and a ropes course on the Alabama side and completes with another zip-line back to Georgia.

It has become a hub for whitewater kayakers, with outstanding standing waves year-round. In mid-winter it is referred to as the "Wintering Grounds" for big wave surfing athletes and enthusiasts.

Mayor

 * B. H. "Skip" Henderson III

City council
The city council of Columbus, known as the Columbus Council, is composed of ten elected council members, eight of whom serve individual districts and two of whom serve the city at large.

Primary and secondary education
The Muscogee County School District holds preschool to grade 12, and consists of 35 elementary schools, 12 middle schools, and nine high schools. The district has over 2,000 full-time teachers and over 31,899 students.

Muscogee County School District serves all parts of the county except Fort Moore for grades K-12. Fort Moore children are zoned to Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools for grades K-8. However, high school students attend the public high schools in the respective counties they are located in.

Libraries
Columbus is served by four branches of the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries:
 * Columbus Public Library
 * Mildred L. Terry Public Library
 * North Columbus Public Library
 * South Columbus Public Library

Public

 * Columbus State University
 * Columbus Technical College
 * Georgia Military College – main campus in Milledgeville, Georgia

Private, for profit

 * Christian Life School of Theology
 * Miller-Motte Technical College – main campus in Wilmington, North Carolina
 * Rivertown School of Beauty
 * Southeastern Beauty School
 * Strayer University – main campus in Baltimore, Maryland

Private, nonprofit

 * Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Fort Benning – main campus in Daytona Beach, FL
 * Mercer University School of Medicine - main campus in Macon, Georgia

Aviation
The Columbus Airport is the metro area's primary airport and the fourth-busiest airport in Georgia. It is located just off I-185, exit 8. It is served by Endeavor Air's Delta Connection service, offering several daily flights to Atlanta.

Interstate

 * I-185 (GA).svg Interstate 185

U. S. routes

 * US 27.svg U.S. Route 27
 * US 27 Alternate.svg U.S. Route 27 Alternate
 * US 80.svg U.S. Route 80
 * US 280.svg U.S. Route 280

Georgia state routes

 * Georgia 1.svg S.R. 1
 * Georgia 22.svg S.R. 22
 * Georgia_22_Connector.svg State Route 22 Connector
 * Georgia_22_Spur.svg State Route 22 Spur
 * Georgia 85.svg S.R. 85
 * Georgia 219.svg S.R. 219
 * Georgia 411.svg S.R. 411 (unsigned designation for I-185)
 * Georgia 520.svg S.R. 520
 * Georgia 540.svg S.R. 540 (Fall Line Freeway)

Bus lines

 * METRA Transit System is the primary provider of mass transportation in Muscogee County, currently operating 10 routes in Columbus. The current public transportation services are operated as a function of the Columbus Consolidated Government under METRA.
 * Greyhound Lines provides intercity bus service with the Columbus station located on Veterans Parkway, Downtown Columbus.

Railroads
Through the 1960s, passenger trains of the Central of Georgia Railway made stops at Columbus Union Station, including the north-south Chicago-Florida trains, the Illinois Central Railroad's City of Miami, and Seminole. Other trains included local Central of Georgia trains to Atlanta, Albany and Macon. The final trains in 1971 were the City of Miami and the Man O' War to Atlanta. Columbus has had no passenger service since Amtrak took over most passenger trains on May 1, 1971,

In the 21st century, freight service is provided by Norfolk Southern Railroad and the shortline Columbus and Chattahoochee Railroad.

Sister cities
Columbus has these official sister cities:
 * Zugdidi, Georgia (country)
 * 🇯🇵 Kiryū, Gunma, Japan
 * 🇷🇴 Bistriţa, Romania
 * Taichung, Taiwan

title: Columbus, Georgia


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Covington, Georgia

Covington is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia and the seat of Newton County, and is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, its population was 14,192.

History
Covington was founded by European immigrants to the United States. It was incorporated in 1821 as the seat of the newly organized Newton County. Covington was named for United States Army Brigadier General and United States Congressman Leonard Covington, a hero of the War of 1812. The settlement grew with the advent of the railroad in 1845. Covington incorporated as a city in 1854.

In 1864, General Sherman's troops marched through during their March to the Sea. Although they looted the city, destroying numerous buildings, several antebellum homes were spared.

Historic districts
The Covington Historic District and the North Covington Historic District within the city are both listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The maps and materials describing these two districts are available for review through City Hall. The Covington Historic District contains Floyd Street and the downtown square. The North Covington Historic District contains North Emory Street and Odum Street as its hub. Both districts have an ordinance to preserve their character, regulating changes proposed for properties, and special permits may be required.

The Covington Mill Village is also a vital part of local history. The Starrsville Historic District, site of the historic settlement of Starrsville, is in the exurban area around Covington. The Newton County Courthouse, brick store, and Salem campground are separately NRHP-listed.

Geography
Covington is located in north central Georgia, in the eastern part of Metro Atlanta. Interstate 20 runs to the north of the city, with access from exits 90, 92, and 93. Via I-20, downtown Atlanta is 35 mi west, and Augusta is 112 mi east. U.S. Route 278 also runs through the city, leading east 16 mi to Rutledge and northwest 11 mi to Conyers, concurrent with I-20. Other highways that run through the city include Georgia State Routes 36, 81, and 142. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.9 sqmi, of which 13.8 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi (0.72%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,547 people, 4,261 households, and 2,906 families residing in the city. The population density was 839.2 PD/sqmi. There were 4,542 housing units at an average density of 330.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 51.55% White, 45.54% Black, 0.18% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.94% from other races, and 1.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.87% of the population.

There were 4,261 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.0% were married couples living together, 23.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.5% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,997, and the median income for a family was $36,408. Males had a median income of $29,622 versus $23,339 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,554. About 14.8% of families and 19.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.7% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.

Newton County School District
The Newton County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of fourteen elementary schools, five middle schools, three high schools, an elementary theme school, and a charter school. The district has 853 full-time teachers and 13,681 students.

Private education

 * Grace Christian Academy
 * Montessori School of Covington
 * Providence Classical Christian School
 * Peachtree Academy
 * Covington Academy
 * Point of Grace Christian School
 * First Baptist Academy

Higher education

 * Georgia Piedmont Technical College - Covington Campus
 * Perimeter College at Georgia State University - Newton County Campus
 * Emory University - Oxford Campus

Tourism events

 * Gaither's Plantation hosts a Fall Festival every year.
 * The Satsuki Garden Club conducts tours of historic houses in Covington every other Christmas.
 * The Vampire Diaries, Mystic Falls Tours

Economy
Archer Aviation's Midnight eVTOL air taxi is set to be manufactured in Covington by carmaker Stellantis (merger of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot).

In film and television
Covington has been featured in numerous TV shows and movies since the 1950s.

 * A Man called Peter (1955)
 * False Face (1977)
 * The Dukes of Hazzard (1979, TV series, first 5 episodes)
 * The Prize Fighter (1979)
 * Little Darlings (1980)
 * The Cannonball Run (1981)
 * Coward of the County (1981, TV movie)
 * Door to Door (1985)
 * Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI (1986)
 * Resting Place (1986, TV movie)
 * A Fathers Homecoming (1988)
 * In the Heat of the Night (1988–1995, TV series)
 * Sudie and Simpson (1990)
 * Carolina Skeletons (1991)
 * White Lie (1991)
 * Stay the Night (1992)
 * I'll Fly Away (1991–1992, TV series)
 * Grass Roots (1992)
 * The Secret Passion of Robert Clayton (1992)
 * My Cousin Vinny (1992)
 * Kalifornia (1993)
 * The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (1993 film adaption of 1989 book)
 * A Passion for Justice: The Hazel Brannon Smith Story (1993)
 * Past the Bleachers (1994)
 * A Simple Twist of Fate (1994)
 * Savannah (1996, TV series)
 * Fled (1996)
 * Flash (1997, TV movie)
 * Miss Evers' Boys (1997 TV movie)
 * Remember the Titans (1999)
 * The Price of a Broken Heart (1999, TV movie)
 * Wayward Son (1999)
 * Run Ronnie Run (2000)
 * The Accountant (2001, short film)
 * Boycott (2001 film) (2001, TV movie)
 * TV Road Trip (2002, documentary)
 * Sweet Home Alabama (2002)
 * Autorequiem (2002)
 * The Fighting Temptations (2003)
 * Turbulance! (2004)
 * The Spy/Fancy Dress (2004)
 * Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius (2004)
 * Three Wishes (2005, TV series, episode 3)
 * False River (2005)
 * Boxed In (2005)
 * Madea's Family Reunion (2006)
 * Dangerous Calling (2008)
 * Get Low (2009)
 * Halloween II (2009)
 * The Family That Preys (2009)
 * Fly By (2009)
 * The Vampire Diaries (2009–2017, TV series)
 * Pretty Little Liars (2010–2018, TV series)
 * The Walking Dead (2010, TV series, episode 1)
 * Footloose (2011)
 * American Reunion (2012)
 * The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012)
 * Selma (2014)
 * Taken 3 (2014)
 * Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors (2015, TV movie)
 * Vacation (2015)
 * Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018)
 * Dumplin' (2018)
 * Legacies (2018–2022), TV series)
 * Doctor Sleep (2019)
 * Sweet Magnolias (2020, TV series)
 * Freaky (2020)
 * The American Barbecue Showdown (2020, TV series)
 * Jungle Cruise (film) (2021)
 * Just Beyond (2021, TV series)

Notable people

 * George Adams, jazz tenor saxophonist
 * George T. Anderson - Confederate General during the Civil War
 * Leon Ashley - singer
 * Boondox (David Hutto) - rapper on Majik Ninja Entertainment
 * Dale Carter - professional football player
 * Ellia English - actress best known for her role as Aunt Helen on the Jamie Foxx Show
 * Akeem Hunt- running back for the Ottawa Redblacks of the CFL
 * Andy Offutt Irwin award-winning storyteller and recording artist
 * Ryan Klesko - former Major League Baseball player
 * Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar (II) - politician, Secretary of the Interior for Grover Cleveland - Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
 * David Grier Martin - President of Davidson College
 * Demetrius McCray - football player, cornerback
 * Drew Parker - Grammy nominated country music songwriter and recording artist
 * Ben Morgan - Master Marine Salvage Expert
 * Dinah Watts Pace - educator, operated an orphanage in the area
 * Sheldon Rankins- defensive tackle for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL
 * Jake Reed - former professional football player
 * Steadman Vincent Sanford - Chancellor of the University System of Georgia
 * Eric Stokes - American football cornerback
 * Lizzie Wilkerson - African-American folk artist
 * Curley Weaver - Early piedmont-style country-bluesman
 * Elija Godwin - Olympic Medalist 2021 Olympics
 * Stephon Castle (born 2004), basketball player, picked 4th overall in 2024 NBA draft by San Antonio Spurs

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Covington, Georgia


text:
Mansfield, Georgia

Mansfield is a city in Newton County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 442.

History
Early variant names were "Bob Lee" and "Carmel". A post office called "Mansfield" has been in operation since 1897. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Mansfield as a town in 1903.

Geography
Mansfield is located at 33.51867°N, -83.7354°W.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.1 sqmi, of which 1.1 sqmi is land and 0.93% is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 392 people, 132 households, and 105 families residing in the city. The population density was 367.8 PD/sqmi. There were 142 housing units at an average density of 133.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 78.06% White, 21.17% African American, and 0.77% from two or more races.

There were 132 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.4% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.7% were non-families. 16.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.75.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.1% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 26.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,167, and the median income for a family was $37,813. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $23,542 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,402. About 11.7% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 25.0% of those age 65 or over.

title: Mansfield, Georgia


text:
Newborn, Georgia

Newborn is a town in Newton County, Georgia, United States. The population was 696 at the 2010 census.

History
After hearing a sermon by 19th-century preacher Samuel Porter Jones, the town adopted the name "Newborn", after the concept of born again in Evangelical Christianity. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Newborn as a town in 1894.

Geography
Newborn is located at 33.51694°N, -83.69444°W (33.516980, -83.694572).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.6 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 520 people, 181 households, and 148 families living in the town. The population density was 325.6 PD/sqmi. There were 187 housing units at an average density of 117.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 71.35% White, 25.58% African American, 0.96% Native American, 1.35% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.88% of the population.

There were 181 households, out of which 42.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.7% were non-families. 16.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.8% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $37,692, and the median income for a family was $39,000. Males had a median income of $36,875 versus $24,904 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,210. About 7.9% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

title: Newborn, Georgia


text:
Oxford, Georgia

Oxford is a city in Newton County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,308 as of the 2020 census. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area.

It is the location of Oxford College of Emory University. Much of the city is part of the Oxford Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.

History
Oxford was established as a town by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1839 as the birthplace of Oxford College of Emory University and incorporated as a city in 1914. The town was named after Oxford University, the alma mater of the founders of Oxford College. The entire town is also designated as a shrine of the United Methodist Church. Additionally, Confederate soldiers are buried in a small cemetery on the grounds of Oxford College.

Properties in Oxford listed on the National Register of Historic Places include the Oxford Historic District and the Orna Villa, a mansion, which was built in 1825, which was used as a hospital during the American Civil War.

The Dukes of Hazzard filmed a car-jump scene on the grounds of the college, and other scenes around the town.

Geography
Oxford is located at 33.62417°N, -83.87°W (33.624210, -83.869885).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.6 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,308 people, 682 households, and 438 families residing in the city.

Notable people

 * Heck Thomas, frontier lawman
 * Cora Mae Bryant, blues musician
 * Sarah Branham Matthews, microbiologist

title: Oxford, Georgia


text:
Porterdale, Georgia

Porterdale is a town in Newton County, Georgia, the United States. The population was 1,429 at the 2010 census.

History
Porterdale was incorporated on March 10, 1917, and was named after Oliver S. Porter, a local mill owner.

Geography
Porterdale is located at 33.56972°N, -83.89806°W (33.569585, -83.897968).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.0 sqmi, all land.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,799 people, 667 households, and 370 families residing in the city.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,281 people, 463 households, and 333 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,241.3 PD/sqmi. There were 487 housing units at an average density of 471.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 92.58% White, 4.92% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.55% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.87% of the population.

There were 463 households, out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% were married couples living together, 18.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.22.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.6% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $23,967, and the median income for a family was $30,398. Males had a median income of $28,409 versus $20,962 for females. The per capita income for the town was $10,812. About 18.7% of families and 22.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.6% of those under age 18 and 15.6% of those age 65 or over.

Porterdale, Ga is one of many small towns that were based around textile mills. The mills were the centerpiece of the area and employed the majority of the local population. These towns were largely founded in the early 1900s. The advent of the global economy has sent these "mill towns" into economic collapse in the latter part of the 20th century. Porterdale is mainly known for its textile mill which still runs today. Formerly the Bibb Company and later Dan River, Porterdale resides straddling the Yellow River where the Mill used to get its power from. The old part of the mill which is alongside the dam on the Yellow River is Mill Loft apartments. In the eighties and nineties, the mill alongside the dam was a flea market that housed many events including wrestling. The nature of the closeness of the houses in this "mill town" extend to the closeness of the community.

Major highways

 * [[Image:Georgia 81.svg|25px]] Georgia State Route 81

Notable people

 * Robert C. Blankenship was decorated with the Dutch Military Order of William (the Dutch equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor) for his bravery in Operation Market Garden; born in Porterdale.
 * Raymond Moody psychologist and author who coined the term near-death experience; born in Porterdale.

title: Porterdale, Georgia


text:
Social Circle, Georgia

Social Circle is a city in southern Walton County, extending into Newton County, in the U.S. state of Georgia, 45 miles east of Atlanta.

History
It is unclear why the name "Social Circle" was applied to this place. According to tradition, Social Circle was named from an incident in which a group of people living in the settlement offered water to a weary traveler, whose response was "This certainly is a social circle". The city also officially notes that a citizen of another village community which was already known by the name of Social Circle joined the settlement in its early days.

Social Circle was incorporated as a town in 1869, and as a city in 1904.

Geographical data
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.3 sqmi, of which 11.2 sqmi are land and 0.04 sqmi (100%) is water.

A CSX Transportation line maintenance facility operates in the city's railroad station. The city's railyard contains one of the relatively few remaining concrete coaling towers in the southeastern United States.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,974 people, 1,598 households, and 1,301 families residing in the city.

Transportation

 * Through highways

 * Nearby highways
 * (Unsigned Designation for I-20)
 * (Unsigned Designation for I-20)
 * (Unsigned Designation for I-20)
 * (Unsigned Designation for I-20)

Education
The Social Circle City School District includes all of the city. The district holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 90 full-time teachers and over 1,448 students.
 * Social Circle Primary School
 * Social Circle Elementary School
 * Social Circle Middle School
 * Social Circle High School

Notable people

 * Danny McDevitt – former baseball pitcher, retired here
 * Kyle Chandler – actor
 * Alonzo F. Herndon - Georgia's first African-American millionaire

In popular culture

 * A season 5 episode of the Discovery Channel series A Haunting, called The Exorcism of Cindy Sauer, takes place in Social Circle in 2010.

 * Paramount+ Movie: Jerry and Marge Go Large was filmed mainly in Social Circle, GA. All “downtown” scenes shot on location, not in Evart, MI.

title: Social Circle, Georgia


text:
Bishop, Georgia

Bishop is a town in Oconee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 332.

The town's historic district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

History
The community was named after W. H. Bishop, a local landowner and politician. A post office called Bishop has been in operation since 1889. The town was incorporated in 1890.

Geography
Bishop is located at 33.81639°N, -83.43639°W (33.816355, -83.436304).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.8 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 332 people, 115 households, and 102 families residing in the town.

title: Bishop, Georgia


text:
North High Shoals, Georgia

North High Shoals is a town in Oconee County, Georgia, United States. The population was 652 at the 2010 census.

History
The Georgia General Assembly incorporated North High Shoals as a town in 1933. The community was named after shoals in the Apalachee River.

Geography
North High Shoals is located at 33.83417°N, -83.50111°W (33.834159, -83.501055).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.5 sqmi, all land.

Government
The town's government consists of a Town Council made up of a mayor and five council members. As of January 1, 2020, these were: Toby P. Bradberry, Mayor; Eric Carlson, Council Member, Post 1; Jason Presley, Council Member, Post 2; Ann Evans, Council Member, Post 3; Hilda Kurtz, Council Member, Post 4; and Violet Dawe, Council Member, Post 5.

Meetings are held on the third Monday of each month at 7:30 pm at the town hall, located at 260 Hillsboro Road.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 552 people, 148 households, and 131 families residing in the town.

title: North High Shoals, Georgia


text:
Watkinsville, Georgia

Watkinsville is the largest town and county seat of Oconee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 2,896. It served as the seat of Clarke County until 1872 when the county seat of that county was moved to Athens, a move which ultimately led to the creation of Oconee County in 1875. It is included in the Athens-Clarke County, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography
Watkinsville is located at 33.86278°N, -83.40806°W (33.862818, -83.408094).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.2 sqmi, of which 3.2 sqmi is land and 0.31% is water. Watkinsville is located near the University of Georgia.

History
Named after colonel Robert Watkins, Watkinsville was first named in records in 1791. It was located on the dangerous western frontier of the new United States. The Methodist Church played a prominent role in the city’s early history. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Watkinsville in 1815.

Watkinsville had previously been in Clarke County. Oconee County was created from the southwestern part of Clarke County in 1875 by the Georgia General Assembly.

1905 lynching
On June 30, 1905, Watkinsville saw one of the worst outbreaks of racial violence ever in Georgia. In one instance, eight men (seven of whom were black) were pulled from a local jail and lynched. The lynching occurred due to two events. One of which was accusations that Sandy Price, one of the black males, assaulted a white woman named Weldon Dooley at her home in Watkinsville. Secondly, unsupported rumors spread that black males had killed a white couple known as the Holbrooks. This provoked the town people further. Price tried to flee from a crowd of angry locals, who chased and fired at him. He escaped the crowd of people, but was captured by the law and placed in jail. News of Price’s jailing reached the people and they began planning his killing. People from the surrounding areas gathered together and forcefully retrieved the key to the jail cells from L. H. Alken, the marshal of the local jail. According to two eyewitnesses, the mob tied the African Americans and one white man to posts outside the jail after retrieving them, then shot them multiple times with pistols, rifles, and shotguns. The only survivor of the killings was Joe Patterson, who was shot in the head and torso, but found still breathing by the crowd. One black male inside the jail, Ed Thrasher, was spared from the lynching. Another incident occurred on 1917 that could have been racially motivated.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,896 people, 1,042 households, and 741 families residing in the city.

Government
Watkinsville is governed by a five-person elected city council, which is led by a separately elected mayor. The current mayor is Brian Brodrick, and the current city council members are Chuck Garrett, Connie Massey, Brett Thomas, Christine Tucker, and Jeff Campbell. The city clerk is Julie Klein. The City Manager is Sharyn Dickerson, formerly an Athens-Clarke Commissioner.

Education
The Oconee County School District provides primary and secondary public education services for all residents of Watkinsville. The only public school within the Watkinsville city limits is Colham Ferry Elementary School. Watkinsville has one of the best education systems in Georgia as ranked by the Georgia Department of Education. There are also several private schools such as Westminster Christian Academy, Athens Academy, and Prince Avenue Christian School nearby.

Arts and culture

Watkinsville adopted a tagline in 2021 of "Come. Connect. Create." highlighting its desire to become a destination, its goal of better connecting its citizens and its embrace of creators of the arts and entrepreneurs. Its unofficial motto "The Artland of Georgia" is on the wall at City Hall, and was designed by the late artist Jim Shearon. The Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation or OCAF is located in Watkinsville in the old high school as part of the 1902 OCAF Center and Gallery near the Board of Education. OCAF also has recently restored "Rocket Hall," a WPA project in the 1930s. Rocket Hall, long used for school and youth basketball, is now used for exhibitions and community gatherings. Just outside Rocket Hall is the recently restored Rocket Field, an historic ball field and play area for community youth that also includes a new play structure and stage for concerts and performances. The city recently finished a $1 million renovation of the park with support from Value Added Concepts. The Iron Horse sculpture stands in a field approximately twelve miles south of Watkinsville (barely in Greene County).

The city has a thriving Main Street and recently established a downtown development authority to help guide future growth and planning for downtown. It is also home to Wire Park, a hub for business, entertainment, and dining created from a former wire factory on the eastern side of town. The city also has a full industrial park and a thriving base of small businesses on its southern side, including LAD Truck Lines, IMI, Taylor's Iron, Tifosi Optics and Core Blend Fitness.

Major roads

 * Georgia 15.svg State Route 15
 * Georgia 24.svg State Route 24
 * Georgia 53.svg State Route 53
 * US 129.svg U.S. Route 129
 * US 441.svg U.S. Route 441

Pedestrians and cycling
The city has an increasing amount of walkability options available. The city adopted a new transportation plan to guide future bike and pedestrian investments. A sidewalk on VFW Drive (and a few surrounding streets) and a new sidewalk and pedestrian bridge along Harden Hill Road have enabled more citizens to safely walk downtown, and the city is currently working on plans for a sidewalk on Simonton Bridge Road and to connect to the new Thomas Farm Preserve, a 100-acre greenspace that will have more than three miles of walking trails.

Notable people

 * Nathan Crawford Barnett, member of the Georgia House of Representatives and Georgia Secretary of State
 * Brady Boswell, racing driver
 * Alan Busenitz, baseball player
 * Ed Crowley, baseball player
 * Atticus Haygood, Methodist Bishop and Emory College president
 * Hank Huckaby, chancellor of University System of Georgia
 * Zach Mettenberger, former NFL quarterback for Tennessee Titans
 * Jeannette Rankin, first woman to serve in Congress
 * Tony Taylor, pro football player
 * Buck Thrasher, baseball player
 * John Wes Townley, retired NASCAR driver, notable for driving Zaxby's car
 * Marcus Wiedower, Politician. Member of Georgia House of Representatives.

title: Watkinsville, Georgia


text:
Arnoldsville, Georgia

Arnoldsville is a city in Oglethorpe County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 431.

History
Arnoldsville was originally called "Cherokee Corner". The name was changed in 1894 to Edwin, after Edwin Shaw, the keeper of a country store. In 1896, the store was sold to N. D. Arnold, and the town's name was changed yet again. Arnold incorporated in 1969.

Geography
Arnoldsville is located at 33.90556°N, -83.21667°W (33.905440, -83.216737). U.S. Route 78 passes just south of the city, leading east 4 mi to Crawford and northwest 10 mi to Athens.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.7 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 312 people, 125 households, and 88 families residing in the city. The population density was 185.7 PD/sqmi. There were 136 housing units at an average density of 80.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 96.47% White, 1.60% African American, 0.32% Asian, 0.96% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.92% of the population.

There were 125 households, out of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,750, and the median income for a family was $42,083. Males had a median income of $32,917 versus $21,667 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,652. About 9.9% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 20.7% of those age 65 or over.

title: Arnoldsville, Georgia


text:
Crawford, Georgia

Crawford is a city in Oglethorpe County, Georgia, United States. The population was 832 at the 2010 census.

History
Crawford was originally called "Lexington Depot", and under the latter name had its start when the railroad was extended to that point. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the place as the "Town of Crawford" in 1876. The present name is after William H. Crawford (1772–1834), U.S. Secretary of War and Secretary of the Treasury.

Geography
Crawford is located at 33.88333°N, -83.15528°W (33.883289, -83.155413). U.S. Route 78 passes through the city, leading southeast 3 mi to Lexington, the Oglethorpe County seat, and northwest 14 mi to Athens.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.2 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 807 people, 326 households, and 203 families residing in the city. The population density was 687.5 PD/sqmi. There were 369 housing units at an average density of 314.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 68.77% White, 29.49% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.37% Asian, and 1.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.24% of the population.

There were 326 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.7% were married couples living together, 19.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 23.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 71.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 67.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $19,917, and the median income for a family was $32,969. Males had a median income of $27,500 versus $19,028 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,934. About 15.5% of families and 23.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.6% of those under age 18 and 26.4% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
Crawford is bisected east to west by U.S. Route 78. North Avenue is the primary northbound thoroughfare. The only traffic light in Oglethorpe County is at the intersection of U.S. 78 and North Avenue. Maxeys Road is the primary southbound thoroughfare. Smokey Road and Park Avenue are also primary residential streets leading out of town. Church Street and Elm Street are divided one-way streets in the heart of town that create the town plaza, where many local cultural and commercial activities are held. The nearest airport is Athens Ben-Epps Airport. Passenger rail in Crawford was maintained by the Georgia Railroad until 1984. Intercity bus service provided by Greyhound Lines runs a route through Crawford, though the loading point is in nearby Athens.

Utilities
Electricity is provided directly by Georgia Power. Water and sewage are provided by the city. The city maintains two treatment plants: one is located off U.S. 78 near the western city limit, while the second is located off Waterworks Road at the end of Park Avenue on the eastern city limit. The city also provides water services to some parts of Oglethorpe County as well as the county school system.

title: Crawford, Georgia


text:
Lexington, Georgia

The city of Lexington is the county seat of Oglethorpe County, Georgia, United States. The population was 239 at the 2000 census.

Lexington is home to Shaking Rock Park.

History
Lexington was founded in 1800. That same year, the seat of Oglethorpe County was transferred to Lexington from Philomath. Lexington was incorporated as a town in 1806, and is named for Lexington, Massachusetts.

Geography
Lexington is located at 33.87028°N, -83.11083°W (33.870351, -83.110916). U.S. Route 78, as well as Georgia State Routes 22 and 77, all pass through the city. U.S. 78 leads southeast 25 mi to Washington and northwest 17 mi to Athens. GA-22 runs through the city concurrent with GA-22, leading north 15 mi to Comer and southeast 28 mi to Crawfordville. GA-77 leads northeast 25 mi to Elberton and south 23 mi to Union Point.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.5 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 239 people, 101 households, and 65 families residing in the city. The population density was 439.6 PD/sqmi. There were 115 housing units at an average density of 211.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 70.71% White, 25.94% African American, 0.84% Native American, and 2.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.26% of the population.

There were 101 households, out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 17.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.2% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $41,932, and the median income for a family was $56,875. Males had a median income of $22,417 versus $38,056 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,513. About 4.1% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.9% of those under the age of eighteen and 9.4% of those 65 or over.

Oglethorpe County School District
The Oglethorpe County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of a primary school (preK-2), an elementary school (3-5), a middle school (6-8), and a high school (9-12). The district has 145 full-time teachers and over 2,281 students.
 * Oglethorpe County Elementary School
 * Oglethorpe County Primary School
 * Oglethorpe County Middle School
 * Oglethorpe County High School

Notable people

 * Nathan Crawford Barnett, member of the Georgia House of Representatives and Georgia Secretary of State for more than 30 years. Raised in Lexington, and educated at the Lexington Academy
 * Clifford Cleveland Brooks, planter and politician; member of the Louisiana State Senate from 1924 to 1932, born in Lexington in 1886
 * William Harris Crawford, lawyer and politician
 * George Rockingham Gilmer, statesman and politician
 * Joseph Henry Lumpkin, lawyer
 * Wilson Lumpkin, lawyer and politician
 * Stephen Upson, lawyer and politician

title: Lexington, Georgia


text:
Maxeys, Georgia

Maxeys is a town in Oglethorpe County, Georgia, United States. The population was 210 at the 2000 census.

History
The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Maxeys as a town in 1907. The town is named after the Maxeys family, early settlers.

Geography
Maxeys is located at 33.75722°N, -83.17389°W (33.757304, -83.173873).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.4 sqmi, of which 2.4 sqmi is land and 0.42% is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 210 people, 77 households, and 62 families residing in the town. The population density was 87.8 PD/sqmi. There were 86 housing units at an average density of 36.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 92.38% White, 2.86% African American, 0.48% Native American, 2.86% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.86% of the population.

There were 77 households, out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.0% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.2% were non-families. 13.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $53,125, and the median income for a family was $58,750. Males had a median income of $31,406 versus $22,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,227. About 12.9% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.5% of those under the age of eighteen and 6.3% of those sixty-five or over.

Education
The AT Brightwell Scholarship is a college scholarship available only to residents of Maxeys, and will continue to pay college expenses through and including graduate school. It is available to all unmarried or divorced (proof of divorce necessary) students under 25 years of age who have lived within the strictly defined city limits of Maxeys for at least one year prior to the effective day of scholarship. The parents of the student must live and remain in Maxeys for the duration of the scholarship. Because this scholarship is potentially so lucrative, many real estate companies in the area advertise homes as "AT Brightwell eligible."

title: Maxeys, Georgia


text:
Braswell, Georgia

Braswell is a city in Polk and Paulding counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 355.

Geography
Braswell is located at 33.98389°N, -84.95944°W (33.983787, -84.959479).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.1 sqmi, of which 3.1 sqmi is land and 0.33% is water.

History
Braswell had its start in 1882 when Southern Railway predecessor East Tennessee Virginia & Georgia Railroad was extended to that point. The ETV&G became part of Southern Railway when Southern Railway was incorporated in 1894. Braswell was named for Henry S. Braswell (1832–1902), a prominent citizen of Paulding County who owned a large amount of land in the area. Henry Braswell, in partnership with William McCracken, was in the land and timber business supplying crossties and bridge timbers to Southern Railway and Seaboard Air Line Railroad.

Braswell was the location of the only tunnel on Southern Railway's (now Norfolk Southern Railway) Chattanooga to Atlanta main line. The original tunnel was bypassed in 1979 by cutting through Braswell mountain slightly to the east. Another nearby tunnel, the Brushy Mountain tunnel at Divide on the former route of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, is currently used by bicyclists and joggers as a part of the Georgia/Alabama Silver Comet Trail. The portion of the trail in Alabama is the Chief Ladiga Trail, and the portion in Georgia is the Silver Comet Trail. The Silver Comet Trail was named for one of the Seaboard Air Line passenger trains, the Silver Comet, that traveled the route.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 355 people, 131 households, and 89 families residing in the town.

title: Braswell, Georgia


text:
Dallas, Georgia

Dallas is a city in, and the county seat of, Paulding County, Georgia, United States. The estimated population, as of 2020, was 14,042. Dallas is a northwestern exurb of Atlanta, located approximately 38 mi from the downtown area. It was named for George M. Dallas, Vice President of the United States, under James K. Polk.

History

The area where in and around Dallas was originally held by the Muscogee people, but would eventually lose their land in battle to the Cherokee in 1755. The area became a crossroads for the Cherokee who lived in the area.

When gold was discovered in Georgia in 1828, it began what was known as the Georgia Gold Rush. Paulding County was soon separated into 40-acre "Gold Lots" during the Gold Lottery of 1832 and people came from other parts of Georgia and other states to seek gold. The settlers found little gold in the area, with only small amounts being found in mines at Lost Mountain. Many settlers began using their parcels of land to grow crops instead.

During the time the Georgia Gold Rush began to happen, the Cherokee people began to be forced off of their lands. Not long after, the Indian Removal Act was signed by president Andrew Jackson, effectively removing the Native Americans to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River on the Trail of Tears.

When the Georgia General Assembly took the original western portion of Paulding County to create Polk County in 1852, it also took with it the original county seat, Van Wert. The legislature ceded western portions of Cobb County to create the newly-drawn Paulding County, thus making it necessary for the creation of a new town to serve as the county seat. The town of Dallas was officially created from 40 acre of land purchased from Garrett H. Spinks on May 14, 1852, for $1000. Its first commissioners were James H. Ballinger, James S. Hackett, Hezekiah Harrison, John S. Poole, and Garrett H. Spinks. The new town of Dallas was named for then Vice-President of the United States, George Mifflin Dallas, of Pennsylvania. He served under President James Knox Polk, for whom the new county to the west had been named.

The Dallas area is home to multiple battle sites that were part of the Atlanta Campaign in the American Civil War in 1864. The Battle of Dallas took place near downtown Dallas. The Battle of New Hope Church and the Battle of Pickett's Mill were also fought during the same week, both of which are typically considered to part of Battle of Dallas engagement. The original earthworks, including the battle trenches have been preserved at both the New Hope Church site and at the Pickett's Mill Historic Battlefield Site.

After the reconstruction period, Dallas and Paulding County began to flourish. Construction of the Southern and Seaboard Railroads began in 1882. Paulding County was also introduced to the textile industry at this time. Both industries played a great role in the growth of the county. Along with the introduction to the railroad and the textile industry, Paulding County's first newspaper was introduced, The Dallas New Era.

On October 18, 1903, "Ole 88" Engine 345, a steam-powered locomotive, jumped its tracks and tore down part of the Pumpkinvine Creek Trestle. The Pumpkinvine Creek Trestle, which was originally built in 1901, was rebuilt after the accident. The trestle is over 750 feet long and towers 126 feet above Pumpkinvine Creek. The trestle was restored in 1999 and now serves as part of the Silver Comet Trail.

In 1951, the name of the Town of Dallas, Georgia was changed to The City of Dallas, Georgia. The name change was accomplished to comply with federal legislation allowing “cities” to create housing authorities, and other federal-related entities.

On April 4, 1977, near the site marker for the Battle of New Hope Church, the forced landing of Southern Airways Flight 242 occurred. The passenger jetliner, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 with 81 passengers and 4 crew members, was flying from Northwest Alabama Regional Airport to Atlanta Municipal Airport. Upon descending in altitude to prepare for landing in Atlanta, the jetliner started to fly through an intense thunderstorm near Rome, Georgia. Because of the extreme amounts of water and hail that were ingested by the jet's engines, both of the Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7A turbojet engines were damaged and underwent flameout. With the engines unable to restart, the flight's crew began gliding in hopes of reaching a nearby airport. Upon finding out that there were no nearby airports to perform a landing, the crew found a straight section of rural road in Dallas, Georgia to try and land. As the plane began to land, it clipped a gas station, convenience store, and other buildings, resulting in the plane to lose control of landing and ultimately crash, resulting in hull loss. Both pilots and 61 passengers were killed by impact forces and fire. Nine people on the ground were also killed.

In the early 2000s the city completed a major refurbishment of downtown Dallas, which included adding and updating sidewalks, adding red brick to the roadways, creation of a large courtyard in the center of town, updating existing structural facades, adding a fountain area near the downtown gazebo, and further preserving historic downtown structures.

Culture
In 2019, the website Niche.com ranked Dallas as one of the Top 50 "Best Suburbs to Buy a House in Georgia".

Dallas Farmers Market
Every Saturday during the spring and summer, local farmers, cooks, and crafters set up in downtown Dallas to provide the community with locally made and homegrown goods. It has become one of the more popular events that goes on in downtown Dallas since it began.

Dallas Concert Series
The Dallas Concert Series is an event that is generally held once a month during the summer, with a music stage being set up in downtown Dallas for musicians scheduled to play. Various food vendors are also present for concert series. Some well-known bands have previously played at the concert series, such as Night Ranger, Chris Janson, and Mother's Finest.

Food Truck Friday
During certain Fridays over the summer, Dallas holds an event called "Food Truck Friday" that brings together a wide variety of local food trucks throughout the summer. Besides the food trucks providing food and refreshments, there is usually a local band that is set up to play music through the afternoon and evening.

Geography

Dallas is located at 33.91861°N, -84.84083°W (33.918499, -84.840848).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.5 sqmi, of which 4.5 sqmi is land and 0.04 sqmi (0.66%) is water.

Dallas is part of the Deep South cultural and geographic subregion. The city has an elevation of 1,043 ft, which makes it one of the highest elevation suburban cities in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Dallas is also a part of the physiographic region of the greater Appalachian Mountains.

The tallest point in Dallas is Elsberry Mountain, which is 1,310 ft in elevation at its summit. The second-highest point is Ray Mountain, with an elevation of 1,252 ft.

The drainage area for all waterways flowing through the area are classified as being in the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin. There are no major rivers that flow through Dallas itself, but there are multiple large creeks, with the largest being Pumpkinvine Creek, which is a tributary of the Etowah River. Both Lake Allatoona and Lake Acworth are less than 15 mi away from Dallas.

Climate
Dallas has a humid subtropical climate that is local to all of Georgia. The average yearly precipitation is 54.43 in. The average annual high temperature is 71.8 °F, while the average annual low temperature is 48.3 °F.

Snow flurries occasionally fall in the winter months, when there is the presence of a deep trough in the jet stream over the eastern third of the United States. Although at times significant amounts of snowfall have been recorded, some years have no measurable snowfall. The Storm of the Century (1993) in March 1993 brought 17.5 in to Dallas, with drifts measuring several feet. In December 2017, Dallas recorded 12 in of snow that had fallen within a two-day period. The 12 in that fell in Dallas was tied for the highest total amount of snowfall in the Atlanta metro area, with the Carter's Lake area being the only other place to receive that amount.

The coldest temperature ever recorded in Dallas was -12 °F in 2010. The warmest temperature ever recorded was 110 °F in 2012.

It's not uncommon for Northwest Georgia to be prone to drought some years, but there are also some years where precipitation amounts are very high.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,042 people, 4,944 households, and 3,275 families residing in the city.

2014
As of the census of 2014, there were 12,629 people, 2,014 households, and 1,303 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,120.7 PD/sqmi. There were 2,150 housing units at an average density of 476.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 61.1% White, 31.2% African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.32% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.89% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.2% of the population. 56.2% were non-Hispanic White (U.S.Census). 11.7% of the population was foreign born as of 2014 (U.S. Census). There were 4,970 households, out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% were married couples living together, 27.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.01. The median value of owner-occupied housing units between 2010 and 2014 was $110,200 (U.S.Census).

In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.7% under the age of 18, 12.1% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 14.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,750, and the median income for a family was $38,308. Males had a median income of $30,245 versus $21,747 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,461. About 19.8% of families and 23.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.3% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.

Major roads

 * US 278.svg U.S. Route 278
 * Georgia 6.svg State Route 6
 * Georgia 61.svg State Route 61
 * Georgia 120.svg State Route 120
 * Georgia 381.svg State Route 381

Airports
To the west of Dallas is the Silver Comet Field at Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport, which is a general aviation airport. It is the ninth local airport in metro Atlanta, and the first new jet-capable airport in Georgia since 1975.

The Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is located in nearby Atlanta.

Pedestrians and cycling

 * Dallas Trail Connect
 * Silver Comet Trail
 * Mount Tabor Park Mountain Bike Trail
 * Sara Babb Park Biking Trail

Public schools

The Paulding County School District is a public school district that consists of Pre-School to Grade 12, and consists of nineteen elementary schools, nine middle schools, and five high schools. The district has 1,212 full-time teachers and over 19,283 students.

Private schools

 * Brighton Private School
 * Victory Christian Academy

Higher education

 * Georgia Highlands College (Paulding Site)
 * Kennesaw State University (Paulding Site)
 * Chattahoochee Technical College

Major employers

 * Atlanta Film Studios - Paulding County
 * Metromont Corporation
 * City of Dallas
 * Wellstar Paulding Hospital
 * Chattahoochee Technical College
 * Georgia Highlands College
 * MG International
 * Cadillac Products
 * Dallas Millworks
 * T&R Fixtures
 * Top Flight Aerostructures
 * Aerospace Fabricators of Georgia
 * Simmons Engineering
 * West Cobb Engineering
 * Interroll

Recreation
There are many parks in the Dallas area, including Mount Tabor Park, Orphan Brigade Battlefield Park, White Oak Park, Burnt Hickory Park, Sara Babb Park, Coleman Camp Park, and Elizabeth McCoon Memorial Park.

The Paulding Forest Wildlife Management Area also provides areas for camping, biking, hunting, hiking, and fishing.

Silver Comet Trail

The Silver Comet Trail is a 61.5-mile long stretch of fully paved pedestrian/bicycling trail that follows the path of the abandoned Seaboard Air Line Railroad that was built in the 1890s. The railway served as the primary passenger train route between New York City, Atlanta, and Birmingham, Alabama via the Silver Comet streamliner train. In 1969, after declining ridership over the years, SAL merged with Atlantic Coast Line to form Seaboard Coast Line on July 1, 1967. In 1969 SCL applied for the Silver Comet to be discontinued. The last run was in May 1969. CSXT abandoned a majority of the railway, in 1987 which was eventually purchased by various counties in Georgia, as well as the Georgia Department of Transportation in order to eventually create a pedestrian path. The trail is "Railbanked" which means, in the future if railroad service is needed again due to traffic increases, the right of way can be bought by a Railroad and track relayed and it could become a Class 1 railroad again.

The trail starts in Smyrna, Georgia and ends at the Alabama/Georgia state line near Cedartown, Georgia where it then connects to the Chief Ladiga Trail in Piedmont, Alabama. From there, the trail winds it way through Alabama until it reaches its end-point in Anniston, Alabama.

The Silver Comet Trail has been ranked as one of the Top 25 "Best Bike Trails in America" by Complex.com.

The trail is the second-longest rail trail in the United States.

Historical sites
There are many historical sites in the area, ranging from Civil War battle sites to historic buildings and monuments. There are over 100 historic sites in Paulding County marked with historical markers. Most of the markers in the area pertain to the Civil War conflict.

One of the more popular historic sites in the area is the Pickett's Mill Battlefield Site, which is one of the best-preserved Civil War battlefields in the nation. Visitors can travel roads used by Union and Confederate troops, see earthworks constructed by these men, and walk through the same ravine where hundreds of soldiers died. An authentic 1800s pioneer cabin is furnished and open for tours during certain events.

Points of interest
With Dallas being located in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area, there are a lot of activities nearby for visitors or residents. The most popular of which are in Atlanta.

 * Pickett's Mill Battlefield Site
 * Paulding County Historical Society & Museum
 * Paulding Forest - Wildlife Management Area
 * High Shoals Falls
 * Stars & Strikes Entertainment Center
 * The Dallas Theater

Television
Comcast Channel 24 airs news, information, upcoming event descriptions, dates and times, and photos of other events. The government-access television (GATV) cable TV channel provides key information to residents of Dallas and Paulding County. It also airs shorts on how to conserve water and electricity as well as messages from the mayor and other city board members.

Radio

 * WDJY (FM)/99.1 Talk
 * WDPC (AM)/1500 Christian/Gospel

Film
With the Atlanta Film Studios - Paulding County nearby in Hiram, Georgia, the Dallas area has become a popular place for filming. Various movies, TV Series, and commercials have been filmed in the area. One of the most popular places for filming recently has been at the Silver Comet Field at Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport.

Movies that have been filmed in the area include Finding Steve McQueen, The Last Full Measure and Beauty and the Beholder. The dramatic final scene of Finding Steve McQueen was filmed on Main St near the Dallas Theatre. The CBS television series MacGyver filmed some episodes in Dallas. The television series Stargirl, which is based on the DC Comics character of the same name, is currently being filmed in downtown Dallas. The Ford Motor Company also filmed a commercial in the area, titled "Roll on Sister".

Notable people

 * Cecil Butler, professional baseball player
 * Chris Conley, American football wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars
 * Jayne County, punk rock star
 * Christopher Dudley, keyboardist of UnderOATH
 * Caleb Lee Hutchinson, runner-up on season 16 of American Idol
 * Patty Loveless, country music star
 * Kelly Nelon Clark, southern gospel singer with Nelon Family Singers. Performs regularly with Bill Gaither Home Coming Friends
 * Gary North (economist), Christian economic historian and publisher
 * Riley Puckett, country music artist, best known as a member of Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers
 * Wilbur Rakestraw, racing driver
 * Ray Traylor (1963 – 2004), professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Big Boss Man
 * Travis Tritt, country music star
 * Zack Wheeler, pitcher, #6 overall pick in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft for the San Francisco Giants

title: Dallas, Georgia


text:
Hiram, Georgia

Hiram is a city in Paulding County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population is 4,929.

History
The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the Town of Hiram in 1891. The city was named after Hiram Baguette, the town's first postmaster.

Geography
Hiram is located at 33.86556°N, -84.77472°W (33.865575, -84.774593).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.0 sqmi, of which 3.0 sqmi is land and 0.04 sqmi (0.66%) is water.

At the intersection of US Highway 278 and Georgia State Route 92, Atlanta's tallest buildings can be seen, specifically the Bank of America Tower, which stands 23 miles away from the junction.

Via GA-92, Acworth is 18 mi (29 km) to the north, and Douglasville is 9 mi (14 km) to the south. Via US-278, Dallas is 8 mi (13 km) to the northwest, and Powder Springs is 5 mi (8 km) to the east.

Demographics
Recent years have seen a tremendous increase in the populations of Dallas and Hiram, as well as Paulding County.

Dallas and Hiram more than doubled in population from 2000 to 2010, according to figures from the U.S. Census. Dallas, Paulding's county seat, went from an overall population of 5,056 in 2000 to 11,544 in the 2010 census—just over a 128 percent increase.

But Hiram's growth was even more explosive over the last decade, jumping to 3,546 from 1,361—an increase of more than 160 percent.

The county's numbers also swelled, but not at the rate experienced by Dallas and Hiram. From 2000's population of 81,678, the county saw nearly three-quarters of that total adding to its resident count, bringing it to 142,324.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,929 people, 1,510 households, and 1,030 families residing in the city.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 3543 people and 1,538 households residing in the city. The population density in 2000 was 452.5 people per square mile (174.67/km2). There were 506 housing units at an average density of 168.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city in 2010 was 60.88% White, 32% African American, 0.22% Native American, 1.04% Asian, 2.74% from other races, and 3.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 7.54% of the population.

There were 481 households, out of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.7% were non-families. 19.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 33.7% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $50,069, and the median income for a family was $51,705. Males had a median income of $36,048 versus $24,483 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,254. About 4.1% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Major highways

 * US 278.svg U.S. Route 278
 * Georgia 92.svg State Route 92
 * Georgia 120.svg State Route 120
 * Georgia 6.svg State Route 6
 * Georgia 6 Business.svg State Business Route 6
 * Georgia 360.svg State Route 360

Education
The city of Hiram has two public schools named after it, Hiram High School and Hiram Elementary School. The nearest middle schools are Dobbins Middle School, P.B. Ritch Middle School and East Paulding Middle School.

Recreation

 * Silver Comet Trail
 * Ben Hill Strickland Park

title: Hiram, Georgia


text:
Byron, Georgia

Byron is a city located primarily in Peach County, Georgia, United States. A small portion of the city also extends into parts of Houston and Crawford counties. The population was estimated to be 5,149 in 2019 by the Census Bureau, an increasing of 14.1% from 4,512 at the 2010 census. The city is in the Warner Robins metropolitan statistical area.

Byron was home to the Middle Georgia Raceway, an auto racetrack that hosted NASCAR races and the filming of TV commercials and a feature movie. From July 3–5, 1970, in a field next to the raceway, the Atlanta International Pop Festival was held, which was the largest gathering in Georgia history until the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. On September 15, 2012, an official Georgia Historical Society marker was placed near the raceway site to commemorate the festival.

History
The community was named after Lord Byron, the British Romantic poet. A former variant name was "Jackson", but the name was changed in order to avoid repetition with the Jackson in Butts County. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the place as the "Town of Byron" in 1874.

Geography
Byron is located in the northeast corner of Peach County at 32.64889°N, -83.75556°W (32.648908, -83.755640), near the geographic center of Georgia. Interstate 75 passes through the eastern side of the city, with access from Exits 146 and 149 (Georgia State Route 49). Byron is 93 mi south of Atlanta, 16 mi south of Macon, and 11 mi northeast of the Peach County seat of Fort Valley.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.4 km2, of which 0.06 km2, or 0.28%, are water.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,702 people, 2,198 households, and 1,588 families residing in the city.

Arts and culture
The city hosts the Battle of Byron, an annual charity fundraiser.

title: Byron, Georgia


text:
Fort Valley, Georgia

Fort Valley is a city in and the county seat of Peach County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 8,780.

The city is in the Warner Robins metropolitan area and the Macon–Warner Robins combined statistical area.

History
The town's name is a mystery, as it has never had a fort. Historians believe that the name was mistakenly changed in a transcription error when the post office was named; the area was originally thought to have been called Fox Valley.

Founded in 1836, Fort Valley was incorporated as a town in 1854 and as a city in 1907. In 1924 it was the designated seat of the newly formed Peach County.

Fort Valley was the backdrop for a Life feature story in the March 22, 1943 edition. The World War II-era story focused on the town's sponsoring of the "Ham and Egg Show," a contest held by African-American farmers to highlight ham and poultry production in Peach County, Georgia.

Geography
The city is located in the central part of the state along U.S. Route 341, which is the main route through the city. Via U.S. 341, Roberta is 15 mi northwest, and Perry is 12 mi southeast. Georgia State Routes 49, 96, and 540 (Fall Line Freeway) also run through the city. GA-49 leads northeast 11 mi to Byron and southwest 8 mi to Marshallville. GA-96 leads east 16 mi to Warner Robins and west 13 mi to Reynolds. The Fall Line Freeway runs north of the city as a four-lane divided highway, leading northeast to Byron with GA-49 and west to Reynolds with GA-96.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.3 sqmi, all land.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,780 people, 3,040 households, and 1,685 families residing in the city.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,005 people, 3,050 households, and 1,878 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,519.5 PD/sqmi. There were 3,303 housing units at an average density of 627.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 22.10% White, 74.65% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.85% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.37% of the population.

There were 3,050 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.9% were married couples living together, 30.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 18, 16.9% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $19,646, and the median income for a family was $24,206. Males had a median income of $27,016 versus $20,110 for females. The per capita income for the city was $10,815. About 31.8% of families and 37.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 44.3% of those under the age of 18 and 17.3% of those 65 and older.

Economy
Fort Valley is the corporate headquarters of the Blue Bird Corporation, a large manufacturer of activity buses and school buses, which opened its first Fort Valley facility in 1935.

Football
Despite being a city of less than 10,000 people, Fort Valley boasts one of the best football teams in the state. The Peach County High Trojans have played in eight state title games since 1990, and have made the playoffs every year since.

 * 1992 AAA State Runners-Up
 * 1998 AAA State Runners-Up
 * 2003 AAA State Runners-Up
 * 2005 AAA State Champions
 * 2006 AAA State Champions
 * 2009 AAA State Champions
 * 2011 AAA State Runners-Up
 * 2017 AAA State Runners-Up

Track and field

 * 1993 AAA 4x100 Relay State Champions (Greg Streeter, Jacquez Green, Marcus Robinson, Melvin Oats)

Points of interest

 * Massee Lane Gardens
 * Blue Bird Corporation's headquarters, currently their only Georgia plant

Public schools
The Peach County School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of three elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school. The district has 270 full-time teachers and over 3,927 students.
 * Byron Elementary School
 * Hunt Elementary School
 * Kay Road Elementary School
 * Byron Middle School
 * Fort Valley Middle School
 * Peach County High School

Colleges and universities
The city is home to Fort Valley State University, a historically black college.

Highways
U.S. Route:
 * [[Image:US 341.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 341

State Routes:
 * [[Image:Georgia 7.svg|20px]] State Route 7
 * [[Image:Georgia 42.svg|20px]] State Route 42
 * [[Image:Georgia 49.svg|20px]] State Route 49
 * [[Image:Georgia 96.svg|20px]] State Route 96

Health care

 * The Medical Center of Peach County

Notable people

 * Louie Crew (1936–2019), emeritus professor at Rutgers University, poet and activist, taught at Fort Valley State from 1973 to 1979
 * Antone Davis (born 1967), former National Football League offensive lineman
 * Jacquez Green (born 1976), former National Football League wide receiver and punt returner
 * Harold Houser (1897–1981), United States Navy Rear admiral, and the 35th Governor of American Samoa
 * Edward H. Hurst (1916–1997), Brigadier general in the Marine Corps and recipient of Navy Cross
 * Louis Ivory (born 1980), former college football running back, 2000 Walter Payton Award winner
 * Kearis Jackson (born 1999), wide receiver for the Georgia Bulldogs
 * Benny Johnson (1948–1988), NFL player
 * Pete Johnson (born 1954), former NFL player
 * Greg Lloyd (born 1965), former NFL player
 * Danny Lockett (born 1964), former NFL player
 * Randy McMichael (born 1979), former NFL player for the San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, and the St. Louis Rams
 * Marcus Robinson (born 1975), former National Football League wide receiver
 * A. T. Walden (1885–1965), lawyer and civil rights leader
 * Tim Watson (born 1970), former American football safety in the National Football League

title: Fort Valley, Georgia