Decatur County, Georgia#Micropolitan Statistical Area

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Decatur County

| state = Georgia

| seal =

| founded = {{start date and age|1823}}

| seat wl = Bainbridge

| largest city wl = Bainbridge

| area_total_sq_mi = 623

| area_land_sq_mi = 597

| area_water_sq_mi = 26

| area percentage = 4.2%

| census yr = 2020

| pop = 29367

| density_sq_mi = 49

| time zone = Eastern

| web = www.decaturcountyga.gov

| ex image = Decatur County Courthouse (NW corner).JPG

| ex image cap = Decatur County Courthouse in Bainbridge

| district = 2nd

| named for = Stephen Decatur

}}

Decatur County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,367.{{cite web|title=Census - Geography Profile: Decatur County, Georgia|url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Decatur_County,_Georgia?g=0500000US13087|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=December 27, 2022}} The county seat is Bainbridge.{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}

Decatur County comprises the Bainbridge, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA), which is included in the Tallahassee—Bainbridge, FL-GA Combined Statistical Area.

History

The county was created by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on December 8, 1823, from a portion of Early County.{{cite book | url=http://www.kenkrakow.com/gpn/d.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030917110647/http://www.kenkrakow.com/gpn/d.pdf |archive-date=September 17, 2003 |url-status=live | title=Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins | publisher=Winship Press | author=Krakow, Kenneth K. | year=1975 | location=Macon, GA | pages=60 | isbn=0-915430-00-2}} Three other counties were created from land that was originally part of Decatur County.

In 1825, a portion of Decatur was used in the creation of Thomas County. In 1905, another portion of Decatur was used in the creation of part of Grady County. In 1920, the western portion of Decatur County was used to form Seminole County in its entirety.

Decatur County is named for United States Navy Commodore Stephen Decatur, a hero of the War of 1812.{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n101 102]}}

Geography

File:Georgia Welcome Sign Decatur County GA97.jpg]]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of {{convert|623|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|597|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|26|sqmi}} (4.2%) is water.{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}

The bulk of Decatur County, from northeast to southwest, and centered on Bainbridge, is located in the Lower Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). Almost all of the county's western border is located in the Spring Creek sub-basin of the same ACF River Basin. The southwestern portion of Decatur County, centered on Attapulgus, and bordered on the west by State Route 302, is located on the Lower Ochlockonee River sub-basin of the larger Ochlockonee River basin. Finally, the county's southwestern corner, west of State Route 302, is located in the Apalachicola River sub-basin of the same larger ACF River basin.{{cite web |url=http://www.gaswcc.org/maps/ |title=Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience |publisher=Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission |access-date=November 24, 2015 |archive-date=October 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003004639/http://www.gaswcc.org/maps/ |url-status=dead }}

=Major highways=

=Adjacent counties=

Miller County - north
Mitchell County - northeast
Baker County - northeast
Grady County - east
Gadsden County, Florida - south
Seminole County - west

Communities

=Cities=

=Town=

Brinson

= Census-Designated Place =

Faceville

=Unincorporated communities=

Demographics

{{US Census population

|1830= 3854

|1840= 5872

|1850= 8262

|1860= 11922

|1870= 15183

|1880= 19072

|1890= 19949

|1900= 29454

|1910= 29045

|1920= 31785

|1930= 23622

|1940= 22234

|1950= 23620

|1960= 25203

|1970= 22310

|1980= 25495

|1990= 25511

|2000= 28240

|2010= 27842

|2020= 29367

|estyear=2023

|estimate=29087

|estref={{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 31, 2024}}

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=}}
1790-1880{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800 |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1880|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1880/vol-01-population/1880_v1-08.pdf|accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=|page=}} 1890-1910{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1910 Census of Population - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1910|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1910/abstract/supplement-ga.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=|page=}}
1920-1930{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1930 Census of Population - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1930|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/03815512v1ch04.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=|page=}} 1930-1940{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1940 Census of Population - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1940|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1940/population-volume-1/33973538v1ch04.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}
1940-1950{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1950 Census of Population - Georgia - |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1950|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1950/population-volume-2/37779083v2p11ch2.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}} 1960-1980{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1980|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_gaABC-01.pdf|accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}
1980-2000{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink= |title= 2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 2000|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2003/dec/phc-3-12.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}} 2010{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/13/13087.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 21, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607123140/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/13/13087.html|archive-date=June 7, 2011}}

}}

class="wikitable"

|+Decatur County racial makeup as of 2020{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US13087&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 9, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}

!Race

!Num.

!Perc.

White

|14,280

|48.63%

Black or African American

|12,200

|41.54%

Native American

|64

|0.22%

Asian

|183

|0.62%

Pacific Islander

|16

|0.05%

Other/Mixed

|713

|2.43%

Hispanic or Latino

|1,911

|6.51%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 29,367 people, 10,084 households, and 7,113 families residing in the county.

Education

Decatur County School District is the local school district with Bainbridge High School being the local high school.

Spring Creek Charter Academy was formed in 2019 and includes grades Pre-K through 9th Grade as of 2023–2024 school year with the next year being added as each grade progresses through the years.

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College has a satellite campus in Bainbridge. Southern Regional Technical College has a satellite campus in Bainbridge serving the county.

Politics

{{PresHead|place=Decatur County, Georgia|source={{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 19, 2018}}}}

References

;General

;Specific

[http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?path=/CitiesCounties/Counties&id=h-1270 The New Georgia Encyclopedia entry for Decatur County]

External links

[http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/topics/historical_markers/county/decatur/decatur-county Decatur County] historical marker
[http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/topics/historical_markers/county/decatur/amsterdam-georgia Amsterdam] historical marker
[http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/topics/historical_markers/county/decatur/cyrene Cyrene] historical marker

{{Geographic Location

|Centre = Decatur County, Georgia

|North = Miller County

|Northeast = Mitchell County and Baker County

|East = Grady County

|Southeast =

|South = Gadsden County, Florida

|Southwest =

|West = Seminole County

|Northwest =

}}

{{Coord|30.88|-84.58|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-GA_source:UScensus1990}}