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Ashburn, Georgia
City
Ashburn City Hall
Ashburn City Hall
Nickname(s): 
Peanut Capital of the World
Location in Turner County and the state of Georgia
Location in Turner County and the state of Georgia
Country United States
State Georgia
County Turner
Area
 • Total 4.80 sq mi (12.43 km2)
 • Land 4.75 sq mi (12.29 km2)
 • Water 0.05 sq mi (0.14 km2)
Elevation
427 ft (130 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 4,291
 • Density 904.13/sq mi (349.12/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
31714
Area code(s) 229
FIPS code 13-03236
GNIS feature ID 0354404
Website https://www.cityofashburn.net

The city of Ashburn is the county seat of Turner County, Georgia, United States. As of 2020, its population was 4,291. Ashburn's government is classified as a council/manager form of municipal government.

Ashburn is noted for its peanuts and a fire ant festival.

History

The town of Marion was founded in 1888, and changed its name to Ashburn when it was incorporated in 1890. Ashburn was designated seat of Turner County when it was established in 1905. The community was named after W. W. Ashburn, a pioneer citizen.

Peanut Statue

In 1975, the Peanut Statue was constructed in Ashburn and was then considered an official state monument in 1998. In the year 2019 it was destroyed by Hurricane Micheal. The newer Peanut Statute appears smaller than the original peanut statue, although the exact measurements are unknown. The woods that the original peanut was next to was cleared out, and the small picnic table as seen in the first image was presumably destroyed by Hurricane Micheal, the same hurricane that destroyed the original peanut statue.

The small tower constructed of brick was reused for the newer peanut statue, as was the crown. The original peanut statue was made of fiberglass. The brick tower is 15 feet tall and has a crown attached to it.

Legal Publications for the City of Ashburn is The Wiregrass Farmer.

Geography

Ashburn is located at 31°42′16″N 83°39′14″W / 31.70444°N 83.65389°W / 31.70444; -83.65389 (31.704378, -83.653786).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.6 square miles (12 km2), of which 4.5 square miles (12 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) (0.66%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1890 403
1900 1,301 222.8%
1910 2,214 70.2%
1920 2,116 −4.4%
1930 2,073 −2.0%
1940 2,266 9.3%
1950 2,918 28.8%
1960 3,291 12.8%
1970 4,209 27.9%
1980 4,766 13.2%
1990 4,827 1.3%
2000 4,419 −8.5%
2010 4,152 −6.0%
2020 4,291 3.3%
U.S. Decennial Census
Ashburn racial composition as of 2020
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 1,109 25.84%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 2,831 65.98%
Native American 3 0.07%
Asian 37 0.86%
Other/Mixed 119 2.77%
Hispanic or Latino 192 4.47%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,291 people, 1,500 households, and 1,061 families residing in the city.

Education

Schools

Ashburn residents are served by the Turner County School District which offers pre-school through grade twelve education, and has one elementary school, a middle school, a high school, and a speciality school. The district has 126 full-time teachers and over 1,145 students.

  • Turner County Elementary School
  • Turner County Middle School
  • Turner County High School

Library

Ashburn is served by a public library, the Victoria Evans Memorial Library.

Events

Peanut monument, Ashburn, GA, US
The original peanut statue
Peanut statue rebuilt in 2023, Ashburn, GA, US
Peanut statue rebuilt in 2023

Every fourth weekend in March, Ashburn holds the Fire Ant Festival. This offers an art show, carnival rides, a car show, strawberry cook off, BBQ competition, health show, and fireworks. Some events are tailored to the festival itself, such as the Fire Ant Call, Find the Fire Ant, Fire Ant 5k, and Miss Fire Ant Pageant.

The newer Peanut Statute appears smaller than the original peanut statue, although the exact measurements are unknown. The woods that the original peanut was next to was cleared out, and the small picnic table as seen in the first image was presumably destroyed by Hurricane Micheal, the same hurricane that destroyed the original peanut statue.

The small tower constructed of brick was reused for the newer peanut statue, as was the crown. The peanut statue was erected in 1975, and was officially recognized as an official state monument in the year 1998. The original peanut statue was made of fiberglass. The brick tower is 15 feet tall and has a crown attached to it.

Notable people

  • Henry T. Elrod - World War II fighter pilot posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor
  • Nora Lawrence Smith - editor and publisher of Wiregrass Farmer for decades
  • Betty Shingler Talmadge - First Lady of Georgia
  • Ben Thomas - former Auburn University and National Football League defensive lineman

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Ashburn (Georgia) para niños

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