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Augusta
Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club
Riverwalk Augusta on the Savannah River
Riverwalk Augusta on the Savannah River
The University Hall at Augusta University
The University Hall at Augusta University
Sacred Heart Cultural Center
Sacred Heart Cultural Center
Augusta Canal with Enterprise Mill in the background
Augusta Canal with Enterprise Mill in the background
Old Government House
Old Government House
Official logo of Augusta
Logo
Nickname(s): 
"The Garden City"
Motto(s): 
"We Feel Good"
Country  United States
State  Georgia
County Richmond
Established 1736
Consolidated 1996
Founded by James Oglethorpe
Named for Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
Area
 • City 306.44 sq mi (797.70 km2)
 • Land 302.28 sq mi (782.90 km2)
 • Water 4.17 sq mi (10.80 km2)
Elevation
136 ft (45 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City 202,081
 • Rank 116th in the United States
3rd in Georgia
 • Density 668.52/sq mi (258.12/km2)
 • Urban
431,480 (US: 95th)
 • Urban density 1,578.8/sq mi (609.6/km2)
 • Metro
611,000 (US: 95th)
Time zone UTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
30901, 30904, 30906, 30907, 30909, 30912, 30815
Area codes 706, 762

Augusta is a city located on the eastern border of Georgia, right across the Savannah River from North Augusta, South Carolina. It's the third-largest city in Georgia, after Atlanta and Columbus.

In 2020, Augusta had a population of over 202,000 people. This makes it one of the largest cities in the United States. In 1996, the city of Augusta and Richmond County joined together to form one government.

Augusta was founded in 1736. It was named after Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, who was the mother of British King George III. The city is famous around the world for hosting the Masters golf tournament every spring. This event brings more than 200,000 visitors to the Augusta National Golf Club.

Augusta is about a two-hour drive from Atlanta. It is home to Fort Eisenhower, a big U.S. Army base. In 2016, it was announced that a new National Cyber Security Headquarters would be built in Augusta. This makes the city important for computer security.

History of Augusta

How Augusta Started

Long ago, Native American tribes lived along the Savannah River. They used this area as a good place to cross the river. This was because of its location on the fall line, where the land drops.

James Oglethorpe Statue Augusta GA
James Oglethorpe, who founded Augusta

In 1735, James Oglethorpe, who founded Savannah, sent soldiers to explore the Savannah River. He told them to build a fort where the river became easy to travel by boat. The next year, a settlement was created to protect the coast from possible attacks. Oglethorpe named the town Augusta after Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha.

During the American Revolutionary War, Americans took the city back from the British in the Siege of Augusta. Augusta was also Georgia's second state capital from 1785 to 1795.

Augusta's Growth

Augusta grew quickly as a market town. The surrounding area became important for growing cotton. The invention of the cotton gin made it easier to process cotton. This led to many enslaved people being brought to the area to work on plantations.

During the American Civil War, Augusta had many factories that made things for the war. After the war, the city's textile industry grew. Many mills were built along the Augusta Canal, like Enterprise Mill and Sibley Mill.

In 1916, a large fire damaged 25 blocks of the city. Many historic buildings were affected.

Geography and Climate

Augusta is located right on the border between Georgia and South Carolina. It's about 150 miles (240 km) east of Atlanta.

ISS067-E-177735 Augusta, Georgia
Augusta on July 8, 2022, seen from the International Space Station

The city covers about 306.5 square miles (794 km²). Most of this is land, with a small amount of water. Augusta is on the Savannah River at the fall line. This means there are small waterfalls on the river. It's also where the river stops being easy to travel by boat.

The Clarks Hill Dam is near Augusta, forming Clarks Hill Lake. Downstream, the Stevens Creek Dam creates hydroelectric power. Even further down is the Augusta Diversion Dam, which sends water from the Savannah River into the Augusta Canal.

What is Augusta's Weather Like?

Augusta has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has short, mild winters and very hot, humid summers. The average temperature in January is about 45°F (7°C), and in July it's about 81°F (27°C).

It gets very hot in summer, with temperatures often reaching 90°F (32°C) or higher. Snowfall is not very common in Augusta. The most snow ever recorded was 14 inches (36 cm) in February 1973.

Climate data for Augusta Regional Airport, Georgia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1871–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 84
(29)
88
(31)
93
(34)
96
(36)
101
(38)
106
(41)
107
(42)
108
(42)
106
(41)
101
(38)
90
(32)
84
(29)
108
(42)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 75.6
(24.2)
78.8
(26.0)
84.9
(29.4)
88.7
(31.5)
94.3
(34.6)
98.1
(36.7)
99.8
(37.7)
99.1
(37.3)
95.1
(35.1)
89.0
(31.7)
82.1
(27.8)
76.9
(24.9)
100.8
(38.2)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 59.6
(15.3)
63.5
(17.5)
71.0
(21.7)
78.5
(25.8)
85.9
(29.9)
91.3
(32.9)
94.1
(34.5)
92.6
(33.7)
87.8
(31.0)
79.0
(26.1)
69.1
(20.6)
61.5
(16.4)
77.8
(25.4)
Daily mean °F (°C) 47.4
(8.6)
50.8
(10.4)
57.5
(14.2)
64.6
(18.1)
72.7
(22.6)
79.7
(26.5)
82.8
(28.2)
81.8
(27.7)
76.4
(24.7)
66.0
(18.9)
55.6
(13.1)
49.4
(9.7)
65.4
(18.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 35.3
(1.8)
38.1
(3.4)
44.1
(6.7)
50.6
(10.3)
59.6
(15.3)
68.1
(20.1)
71.6
(22.0)
71.0
(21.7)
65.0
(18.3)
53.1
(11.7)
42.2
(5.7)
37.3
(2.9)
53.0
(11.7)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 17.9
(−7.8)
21.0
(−6.1)
25.8
(−3.4)
33.7
(0.9)
44.1
(6.7)
56.5
(13.6)
63.1
(17.3)
61.5
(16.4)
50.4
(10.2)
35.1
(1.7)
25.4
(−3.7)
20.6
(−6.3)
15.9
(−8.9)
Record low °F (°C) −1
(−18)
3
(−16)
12
(−11)
26
(−3)
35
(2)
46
(8)
54
(12)
52
(11)
36
(2)
22
(−6)
11
(−12)
5
(−15)
−1
(−18)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.84
(98)
3.67
(93)
4.08
(104)
2.92
(74)
3.05
(77)
4.75
(121)
4.48
(114)
4.61
(117)
3.60
(91)
2.56
(65)
2.66
(68)
3.87
(98)
44.09
(1,120)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.4
(1.0)
0.3
(0.76)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.1
(0.25)
0.8
(2.0)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 9.9 9.1 8.6 7.6 7.9 11.1 11.3 11.1 7.9 6.4 7.0 9.4 107.3
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.5
Average relative humidity (%) 69.8 65.8 65.0 64.5 69.6 71.3 73.9 76.5 76.2 73.3 71.9 71.6 70.8
Source: NOAA (relative humidity 1961–1990)

Historic Areas in Augusta

Sacred Heart Cultural Center
Sacred Heart Cultural Center

Augusta has 10 historic districts. The most famous is the Augusta Downtown Historic District. It covers most of downtown Augusta and its older parts. This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

Other historic districts in Augusta include:

Augusta's Tallest Buildings

Rank Name Image Height (feet) Height (meters) Floors Year Ref
1 Lamar Building Lamar Building Augusta Georgia.jpg 238 72 19 1918
2 River Place Condominiums River Place Condominiums, Augusta May 2017.jpg 222 68 18 1991
3 Augusta University Building Wells Fargo Building (Augusta), May 2017 1.jpg 220 67 17 1967

People of Augusta

Historical population
Census Pop.
1800 2,215
1810 2,476 11.8%
1830 6,710
1840 6,403 −4.6%
1850 9,448 47.6%
1860 12,493 32.2%
1870 15,389 23.2%
1880 21,891 42.3%
1890 33,300 52.1%
1900 39,441 18.4%
1910 41,040 4.1%
1920 52,548 28.0%
1930 60,342 14.8%
1940 65,919 9.2%
1950 71,508 8.5%
1960 70,626 −1.2%
1970 59,864 −15.2%
1980 47,532 −20.6%
1990 44,639 −6.1%
2000 195,182 337.2%
2010 195,844 0.3%
2020 202,081 3.2%
U.S. Decennial Census
1850-1870 1870-1880
1890-1910 1920-1930
1940 1950 1960
1970 1980 1990
2000 2010 2020
Augusta Richmond consolidated government (balance), Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000 Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 85,340 73,277 65,721 43.72% 37.42% 32.52%
Black or African American alone (NH) 97,517 105,921 111,535 49.96% 54.08% 55.19%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 491 557 480 0.25% 0.28% 0.24%
Asian alone (NH) 2,925 3,259 3,898 1.50% 1.66% 1.93%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 222 370 386 0.11% 0.19% 0.19%
Other race alone (NH) 359 305 880 0.18% 0.16% 0.44%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 2,881 4,102 7,910 1.48% 2.09% 3.91%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 5,447 8,053 11,271 2.79% 4.11% 5.58%
Total 195,182 195,844 202,081 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

In 2020, Augusta had 202,081 people living in the city. There were 66,838 households and 41,517 families. The city's population has grown over the years.

The people living in Augusta come from many different backgrounds. In 2020, about 55% of the population was African American, and about 35% was non-Hispanic white. There are also growing Asian, Native American, and multiracial communities. About 5.5% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.

Education in Augusta

Augusta State University-The Belltower and Allgood Hall.
Allgood Hall at Augusta University

Colleges and Universities

Augusta has several colleges and universities:

  • Augusta Technical College (a state technical college)
  • Augusta University (a public research university)
  • Paine College (a private college with a history of serving Black students)

Some colleges also have smaller campuses in Augusta:

  • East Georgia State College
  • Georgia Military College
  • Brenau University

Schools for Kids (K-12)

Richmond County Board of Education
Richmond County Board of Education central office

Public schools in Augusta are run by the Richmond County School System. This system includes 36 elementary schools, 10 middle schools, and 8 high schools. Some of the high schools are Glenn Hills, Butler, and A.R.C..

There are also four special "magnet" schools. These schools focus on certain subjects like health science, engineering, or fine arts. Examples are C. T. Walker Traditional Magnet School and Davidson Fine Arts.

Augusta also has many private schools, such as Aquinas High School and Westminster Schools of Augusta.

Media and News

The main newspaper in Augusta is The Augusta Chronicle.

You can watch several TV stations in Augusta:

  • WAGT (NBC and CW Plus)
  • WCES (PBS)
  • WFXG (Fox)
  • WJBF (ABC and MeTV)
  • WRDW (CBS)

There's also a newspaper called the Medical Examiner that focuses on the city's large medical community.

Augusta's Economy

Cyber-center-of-excellence
Fort Eisenhower is home to the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence. This has led to many new cyber jobs in Augusta.

Augusta is a big center for medicine, science (biotechnology), and computer security (cyber security). Augusta University is a major employer, with over 7,000 people working there. The city's medical area employs over 25,000 people.

The three biggest employers in Augusta are:

  • Augusta University
  • The Savannah River Site (a nuclear facility)
  • Fort Eisenhower, which is home to the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence. This center trains soldiers in cyber, signal, and electronic warfare.
TechNet Augusta 2016 (28745774802)
The TechNet Conference is held in Augusta

Augusta has become a hub for cyber security companies. This is partly because the United States Army Cyber Command moved to Fort Eisenhower. Augusta also hosts the TechNet conference each year. This event brings together military, government, and private leaders to discuss new cyber products and teamwork.

Many companies have offices or factories in Augusta. Some well-known names include T-Mobile, Clearwater Paper, Bridgestone, E-Z-GO, John Deere, and Kellogg's.

Who are the Top Employers?

Here are some of the top manufacturing companies that employ people in Augusta:

# Employer # of employees
1 Textron Specialized Vehicles 1,350
2 Graphic Packaging International 963
3 Ferrara USA 900
4 FPL Food 660
5 Thermal Ceramics 400
6 Cardinal Health 390
7 Nutrien 390
8 Augusta Coca-Cola 300
9 Solvay Advanced Partners 300
10 Starbucks 260

And here are the top public (government-related) employers:

# Employer # of employees
1 Fort Eisenhower 29,252
2 Augusta University 6,775
3 NSA Georgia 6,000
4 Augusta University Health System 5,341
5 Richmond County School System 4,418
6 Piedmont Augusta 3,000
7 Augusta–Richmond County 2,840
8 Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center 2,082
9 Doctors Hospital 1,837
10 East Central Regional Hospital 1,400

Sports in Augusta

Local Sports Teams

  • The Augusta GreenJackets are a minor league baseball team. They play at SRP Park in North Augusta, South Carolina. They are linked with the Atlanta Braves.
  • The Augusta Lynx were a professional ice hockey team that played from 1998 to 2008.
  • The Augusta RiverHawks were another professional ice hockey team that played from 2010 to 2013.
  • The Augusta Stallions were an Arena football team that played from 1999 to 2002.
  • The Augusta Rugby Football Club (ARFC) is a men's rugby team.
  • The Soul City Sirens are an all-female roller derby team.
  • The Augusta 706ers were a professional basketball team that played briefly.
Club Sport League Venue
Augusta GreenJackets Baseball Low-A East SRP Park
Augusta Mad Dogs Rugby Palmetto Rugby Union Larry Bray Memorial Pitch
Augusta Furies Women's Rugby Carolinas Geographic Union Larry Bray Memorial Pitch
Soul City Sirens Roller derby WFTDA Red Wing Rollerway
Georgia Soul Basketball Women's American Basketball Association Butler High School Gymnasium
Georgia Soul Basketball The Basketball League H.E.A.L. Complex at Paine College

Sports Tournaments

Tiger Woods Masters 2006
Tiger Woods at the practice rounds for the 2006 Masters Tournament

Augusta is famous for the Masters golf tournament. It's held every April at the Augusta National Golf Club. This is one of the biggest golf events in the world. The golf course is known for being very beautiful.

The city also has places for disc golf. Augusta hosted the 2006 Professional Disc Golf World Championships. Many disc golfers from around the world came to compete.

Augusta used to host the Augusta Southern Nationals, a drag boat race on the Savannah River. It was known as the "World's Richest Drag Boat Race."

Team 'Generally Speaking' finishes the IRONMAN (8054271680)
Competitors cross the finish line at the Ironman 70.3 Augusta.

Augusta is also home to one of the biggest Ironman 70.3 competitions in North America. Athletes swim in the Savannah River, bike around Augusta, and run through downtown. The city has also hosted the USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships.

Parks and Fun Things to Do

Augusta has many great parks and places for recreation:

  • Riverwalk Augusta – A park along the city's river levee. It's a great place to walk.
  • Augusta Common – A green space with a statue of James Oglethorpe.
  • Augusta Canal – A historic canal with paths for biking and walking.
  • Phinizy Swamp Nature Park – A wetlands park with paths and boardwalks.
  • Diamond Lakes Regional Park – A large park in the southern part of Richmond County.
  • Brookfield Park – A public park with a playground, putting green, and paths.
  • Pendleton King – A public park with a disc golf course, dog park, and gardens.

Getting Around Augusta

Augusta is connected to other cities by major highways. I-20 goes west to Atlanta and east to Columbia, South Carolina. I-520 (also called Bobby Jones Expressway) goes around Augusta's western and southern areas.

Other important roads include U.S. Route 1, U.S. Route 25, and U.S. Route 78. These roads connect Augusta to nearby towns and cities.

Major Roads and Highways

  • I-20 (Carl Sanders Highway)
  • I-520 (Bobby Jones Expressway / Deputy James D. Paugh Memorial Highway)
  • US 1 (Deans Bridge Road; Gordon Highway; Fall Line Freeway)
  • US 25 (Peach Orchard Road; Gordon Highway)
  • US 25 Bus. (Broad Street / 13th Street)
  • US 78 / US 278 (Gordon Highway)
  • SR 4
  • SR 28 (John C. Calhoun Expressway and Washington Road)
  • SR 56 (Mike Padgett Highway)
  • SR 88
  • SR 104 (Washington Road; Pleasant Home Road; River Watch Parkway)
  • SR 104 Conn. (Washington Road)
  • SR 232 (Columbia Road / Bobby Jones Expressway)
  • SR 383 (Jimmie Dyess Parkway)
  • SR 540 (Fall Line Freeway)
  • SR 555 / SR 565 (Savannah River Parkway)

Most people in Augusta get around by car. There is also a city bus service called Augusta Public Transit (APT).

Airports in Augusta

Augusta has two airports:

  • Augusta Regional Airport: This airport has flights to cities like Atlanta, Charlotte, and Dallas-Ft. Worth.
  • Daniel Field: A smaller airport.

Train Services

In the past, Augusta had a busy train station for passengers. Today, trains mostly carry freight (goods). Companies like Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation operate freight trains through Augusta. You can sometimes see these trains moving slowly through downtown Augusta.

Walking and Biking Paths

Augusta has several trails for walking and biking:

Famous People from Augusta

Sister Cities

Augusta has "sister city" relationships with two cities in other countries:

See also

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