Cordele became an official city on January 1, 1888. It was named after Cordelia Hawkins, whose father, Colonel Samuel Hawkins, was in charge of a big railroad company.

In November 1864, during the American Civil War, the area where Cordele is now was actually the temporary capital of Georgia for a few days! Georgia's governor, Joseph E. Brown, used his farmhouse there to stay safe from the war. Later, a hotel called the Suwanee Hotel was built in its place.

Cordele was started in 1888 by J.E.D. Shipp. The town grew quickly because it was located where two important railroads met. These railroads brought many people and businesses to the new area. Before 1905, Cordele was part of Dooly County.

Becoming a County Seat

As Cordele grew, people wanted their local government to be closer. So, in 1905, Crisp County was created from part of Dooly County, and Cordele became the county seat. This means it became the main town where the county government is located.

By 1915, Cordele had many businesses, like factories that made ice, cotton products, and fertilizer.

In 1930, Cordele got its own electric system, powered by water from the Flint River. This power plant still works today! It also created Lake Blackshear, which is a popular spot for people to live and visit.

Sadly, on April 2, 1936, a strong tornado hit Cordele, and 23 people lost their lives.

Where is Cordele?

Cordele is located in the middle of Crisp County. Major roads like U.S. Route 41 and U.S. Route 280 pass through the city. Interstate 75, a big highway, also goes through the east side of Cordele, making it easy to travel to other cities like Macon and Albany.

The city covers about 10.5 square miles (27.2 square kilometers), with most of it being land and a small part being water.

Cordele's Weather

Cordele has a warm and humid climate. This means it has mild winters and hot, sticky summers.

Climate data for Cordele, Georgia (1991-2020 normals, extremes 1892–present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	84 (29)	85 (29)	90 (32)	96 (36)	100 (38)	106 (41)	104 (40)	104 (40)	101 (38)	99 (37)	89 (32)	83 (28)	106 (41)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	59.1 (15.1)	63.3 (17.4)	70.7 (21.5)	78.4 (25.8)	85.9 (29.9)	90.8 (32.7)	93.0 (33.9)	91.6 (33.1)	87.0 (30.6)	78.6 (25.9)	68.6 (20.3)	60.7 (15.9)	77.3 (25.2)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	36.5 (2.5)	39.5 (4.2)	45.6 (7.6)	53.0 (11.7)	61.7 (16.5)	69.2 (20.7)	71.7 (22.1)	70.9 (21.6)	65.6 (18.7)	54.5 (12.5)	43.8 (6.6)	38.7 (3.7)	54.2 (12.4)
Record low °F (°C)	−3 (−19)	9 (−13)	15 (−9)	30 (−1)	36 (2)	45 (7)	57 (14)	56 (13)	37 (3)	27 (−3)	9 (−13)	8 (−13)	−3 (−19)
Average rainfall inches (mm)	4.67 (119)	4.33 (110)	4.88 (124)	4.39 (112)	2.98 (76)	4.86 (123)	4.54 (115)	4.09 (104)	4.54 (115)	2.61 (66)	3.20 (81)	5.04 (128)	50.13 (1,273)
Source: NOAA

Who Lives in Cordele?

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1890	1,578	—
1900	3,473	120.1%
1910	5,883	69.4%
1920	6,538	11.1%
1930	6,880	5.2%
1940	7,929	15.2%
1950	9,462	19.3%
1960	10,609	12.1%
1970	10,733	1.2%
1980	11,184	4.2%
1990	10,321	−7.7%
2000	11,608	12.5%
2010	11,147	−4.0%
2020	10,220	−8.3%
2023 (est.)	9,868	−11.5%
U.S. Decennial Census 1850-1870 1870-1880 1890-1910 1920-1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

In 2020, there were 10,220 people living in Cordele. They lived in about 3,874 homes.

Cordele's Population Groups (2020)
Group	Number of People	Percentage
White (not Hispanic)	2,601	25.45%
Black or African American (not Hispanic)	6,816	66.69%
Native American	6	0.06%
Asian	156	1.53%
Pacific Islander	4	0.04%
Other/Mixed	304	2.97%
Hispanic or Latino	333	3.26%

City Government

Cordele City Commissioners

Five people are chosen by the citizens of Cordele to be the City Commissioners. They help run the city.

The current Cordele City Commissioners are:

Jeanie Bartee
Wesley Rainey
Royce Reeves
Vesta Beal Shephard
Chairman John Wiggins

State and National Representatives

Cordele is part of larger government areas too.

In the Georgia State Senate, Cordele is represented by Senator Carden Summers.
In the Georgia House of Representatives, Cordele is represented by Representative Noel Williams Jr..
In the United States House of Representatives, Cordele is represented by Representative Sanford Bishop.

Fun Things to Do

Georgia Veterans State Park

A Boeing B-29 Superfortress airplane at Georgia Veterans State Park.

Just west of Cordele is the huge Georgia Veterans State Park. It's right on the edge of Lake Blackshear. This park has places to camp, a hotel, and a golf course. You can also see cool displays of old military airplanes, helicopters, and army tanks. These displays are open for everyone to see during the day.

Arts and Culture

Cordele has its own unique culture. It was even featured on a podcast called "Small Town News Podcast," which tells funny stories inspired by local newspapers.

Annual Events

Every June, Cordele hosts an exciting Watermelon Festival. It's a big celebration of the city's famous crop!

Museums and Points of Interest

A Titan I missile on display in Cordele.

In 1968, a large Titan I missile was put up in Cordele. You can see it where I-75 and U.S. 280 East meet. It's a cool piece of history!

Sports

Cordele is home to the Cordele Motor Speedway, also known as Crisp Motorsports Park. It's a race track where exciting car races like Speed Fest take place.

Education in Cordele

The Crisp County School District manages schools from pre-school all the way to twelfth grade. It has:

Crisp County Primary School
Crisp County Pre-K
Crisp County Elementary School
Crisp County Middle School
Crisp County High School

About 266 full-time teachers work in the district, teaching over 4,337 students.

Transportation and Roads

Cordele is a hub for transportation.

Major Highways

Interstate 75
U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 280
State Route 33
State Route 90
State Route 257
State Route 300 (Georgia-Florida Parkway)

The Cordele Inland Port helps move goods by train. It connects Cordele to the Georgia Ports Authority in Savannah. Two major railroads, CSX and Norfolk Southern, also pass through Cordele.

Famous People from Cordele

Many talented people have come from Cordele, including:

Buster Brown, a blues and R&B singer.
Preston Dennard, a former football player for the Los Angeles Rams.
Devokeyous Keyshawn Hamilton, a rapper, singer, and songwriter.
Mac Hyman, a writer known for his novel No Time for Sergeants.
T. J. Jackson, an Olympian and NFL football player.
Marcus Lamb, who started a Christian TV network called Daystar.
Deworski Odom, a fast runner (sprinter).
Jody Powell, who worked for President Jimmy Carter.
Andre Ramsey, a football player for the Buffalo Bills.
Tree Rollins, a former NBA basketball player.
Ken Spikes, a racing car driver.
Quay Walker, a football player for the Green Bay Packers.
Joe Williams, a jazz singer and actor.
Noel Williams Jr., an insurance agent and politician.
Jammie Robinson, a football player for the Arizona Cardinals.

Cordele, Georgia facts for kids

Contents

Cordele's Story

How Cordele Began