Decatur County, Georgia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Decatur County
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Decatur County Courthouse in Bainbridge
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Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
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 Georgia's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Georgia |
| Founded | 1823 |
| Named for | Stephen Decatur |
| Seat | Bainbridge |
| Largest city | Bainbridge |
| Area | |
| • Total | 623 sq mi (1,610 km2) |
| • Land | 597 sq mi (1,550 km2) |
| • Water | 26 sq mi (70 km2) 4.2%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 29,367 |
| • Density | 49/sq mi (19/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
Decatur County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,367. The county seat is Bainbridge.
Decatur County comprises the Bainbridge, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area (μSA), which is included in the Tallahassee—Bainbridge, FL-GA Combined Statistical Area.
Contents
History
The county was created by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on December 8, 1823, from a portion of Early County. 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.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 623 square miles (1,610 km2), of which 597 square miles (1,550 km2) is land and 26 square miles (67 km2) (4.2%) is water.
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.
Major highways
U.S. Route 27
U.S. Route 27 Business
U.S. Route 84
U.S. Route 84 Business
State Route 1
State Route 1 Business
State Route 38
State Route 97
State Route 97 Spur
State Route 241
State Route 253
State Route 253 Spur
State Route 262
State Route 285
State Route 302
State Route 302 Spur
State Route 309
State Route 310
State Route 311
Adjacent counties
- Miller County - north
- Mitchell County - northeast
- Baker County - northeast
- Grady County - east
- Gadsden County, Florida - south
- Seminole County - west
Communities
Cities
Town
Census-Designated Place
Unincorporated communities
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1830 | 3,854 | — | |
| 1840 | 5,872 | 52.4% | |
| 1850 | 8,262 | 40.7% | |
| 1860 | 11,922 | 44.3% | |
| 1870 | 15,183 | 27.4% | |
| 1880 | 19,072 | 25.6% | |
| 1890 | 19,949 | 4.6% | |
| 1900 | 29,454 | 47.6% | |
| 1910 | 29,045 | −1.4% | |
| 1920 | 31,785 | 9.4% | |
| 1930 | 23,622 | −25.7% | |
| 1940 | 22,234 | −5.9% | |
| 1950 | 23,620 | 6.2% | |
| 1960 | 25,203 | 6.7% | |
| 1970 | 22,310 | −11.5% | |
| 1980 | 25,495 | 14.3% | |
| 1990 | 25,511 | 0.1% | |
| 2000 | 28,240 | 10.7% | |
| 2010 | 27,842 | −1.4% | |
| 2020 | 29,367 | 5.5% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 29,087 | 4.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1880 1890-1910 1920-1930 1930-1940 1940-1950 1960-1980 1980-2000 2010 |
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| Race | Num. | Perc. |
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| 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.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Decatur (Georgia) para niños
