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Dougherty County, Georgia facts for kids

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Dougherty County
Dougherty County Government Center
Dougherty County Government Center
Map of Georgia highlighting Dougherty County
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Map of the United States highlighting Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Georgia
Founded 1853; 171 years ago (1853)
Named for Charles Dougherty
Seat Albany
Largest city Albany
Area
 • Total 335 sq mi (870 km2)
 • Land 329 sq mi (850 km2)
 • Water 5.9 sq mi (15 km2)  1.8%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 85,790
 • Density 288/sq mi (111/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 2nd

Dougherty County is located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 85,790. The county seat and sole incorporated city is Albany.

Dougherty County is included in the Albany, GA metropolitan statistical area. Historically dominated by cotton plantation agriculture in the nineteenth century, it is part of the Black Belt of the South.

History

The county was created by the Georgia General Assembly on December 15, 1853, from a part of Baker County. It was named after Charles Dougherty, a respected judge and lawyer from Athens, Georgia. In 1854 and 1856 small areas were added from Worth County.

As noted above, the county was developed by European Americans using enslaved African Americans as workers for the production of cotton as a commodity crop. Its county seat of Albany, Georgia is located on the Flint River, which was originally the chief means of transportation for shipped products. Albany was later served by seven railroad lines, adding to its significance as a market center. The city was a center of the Civil Rights Movement, particularly during the early 1960s.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 335 square miles (870 km2), of which 329 square miles (850 km2) is land and 5.9 square miles (15 km2) (1.8%) is water.

The majority of Dougherty County is located in the Lower Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). The northeastern corner of the county, northeast of Albany, is located in the Middle Flint River sub-basin of the same ACF River basin. A very small portion of Dougherty County, north of Albany, is located in the Kinchafoonee-Muckalee sub-basin of the larger ACF River Basin. The remaining western portion of the county is located in the Ichawaynochaway Creek sub-basin of the same ACF River Basin.

Major highways

  • US 19.svg U.S. Route 19
  • Business plate.svg
    US 19.svg U.S. Route 19 Business
  • US 82.svg U.S. Route 82
  • Business plate.svg
    US 82.svg U.S. Route 82 Business
  • Georgia 3.svg State Route 3
  • Georgia 62.svg State Route 62
  • Georgia 91.svg State Route 91
  • Georgia 133.svg State Route 133
  • Georgia 234.svg State Route 234
  • Georgia 300.svg State Route 300
  • Georgia 520.svg State Route 520
  • Georgia 520 Business.svg State Route 520 Business

Adjacent counties

Communities

City

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1860 8,295
1870 11,517 38.8%
1880 12,622 9.6%
1890 12,206 −3.3%
1900 13,679 12.1%
1910 16,035 17.2%
1920 20,063 25.1%
1930 22,306 11.2%
1940 28,565 28.1%
1950 43,617 52.7%
1960 75,680 73.5%
1970 89,639 18.4%
1980 100,718 12.4%
1990 96,311 −4.4%
2000 96,065 −0.3%
2010 94,565 −1.6%
2020 85,790 −9.3%
2023 (est.) 82,645 −12.6%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1880 1890-1910
1920-1930 1930-1940
1940-1950 1960-1980
1980-2000 2010 2020
Dougherty County, 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) 35,794 27,315 20,631 37.26% 28.88% 24.05%
Black or African American alone (NH) 57,521 63,198 59,720 59.88% 66.83% 69.61%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 192 177 128 0.20% 0.19% 0.15%
Asian alone (NH) 544 719 647 0.57% 0.76% 0.75%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 25 52 20 0.03% 0.05% 0.02%
Other race alone (NH) 74 84 234 0.08% 0.09% 0.27%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 623 947 1,997 0.65% 1.00% 2.33%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1,292 2,073 2,413 1.34% 2.19% 2.81%
Total 96,065 94,565 85,790 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 85,790 people, 32,630 households, and 18,213 families residing in the county.

Education

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Dougherty para niños

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