Fayette County, Georgia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fayette County
U.S. county
Fayette County Courthouse, in Fayetteville
Seal Logo
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Georgia
Founded	May 15, 1821; 204 years ago (1821)
Named for	Marquis de Lafayette
Seat	Fayetteville
Largest city	Peachtree City
Area
• Total	199 sq mi (520 km2)
• Land	194 sq mi (500 km2)
• Water	5.0 sq mi (13 km2)  2.5%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	119,194
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	3rd, 13th

Fayette County (/ˈfeɪ.ət/ FAY-ət) is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 119,194, an increase from 106,567 in 2010. Fayette County was established in 1821. The county seat, Fayetteville, was established in 1823. Much of Fayette County is bordered on the east side by the Flint River.

Fayette County was organized in 1821 after the United States signed a treaty at Indian Springs, Georgia with the Creek people for cession of a large portion of their land. The county and its seat, Fayetteville, were both named in honor of the French aristocrat the Marquis de Lafayette, who aided General George Washington in the American Revolutionary War.

Since the late 20th century, Fayette County has been part of the Greater Atlanta Metropolitan Area. It is located south of Atlanta, which is based in Fulton County. Fayette County is minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. As a suburb of Atlanta, Fayette County has increased rapidly in population and development since the late 20th century, nearly doubling its population since 1990.

History

Fayette County was created on May 15, 1821, from territory ceded to the United States by the Creek people, who had historically inhabited the area. It was named for the Marquis de Lafayette, French hero of the American Revolutionary War.

In the years following World War II, the county developed suburban residential communities, with many workers commuting to Atlanta. Peachtree City was chartered in 1959. It was developed as the only planned community in the county and in the Southeast; it covers 16,000 acres.

The county population has increased rapidly during the late twentieth century with the growth of Atlanta. It has also benefited from a reverse migration of African Americans to the South, as new residents are attracted to jobs and opportunities. Significant growth and development continues.

In 2002 Charles "Chuck" Floyd was appointed to the position of Chief Magistrate Judge of the county. In 2004 and 2008, he was elected to the position in his own right, the first African American ever elected to any office in the county.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 199 square miles (520 km²), of which 194 square miles (500 km²) is land and 5.0 square miles (13 km²) (2.5%) is water.

The Flint River passes through the county and provided the earliest route for transportation and shipping of commodity crops. The entirety of Fayette County is located in the Upper Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin).

Major highways

• State Route 54
• State Route 74
• State Route 85
• State Route 92
• State Route 138
• State Route 279
• State Route 314

Adjacent counties

• Fulton County – north
• Clayton County – east
• Spalding County – south
• Coweta County – west

Communities

In 2015, the majority-white city of Fayetteville elected its first African-American mayor, Ed Johnson. Described as a "bridge-builder," Johnson is a retired naval commander and pastor of a black church; he was elected in 2011 as the first black member of the city council.

Cities

• Fayetteville (county seat)
• Peachtree City (largest city)

Towns

• Brooks
• Tyrone
• Woolsey

Unincorporated communities

• Inman
• Starr's Mill

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 119,194 people, 41,253 households, and 33,101 families residing in the county.

In 2010, the median income for a household in the county was $82,216 and the median income for a family was $92,976. Males had a median income of $68,381 versus $46,140 for females. The per capita income for the county was $35,076. About 3.4% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $71,227, and the median income for a family was $78,853 (these figures had risen to $79,498 and $89,873 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $54,738 versus $33,333 for females. The per capita income for the county was $29,464. About 2.00% of families and 2.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.80% of those under age 18 and 4.60% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Fayette County is served by the Fayette County School System. The governing authority for the school system is known as the Fayette County Board of Education, a board of five elected persons. They hire a superintendent to manage daily operations of the schools.

Since a federal court ruling in 2013, resulting from the federal voting rights lawsuit described above, the five board members are each elected from single-member districts. In January 2016 after mediation, the school board voted unanimously to settle the lawsuit they had earlier appealed along with the county. The board accepted single-member districts for election of board members.

High schools

• Fayette County High School
• McIntosh High School
• Sandy Creek High School
• Starr's Mill High School
• Whitewater High School

Alternative schools

• Fayette County Alternative Education Program

Notable people

• Paris Bennett, singer
• Chris Benoit, WWE wrestler
• Furman Bisher, longtime late sports columnist, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• Robert H. Brooks, former chairman and CEO, Hooter's of America Inc.
• Zac Brown, Grammy award-winning singer, Zac Brown Band
• Robert J Burch, children's author
• Kandi Burruss, singer, reality TV star
• Kathy Cox, State School Superintendent
• Creflo Dollar, televangelist
• Mike Duke, former CEO of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
• Lee Haney, retired professional bodybuilder and Mr. Olympia titleholder
• Evander Holyfield, retired professional boxer
• Tim Hudson, former starting pitcher with the Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants
• Calvin Johnson, former NFL receiver for the Detroit Lions, Sandy Creek HS and Georgia Tech alum
• Emmanuel Lewis, actor, Webster
• Carole Marsh, children's author and founder of Gallopade International
• Kelley O'Hara, United States Women's Soccer Player, 2011 FIFA World Cup silver medalist, 2012 Olympic gold medalist, 2015 FIFA World Cup gold medalist
• Paul Orndorff, pro wrestler
• Ferrol Sams, physician, humorist, storyteller, and best-selling novelist
• Reed Sorenson, NASCAR driver
• Christian Taylor, gold medal winner, 2012 Olympic Games (London) men's triple jump
• Gy Waldron, creator and executive producer, The Dukes of Hazzard
• John Waller, contemporary Christian singer
• Gary Anthony Williams, television and film actor

Other reading

• Charles S. Bullock III and Ronald Keith Gaddie, The Triumph of Voting Rights in the South (University of Oklahoma Press, 2009/2014)
• Carolyn C. Cary, ed., The History of Fayette County, 1821-1971 (Fayetteville, Ga.: Fayette County Historical Society, 1977).
• Fayette County Historical Society, The Fayette County Georgia Heritage Book (Waynesville, N.C.: Walsworth, 2003).

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Fayette (Georgia) para niños