Fort Valley, Georgia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fort Valley, Georgia
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Fort Valley City Hall
|
|||
|
|||
| Nickname(s):
"Peach Capital of Georgia"
|
|||
| Motto(s):
"Where Caring Is A Way Of Life"
|
|||
Location in Peach County and the state of Georgia
|
|||
| Country | United States | ||
| State | Georgia | ||
| County | Peach | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 7.55 sq mi (19.56 km2) | ||
| • Land | 7.54 sq mi (19.52 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.04 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 518 ft (158 m) | ||
| Population
(2020)
|
|||
| • Total | 8,780 | ||
| • Density | 1,164.77/sq mi (449.73/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | ||
| ZIP code |
31030
|
||
| Area code(s) | 478 | ||
| FIPS code | 13-31096 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0355881 | ||
| Website | Fort Valley website | ||
Fort Valley is a city in and the county seat of Peach County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 8,780.
The city is in the Warner Robins metropolitan area and the Macon–Warner Robins combined statistical area.
Contents
History
The town's name is a mystery, as it has never had a fort. Historians believe that the name was mistakenly changed in a transcription error when the post office was named; the area was originally thought to have been called Fox Valley.
Founded in 1836, Fort Valley was incorporated as a town in 1854 and as a city in 1907. In 1924 it was the designated seat of the newly formed Peach County.
Fort Valley was the backdrop for a Life feature story in the March 22, 1943 edition. The World War II-era story focused on the town's sponsoring of the "Ham and Egg Show," a contest held by African-American farmers to highlight ham and poultry production in Peach County, Georgia.
Geography
The city is located in the central part of the state along U.S. Route 341, which is the main route through the city. Via U.S. 341, Roberta is 15 mi (24 km) northwest, and Perry is 12 mi (19 km) southeast. Georgia State Routes 49, 96, and 540 (Fall Line Freeway) also run through the city. GA-49 leads northeast 11 mi (18 km) to Byron and southwest 8 mi (13 km) to Marshallville. GA-96 leads east 16 mi (26 km) to Warner Robins and west 13 mi (21 km) to Reynolds. The Fall Line Freeway runs north of the city as a four-lane divided highway, leading northeast to Byron with GA-49 and west to Reynolds with GA-96.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.3 square miles (14 km2), all land.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 1,333 | — | |
| 1880 | 1,277 | −4.2% | |
| 1890 | 1,752 | 37.2% | |
| 1900 | 2,022 | 15.4% | |
| 1910 | 2,697 | 33.4% | |
| 1920 | 3,223 | 19.5% | |
| 1930 | 4,560 | 41.5% | |
| 1940 | 4,953 | 8.6% | |
| 1950 | 6,820 | 37.7% | |
| 1960 | 8,310 | 21.8% | |
| 1970 | 9,251 | 11.3% | |
| 1980 | 9,000 | −2.7% | |
| 1990 | 8,198 | −8.9% | |
| 2000 | 8,005 | −2.4% | |
| 2010 | 9,815 | 22.6% | |
| 2020 | 8,780 | −10.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 992 | 11.3% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 6,825 | 77.73% |
| Native American | 14 | 0.16% |
| Asian | 23 | 0.26% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.01% |
| Other/Mixed | 213 | 2.43% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 712 | 8.11% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,780 people, 3,040 households, and 1,685 families residing in the city.
Economy
Fort Valley is the corporate headquarters of the Blue Bird Corporation, a large manufacturer of activity buses and school buses, which opened its first Fort Valley facility in 1935.
Athletics
Football
Despite being a city of less than 10,000 people, Fort Valley boasts one of the best football teams in the state. The Peach County High Trojans have played in eight state title games since 1990, and have made the playoffs every year since.
- 1992 AAA State Runners-Up
- 1998 AAA State Runners-Up
- 2003 AAA State Runners-Up
- 2005 AAA State Champions
- 2006 AAA State Champions
- 2009 AAA State Champions
- 2011 AAA State Runners-Up
- 2017 AAA State Runners-Up
Track and field
- 1993 AAA 4x100 Relay State Champions (Greg Streeter, Jacquez Green, Marcus Robinson, Melvin Oats)
Arts and culture
Points of interest
- Massee Lane Gardens
- Blue Bird Corporation's headquarters, currently their only Georgia plant
Education
Public schools
The Peach County School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of three elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school. The district has 270 full-time teachers and over 3,927 students.
- Byron Elementary School
- Hunt Elementary School
- Kay Road Elementary School
- Byron Middle School
- Fort Valley Middle School
- Peach County High School
Colleges and universities
The city is home to Fort Valley State University, a historically black college.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Highways
U.S. Route:
U.S. Route 341
State Routes:
State Route 7
State Route 42
State Route 49
State Route 96
Notable people
- Louie Crew (1936–2019), emeritus professor at Rutgers University, poet and activist, taught at Fort Valley State from 1973 to 1979
- Antone Davis (born 1967), former National Football League offensive lineman
- Jacquez Green (born 1976), former National Football League wide receiver and punt returner
- Harold Houser (1897–1981), United States Navy Rear admiral, and the 35th Governor of American Samoa
- Edward H. Hurst (1916–1997), Brigadier general in the Marine Corps and recipient of Navy Cross
- Louis Ivory (born 1980), former college football running back, 2000 Walter Payton Award winner
- Kearis Jackson (born 1999), wide receiver for the Georgia Bulldogs
- Benny Johnson (1948–1988), NFL player
- Pete Johnson (born 1954), former NFL player
- Greg Lloyd (born 1965), former NFL player
- Danny Lockett (born 1964), former NFL player
- Randy McMichael (born 1979), former NFL player for the San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, and the St. Louis Rams
- Marcus Robinson (born 1975), former National Football League wide receiver
- A. T. Walden (1885–1965), lawyer and civil rights leader
- Tim Watson (born 1970), former American football safety in the National Football League
See also
In Spanish: Fort Valley para niños
