Lakeland, Georgia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lakeland, Georgia
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Lakeland City Hall and Lakeland Police Department
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Location in Lanier County and the state of Georgia
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| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Lanier |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.15 sq mi (8.16 km2) |
| • Land | 3.10 sq mi (8.04 km2) |
| • Water | 0.05 sq mi (0.12 km2) |
| Elevation | 200 ft (61 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,875 |
| • Density | 926.52/sq mi (357.79/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
31635
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| Area code(s) | 229 |
| FIPS code | 13-44592 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0356347 |
Lakeland is a city in Georgia, United States. It is the main town, also known as the county seat, of Lanier County. Lakeland is also part of the larger Valdosta, Georgia area. In 2020, about 2,875 people lived there.
Lakeland used to have different names like Alapaha and Milltown. It got its current name in 1925. This name honors the nearby lakes: Grand Bay Lake, Lake Irma, and Banks Lake. For many years, Lakeland even had its own railroad!
The town hosts various festivals throughout the year. One popular event is Market Day & ‘LA DAY. This celebration brings together people from nearby areas to enjoy vendors and music. Lakeland is also unique because it has murals showing both enslaved people and plantation owners.
Contents
History of Lakeland
The area where Lakeland is now began as a community called Alapaha in the late 1830s. It grew around a mill built by Joshua Lee near what is now Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge. In 1838, a post office opened and was named Alapaha, after the nearby Alapaha River.
In 1848, Joshua Lee sold his mill to William Lastinger. More mills were built in the 1850s, and the community kept growing. In 1857, Alapaha was renamed Milltown. During the American Civil War, William Lastinger sold his mill to Henry Banks.
Milltown officially became a town in 1901. In 1919, it was chosen as the county seat for the newly formed Lanier County. Finally, in 1928, the city was renamed Lakeland, which is the name it still has today.
Lakeland's Location and Size
Lakeland is located at 31°2′21″N 83°4′13″W / 31.03917°N 83.07028°W.
The United States Census Bureau says the city covers a total area of about 3.1 square miles (8.1 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, about 3.1 square miles (8.04 square kilometers). A small part, about 0.04 square miles (0.12 square kilometers), is water.
Population Changes in Lakeland
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 1,247 | — | |
| 1920 | 860 | −31.0% | |
| 1930 | 1,006 | 17.0% | |
| 1940 | 1,502 | 49.3% | |
| 1950 | 1,551 | 3.3% | |
| 1960 | 2,236 | 44.2% | |
| 1970 | 2,569 | 14.9% | |
| 1980 | 2,647 | 3.0% | |
| 1990 | 2,467 | −6.8% | |
| 2000 | 2,730 | 10.7% | |
| 2010 | 3,366 | 23.3% | |
| 2020 | 2,875 | −14.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
The table below shows the different racial groups living in Lakeland as of 2020.
| Race | Number of People | Percentage |
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| White (not Hispanic) | 1,486 | 51.69% |
| Black or African American (not Hispanic) | 1,152 | 40.07% |
| Native American | 3 | 0.1% |
| Asian | 26 | 0.9% |
| Pacific Islander | 6 | 0.21% |
| Other/Mixed Race | 114 | 3.97% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 88 | 3.06% |
In 2020, there were 2,875 people living in Lakeland. These people lived in 997 households, and 631 of these were families.
Education in Lakeland
The Lanier County School District manages schools from pre-school all the way to twelfth grade. It includes two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 94 full-time teachers and teaches over 1,345 students.
The schools in Lakeland are:
- Lanier County Primary School
- Lanier County Elementary School
- Lanier County Middle School
- Lanier County High School
The South Georgia Regional Library runs the W. L. Miller Memorial Library in Lakeland. This library started small in 1950, located in the county school superintendent's office. It moved a few times before getting its own building. The first standalone library opened in 1980. The current building, which was partly funded by a generous donation from the W. L. Miller family, opened on March 13, 1988. It was updated in 2012.
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Lanier County High School
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Lanier County Middle School
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Lanier County Elementary School
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Lanier County Primary School
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W. L. Miller Memorial Library
See also
In Spanish: Lakeland (Georgia) para niños
