Liberty County, Georgia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Liberty County
U.S. county
Liberty County Courthouse in Hinesville
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Georgia
Founded	February 5, 1777; 248 years ago (1777-02-05)
Named for	Liberty
Seat	Hinesville
Largest city	Hinesville
Area
• Total	603 sq mi (1,560 km2)
• Land	490 sq mi (1,300 km2)
• Water	113 sq mi (290 km2)  18.7%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	65,256
• Density	133/sq mi (51/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	1st

Liberty County is a county located in the state of Georgia, in the United States. In 2020, about 65,256 people lived here. The main town and county seat (where the county government is) is Hinesville.

Liberty County is part of the Hinesville area, which is a larger group of cities called a Metropolitan Statistical Area. It's also connected to the bigger Savannah region.

A Look Back: History of Liberty County

Early Inhabitants and European Arrival

The land that is now Liberty County was first home to the Guale people. In the early 1500s, the Spanish built a mission called Santa Catalina de Guale on what is now St. Catherine's Island. This mission was for the Guale people. Later, in the 1700s, the Guale joined the Muscogee group of Native Americans.

In 1733, a leader named Gen. James Oglethorpe made a deal with the local Muscogee tribes. This deal helped create the new colony of Georgia. Not many European settlers lived here until 1752.

The Midway District and Saint John's Parish

In 1752, a group of Congregationalists (a type of Christian group) came from Dorchester, South Carolina. They asked the government for land in an area called the Midway District. This area was between the Ogeechee and South Newport Rivers. They received the land and moved there with their families and enslaved African people. They started clearing the land to grow rice.

On March 15, 1758, the government created Saint John's Parish, which included this area. The town of Sunbury was started on June 19, 1758. It quickly became the second busiest port in Georgia, after Savannah.

Road to Independence

The Congregationalists in the Midway District grew a lot of rice using the labor of enslaved people. These settlers were born in British America and had strong ideas about being independent. In 1774, they were among the first in Georgia to want to get rid of the Intolerable Acts. These were unfair laws from the British government.

In 1775, the people of Saint John's Parish wanted Georgia to join the other 12 colonies. They wanted to send a representative to the 2nd Continental Congress, a meeting of colonial leaders. When the rest of Georgia didn't agree, Saint John's Parish sent its own representative, Dr. Lyman Hall.

Forming Liberty County

The British rule in Georgia ended in January 1776. A group called the Council of Safety arrested the governor, James Wright. This new government, which included many leaders from Saint John's Parish, created the first Constitution for the State of Georgia.

On February 5, 1777, under this new constitution, three parishes (Saint John's, Saint Andrew's, and Saint James') were combined. They were named Liberty County. This name honored the people of Saint John's Parish for their strong belief in liberty (freedom) during the American Revolution.

Sunbury was the first county seat in 1784. Later, in 1797, the county seat moved to Riceboro. Finally, in 1837, it moved to Hinesville, where it is today.

Where is Liberty County? Geography

Land and Water

Liberty County covers about 603 square miles. Most of this (490 square miles) is land, and about 113 square miles (18.7%) is water.

The eastern and southern parts of the county are in the Ogeechee Coastal area, which is part of the Ogeechee River basin. The northern and western parts are in the Canoochee River area, also part of the Ogeechee River basin.

Main Roads

• I-95
• US 17
• US 84
• SR 25
• SR 38
• SR 38 Conn.
• SR 119
• SR 144
• SR 196
• SR 405 (This is the hidden number for I-95)

Neighboring Counties

• Chatham County - to the northeast
• Bryan County - to the north
• McIntosh County - to the south
• Long County - to the west
• Evans County - to the northwest
• Tattnall County - to the northwest

Towns and Communities

Cities

• Allenhurst
• Flemington
• Gumbranch
• Hinesville (This is the county seat)
• Midway
• Riceboro
• Walthourville

Special Areas

• Fort Stewart (a "census-designated place" which is like a town but not officially a city)

Other Communities

• Sunbury
• Fleming
• Limerick
• McIntosh
• Seabrook

People of Liberty County: Demographics

In 2020, the United States census counted 65,256 people living in Liberty County. There were 23,485 households and 16,657 families.

Learning in Liberty County: Education

Liberty County School District headquarters

Most students in Liberty County attend schools run by the Liberty County School District. This district serves students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

However, some parts of Fort Stewart have a different school system for younger students. This is the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). Older students from Fort Stewart go to public high schools in the county.

The Liberty County School District has several schools, including:

• Liberty County High School
• Bradwell Institute
• Midway Middle School
• Lewis Frasier Middle School
• Snelson-Golden Middle School

The district also offers the Liberty College & Career Academy (LCCA). This academy helps students explore different jobs and careers they might want to have in the future.

Liberty County in Movies

The movie A Promise, which was made independently (not by a big studio), was filmed in Liberty County in 2014.

Images for kids

• 

  Liberty County Justice Center

• 

  Liberty County Courthouse Annex

• 

  Liberty County Recreation Department

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Liberty (Georgia) para niños