List of counties in Georgia (U.S facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Counties of Georgia
Location	State of Georgia
Number	159
Populations	1,680 (Taliaferro) – 1,010,562 (Fulton)
Areas	121 square miles (310 km2) (Clarke) – 903 square miles (2,340 km2) (Ware)
Government	County government
Subdivisions	Cities, towns, unincorporated communities, census designated place

The State of Georgia in the United States has 159 counties. This is more than any other state except Texas, which has 254 counties.

In Georgia, counties have "home rule." This means they can make their own decisions about local issues. Georgia also has eight "consolidated city-counties." These are places where the city and county governments have joined together. Examples include Athens–Clarke County and Macon–Bibb County.

History of Georgia's Counties

Georgia's counties have a long history. From 1732 to 1758, the state was divided into smaller areas called districts and towns. In 1758, Georgia was split into eight parishes. Four more parishes were added in 1765. Then, in 1777, the first eight counties were created. These were Burke, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Richmond, and Wilkes.

Georgia has the second-highest number of counties in the U.S. A common reason for creating so many counties in the past was simple: a farmer or rancher needed to be able to travel to the main county town (the county seat) and get back home in one day. This was important for legal matters and trade.

However, about 25 counties were created in the early 1900s. By then, people were using trains and cars, which made travel much faster. The very last new county created in Georgia was Peach County in 1924.

Over time, there were attempts to limit the number of counties. The most recent rule, passed in 1945, set the limit at 159 counties. Before that, from 1924 to 1931, Georgia actually had 161 counties.

In a rare move, two counties, Campbell County and Milton County, were combined into Fulton County in 1932. This happened during the Great Depression because these two counties were almost out of money. Fulton County includes Atlanta, and it was hoped that tax money from Atlanta would help support the rural areas of the struggling counties.

Georgia is the only state that still allows a "sole commissioner" county government. This means one person is in charge of the county government. Currently, only nine of Georgia's 159 counties use this system.

Counties with Changed Names

Some counties in Georgia have changed their names over time.

• Jasper County was first called "Randolph County." Later, the current Randolph County was formed.
• Webster County used to be named "Kinchafoonee County."
• The former Cass County was renamed Bartow County.

Counties That No Longer Exist

Several parishes were dissolved in 1777 when the first counties were created.

• Campbell County (1828 – 1932): This county was formed from parts of Carroll and Coweta counties. In 1870, part of it became Douglas County. The rest was merged into Fulton County in 1932.
• Milton County (1857 – 1932): This county was formed from parts of Cobb, Cherokee, and Forsyth counties. It was merged into Fulton County in 1932.

There was also an earlier Walton County in Georgia. This county was actually located in what is now western North Carolina. A small fight, called the Walton War, happened between North Carolina and Georgia in 1810. Georgia later gave up its claim to that area.

Fictional Counties in Georgia

Many movies and TV shows have created their own fictional counties in Georgia.

Fictional Counties in Films

• Deliverance (1972) is set in a North Georgia county called Aintry.
• Diggstown (1992) takes place in Olivera County.
• Ghost Fever (1987) is set in Greendale County, which might be inspired by Greene County.

Fictional Counties in Television Shows

• The Dukes of Hazzard (1979 - 1985) takes place in Hazzard County, Georgia.
• The Following (2013 – 2015) mentions Jesup County. While there is a town called Jesup, it's in Wayne County.
• The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo (1979 - 1981) is set in Orly County, Georgia.
• Rectify (2013–present) takes place in Paulie County, Georgia.
• Squidbillies (2005 – present), an animated show about talking squids, is set in Dougal County. This might be a reference to Douglas County.
• The Walking Dead (2010 – present) names three made-up counties: King, Linden, and Mert County.

Fictional Counties in Theatre

• The Foreigner (1983), a play by Larry Shue, is set in Tilghman County, Georgia.

List of Georgia Counties

Georgia has 159 counties in total. Here is a small sample of some of them:

County	FIPS code	County seat	Established	Origin	Etymology	Density	Population	Area	Map
Appling County	001	Baxley	1818	Land ceded by the Creek Indians in the Treaty of Fort Jackson in 1814 and the Treaty of the Creek Agency in 1818	Colonel Daniel Appling (1787 – 1818), a hero of the War of 1812	36.09	&&&&&&&&&&018368.&&&&&018,368	&&&&&&&&&&&&0509.&&&&&0509 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&01318.&&&&&01,318 km2)
Atkinson County	003	Pearson	1917	Clinch and Coffee Counties	William Yates Atkinson (1854 – 99), governor of Georgia (1894 – 98) and speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives	24.51	&&&&&&&&&&&08284.&&&&&08,284	&&&&&&&&&&&&0338.&&&&&0338 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&&0875.&&&&&0875 km2)
Bacon County	005	Alma	1914	Appling, Pierce and Ware Counties	Augustus Octavius Bacon (1839 – 1914), U.S. Senator (1895 – 1914); President pro tempore of the United States Senate	39.29	&&&&&&&&&&011198.&&&&&011,198	&&&&&&&&&&&&0285.&&&&&0285 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&&0738.&&&&&0738 km2)
Baker County	007	Newton	1825	Early County	Colonel John Baker (died 1792), a hero of the American Revolutionary War	9.81	&&&&&&&&&&&03366.&&&&&03,366	&&&&&&&&&&&&0343.&&&&&0343 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&&0888.&&&&&0888 km2)
Baldwin County	009	Milledgeville	1803	Creek cessions of 1802 and 1805	Abraham Baldwin (1754 – 1807), a Founding Father; U.S. Senator (1799 – 1807); one of the Georgia delegates who signed the U.S. Constitution	179.72	&&&&&&&&&&046367.&&&&&046,367	&&&&&&&&&&&&0258.&&&&&0258 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&&0668.&&&&&0668 km2)
Banks County	011	Homer	1859	Franklin and Habersham Counties	Dr. Richard Banks (1784 – 1850), local physician noted for treating natives with smallpox	78.27	&&&&&&&&&&018316.&&&&&018,316	&&&&&&&&&&&&0234.&&&&&0234 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&&0606.&&&&&0606 km2)
Barrow County	013	Winder	1914	Gwinnett, Jackson and Walton counties	"Uncle Dave" David Crenshaw Barrow Jr. (1852 – 1929), chancellor of the University of Georgia (1906 – 29)	433.14	&&&&&&&&&&070169.&&&&&070,169	&&&&&&&&&&&&0162.&&&&&0162 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&&0420.&&&&&0420 km2)
Bartow County	015	Cartersville	1832	Created from a portion of Cherokee County in 1832 and originally called Cass County after General Lewis Cass	General Francis S. Bartow (1816 – 61), Confederate political leader; first Confederate general killed in the American Civil War	218.83	&&&&&&&&&0100661.&&&&&0100,661	&&&&&&&&&&&&0460.&&&&&0460 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&01191.&&&&&01,191 km2)
Ben Hill County	017	Fitzgerald	1906	Irwin and Wilcox counties	Benjamin Harvey Hill (1823 – 82), U.S. Senator (1877 – 82)	69.60	&&&&&&&&&&017538.&&&&&017,538	&&&&&&&&&&&&0252.&&&&&0252 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&&0653.&&&&&0653 km2)
Berrien County	019	Nashville	1856	Coffee, Irwin, and Lowndes counties	John MacPherson Berrien (1781 – 1856), U.S. Senator; U.S. Attorney General	42.13	&&&&&&&&&&019041.&&&&&019,041	&&&&&&&&&&&&0452.&&&&&0452 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&01171.&&&&&01,171 km2)