Oconee County, Georgia Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Oconee County
U.S. county
Oconee County Courthouse in Watkinsville
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Georgia
Founded	February 24, 1875; 150 years ago (1875-02-24)
Named for	Oconee River
Seat	Watkinsville
Largest town	Watkinsville
Area
• Total	186 sq mi (480 km²)
• Land	184 sq mi (480 km²)
• Water	2.1 sq mi (5 km²) 1.1%%
Population (2020)
• Total	41,799
• Density	227/sq mi (88/km²)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	10th

Oconee County is a place in the northeastern part of Georgia. It's like a smaller region within the state. In 2020, about 41,799 people lived here. The main town, or "county seat," where the government offices are, is Watkinsville. Oconee County is also part of the larger Athens-Clarke County area.

History of Oconee County

The name "Oconee" comes from the Oconee people. They were a group of Native Americans who lived in central Georgia. Their name can be spelled in different ways, like Ocone or Ekwoni.

Oconee County was created in 1875. It was formed from a part of Clarke County. People living in southwestern Clarke County wanted their own county. This was because the main government town, or county seat, had moved from Watkinsville to Athens in 1872.

The county is also named after the Oconee River. This river flows along part of its eastern side. In 2006, Progressive Farmer magazine said Oconee County was the third-best rural county to live in.

Geography of Oconee County

Oconee County covers about 186 square miles. Most of this area, about 184 square miles, is land. The rest, about 2.1 square miles, is water. The county is located in the Piedmont region of Georgia. The Piedmont is an area of rolling hills between the mountains and the coastal plain.

All of Oconee County is in the Upper Oconee River area. This area is part of the larger Altamaha River basin.

Neighboring Counties

Oconee County shares borders with several other counties:

Clarke County (north)
Oglethorpe County (east)
Greene County (southeast)
Morgan County (south)
Walton County (west)
Barrow County (northwest)

Protected Areas

A part of the Oconee National Forest is located in Oconee County. This is a special area protected by the government.

Communities in Oconee County

Oconee County has several towns and one unincorporated community.

Towns

Unincorporated Community

Farmington

Population of Oconee County

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	6,351	—
1890	7,713	21.4%
1900	8,602	11.5%
1910	11,104	29.1%
1920	11,067	−0.3%
1930	8,082	−27.0%
1940	7,576	−6.3%
1950	7,009	−7.5%
1960	6,304	−10.1%
1970	7,915	25.6%
1980	12,427	57.0%
1990	17,618	41.8%
2000	26,225	48.9%
2010	32,666	24.6%
2020	41,799	28.0%
2023 (est.)	44,182	35.3%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1880 1890-1910 1920-1930 1930-1940 1940-1950 1960-1980 1980-2000 2010

The population of Oconee County has changed a lot over the years. In 1880, about 6,351 people lived there. By 2020, the population had grown to 41,799 people.

Diversity in Oconee County

The table below shows the different groups of people living in Oconee County in 2020.

Oconee County racial composition as of 2020
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	33,886	81.07%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	1,897	4.54%
Native American	31	0.07%
Asian	2,066	4.94%
Other/Mixed	1,572	3.76%
Hispanic or Latino	2,347	5.61%

In 2020, there were 41,799 people living in Oconee County. These people made up 13,423 households and 10,727 families.

Education in Oconee County

Oconee County has many schools and colleges for students of all ages.

Oconee County School District

The Oconee County School District helps educate students from pre-school all the way to twelfth grade. The district has six elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools. There are 361 full-time teachers. Over 5,615 students attend these schools.

Private Schools

There are three private schools in Oconee County:

Westminster Christian Academy
Prince Avenue Christian School
Athens Academy

Colleges and Universities

The University of North Georgia has a campus near Watkinsville. It used to be Gainesville State College. It became part of the University of North Georgia in 2012.

The College of Athens (CoA) is a private Christian college. It started in 2012, also near Watkinsville. CoA offers different types of degrees. These include certificates, undergraduate degrees, and graduate degrees in nine main subjects.

Media in Oconee County

Oconee County has its own newspaper and several radio stations.

Newspaper

There is one newspaper published every week in Oconee County. It is called The Oconee Enterprise.

Radio Stations

Cox Media Group runs a radio station building in northeast Oconee County. Four radio stations broadcast from this location:

WNGC 106.1 FM
WGMG 102.1 FM (Magic 102.1)
WPUP 100.1 FM (Power 100.1)
WRFC 960 AM (The Ref)

Transportation in Oconee County

Oconee County has many important roads and highways.

Major Highways

U.S. Route 29
U.S. Route 78
U.S. Route 78 Business
U.S. Route 129
U.S. Route 129 Business
U.S. Route 441
U.S. Route 441 Business
State Route 8
State Route 10
State Route 10 Loop
State Route 15
State Route 24
State Route 24 Business
State Route 53
State Route 186
State Route 316
State Route 422

Walking and Biking Paths

There are not many places to walk easily in the city right now. However, since 2017, there have been plans to build a network of paths for walking and biking.

Notable People from Oconee County

Many interesting people have come from Oconee County:

Nathan Crawford Barnett, who was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives and Georgia Secretary of State for over 30 years.
Phil Campbell, a farmer.
Adam Frazier, a second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles baseball team.
Gavin Adcock, a country music singer.
John Wes Townley, a former Nascar driver.

Oconee County, Georgia facts for kids

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