kids encyclopedia robot

Oglethorpe, Georgia facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Oglethorpe, Georgia
Oglethorpe municipal building in Oglethorpe
Oglethorpe municipal building in Oglethorpe
Location in Macon County and the state of Georgia
Location in Macon County and the state of Georgia
Country United States
State Georgia
County Macon
Area
 • Total 2.05 sq mi (5.32 km2)
 • Land 2.01 sq mi (5.20 km2)
 • Water 0.05 sq mi (0.12 km2)
Elevation
341 ft (104 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 995
 • Density 496.01/sq mi (191.49/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
31068
Area code(s) 478
FIPS code 13-57736
GNIS feature ID 0332561

Oglethorpe is a city in Macon County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,328 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Macon County. It was named for Georgia's founder, James Oglethorpe.

History

Oglethorpe was founded in 1838. It was located in the Black Belt of Georgia, where slaves outnumbered whites and did the work to support cultivation of cotton as a commodity crop. Oglethorpe was incorporated as a town in 1849 and as a city in 1852. In 1857, the seat of Macon County was transferred to Oglethorpe from Lanier.

Oglethorpe was once one of the largest cities in southwestern Georgia. Epidemics of malaria and smallpox caused high fatalities in the early 1860s; the remaining residents in Oglethorpe fled south to Americus to escape more disease.

Geography

Oglethorpe is located at 32°17′36″N 84°3′45″W / 32.29333°N 84.06250°W / 32.29333; -84.06250 (32.293328, -84.062616). (0.04 sq mi) of it (1.46%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 113
1860 454 301.8%
1870 400 −11.9%
1880 442 10.5%
1890 486 10.0%
1900 545 12.1%
1910 924 69.5%
1920 871 −5.7%
1930 953 9.4%
1940 1,048 10.0%
1950 1,204 14.9%
1960 1,169 −2.9%
1970 1,286 10.0%
1980 1,305 1.5%
1990 1,302 −0.2%
2000 1,200 −7.8%
2010 1,328 10.7%
2020 995 −25.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Oglethorpe racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 222 22.31%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 685 68.84%
Native American 2 0.2%
Asian 9 0.9%
Pacific Islander 1 0.1%
Other/Mixed 23 2.31%
Hispanic or Latino 53 5.33%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 995 people, 561 households, and 351 families residing in the city.

Education

Macon County School District

The Macon County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one elementary school, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 129 full-time teachers and over 2,200 students.

  • Macon County Elementary School
  • Macon County Middle School
  • Macon County High School

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Oglethorpe para niños

kids search engine
Oglethorpe, Georgia Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.