Washington County, Georgia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Washington County
U.S. county
County courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Georgia
Founded	February 25, 1784; 241 years ago (1784)
Named for	George Washington
Seat	Sandersville
Largest city	Sandersville
Area
• Total	684 sq mi (1,770 km2)
• Land	678 sq mi (1,760 km2)
• Water	5.9 sq mi (15 km2)  0.9%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	19,988
• Estimate  (2023)	19,820
• Density	29.222/sq mi (11.283/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	12th

Washington County is a place in the state of Georgia, USA. In 2020, about 19,988 people lived there. Its main town, or county capital, is Sandersville.

The county was created on February 25, 1784. It is named after George Washington, a famous general from the American Revolutionary War and the first President of the United States.

Exploring Washington County's Geography

Washington County covers a total area of about 684 square miles. Most of this area, about 678 square miles, is land. The remaining 5.9 square miles (0.9%) is water.

The western part of the county, including the area west of Sandersville, is in the Lower Oconee River area. This river flows into the larger Altamaha River.

The northeastern part of the county, north of Riddleville, is part of the Upper Ogeechee River area. The southeastern part, around Harrison, is in the Ohoopee River area, which also flows into the Altamaha River.

Main Roads in Washington County

Many important roads help people travel through Washington County. These roads connect different towns and areas within the county and to other parts of Georgia.

Neighboring Counties

Washington County shares its borders with several other counties in Georgia. These include:

• Glascock County (to the northeast)
• Jefferson County (to the east)
• Johnson County (to the south)
• Wilkinson County (to the southwest)
• Baldwin County (to the west)
• Hancock County (to the northwest)

Towns and Communities

Washington County has several towns and communities where people live and work.

Cities

• Davisboro
• Oconee
• Sandersville (This is the county's main town)
• Tennille

Towns

• Deepstep
• Harrison
• Riddleville

Other Communities

• Warthen (a census-designated place)
• Ennis
• Goat Town
• Hamburg
• Irwins Crossroads
• Pringle
• Sun Hill
• Veal

Who Lives in Washington County?

The number of people living in Washington County has changed over many years. The U.S. Census counts the population every ten years.

Population in 2020

In 2020, the census counted 19,988 people living in Washington County. There were 7,503 households and 5,315 families.

The population is made up of different groups. In 2020, about 42% of the people were White (not Hispanic). About 53.5% were Black or African American (not Hispanic). Other groups, including Asian, Native American, and people of mixed races, made up smaller parts of the population. About 1.67% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.

Kaolin mines are a major industry in Washington County. Kaolin has had a particularly strong impact on the town of Sandersville which brands itself as the “kaolin capital of the world.” Each October, the town hosts a festival that includes a parade of heavy mining machinery, kaolin mine tours, and a beauty pageant that crowns Miss Kaolin.

Schools and Learning

The Washington County School District manages the public schools in the county. These schools help students learn and grow.

• Ridge Road Elementary School
• T.J. Elder Middle School
• Washington County High School

There is also one private school in the county:

• Brentwood School

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Washington (Georgia) para niños