Waycross, Georgia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Waycross, Georgia
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| City of Waycross | |
Images from top, left to right: Downtown Waycross, Confederate memorial, alligator in the Okefenokee Swamp, Waycross City Hall, World War I memorial, Downtown Waycross Historic District, Ware County Courthouse
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| Motto(s):
Headwaters of the Okefenokee
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Location in Ware County and the state of Georgia
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| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| Counties | Ware |
| Area | |
| • City | 11.96 sq mi (30.97 km2) |
| • Land | 11.87 sq mi (30.73 km2) |
| • Water | 0.09 sq mi (0.23 km2) |
| Elevation | 131 ft (40 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • City | 13,942 |
| • Density | 1,174.95/sq mi (453.65/km2) |
| • Urban | 36,312 |
| • Metro | 54,494 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes |
31501-31502-31503
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| Area code(s) | 912 |
| FIPS code | 13-80956 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0356622 |
| Website | http://www.waycrossga.com |
Waycross is the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Ware County in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 14,725 at the 2010 Census.
Waycross includes two historic districts (Downtown Waycross Historic District and Waycross Historic District) and several other properties that are on the National Register of Historic Places, including the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, Lott Cemetery, the First African Baptist Church and Parsonage, and the Obediah Barber Homestead (which is seven miles south of the city).
Contents
History
The area now known as Waycross was first settled circa 1820, locally known as "Old Nine" or "Number Nine" and then Pendleton. It was renamed Tebeauville in 1857, incorporated under that name in 1866, and designated county seat of Ware County in 1873. It was incorporated as "Way Cross" on March 3, 1874. Waycross gets its name from the city’s location at key railroad junctions; lines from six directions meet at the city.
Waycross was the site of the 1948 Waycross B-29 crash, which led to the legal case United States v. Reynolds (1953), expanding the government's state secrets privilege.
During the 1950s the city had a tourist gimmick: local police would stop motorists with out-of-state license plates and escort them to downtown Waycross. There they would be met by the Welcome World Committee and given overnight lodging, dinner and a trip to the Okefenokee Swamp. The tradition faded away after the interstates opened through Georgia.
During the mid-1990s, Waycross originated a frozen hamburger that needed no defrosting, the Bubba Burger. This was the creation of Eaves Foods, Inc., a company that later changed to Bubba Foods, LLC. in 2000. Bubba Burgers are now sold nationwide as well as worldwide through the United States Military Commissary system.
Geography
Waycross is located at 31°12′50″N 82°21′18″W / 31.21389°N 82.35500°W (31.213860, -82.354911) and is the closest city to the Okefenokee Swamp.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.7 square miles (30 km2), of which 11.7 square miles (30 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) (0.17%) is water. The closest major city is Jacksonville, Florida, which is roughly 81 miles away.
In May 2010, the city purchased the Bandalong Litter Trap and installed it in Tebeau Creek, a tributary of the Satilla River. The trap was invented in Australia, but is manufactured in the United States. Although the city has maintained a good standing with the state's Environmental Protection Division, the city wanted to take action to reduce the amount of human generated trash entering the Satilla River and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean. Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue said, “Water is one of Georgia’s most important and precious resources... the litter trap installed by Waycross is a model of stewardship for the state and the nation.” The Satilla River litter trap is the first in Georgia and only the second in the nation.
Part of Waycross was situated in Pierce County, but effective July 1, 2015, Waycross was no longer located nor allowed to be located in Pierce County. State Rep. Chad Nimmer introduced HB 523 during the 2015 Legislative Session without providing the required statutory notice to the City of Waycross. HB 523 de-annexed the portion of Waycross located in Pierce County and prevents the City of Waycross from coming back into Pierce County.
Climate
| Climate data for Waycross 4NE (1981-2010) extremes 1897–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 88 (31) |
88 (31) |
95 (35) |
98 (37) |
104 (40) |
106 (41) |
108 (42) |
106 (41) |
104 (40) |
99 (37) |
92 (33) |
87 (31) |
108 (42) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 62.2 (16.8) |
65.9 (18.8) |
72.9 (22.7) |
79.2 (26.2) |
86.4 (30.2) |
90.9 (32.7) |
92.9 (33.8) |
91.2 (32.9) |
87.3 (30.7) |
79.7 (26.5) |
72.7 (22.6) |
64.0 (17.8) |
78.8 (26.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 48.9 (9.4) |
52.5 (11.4) |
58.9 (14.9) |
64.7 (18.2) |
72.8 (22.7) |
79.3 (26.3) |
81.8 (27.7) |
80.8 (27.1) |
76.2 (24.6) |
66.9 (19.4) |
58.9 (14.9) |
50.8 (10.4) |
66.0 (18.9) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 35.7 (2.1) |
39.0 (3.9) |
44.9 (7.2) |
50.2 (10.1) |
59.1 (15.1) |
67.7 (19.8) |
70.8 (21.6) |
70.4 (21.3) |
65.0 (18.3) |
54.1 (12.3) |
45.2 (7.3) |
37.6 (3.1) |
53.3 (11.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 2 (−17) |
2 (−17) |
15 (−9) |
22 (−6) |
33 (1) |
43 (6) |
54 (12) |
57 (14) |
34 (1) |
22 (−6) |
18 (−8) |
8 (−13) |
2 (−17) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.34 (110) |
3.89 (99) |
4.49 (114) |
2.89 (73) |
2.80 (71) |
6.51 (165) |
5.91 (150) |
6.39 (162) |
4.16 (106) |
3.25 (83) |
2.46 (62) |
2.96 (75) |
50.05 (1,271) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 11.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 8.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 102 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Transportation
U.S. Highway 1 runs north–south through Waycross, while concurrent with U.S. Highway 23. U.S. Highway 82 is an east–west highway in Waycross. U.S. Highway 84 runs east–west through Waycross. There are no limited-access highways anywhere near Waycross; Interstate 75 is 60 miles to the west, and Interstate 95 is 40 miles to the east. Waycross-Ware County Airport (IATA: AYS, ICAO: KAYS, FAA LID: AYS) is a public airport located three miles (5 km) northwest of the central business district of Waycross. It is owned by the City of Waycross and Ware County.
Six railroad lines meet at Waycross, making it a logical location for shunting freight to different destinations. CSX Transportation operates Rice Yard here, a major "hump"-type classification yard.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 628 | — | |
| 1890 | 3,364 | 435.7% | |
| 1900 | 5,919 | 76.0% | |
| 1910 | 14,485 | 144.7% | |
| 1920 | 18,068 | 24.7% | |
| 1930 | 15,510 | −14.2% | |
| 1940 | 16,763 | 8.1% | |
| 1950 | 18,899 | 12.7% | |
| 1960 | 20,944 | 10.8% | |
| 1970 | 18,996 | −9.3% | |
| 1980 | 19,371 | 2.0% | |
| 1990 | 16,410 | −15.3% | |
| 2000 | 15,333 | −6.6% | |
| 2010 | 14,649 | −4.5% | |
| 2020 | 13,942 | −4.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 4,940 | 35.43% |
| Black or African American | 7,672 | 55.03% |
| Native American | 30 | 0.22% |
| Asian | 138 | 0.99% |
| Pacific Islander | 8 | 0.06% |
| Other/Mixed | 559 | 4.01% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 595 | 4.27% |
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 13,942 people, 5,748 households, and 3,197 families residing in the city.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 14,649 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 54.8% Black, 39.6% White, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from some other race and 1.5% from two or more races. 2.8% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Education
Ware County School District
The Ware County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of a pre-school, six elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. The district has 431 full-time teachers and over 6,370 students.
Private education
- Southside Christian School
Discovery Montessori School https://www.discoverymontessorischool.us/contact
Higher education
- South Georgia State College - Waycross campus
- Coastal Pines Technical College - Waycross campus
Notable people
- Johnny Archer — professional pool player, "The Scorpion"
- Michael P. Boggs — Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia and former judge on the Georgia Court of Appeals.
- Stanley Booth — author, journalist, music critic
- Billy Carter — brother of former President Jimmy Carter, promoter of Billy Beer
- Sonora Webster Carver — first woman horse diver
- Ossie Davis — actor, writer, director, producer, Kennedy Center Honors award recipient, was born in Clinch County
- Nikki DeLoach — former member of The New Mickey Mouse Club, the girl group Innosense, and actress on the television series North Shore and Windfall
- Harry D. Dixon — state representative; served in the Georgia House of Representatives for 38 years; served on the board of the Georgia Department of Transportation
- Drayton Florence — professional football player, cornerback who played 11 seasons in NFL, highest draft pick ever from Tuskegee University
- Ernest Jones - professional football player for the Los Angeles Rams
- Tim McCray — professional football player from 1985 to 1990 in the CFL with the Saskatchewan Roughriders
- Leodis McKelvin — former cornerback in the NFL (currently a free agent)
- Caroline Pafford Miller — Pulitzer Prize-winning author
- Gram Parsons — country singer and musician; The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and solo artist
- Pernell Roberts — actor, star of TV series Bonanza and Trapper John, M.D., was born in Waycross
- Bill Shanks — Atlanta Braves sportscaster
See also
In Spanish: Waycross para niños
