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Macon County, Georgia

Coordinates: 32°21′N 84°02′W / 32.35°N 84.04°W / 32.35; -84.04
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Not to be confused with Macon, Georgia.

Macon County
County
Macon County Courthouse in Oglethorpe, Georgia
Macon County Courthouse in Oglethorpe, Georgia
Map of Georgia highlighting Macon County
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Map of the United States highlighting Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 32°21′N 84°02′W / 32.35°N 84.04°W / 32.35; -84.04
Country United States
State Georgia
FoundedDecember 14, 1837; 186 years ago (1837-12-14)
Named forNathaniel Macon
SeatOglethorpe
Largest cityMontezuma
Area
 • Total
406 sq mi (1,050 km2)
 • Land401 sq mi (1,040 km2)
 • Water5.4 sq mi (14 km2)  1.3%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
12,082
 • Density30/sq mi (10/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district2nd
WebsiteMacon County government

Macon County is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,082.[1] The county seat is Oglethorpe.[2][3]

The Macon County Courthouse is located in Oglethorpe.

History

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Macon County was created in 1837 from parts of Houston ("house-ton") and Marion counties, effective December 14 of that year. The 91st county, it was named for the then-recently deceased General Nathaniel Macon[4] of North Carolina, who served in the U.S. Congress for 37 years and ran for U.S. vice president. The city of Macon, Georgia was also named for him, but the city of Macon, Georgia, is the seat of Bibb County, a different county. The county was later reduced when parts were separated to organize Taylor and Peach counties, in 1852 and 1924, respectively.

The first county seat was not chosen until 1838, when the county's inferior court selected Lanier. The Georgia General Assembly (state legislature) designated it on December 29 of that year and incorporated it as a town.

In the 1850s, the Central of Georgia Railroad was built through Oglethorpe, changing county dynamics. As a result, the Georgia Assembly called for a referendum on moving the Macon County seat to Oglethorpe in February of both 1854 and 1856. Little is known about the first vote, but the second vote resulted in approval for a change to the county seat, and Oglethorpe was designated the following year in 1857.

During the Civil War, 13,000 Union soldiers who were prisoners of war died at the Confederate camp in Andersonville, Georgia from starvation and disease. In the late period of the war, Georgia also had difficulty supplying its own troops and people with food. Throughout the Civil War, more men on both sides died of disease than of their wounds. Commandants of the camp were prosecuted after the war for poor treatment of prisoners. The Andersonville National Cemetery, established for the many Union dead, is at the southwestern tip of the county.[5]

The county has an active Mennonite community. The area code for Macon County is currently 478.

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 406 square miles (1,050 km2), of which 401 square miles (1,040 km2) is land and 5.4 square miles (14 km2) (1.3%) is water.[6] The county is located in the upper Atlantic coastal plain region of the state.

Most of the southern half of Macon County, from west of Ideal to State Route 49 north of Montezuma, then running north along State Route 49 to Marshallville, and then running southeast in the direction of Unadilla, is located in the Middle Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). The northern and northwestern portion of the county, from north of Marshallville heading west, is located in the Upper Flint River sub-basin of the same ACF River Basin. The northeastern corner of Macon County, east of Marshallville, is located in the Lower Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin.[7]

Major highways

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Adjacent counties

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National protected area

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Communities

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Cities

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18405,045—
18507,05239.8%
18608,44919.8%
187011,45835.6%
188011,6751.9%
189013,18312.9%
190014,0936.9%
191015,0166.5%
192017,66717.7%
193016,643−5.8%
194015,947−4.2%
195014,213−10.9%
196013,170−7.3%
197012,933−1.8%
198014,0038.3%
199013,114−6.3%
200014,0747.3%
201014,7404.7%
202012,082−18.0%
2023 (est.)11,817[8]−2.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1880[10] 1890-1910[11]
1920-1930[12] 1930-1940[13]
1940-1950[14] 1960-1980[15]
1980-2000[16] 2010[17] 2020[18]
Macon County, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000[19] Pop 2010[17] Pop 2020[18] % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 5,184 4,961 4,078 36.83% 33.66% 33.75%
Black or African American alone (NH) 8,337 8,902 7,150 59.24% 60.39% 59.18%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 26 19 15 0.18% 0.13% 0.12%
Asian alone (NH) 82 190 156 0.58% 1.29% 1.29%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 18 7 0.00% 0.12% 0.06%
Other race alone (NH) 9 5 20 0.06% 0.03% 0.17%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 72 118 184 0.51% 0.80% 1.52%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 364 527 472 2.59% 3.58% 3.91%
Total 14,074 14,740 12,082 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 12,082 people, 4,696 households, and 3,033 families residing in the county.

Education

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Main article: Oglethorpe, Georgia § Education

Politics

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United States presidential election results for Macon County, Georgia[20]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 1,916 40.89% 2,755 58.79% 15 0.32%
2020 1,783 38.24% 2,858 61.29% 22 0.47%
2016 1,540 35.92% 2,705 63.10% 42 0.98%
2012 1,545 32.28% 3,211 67.09% 30 0.63%
2008 1,712 34.35% 3,251 65.23% 21 0.42%
2004 1,851 38.72% 2,906 60.79% 23 0.48%
2000 1,566 35.96% 2,757 63.31% 32 0.73%
1996 1,006 26.54% 2,618 69.06% 167 4.41%
1992 944 24.80% 2,491 65.45% 371 9.75%
1988 1,412 38.19% 2,268 61.35% 17 0.46%
1984 1,515 37.54% 2,521 62.46% 0 0.00%
1980 894 22.47% 3,025 76.02% 60 1.51%
1976 638 17.47% 3,013 82.53% 0 0.00%
1972 2,005 70.55% 837 29.45% 0 0.00%
1968 598 19.22% 954 30.67% 1,559 50.11%
1964 1,723 61.56% 1,076 38.44% 0 0.00%
1960 438 22.74% 1,488 77.26% 0 0.00%
1956 363 15.47% 1,984 84.53% 0 0.00%
1952 319 17.81% 1,472 82.19% 0 0.00%
1948 127 10.74% 675 57.11% 380 32.15%
1944 168 15.89% 889 84.11% 0 0.00%
1940 72 7.76% 852 91.81% 4 0.43%
1936 92 8.74% 958 90.98% 3 0.28%
1932 55 3.67% 1,438 96.06% 4 0.27%
1928 258 23.96% 819 76.04% 0 0.00%
1924 52 6.93% 649 86.53% 49 6.53%
1920 68 12.34% 483 87.66% 0 0.00%
1916 97 17.38% 440 78.85% 21 3.76%
1912 85 16.50% 411 79.81% 19 3.69%
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Macon County has been an important setting for season 4 of AMC's hit TV show, The Walking Dead.
Macon County was a shooting place for the 2013 movie, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

The Mountain Goats reference Macon County, Georgia in their song, "Going to Georgia".

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Macon County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "Macon County Courthouse". Archived from the original on October 12, 2000. Retrieved August 7, 2005.
  4. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 195.
  5. ^ "Macon County". Georgia.gov. Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  6. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  7. ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  8. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  9. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". United States Census Bureau.
  10. ^ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
  11. ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910.
  12. ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930.
  13. ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
  14. ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
  15. ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
  16. ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
  17. ^ a b "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Macon County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  18. ^ a b "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Macon County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  19. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Macon County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  20. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
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32°21′N 84°02′W / 32.35°N 84.04°W / 32.35; -84.04

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