Bowdon is a city in Carroll County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 2,161.

Bowdon, Georgia
Bowdon City Hall
Bowdon City Hall
Official seal of Bowdon, Georgia
Motto: 
"The Friendly City"[1]
Location in Carroll County and the state of Georgia
Location in Carroll County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 33°32′22″N 85°15′21″W / 33.53944°N 85.25583°W / 33.53944; -85.25583
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyCarroll
Area
 • Total
3.40 sq mi (8.80 km2)
 • Land3.40 sq mi (8.80 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
1,079 ft (329 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
2,161
 • Density635.78/sq mi (245.44/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
30108
Area code770
FIPS code13-09544[3]
GNIS feature ID0354818[4]
WebsiteCity of Bowdon Georgia Website

History

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The community was incorporated on January 1, 1859,[5] and was named after Alabama congressman Franklin Welsh Bowdon.[6]

Bowdon College was established in Bowdon in 1857 but closed in 1936.[7]

Bowdon was formerly served by the Bowdon Railway, in operation from 1910 to 1963.[8]

On August 21, 1995, Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529 crashed between Bowdon and neighboring city Carrollton.[9]

Geography

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Bowdon is located near the Georgia-Alabama state line at 33° 32′ 22″ N, 85° 15′ 21″ W (33.539444 N, -85.255833 W).[10] The main highways through the city are Georgia State Routes 100 and 166. GA-100 runs through the city from north to south, leading north 16 mi (26 km) to Tallapoosa and south 11 mi (18 km) to Ephesus. GA-166 runs through the city from west to east, leading east 12 mi (19 km) to Carrollton, the county seat, and west 4 mi (6.4 km) to its end at the Alabama-Georgia state line.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Bowdon has a total area of 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2), all land.

Climate

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Bowdon has generally mild winters, with highs averaging in the low to mid 50s and lows around 32. Usually there are one or two days each winter when lows drop below 15. Snow is infrequent, averaging about 2" a winter. Some winters however, experience no snowfall. Ice is more common than snow. Rainfall is usually plentiful in the winter. Although severe weather is not very common, it does happen in the winter. The most recent severe weather event occurred on February 26, 2008, when an EF3 tornado hit an area about four miles north of Bowdon. The fall and spring months tend to bring the nicest weather, with numerous sunny days. Highs in the spring average in the 70s and lows average in the 40s and 50s. There is often severe weather in the spring, with occasionally a tornado. Fall tends to be the nicest season, with plentiful sunshine and highs in the 60s and 70s. Towards the end of fall, lows can drop below 30. Summer is often very humid and hot, although the heat is relieved by afternoon thunderstorms which occur almost daily. The summer of 2007 was one of the hottest on record with several days of highs above 100. Highs in the summer are generally around 90 with lows in the 60s. On May 11, 2008, Bowdon was hit by a series of tornadoes known as the "Mother's Day Storm" with a few reported injuries, but no deaths.

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1860304
187035015.1%
1880333−4.9%
18903546.3%
1900307−13.3%
191054176.2%
19201,04793.5%
19301,024−2.2%
19401,0240.0%
19501,15512.8%
19601,54834.0%
19701,75313.2%
19801,743−0.6%
19901,98113.7%
20001,959−1.1%
20102,0404.1%
20202,1615.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
Bowdon racial composition as of 2020[12]
Race Num. Perc.
White 1,451 67.14%
Black or African American 491 22.72%
Native American 7 0.32%
Asian 6 0.28%
Other/Mixed 139 6.43%
Hispanic or Latino 67 3.1%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,161 people, 1,028 households, and 638 families residing in the city.

Media

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Bowdon is the city of license for Top 40 radio station Power 105.3 WWPW.

Notable people

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References

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  1. ^ "City of Bowdon Georgia Website". City of Bowdon Georgia Website. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
  2. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  3. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. ^ a b "Bowdon". Georgia Gov. Archived from the original on December 25, 2018. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
  6. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 23. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
  7. ^ Joe Cobb, Carroll County and Her People p. 33
  8. ^ "12-Mile Long Railroad Will Quit". The Telegraph-Herald. Dubuque, Iowa. Associated Press. November 14, 1963. p. 25.
  9. ^ https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR9606.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  10. ^ "GeoHack - Bowdon, Georgia".
  11. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  12. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  13. ^ Michael Huey
  14. ^ [buccaneers.com CJ Brewer]
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