Muscogee County is a county located on the central western border of the U.S. state of Georgia named after the Muscogee that originally inhabited the land with its western border with the state of Alabama that is formed by the Chattahoochee River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 206,922.[1] Its county seat and only city is Columbus,[2] with which it has been a consolidated city-county since the beginning of 1971.
Muscogee County | |
|---|---|
 Columbus Consolidated Government Center | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Georgia | |
 Georgia's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 32°31′N 84°52′W / 32.51°N 84.87°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Georgia |
| Founded | June 9, 1826 |
| Named for | Muscogee people |
| Seat | Columbus |
| Largest city | Columbus |
| Area | |
| • Total | 221 sq mi (570 km2) |
| • Land | 216 sq mi (560 km2) |
| • Water | 4.6 sq mi (12 km2) 2.1% |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 206,922 |
| • Density | 958/sq mi (370/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional districts | 2nd, 3rd |
| Website | columbusga.gov |
Muscogee County is part of the Columbus, GA–AL, metropolitan statistical area.
The only other city in the county was Bibb City, a company town that disincorporated in December 2000, two years after its mill closed permanently. Fort Moore (formerly Fort Benning), a large Army installation, takes up nearly one quarter of the county and extends into Chattahoochee County; it generates considerable economic power in the region.
History
editThis section relies largely or entirely on a single source. (August 2022) |
Inhabited for thousands of years by varying cultures of indigenous peoples, this area was territory of the historic Creek people at the time of European encounter.
The land for Lee, Muscogee, Troup, Coweta, and Carroll counties was ceded by a certain eight chiefs among the Creek people in the 1825 Treaty of Indian Springs. The Creek Nation declared the land cession illegal, because it did not represent the will of the majority of the people. The United States Senate did not ratify it. The following year, the US government negotiated another treaty with the Creek, by which they ceded nearly as much territory under continued pressure from the state of Georgia and US land commissioners.
The counties' boundaries were created by the Georgia General Assembly on June 9, but they were not named until December 14, 1826. The county was originally developed by American Indians for cotton plantations. In many areas of what became known as the Black Belt for the fertility of soil and development of plantations, American Indians who were reclassified by the government as Colored/Negro made up the majority of population in many counties.
This county was named by American Indians for the native Muscogee or Creek people. Parts of the then-large county (which extended east to the Flint River) were later taken to create every other neighboring Georgia county, including Harris County to the north in 1827[3] and Chattahoochee County to the south in 1854.
Geography
editAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 221 square miles (570 km2), of which 216 square miles (560 km2) is land and 4.6 square miles (12 km2) (2.1%) is water.[4]
The county is located on the fall line between the Atlantic coastal plain to the south and the Piedmont to the north. As such, the newly constructed Fall Line Freeway runs across the northern portion of the county along JR Allen Parkway, and areas across the northern part of the county are hillier compared to the southern part of the county.
The majority of Muscogee County, from north of Columbus running northeast in the direction of Ellerslie, is located in the Middle Chattahoochee River-Walter F. George Lake subbasin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). The northwestern corner of the county, south of Fortson, is located in the Middle Chattahoochee River-Lake Harding subbasin of the same ACF River Basin.[5]
Major highways
edit
Interstate 14 (Extension is coming)
Interstate 185
U.S. Route 27
U.S. Route 27 Alternate
U.S. Route 80
U.S. Route 280
State Route 1
State Route 22
State Route 22 Connector
State Route 22 Spur
State Route 85
State Route 219
State Route 411 (unsigned designation for I-185)
State Route 520
State Route 540 (Fall Line Freeway)
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Adjacent counties
edit- Harris County (north)
- Talbot County (northeast)
- Chattahoochee County (south)
- Russell County, Alabama (southwest/CST border except for Phenix City as the city is jointed by the Columbus Metropolitan Area)
- Lee County, Alabama (west/CST border)
Communities
editCities
edit- Columbus (county seat)
Former incorporated communities
editUnincorporated communities
editDemographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830 | 3,508 | — | |
| 1840 | 11,699 | 233.5% | |
| 1850 | 18,578 | 58.8% | |
| 1860 | 16,584 | −10.7% | |
| 1870 | 16,663 | 0.5% | |
| 1880 | 19,322 | 16.0% | |
| 1890 | 27,761 | 43.7% | |
| 1900 | 29,836 | 7.5% | |
| 1910 | 36,227 | 21.4% | |
| 1920 | 44,195 | 22.0% | |
| 1930 | 57,558 | 30.2% | |
| 1940 | 75,494 | 31.2% | |
| 1950 | 118,028 | 56.3% | |
| 1960 | 158,623 | 34.4% | |
| 1970 | 167,377 | 5.5% | |
| 1980 | 170,108 | 1.6% | |
| 1990 | 179,278 | 5.4% | |
| 2000 | 186,291 | 3.9% | |
| 2010 | 189,885 | 1.9% | |
| 2020 | 206,922 | 9.0% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 201,877 | [6] | −2.4% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790-1880[8] 1890-1910[9] 1920-1930[10] 1930-1940[11] 1940-1950[12] 1960-1980[13] 1980-2000[14] 2010[15] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 79,083 | 38.22% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 94,701 | 45.77% |
| Native American | 488 | 0.24% |
| Asian | 5,546 | 2.68% |
| Pacific Islander | 517 | 0.25% |
| Other/mixed | 10,074 | 4.87% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16,513 | 7.98% |
According to the 2000 U.S. census, there were 186,291 people, 69,819 households, and 47,686 families living in the county. The population density was 861 inhabitants per square mile (332/km2).[17] In 2010, there were 189,885 people, 74,081 households, and 47,742 families living in the county.[18] By the 2020 United States census, there were 206,922 people, 73,134 households, and 45,689 families residing in the city.
Education
editHigher education
editPublic
edit- Columbus State University
- Columbus Technical College[19]
- Troy University[20] - main campus in Troy, Alabama
Private
edit- Beacon University (seminary)[21]
- Rivertown School of Beauty[22]
- Southeastern Beauty School[23]
- Meadows Junior College[citation needed]
- University of Phoenix[24]
Primary and secondary education
editPublic schools
editMuscogee County School District serves all parts of the county except Fort Moore for grades K-12. Fort Moore children are zoned to Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools for grades K-8.[25] However, high school students attend the public high schools in the respective counties they are located in.[26]
Private and religion-based schools
edit- Brookstone School (K-12)
- Calvary Christian School (Christian, K-12)
- Edgewood Christian School (Baptist, K-12)
- Grace Christian School (Christian, K-12)
- Hallie Turner Private School (9-12)
- Kip Christian Academy (Christian, K-8)
- New Bethel Christian Academy (Seventh-day Adventist, K-8)
- Our Lady of Lourdes School (Catholic, K-8)
- Our Redeemer Christian Academy (Christian, K-12)
- Pinehurst Christian School (Baptist, K-8)
- St. Anne‒Pacelli Catholic School (Catholic, K-12)
- St. Luke School (Christian, K-8)
- Victory Academy (K-8)
- Westminster Christian School (Christian, K-8)
- Wynnbrook Christian School (Baptist, K-12)
Homeschooling
editIn regards to homeschooling, the Official Code of Georgia Annotated states the following:
Required Subjects: A basic academic educational program that includes, but is not limited to, reading, language arts, math, social studies, and science. [Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-690(c)(4).]
Government and politics
editMuscogee County has voted for Democratic candidates by increasing margins since 1992, although partisan leanings have become increasingly stratified by race, class, and in-county migration after 1965. The county has not supported a Republican for president since 1988, but broke free of Solid South voting patterns earlier than most counties in Georgia.
Presidential
edit| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 30,107 | 37.39% | 49,446 | 61.40% | 975 | 1.21% |
| 2016 | 26,976 | 38.80% | 39,851 | 57.32% | 2,698 | 3.88% |
| 2012 | 27,510 | 38.90% | 42,573 | 60.20% | 632 | 0.89% |
| 2008 | 29,568 | 39.87% | 44,158 | 59.54% | 436 | 0.59% |
| 2004 | 30,850 | 48.16% | 32,867 | 51.31% | 335 | 0.52% |
| 2000 | 23,479 | 45.01% | 28,193 | 54.05% | 491 | 0.94% |
| 1996 | 19,360 | 41.86% | 24,867 | 53.77% | 2,021 | 4.37% |
| 1992 | 21,386 | 41.70% | 25,476 | 49.68% | 4,418 | 8.62% |
| 1988 | 23,058 | 54.90% | 18,772 | 44.70% | 170 | 0.40% |
| 1984 | 23,816 | 53.34% | 20,835 | 46.66% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 15,203 | 38.42% | 23,272 | 58.82% | 1,091 | 2.76% |
| 1976 | 13,496 | 35.91% | 24,092 | 64.09% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1972 | 28,449 | 77.55% | 8,234 | 22.45% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 11,193 | 32.36% | 7,593 | 21.95% | 15,804 | 45.69% |
| 1964 | 21,025 | 62.81% | 12,446 | 37.18% | 3 | 0.01% |
| 1960 | 9,578 | 52.83% | 8,553 | 47.17% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 8,176 | 50.05% | 8,160 | 49.95% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 7,814 | 41.05% | 11,220 | 58.95% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 2,443 | 23.94% | 5,920 | 58.02% | 1,840 | 18.03% |
| 1944 | 1,344 | 17.14% | 6,498 | 82.86% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 702 | 11.51% | 5,392 | 88.38% | 7 | 0.11% |
| 1936 | 455 | 8.32% | 5,009 | 91.56% | 7 | 0.13% |
| 1932 | 230 | 6.27% | 3,413 | 93.07% | 24 | 0.65% |
| 1928 | 1,574 | 42.86% | 2,098 | 57.14% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 218 | 9.03% | 2,067 | 85.59% | 130 | 5.38% |
| 1920 | 101 | 6.86% | 1,372 | 93.14% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1916 | 44 | 2.21% | 1,833 | 92.25% | 110 | 5.54% |
| 1912 | 102 | 5.18% | 1,817 | 92.23% | 51 | 2.59% |
| 1908 | 459 | 20.94% | 1,599 | 72.95% | 134 | 6.11% |
| 1904 | 164 | 9.51% | 1,522 | 88.28% | 38 | 2.20% |
| 1900 | 272 | 17.89% | 1,245 | 81.91% | 3 | 0.20% |
| 1896 | 501 | 25.06% | 1,365 | 68.28% | 133 | 6.65% |
| 1892 | 540 | 20.35% | 2,062 | 77.69% | 52 | 1.96% |
| 1888 | 611 | 35.24% | 1,107 | 63.84% | 16 | 0.92% |
| 1884 | 590 | 23.22% | 1,951 | 76.78% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1880 | 930 | 38.10% | 1,511 | 61.90% | 0 | 0.00% |
United States Congress
edit| Senators | Name | Party | Assumed office | Level | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senate Class 2 | Jon Ossoff | Democratic | 2021 | Senior Senator | |
| Senate Class 3 | Raphael Warnock | Democratic | 2021 | Junior Senator | |
| Representatives | Name | Party | Assumed office | ||
| District 2 | Sanford Bishop | Democratic | 1993 | ||
| District 3 | Drew Ferguson | Republican | 2015 | ||
Georgia General Assembly
editGeorgia State Senate
edit| District | Name | Party | Assumed office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Ed Harbison | Democratic | 2013 | |
| 29 | Randy Robertson | Republican | 2019 | |
Georgia House of Representatives
edit| District | Name | Party | Assumed office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 133 | Vance Smith | Republican | 2019 | |
| 134 | Richard H. Smith | Republican | 2005 | |
| 140 | Teddy Reese | Democratic | 2023 | |
| 141 | Carolyn Hugley | Democratic | 1993 | |
| 137 | Debbie Buckner | Democratic | 2003 | |
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Muscogee County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "Muscogee County History" Archived April 2, 2005, at the Wayback Machine, University of Georgia
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
- ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
- ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910.
- ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930.
- ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
- ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
- ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
- ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 3, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
- ^ "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
- ^ www.thirdwavedigital.com, Third Wave Digital -. "Home - Columbus Technical College". www.columbustech.edu. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
- ^ Troy University at Columbus Archived January 31, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Beacon University Archived June 13, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Rivertown School of Beauty". www.rivertownschoolofbeauty.com. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
- ^ "Southeastern Beauty School". Archived from the original on June 1, 2013. Retrieved September 21, 2009.
- ^ "Columbus Georgia Campus - Columbus - Georgia - University of Phoenix". Archived from the original on August 5, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2009.
- ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Muscogee County, GA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 5, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022. - Text list - "Fort Benning Schools" refers to the DoDEA schools on Fort Benning. The document states that the county schools have high school zoning.
- ^ "Fort Benning Schools". Department of Defense Education Activity. Retrieved July 4, 2022. - The document states that the county schools have high school zoning.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ^ "House Members List". Retrieved June 2, 2016.
- ^ "Senate Members List". Retrieved June 2, 2016.
- ^ "Georgia Counties by 2012 Legislative and Congressional District" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on May 30, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2016.