Folkston, Georgia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Folkston, Georgia
City
Top, left to right: Charlton County Courthouse, Folkston Funnel, Folkston Train Museum, City Hall, Downtown Folkston, Okefenokee Swamp
Motto(s):  "Gateway to the Okefenokee"
Location in Charlton County and the state of Georgia
Country	United States
State	Georgia
Counties	Charlton
Area
• Total	4.19 sq mi (10.86 km2)
• Land	4.19 sq mi (10.86 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,464
• Density	1,065.14/sq mi (411.21/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	31537
Area code(s)	912

City Hall

Folkston is a city in and the county seat of Charlton County, Georgia, United States. Folkston is in the Jacksonville Metropolitan Area. The population was 2,502 as of the 2010 census, up from 2,178 in 2000, largely due to the extension of the city boundary to include D. Ray James Prison.

History

Folkston was founded on August 19, 1911. The city was named in honor of William Brandon Folks, M.D., a prominent physician and surgeon in his day. In the years 1925 - 1927, many new and commodious residences were built and several modern brick buildings were erected, including the Citizen Bank Block, the Masonic Temple building, a grammar-school building, and a courthouse. Shortly after its creation, the village of Folkston was incorporated as a town government and functioned as a town until 1911 when the area was incorporated as a city. For a number of years, Folkston was the self-proclaimed "Marriage Capital of the World;" Floridians who could not endure their state's waiting period before tying the knot would cross the state line to wed.

Geography

Folkston is located near the southern boundary of Georgia at 30°50′4″N 82°0′17″W / 30.83444°N 82.00472°W / 30.83444; -82.00472 (30.834437, -82.004829). U.S. Routes 1, 23, and 301 pass through the city as Second Street, leading south 42 miles (68 km) to Jacksonville, Florida. Route 1 and 23 lead northwest 35 miles (56 km) to Waycross, while Route 301 leads north 55 miles (89 km) to Jesup. The eastern entrance to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is 11 miles (18 km) southwest of Folkston via GA 23 and GA 121.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Folkston has a total area of 4.2 square miles (10.9 km²), all land.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,464 people, 1,082 households, and 667 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 2,502 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 50.0% Black, 45.4% White, 0.1% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.0% from some other race and 2.3% from two or more races. 1.0% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Arts and culture

Folkston Funnel

With virtually all rail traffic headed to Florida passing through Folkston, the rail lines through the city have acquired the nickname "The Folkston Funnel." As many as 65 trains a day pass through Folkston heading into and out of Florida, which some years draws ten times as many railfans as people who live in the city. To provide for a safe (and advantageous) viewing situation, the town has followed the example of another high-density rail town, Rochelle, Illinois, and has built a platform for visitors, along with picnic tables, chairs, barbecue pits, restrooms, grills, and even WiFi. At night, lights shine from the platform onto the double track so if someone wanted to, he or she could watch after sunset. Freight trains from the east and northeast arrive via Savannah, go through the Folkston Funnel, and proceed to terminals such as Jacksonville, Tampa, and Miami. Freight trains from the midwest arrive via Atlanta or Birmingham and proceed into Florida. Freight trains that originate in Florida take the same routes in opposite direction. In addition, Amtrak's Silver Star, Silver Meteor, and Auto Train pass through the Folkston Funnel, although they do not stop there.

At the covered viewing platform, there is an active scanner running and visitors can listen to train engineers as they run the trains through. There is also free WiFi for visitors.

Traditions

The Okefenokee Festival is an annual event that occurs the second Saturday of October. The Okefenokee Festival parade usually starts at 11:00 a.m. Spectators and shoppers stroll through an arts and crafts area and sample delicious foods. They can enjoy live local entertainment all day on the back porch of the Depot, and clogging, line dancing, and karate exhibitions are held on Main Street. An annual "Railwatch" is held on the first weekend of April every year (second weekend if Easter falls on the first weekend).

The Charlton County Indians football team has made the playoffs 23 years in a row, with seven championship appearances, and four state championships (1999, 2004, 2005, and 2006).

Education

Charlton County School District

The Charlton County School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve. It consists of three elementary schools, a high school, and a private school. The district has 114 full-time teachers and over 2,015 students.

• Folkston Elementary School - Pre-K to 3rd grade
• Bethune Middle School (named after Mary McLeod Bethune) - 4th to 8th grade
• St. George Elementary School
• Charlton County High School - 9th to 12th grade

Private school

• Christian Academy - Pre-K to 12th grade

Notable people

• Champ Bailey, former All-Pro cornerback of the National Football League
• Boss Bailey, linebacker who played in the National Football League, born in Folkston
• Eldridge Milton, former NFL football linebacker for the Chicago Bears and his collegiate years at Clemson University was the first person from Folkston to play in the NFL.
• Larry Smith Jr., former NFL career with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Green Bay Packers, played at the Florida State University.
• Courtney M. Williams - WNBA Player for the Atlanta Dream

See also

In Spanish: Folkston para niños