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Oglethorpe County, Georgia facts for kids

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Oglethorpe County
U.S. county
Oglethorpe County Courthouse
Oglethorpe County Courthouse
Map of Georgia highlighting Oglethorpe County
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Map of the United States highlighting Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Georgia
Founded December 19, 1795; 229 years ago (1795)
Named for James Oglethorpe
Seat Lexington
Largest city Crawford
Area
 • Total 442 sq mi (1,140 km2)
 • Land 439 sq mi (1,140 km2)
 • Water 3.0 sq mi (8 km2)  0.7%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2019)
 15,259
 • Density 34/sq mi (13/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 10th

Oglethorpe County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,899. The county seat is Lexington.

Oglethorpe County is included in the Athens-Clarke County, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA Combined Statistical Area. It is the largest county in Northeast Georgia.

History

Oglethorpe County was originally part of a large tract of land surrendered by Creek and Cherokee Native Americans to the Colony of Georgia in the treaty of 1773. The county itself was founded on December 19, 1793, and is named for Georgia's founder, General James Oglethorpe.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 442 square miles (1,140 km2), of which 439 square miles (1,140 km2) is land and 3.0 square miles (7.8 km2) (0.7%) is water.

The majority of Oglethorpe County is located in the Broad River sub-basin of the Savannah River basin. A narrow western portion of the county, in a line from just north of Woodville, through Crawford, to just south of Winterville, is located in the Upper Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. A small part of the southern portion of the county, from Maxeys east, is located in the Little River sub-basin of the Savannah River basin.

Major highways

  • US 78.svg U.S. Route 78
  • Georgia 10.svg State Route 10
  • Georgia 22.svg State Route 22
  • Georgia 77.svg State Route 77

River

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1800 9,780 —
1810 12,297 25.7%
1820 14,046 14.2%
1830 13,618 −3.0%
1840 10,868 −20.2%
1850 12,259 12.8%
1860 11,549 −5.8%
1870 11,782 2.0%
1880 15,400 30.7%
1890 16,951 10.1%
1900 17,881 5.5%
1910 18,680 4.5%
1920 20,287 8.6%
1930 12,927 −36.3%
1940 12,430 −3.8%
1950 9,958 −19.9%
1960 7,926 −20.4%
1970 7,598 −4.1%
1980 8,929 17.5%
1990 9,763 9.3%
2000 12,635 29.4%
2010 14,899 17.9%
2018 (est.) 15,054 1.0%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2013

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 14,899 people, 5,647 households, and 4,070 families living in the county. The population density was 33.9 inhabitants per square mile (13.1/km2). There were 6,484 housing units at an average density of 14.8 per square mile (5.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 78.3% White, 17.2% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.9% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 17.5% were American, 12.3% were Irish, 9.9% were German, and 8.2% were English.

Of the 5,647 households, 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 27.9% were non-families, and 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.07. The median age was 40.1 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,319 and the median income for a family was $52,955. Males had a median income of $35,966 versus $27,474 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,572. About 11.6% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.4% of those under age 18 and 15.6% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census

Oglethorpe County Racial Composition
Race Num. Perc.
White 10,903 73.54%
Black or African American 2,248 15.16%
Native American 40 0.27%
Asian 134 0.9%
Pacific Islander 5 0.03%
Other/Mixed 626 4.22%
Hispanic or Latino 869 5.86%

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 14,825 people, 5,651 households, and 3,711 families residing in the county.

Recreation

  • White Water Rafting on the Broad and South Fork Broad Rivers
  • ATV and Motor Bike Park
  • Sportsman Hunting: Seasonal Whitetail Deer, Turkey and Rabbit

Historic Districts and Heritage Research, Antique Stores in Historic Lexington, Agriculture and Agritourism as well as Oglethorpe Fresh Produce

In 2016, the Oglethorpe County Recreation Department was named both the District 7 and State Agency of the Year for populations under 20,000 through the Georgia Recreation and Park Association.

Communities

Historical Communities

  • Bowling Green

Education

Main page: Lexington, Georgia#Education

Transportation

Major highways

  • US 78.svg U.S. Route 78
  • Georgia 10.svg State Route 10
  • Georgia 22.svg State Route 22
  • Georgia 77.svg State Route 77

Pedestrians and cycling

The county has limited walkability options available.

Notable people

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Oglethorpe para niños

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