Washington County, Georgia

County in Georgia, United States

Not to be confused with Washington, Georgia.

County in Georgia

Washington County

County

County courthouse

Location within the U.S. state of Georgia

Georgia's location within the U.S.

Coordinates: 32°58′N 82°47′W﻿ / ﻿32.97°N 82.79°W﻿ / 32.97; -82.79
Country|  United States
State|  Georgia
Founded| February 25, 1784; 241 years ago (1784)
Named after| George Washington
Seat| Sandersville
Largest city| Sandersville
Area

• Total

| 684 sq mi (1,770 km2)
• Land| 678 sq mi (1,760 km2)
• Water| 5.9 sq mi (15 km2)  0.9%
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 19,988

• Estimate

(2023)

| 19,820
• Density| 29/sq mi (11/km2)
Time zone| UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district| 12th
Website| washingtoncountyga.gov

Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,988.[1][2] The county seat is Sandersville.[3] The county was established on February 25, 1784. It was named for Revolutionary War general and President of the United States George Washington.[4]

## Geography

[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 684 square miles (1,770 km2), of which 678 square miles (1,760 km2) is land and 5.9 square miles (15 km2) (0.9%) is water.[5]

The western portion of Washington County, west of a north-to-south line running through Sandersville, is located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The northeastern portion of the county, north of Riddleville, is located in the Upper Ogeechee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin, while the southeastern portion, centered on Harrison, is located in the Ohoopee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin.[6]

### Major highways

[edit]

* State Route 15
* State Route 24
* State Route 24 Spur
* State Route 57
* State Route 68
* State Route 88
* State Route 102
* State Route 231
* State Route 242
* State Route 272
* State Route 540 (Fall Line Freeway)

### Adjacent counties

[edit]

* Glascock County (northeast)
* Jefferson County (east)
* Johnson County (south)
* Wilkinson County (southwest)
* Baldwin County (west)
* Hancock County (northwest)

## Communities

[edit]

### Cities

[edit]

* Davisboro
* Oconee
* Sandersville (county seat)
* Tennille

### Towns

[edit]

* Deepstep
* Harrison
* Riddleville

### Census-designated places

[edit]

* Warthen

### Other unincorporated communities

[edit]

* Ennis
* Goat Town
* Hamburg
* Irwins Crossroads
* Pringle
* Sun Hill
* Veal

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1790| 4,552| | —
1800| 10,300| | 126.3%
1810| 9,940| | −3.5%
1820| 10,627| | 6.9%
1830| 9,820| | −7.6%
1840| 10,565| | 7.6%
1850| 11,766| | 11.4%
1860| 12,698| | 7.9%
1870| 15,842| | 24.8%
1880| 21,964| | 38.6%
1890| 25,237| | 14.9%
1900| 28,227| | 11.8%
1910| 28,174| | −0.2%
1920| 28,147| | −0.1%
1930| 25,030| | −11.1%
1940| 24,230| | −3.2%
1950| 21,012| | −13.3%
1960| 18,903| | −10.0%
1970| 17,480| | −7.5%
1980| 18,842| | 7.8%
1990| 19,112| | 1.4%
2000| 21,176| | 10.8%
2010| 21,187| | 0.1%
2020| 19,988| | −5.7%
2023 (est.)| 19,820| [7]| −0.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790-1880[9] 1890-1910[10]
1920-1930[11] 1930-1940[12]
1940-1950[13] 1960-1980[14]
1980-2000[15] 2010[1] 2020[2]

### 2020 Census

[edit]

Washington 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[16] | Pop 2010[17] | Pop 2020[18] | % 2000  | % 2010  | % 2020

|
|
|
|
|
|

White alone (NH)  | 9,620  | 9,339  | 8,412  | 45.43%  | 44.08%  | 42.09%
Black or African American alone (NH)  | 11,233  | 11,124  | 10,698  | 53.05%  | 52.50%  | 53.52%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)  | 35  | 19  | 37  | 0.17%  | 0.09%  | 0.19%
Asian alone (NH)  | 55  | 104  | 76  | 0.26%  | 0.49%  | 0.38%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)  | 2  | 1  | 0  | 0.01%  | 0.00%  | 0.00%
Other race alone (NH)  | 11  | 26  | 30  | 0.05%  | 0.12%  | 0.15%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)  | 86  | 167  | 401  | 0.41%  | 0.79%  | 2.01%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)  | 134  | 407  | 334  | 0.63%  | 1.92%  | 1.67%
Total | 21,176 | 21,187 | 19,988 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 19,988 people, 7,503 households, and 5,315 families residing in the county.

Kaolin mines are a major industry in Washington County. Kaolin has had a particularly strong impact on the town of Sandersville which brands itself as the “kaolin capital of the world.” Each October, the town hosts a festival that includes a parade of heavy mining machinery, kaolin mine tours, and a beauty pageant that crowns Miss Kaolin.[19]

## Education

[edit]

The county is served by the Washington County School District, which includes:[20]

* Ridge Road Elementary School
* T.J. Elder Middle School
* Washington County High School.

The county is also the location of one privately run school:

* Brentwood School

## In popular culture

[edit]

The 1933 short story "The People's Choice" by Erskine Caldwell is set in Washington County, where the story's protagonist is a popular local politician elected again and again as the county's tax assessor.

In 1992, the Pig Monument was erected in the county, near Oconee off of Georgia State Route 272. The monument commemorates a 1933 event where several residents of the county gathered together to help a local farmer rescue a pig that had fallen down a dry well.

The biography of one of the main characters (Grant Alexander) in the 2011 console game X-Men: Destiny states that they were born in Sandersville, Georgia.

## Politics

[edit]

Like most other majority-minority counties in the South, Washington County has primarily backed Democratic Party candidates for most of its history. Democratic margins of victory in presidential elections were far greater prior to 1964, but the county has only failed to back a Democratic presidential candidate five times in its history. However, no candidate of any party since Bill Clinton in 1996 has managed to win the county by a margin of 1,000 votes or greater. It was the most Black county in Georgia to vote for Donald Trump in 2024.

United States presidential election results for Washington County, Georgia[21] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No.  | % | No.  | % | No.  | %
2024 | 4,824  | 50.82% | 4,643  | 48.91%  | 26  | 0.27%
2020 | 4,668  | 49.24%  | 4,743  | 50.03% | 69  | 0.73%
2016 | 4,149  | 48.90%  | 4,200  | 49.50% | 136  | 1.60%
2012 | 4,035  | 45.76%  | 4,714  | 53.46% | 68  | 0.77%
2008 | 4,216  | 47.49%  | 4,607  | 51.89% | 55  | 0.62%
2004 | 4,081  | 51.93% | 3,733  | 47.51%  | 44  | 0.56%
2000 | 3,162  | 47.26%  | 3,476  | 51.95% | 53  | 0.79%
1996 | 2,348  | 33.94%  | 4,057  | 58.64% | 514  | 7.43%
1992 | 2,384  | 35.45%  | 3,508  | 52.16% | 833  | 12.39%
1988 | 2,752  | 51.12% | 2,615  | 48.58%  | 16  | 0.30%
1984 | 2,887  | 48.76%  | 3,034  | 51.24% | 0  | 0.00%
1980 | 1,822  | 33.97%  | 3,452  | 64.35% | 90  | 1.68%
1976 | 1,657  | 30.01%  | 3,865  | 69.99% | 0  | 0.00%
1972 | 3,901  | 75.79% | 1,246  | 24.21%  | 0  | 0.00%
1968 | 1,247  | 26.43%  | 1,443  | 30.58%  | 2,029  | 43.00%
1964 | 2,296  | 55.63% | 1,830  | 44.34%  | 1  | 0.02%
1960 | 956  | 32.30%  | 2,004  | 67.70% | 0  | 0.00%
1956 | 602  | 19.22%  | 2,530  | 80.78% | 0  | 0.00%
1952 | 795  | 25.03%  | 2,381  | 74.97% | 0  | 0.00%
1948 | 204  | 14.79%  | 1,169  | 84.77% | 6  | 0.44%
1944 | 351  | 24.29%  | 1,094  | 75.71% | 0  | 0.00%
1940 | 253  | 18.41%  | 1,112  | 80.93% | 9  | 0.66%
1936 | 149  | 10.34%  | 1,286  | 89.24% | 6  | 0.42%
1932 | 9  | 0.46%  | 1,923  | 99.33% | 4  | 0.21%
1928 | 472  | 29.24%  | 1,142  | 70.76% | 0  | 0.00%
1924 | 130  | 13.47%  | 758  | 78.55% | 77  | 7.98%
1920 | 118  | 9.42%  | 1,134  | 90.58% | 0  | 0.00%
1916 | 18  | 1.60%  | 954  | 84.57% | 156  | 13.83%
1912 | 28  | 2.51%  | 920  | 82.51% | 167  | 14.98%

## See also

[edit]

* State of Georgia portal

* Central Savannah River Area
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington County, Georgia
* List of counties in Georgia

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
2. ^ a b U.S. 2020 Census Bureau report, Washington County, Georgia
3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
4. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 247\. ISBN 0-915430-00-2. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 27, 2003.
5. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
6. ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
7. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
8. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". United States Census Bureau.
9. ^ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
10. ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910.
11. ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930.
12. ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
13. ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
14. ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
15. ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
16. ^ "P004 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Washington County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
17. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Washington County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
18. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Washington County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
19. ^ Kaolin mines in Washington County, Georgia
20. ^ District, Washington County School. "Washington County Board of Education - Washington County Board of Education Listing". Retrieved May 26, 2009.
21. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 24, 2018.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Ella Mitchell, History of Washington County. Atlanta, GA: Byrd Printing Company, 1924. —Reissued 1973.

## External links

[edit]

* Official page of Washington County

* v
* t
* e

Places adjacent to Washington County, Georgia

| Hancock County |  | Glascock County

|
|

|  |
Baldwin County |

Washington County, Georgia

| Jefferson County
|  |
Wilkinson County | Johnson County |

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Washington County, Georgia, United States

County seat: Sandersville

Cities|

* Davisboro
* Oconee
* Sandersville
* Tennille

Map of Georgia highlighting Washington County

Towns|

* Deepstep
* Harrison
* Riddleville

CDP|

* Warthen

Other unincorporated communities|

* Ennis
* Goat Town
* Hamburg
* Irwins Crossroads
* Pringle
* Sun Hill
* Veal

* Georgia portal
* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

Central Savannah River Area (CSRA)

Central Savannah River Area of Georgia and South Carolina

| Georgia| South Carolina

|

| Burke County:|

* Keysville
* Midville
* Waynesboro Girard
* Sardis
* Vidette

|

Columbia County:|

* Grovetown
* Harlem
* ApplingCDP
* EvansCDP
* MartinezCDP

Glascock County:|

* Edge Hill
* Gibson
* Mitchell

Hancock County:|

* Sparta
* CulvertonU
* JewellU

Jefferson County:|

* Avera
* Louisville
* Stapleton
* Wadley
* Wrens
* Bartow

Jenkins County:|

* Millen
* PerkinsU

| Lincoln County:|

* Lincolnton
* ChennaultU

|

McDuffie County:|

* Thomson
* Dearing

Richmond County:|

* Augusta
* Blythe
* Hephzibah

Taliaferro County:|

* Crawfordville
* Sharon

Warren County:|

* Norwood
* Warrenton
* Camak
* JewellU

Washington County:|

* Davisboro
* Oconee
* Sandersville
* Tennille
* Deepstep
* Harrison
* Riddleville
* WarthenCDP
* EnnisU
* HamburgU
* VealU

Wilkes County:|

* Washington
* Rayle
* Tignall

| Aiken County:|

* Aiken
* North Augusta
* Jackson
* Burnettown
* Monetta
* New Ellenton
* Perry
* Salley
* Wagener
* Windsor
* BelvedereCDP
* ClearwaterCDP
* GlovervilleCDP
* BathU
* Beech IslandU
* GranitevilleU
* LangleyU
* VaucluseU
* WarrenvilleU

|

Edgefield County:|

* Edgefield
* Johnston
* Trenton
* Murphys EstatesCDP

Allendale County:|

* Allendale
* Fairfax
* Sycamore
* Ulmer
* MartinU

Barnwell County:|

* Barnwell
* Blackville
* Elko
* Hilda
* Kline
* Snelling
* Williston

McCormick County:|

* McCormick
* Parksville
* Plum Branch
* Clarks HillCDP
* ModocCDP
* Mount CarmelCDP
* WillingtonCDP

* CDP Census-designated place
* U Unincorporated area

* v
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State of Georgia

Atlanta (capital)

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32°58′N 82°47′W﻿ / ﻿32.97°N 82.79°W﻿ / 32.97; -82.79
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