Oglethorpe County, Georgia

Not to be confused with Oglethorpe, Georgia.

Oglethorpe County, Georgia
County
Oglethorpe County Courthouse
Flag
Logo
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Coordinates: 33°53′N 83°05′W / 33.88°N 83.08°W / 33.88; -83.08
Country United States
State Georgia
FoundedDecember 19, 1795 (1795-12-19)
Named afterJames Oglethorpe
SeatLexington
Largest cityCrawford
Area
 • Total
442 sq mi (1,140 km2)
 • Land439 sq mi (1,140 km2)
 • Water3.0 sq mi (7.8 km2)  0.7%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
14,825
 • Density34/sq mi (13/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district10th
Websiteoglethorpecountyga.gov

Oglethorpe County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,825.[1] The county seat is Lexington.[2]

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.

On September 10, 1919, Obe Cox was accused of murdering a White farmer's wife. He was seized by a White mob taken to the scene of the crime, his body riddled with bullets and burned at the stake. Several thousand persons witnessed the scene. The lynching was controversial as the local black community "thanked" the mob for just killing Cox and not attacking their community.[3][4] After an investigation the black media of the time reported that the blacks who wrote the letter thanking the lynching "do not stand for much in the town and are excused for their utter ignorance in condoning [lynching]."[3]

Controversy

In June 2018, Oglethorpe County Sheriff's Office came under protest after a controversial hire was made of former Athens-Clarke County Police Officer Tyler Saulters.[5] Saulters, who was fired from ACCPD, was involved in a controversial use of deadly force with his vehicle, striking a fleeing misdemeanor suspect[6] while attempting to apprehend him in Athens, GA. Protestors were upset that Oglethorpe County Sheriff, David Gabriel, defended the hire and the use of force by the former ACCPD officer.[5]

In April 2021, Oglethorpe County Sheriff's Deputy Michael Davis was arrested and charged by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for two counts of aggravated assault.[7] The arrest stemmed from an on-duty use-of-force, in Clarke County.[7] Davis struck a vehicle he had already performed a traffic stop on.[7] After striking the vehicle, Davis discharged his duty weapon at the vehicle.[7] When the vehicle fled from the unprovoked and unjustified shooting by the Deputy, the deputy pursued and involved officers from the Athens-Clarke County Police Department.[7] ACCPD requested an investigation by the GBI, which is standard in most officer involved shootings in Georgia.[7]

In August 2024, YouTuber DG Hamblin, produced interviews with a former Oglethorpe County Sheriff's Deputy about his experiences as a police officer.[8][9] During the interviews excessive use of force by a Sheriff's commander and failure to report that use of force was discussed as well as Sheriff's commanders' interactions with the controversial Poulan Police Department.[9]

On August 29, 2024, Oglethorpe County Sheriff's Deputies engaged in a pursuit with a motorcycle for a minor traffic violation (missing registration plate) inside Oglethorpe County.[10][11][12][13] During the pursuit, speeds reached 100 mph (160 km/h).[10][13] According to the Oglethorpe County Sheriff's Office, the Deputy pursuing the motorcycle called the chase off inside Clarke County but continued to follow the motorcycle.[11][13] The motorcyclist was involved in a collision with another vehicle at the intersection of Lexington Road and Woodgrove Road[13][10] in Clarke County. The motorcyclist died on scene, according to the Georgia State Patrol, who investigated the collision and pursuit that led up to the fatal collision.[10][11][12][13]

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.[14] The county is located in the Piedmont region of the state.

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.[15]

River

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18009,780—
181012,29725.7%
182014,04614.2%
183013,618−3.0%
184010,868−20.2%
185012,25912.8%
186011,549−5.8%
187011,7822.0%
188015,40030.7%
189016,95110.1%
190017,8815.5%
191018,6804.5%
192020,2878.6%
193012,927−36.3%
194012,430−3.8%
19509,958−19.9%
19607,926−20.4%
19707,598−4.1%
19808,92917.5%
19909,7639.3%
200012,63529.4%
201014,89917.9%
202014,825−0.5%
2024 (est.)16,172[16] 9.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[17]
1790-1880[18] 1890-1910[19]
1920-1930[20] 1930-1940[21]
1940-1950[22] 1960-1980[23]
1980-2000[24] 2010[25]
Oglethorpe County racial composition as of 2020[26]
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%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 14,825, 5,803 households, and 3,711 families residing in the county. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[27][28]

As of the 2020 census, the median age was 43.3 years, with 21.5% of residents under the age of 18 and 19.3% aged 65 or older. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.9 males age 18 and over.[28]

As of the 2020 census, the racial makeup of the county was 74.7% White, 15.2% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.8% from some other race, and 6.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 5.9% of the population.[29]

As of the 2020 census, the 5,803 households included 29.8% with children under the age of 18 living with them and 24.5% with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.1% of all households were composed of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[28]

As of the 2020 census, there were 6,343 housing units, of which 8.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 80.4% were owner-occupied and 19.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.7%.[28]

Education

There is one K-12 school district in the county: Oglethorpe County School District.[30]

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.

Transportation

Major highways

Pedestrians and cycling

The county has limited walkability options available.

Politics

As of the 2020s, Oglethorpe County is a strongly Republican voting county, voting 70.9% for Donald Trump in 2024. For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Oglethorpe County is part of Georgia's 10th congressional district, currently represented by Mike Collins. For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Oglethorpe County is part of District 24.[31] For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Oglethorpe County is part of District 124.[32]

United States presidential election results for Oglethorpe County, Georgia[33]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
1912 50 9.09% 400 72.73% 100 18.18%
1916 18 2.51% 657 91.63% 42 5.86%
1920 42 4.74% 844 95.26% 0 0.00%
1924 129 6.56% 1,748 88.96% 88 4.48%
1928 205 20.14% 813 79.86% 0 0.00%
1932 34 2.66% 1,240 97.03% 4 0.31%
1936 115 11.93% 845 87.66% 4 0.41%
1940 131 13.79% 818 86.11% 1 0.11%
1944 173 15.80% 922 84.20% 0 0.00%
1948 62 5.55% 819 73.26% 237 21.20%
1952 208 12.46% 1,461 87.54% 0 0.00%
1956 167 10.63% 1,404 89.37% 0 0.00%
1960 142 9.17% 1,406 90.83% 0 0.00%
1964 1,126 56.58% 864 43.42% 0 0.00%
1968 383 14.71% 483 18.56% 1,737 66.73%
1972 1,712 84.00% 326 16.00% 0 0.00%
1976 811 30.43% 1,854 69.57% 0 0.00%
1980 1,187 41.56% 1,611 56.41% 58 2.03%
1984 2,122 63.15% 1,238 36.85% 0 0.00%
1988 1,951 62.61% 1,154 37.03% 11 0.35%
1992 1,590 42.94% 1,491 40.26% 622 16.80%
1996 1,826 48.03% 1,570 41.29% 406 10.68%
2000 2,706 61.71% 1,519 34.64% 160 3.65%
2004 3,688 65.41% 1,899 33.68% 51 0.90%
2008 4,144 64.12% 2,232 34.54% 87 1.35%
2012 4,251 67.64% 1,914 30.45% 120 1.91%
2016 4,625 69.30% 1,831 27.43% 218 3.27%
2020 5,592 68.71% 2,439 29.97% 107 1.31%
2024 6,255 70.90% 2,515 28.51% 52 0.59%
United States Senate election results for Oglethorpe County, Georgia2
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 5,500 68.26% 2,323 28.83% 234 2.90%
2020 4,985 69.03% 2,237 30.97% 0 0.00%
[34]
United States Senate election results for Oglethorpe County, Georgia3
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 2,901 36.40% 1,720 21.58% 3,349 42.02%
2020 4,959 68.70% 2,259 31.30% 0 0.00%
2022 4,638 68.35% 1,996 29.41% 152 2.24%
2022 4,340 69.36% 1,917 30.64% 0 0.00%
Georgia Gubernatorial election results for Oglethorpe County
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2022 4,998 73.38% 1,766 25.93% 47 0.69%

Notable people

See also

Bibliography

  1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Oglethorpe County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ a b Brundage, William Fitzhugh (1993). Lynching in the New South: Georgia and Virginia, 1880-1930. University of Illinois Press. p. 47. ISBN 9780252063459.
  4. ^ "The Lynching Project: Oglethorpe County".
  5. ^ a b Riggall, Hunter (June 15, 2018). "Policing the police: Athens residents protest Oglethorpe sheriff hiring ex-Athens cop". The Red & Black. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  6. ^ Soriano, Ashley (June 5, 2018). "Athens officer used 'poor judgement' when hitting fleeing suspect with car, investigation finds". The Red & Black. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "GBI: Georgia deputy arrested after shooting at car during traffic stop". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  8. ^ What happened with Poulan Police Department?. DG Hamblin. August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ a b What happened with Poulan PD (part two). DG Hamblin. August 12, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ a b c d Ford, Wayne. "Motorcyclists fleeing from Oglethorpe deputy killed in collision with SUV in Athens". Online Athens. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c "Motorcyclist crashes, dies during pursuit in Athens-Clarke County". FOX 5 Atlanta. August 30, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Purcell, Joy (August 30, 2024). "Police: Biker crashes and dies while fleeing from deputies". Now Habersham. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d e "Police chase ends with fatal crash in Athens". Classic City News. August 30, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  14. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  15. ^ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  16. ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  17. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". United States Census Bureau.
  18. ^ "1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1880.
  19. ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1910. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 16, 2024.
  20. ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1930.
  21. ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1940.
  22. ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia -" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1950.
  23. ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 1980.
  24. ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2000.
  25. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  26. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  27. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  28. ^ a b c d "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  29. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  30. ^ Geography Division (December 26, 2020). 2020 Census - School District Reference Map: Oglethorpe County, GA (PDF) (Map). Suitland, Maryland: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 24, 2026. - Text list
  31. ^ "Georgia General Assembly". www.legis.ga.gov. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  32. ^ "Georgia General Assembly". www.legis.ga.gov. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
  33. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  34. ^ "2022 Senate Election (Official Returns)". Commonwealth of Georgia by county. November 5, 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2024.

33°53′N 83°05′W / 33.88°N 83.08°W / 33.88; -83.08

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.