Early County, Georgia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Early County
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Early County Courthouse in Blakely
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Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
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 Georgia's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Georgia |
| Founded | 1818 |
| Named for | Peter Early |
| Seat | Blakely |
| Largest city | Blakely |
| Area | |
| • Total | 516 sq mi (1,340 km2) |
| • Land | 513 sq mi (1,330 km2) |
| • Water | 3.8 sq mi (10 km2) 0.7%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 10,854 |
| • Density | 21/sq mi (8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
Early County is a county located on the southwest border of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,854. The county seat is Blakely, where the Early County Courthouse is located. Created on December 15, 1818, it was named for Peter Early, 28th Governor of Georgia. The county is bordered on the west by the Chattahoochee River, forming the border with Alabama.
Contents
History
Prehistoric and nineteenth-century history has been preserved in some of Early County's attractions. It is the site of the Kolomoki Mounds, a park preserving major earthworks built by indigenous peoples of the Woodland culture more than 1700 years ago, from 350 CE to 600 CE. This is one of the largest mound complexes in the United States and the largest in Georgia; it includes burial and ceremonial mounds. The siting of the mounds expresses the ancient people's cosmology, as mounds are aligned with the sun at the spring equinox and summer solstice.
The county area was territory of the historic Creek Indian peoples of the Southeast, particularly along the Chattahoochee River, before European-American settlers encroached and pushed them out during Indian Removal of the first half of the nineteenth century.
The Cohelee Creek Bridge in the county is the southernmost covered bridge still standing. One of the last wooden flagpoles from the American Civil War era is located at the historic courthouse in downtown Blakely.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 516 square miles (1,340 km2), of which 513 square miles (1,330 km2) is land and 3.8 square miles (9.8 km2) (0.7%) is water.
The northeastern and eastern portions of Early County, east of Blakely, and extending south to a line east of Jakin, are located in the Spring Creek sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). The western portion of the county is located in the Lower Chattahoochee River sub-basin of the same ACF River Basin.
Major highways
U.S. Route 27
U.S. Route 27 Business
U.S. Route 84
State Route 1
State Route 1 Business
State Route 38
State Route 39
State Route 45
State Route 62
State Route 62 Bypass
State Route 200
State Route 216
State Route 273
State Route 273 Spur
State Route 370
Adjacent counties
- Clay County (north)
- Calhoun County (northeast)
- Baker County (east)
- Miller County (southeast)
- Seminole County (south or east)
- Houston County, Alabama (southwest/CST Border)
- Henry County, Alabama (west/CST Border)
Communities
Cities
Town
Census-designated place
Other unincorporated communities
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1820 | 768 | — | |
| 1830 | 2,051 | 167.1% | |
| 1840 | 5,444 | 165.4% | |
| 1850 | 7,246 | 33.1% | |
| 1860 | 6,149 | −15.1% | |
| 1870 | 6,998 | 13.8% | |
| 1880 | 7,611 | 8.8% | |
| 1890 | 9,792 | 28.7% | |
| 1900 | 14,828 | 51.4% | |
| 1910 | 18,122 | 22.2% | |
| 1920 | 18,983 | 4.8% | |
| 1930 | 18,273 | −3.7% | |
| 1940 | 18,679 | 2.2% | |
| 1950 | 17,413 | −6.8% | |
| 1960 | 13,151 | −24.5% | |
| 1970 | 12,682 | −3.6% | |
| 1980 | 13,158 | 3.8% | |
| 1990 | 11,854 | −9.9% | |
| 2000 | 12,354 | 4.2% | |
| 2010 | 11,008 | −10.9% | |
| 2020 | 10,854 | −1.4% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 10,563 | −4.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1880 1890-1910 1920-1930 1930-1940 1940-1950 1960-1980 1980-2000 2010 2020 |
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| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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| White alone (NH) | 6,159 | 5,250 | 4,813 | 49.85% | 47.69% | 44.34% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 5,901 | 5,441 | 5,534 | 47.77% | 49.43% | 50.99% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 23 | 34 | 31 | 0.19% | 0.34% | 0.29% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 23 | 37 | 47 | 0.19% | 0.34% | 0.43% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0.06% | 0.02% | 0.00% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 5 | 5 | 11 | 0.04% | 0.05% | 0.10% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 84 | 68 | 232 | 0.68% | 0.62% | 2.14% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 152 | 171 | 186 | 1.23% | 1.55% | 1.71% |
| Total | 12,354 | 11,008 | 10,854 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 10,854 people, 4,074 households, and 2,659 families residing in the county.
Education
The Early County School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one elementary school, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 156 full-time teachers and over 2,764 students.
- Early County Elementary School
- Early County Middle School
- Early County High School
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Early para niños
