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Waynesboro, Georgia
Downtown Waynesboro, within the historic district
Downtown Waynesboro, within the historic district
Official seal of Waynesboro, Georgia
Seal
Nickname(s): 
"The Bird Dog Capital of the World"
Location in Burke County and the state of Georgia
Location in Burke County and the state of Georgia
Country United States
State Georgia
County Burke
Area
 • Total 5.53 sq mi (14.31 km2)
 • Land 5.47 sq mi (14.17 km2)
 • Water 0.05 sq mi (0.14 km2)
Elevation
295 ft (90 m)
Population
 (2024)
 • Total 5,472
 • Density 1,000.4/sq mi (386.2/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
30830
Area code(s) 706
FIPS code 13-80984
GNIS feature ID 0347180

Waynesboro (/ˈwnzbʌr/) is a city and the county seat of Burke County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,472 at the 2024 census. It is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area.

Waynesboro is known as "The Bird Dog Capital of the World". The Waynesboro Commercial Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History

Waynesboro is located in Burke County, one of the eight original counties of Georgia. The city was named after General Anthony Wayne, whose daring efforts during the Revolutionary War earned him the nickname "Mad Anthony Wayne".

Although European Americans lived in the area before the Revolutionary War, the town was not laid out until 1783. The city was officially incorporated in 1883 as Waynesborough. The name was changed to Waynesboro sometime after. It developed as the trading and government center of the county, and is the site of the county courthouse and jail.

President George Washington spent the night of May 17, 1791, in Waynesboro. A stone monument on Liberty Street marks the historical site; it stands in front of the Golden Pantry (formerly Kwik Stop).

On December 4, 1864, the Civil War Battle of Waynesboro was fought just south of the town. Forces under Union General Judson Kilpatrick prevented troops led by Confederate General Joseph Wheeler from interfering with Union General William T. Sherman's campaign to destroy a wide swathe of the South on his march to Savannah, Georgia, and the Atlantic Ocean.

Geography

Waynesboro is located in the center of Burke County at 33°5′26″N 82°0′55″W / 33.09056°N 82.01528°W / 33.09056; -82.01528 (33.090482, -82.015404). U.S. Route 25 bypasses the city on the east side, while State Route 121 passes through the center as Liberty Street. To the north it is 28 miles (45 km) to downtown Augusta, and to the south it is 49 miles (79 km) to Statesboro.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Waynesboro has a total area of 5.5 square miles (14.2 km2), of which 5.4 square miles (14.0 km2) is land and 0.039 square miles (0.1 km2), or 0.96%, is water. The city's elevation is 295 feet (90 m) above sea level. Pine, oak, dogwood, and other trees found in the South are in Waynesboro.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 196
1880 1,008
1890 1,711 69.7%
1900 2,030 18.6%
1910 2,729 34.4%
1920 3,311 21.3%
1930 3,922 18.5%
1940 3,793 −3.3%
1950 4,461 17.6%
1960 5,359 20.1%
1970 5,530 3.2%
1980 5,760 4.2%
1990 5,701 −1.0%
2000 5,813 2.0%
2010 5,766 −0.8%
2020 5,799 0.6%
U.S. Decennial Census
1850-1870 1880
1890-1910 1920-1930
1930-1940 1940-1950
1960-19801980-2000
Waynesboro racial composition as of 2020
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 1,603 27.64%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 3,861 66.58%
Native American 9 0.16%
Asian 32 0.55%
Other/Mixed 157 2.71%
Hispanic or Latino 137 2.36%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,799 people, 1,991 households, and 1,339 families residing in the city.

Economy

Nuclear power plant

On February 2, 2010, President Obama was expected to announce a total of $8.3 billion in federal loan guarantees to build and operate a pair of nuclear reactors in Burke County by Southern Company, an Atlanta-based energy company. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) offered Southern Company's subsidiary, Georgia Power, a conditional commitment for loan guarantees for the construction of the nation's first nuclear power units in more than 30 years. The new units will be located at Plant Vogtle along the Savannah River 21 miles (34 km) east of Waynesboro, where the company already owns and operates two nuclear units. The conditional commitment is for loan guarantees that would apply to future borrowings related to the construction of Vogtle units 3 and 4.

Arts and culture

The Burke County Museum traces the area's history, from plantation life to the establishment of agribusiness.

Education

Burke County School District

K-12 public education in Waynesboro is managed by Burke County Public Schools, with one high school, one middle school, two elementary/one primary school, and one alternative school and four private schools.

  • SGA Elementary School (Pre k-5)
  • Blakeney Elementary School (3-5)
  • Waynesboro Primary School (pre K-2)
  • Burke County Middle School (6-8)
  • Burke County High School (9-12)
  • Burke County Alternative School (6-12)

Private Schools

  • Faith Christian Academy (pre K-12)
  • Edmund Burke Academy (Pre K-12)
  • Waynesboro Mennonite School (1-12)

Burke County Bears

Waynesboro is the home to the Burke County Bears high school sports teams. The Bears won the 2011 state football championship against the Trojans of Peach County. Back in the 1950s, the former Waynesboro High School team, the Purple Hurricanes, won the state championship, but the Bears had not won a state championship football game until 2011.

Higher education

  • Augusta Technical College, Waynesboro campus

Notable people

See also

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