Byron, Georgia

Byron, Georgia
City
Byron Municipal Complex
Byron Municipal Complex
Location in Peach County and the state of Georgia
Location in Peach County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 32°38′56″N 83°45′20″W / 32.64889°N 83.75556°W / 32.64889; -83.75556
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountiesPeach, Houston
Area
[1]
 • Total8.79 sq mi (22.77 km2)
 • Land8.77 sq mi (22.70 km2)
 • Water0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2)
Elevation
509 ft (155 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total5,702
 • Density650.47/sq mi (251.15/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
31008
Area code478
FIPS code13-12260[2]
GNIS feature ID0354930[3]
Websitebyronga.com
Main Street in downtown Byron
Peach Shops Outlet Mall beside I-75 in Byron

Byron is a city located primarily in Peach County, Georgia, United States. A small portion of the city also extends into parts of Houston and Crawford counties. The population was estimated to be 5,149 in 2019 by the Census Bureau,[4] an increasing of 14.1% from 4,512 at the 2010 census.[5] The city is in the Warner Robins metropolitan statistical area.

Byron was home to the Middle Georgia Raceway, an auto racetrack that hosted NASCAR races and the filming of TV commercials and a feature movie. From July 3–5, 1970, in a field next to the raceway, the Atlanta International Pop Festival was held, which was the largest gathering in Georgia history until the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.[6] On September 15, 2012, an official Georgia Historical Society marker was placed near the raceway site to commemorate the festival.[7]

History

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The community was named after Lord Byron, the British Romantic poet.[8] A former variant name was "Jackson", but the name was changed in order to avoid repetition with the Jackson in Butts County.[9] The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the place as the "Town of Byron" in 1874.[10]

Geography

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Byron is located in the northeast corner of Peach County at 32°38′56″N 83°45′20″W / 32.64889°N 83.75556°W / 32.64889; -83.75556 (32.648908, -83.755640),[11] near the geographic center of Georgia. Interstate 75 passes through the eastern side of the city, with access from Exits 146 and 149 (Georgia State Route 49). Byron is 93 miles (150 km) south of Atlanta, 16 miles (26 km) south of Macon, and 11 miles (18 km) northeast of the Peach County seat of Fort Valley.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.6 square miles (22.4 km2), of which 0.02 square miles (0.06 km2), or 0.28%, are water.[5]

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1880137—
1930318—
1940305−4.1%
195037924.3%
19601,138200.3%
19701,36820.2%
19801,66121.4%
19902,27637.0%
20002,88726.8%
20104,51256.3%
20205,70226.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]
Byron racial composition as of 2020[13]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 3,056 53.6%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 2,055 36.04%
Native American 12 0.21%
Asian 84 1.47%
Pacific Islander 1 0.02%
Other/Mixed 237 4.16%
Hispanic or Latino 257 4.51%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,702 people, 2,198 households, and 1,588 families residing in the city.

Circa 2023, of the 4,512 residents, all of them were in Peach County and none of them were in Houston County.[14]

Arts and culture

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The city hosts the Battle of Byron, an annual charity fundraiser.[15]

Education

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Areas in Peach County are within the Peach County School District (as are all other parts of Peach County).[16]

Areas in Houston County are within the Houston County School System (as are all other parts of Houston County).[17] As of 2023 no residents of Byron lived in Houston County.[14]

References

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  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  2. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Byron city, Georgia". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2017.[dead link]
  6. ^ "Alex Cooley Presents: The 2nd Atlanta International Pop Festival".
  7. ^ Kulkosky, Victor. (2012-09-19). "Byron Pop Festival Gets Historic Marker". The Leader Tribune, Peach County, GA.
  8. ^ "Peach County". New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  9. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 30. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
  10. ^ Bulletin of the New York Public Library. New York Public Library. 1912. p. 676.
  11. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  12. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  13. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  14. ^ a b "General Highway Map Peach County Georgia" (PDF). Georgia Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  15. ^ "The Battle of Byron". City of Byron. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  16. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Peach County, GA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 25, 2024. - Text list
  17. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Houston County, GA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 25, 2024. - Text list
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