Upson County, Georgia

Upson County
County
Upson County Courthouse in Thomaston
Upson County Courthouse in Thomaston
Map of Georgia highlighting Upson County
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Map of the United States highlighting Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 32°53′N 84°18′W / 32.88°N 84.3°W / 32.88; -84.3
Country United States
State Georgia
FoundedDecember 15, 1824; 200 years ago (1824)
Named forStephen Upson
SeatThomaston
Largest cityThomaston
Area
 • Total
328 sq mi (850 km2)
 • Land323 sq mi (840 km2)
 • Water4.1 sq mi (11 km2)  1.3%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
27,700
 • Density86/sq mi (33/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district3rd
Websitewww.upsoncountyga.org

Upson County is a county in the West Central region of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,700.[1] The county seat is Thomaston.[2] The county was created on December 15, 1824.

Upson County comprises the Thomaston, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs CSA.

History

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Upson County was formed in 1824 and named after Stephen Upson, a state legislator.[3]

Emancipation Day

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On May 29, 1865, following the conclusion of the American Civil War, enslaved African Americans in the county were notified in Thomaston that they had been emancipated.[4] By the following year, celebrations were held on that date, which continue to this day.[4] It is considered one of the largest Emancipation Day celebrations in Georgia and one of the oldest continuously celebrated ones in the United States.[4]

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 328 square miles (850 km2), of which 323 square miles (840 km2) is land and 4.1 square miles (11 km2) (1.3%) is water.[5] Upson County boasts the lowest average summer humidity in the state.

The vast majority of Upson County is located in the Upper Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin), with just a tiny northeastern corner of the county, north of Yatesville, located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin.[6]

Major highways

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Adjacent counties

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Communities

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City

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Town

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Census-designated places

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Unincorporated communities

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18307,013—
18409,40834.2%
18509,4240.2%
18609,9105.2%
18709,430−4.8%
188012,40031.5%
189012,188−1.7%
190013,67012.2%
191012,757−6.7%
192014,78615.9%
193019,50931.9%
194025,06428.5%
195025,0780.1%
196023,800−5.1%
197023,505−1.2%
198025,99810.6%
199026,3001.2%
200027,5974.9%
201027,153−1.6%
202027,7002.0%
2023 (est.)28,263[7]2.0%
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[16]
Upson County racial composition as of 2020[17]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 18,009 65.01%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 7,851 28.34%
Native American 63 0.23%
Asian 151 0.55%
Pacific Islander 1 0.0%
Other/Mixed 992 3.58%
Hispanic or Latino 633 2.29%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 27,700 people, 10,154 households, and 6,100 families residing in the county.

Politics

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United States presidential election results for Upson County, Georgia[18]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 9,528 69.74% 4,098 30.00% 36 0.26%
2020 8,606 66.68% 4,203 32.56% 98 0.76%
2016 7,292 66.69% 3,475 31.78% 167 1.53%
2012 7,230 64.10% 3,959 35.10% 90 0.80%
2008 7,291 63.77% 4,061 35.52% 82 0.72%
2004 6,634 65.72% 3,424 33.92% 36 0.36%
2000 5,019 60.60% 3,158 38.13% 105 1.27%
1996 3,783 47.08% 3,491 43.45% 761 9.47%
1992 4,053 45.03% 3,740 41.55% 1,208 13.42%
1988 4,614 63.05% 2,666 36.43% 38 0.52%
1984 4,803 62.01% 2,943 37.99% 0 0.00%
1980 2,788 36.52% 4,713 61.73% 134 1.76%
1976 2,897 40.71% 4,219 59.29% 0 0.00%
1972 4,892 84.52% 896 15.48% 0 0.00%
1968 1,494 22.73% 1,480 22.52% 3,599 54.75%
1964 3,103 48.61% 3,275 51.30% 6 0.09%
1960 1,001 23.48% 3,262 76.52% 0 0.00%
1956 712 17.22% 3,422 82.78% 0 0.00%
1952 648 14.45% 3,837 85.55% 0 0.00%
1948 262 8.75% 2,432 81.26% 299 9.99%
1944 243 9.33% 2,362 90.67% 0 0.00%
1940 159 6.64% 2,235 93.36% 0 0.00%
1936 138 8.57% 1,471 91.37% 1 0.06%
1932 20 1.19% 1,660 98.57% 4 0.24%
1928 221 23.46% 721 76.54% 0 0.00%
1924 37 6.37% 484 83.30% 60 10.33%
1920 170 15.08% 957 84.92% 0 0.00%
1916 18 1.78% 734 72.60% 259 25.62%
1912 7 1.19% 445 75.42% 138 23.39%

Notable people

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Upson County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 238. ISBN 0-915430-00-2. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 17, 2003.
  4. ^ a b c Ripley, Joe (June 17, 2022). "Juneteenth in Georgia | Here's how enslaved people in the South learned they were freed". WXIA-TV. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  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. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 14, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  17. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  18. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 22, 2018.

32°53′N 84°18′W / 32.88°N 84.30°W / 32.88; -84.30

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