Bainbridge is a city in

Decatur County Decatur County is the name of various past and present counties in the United States, all named for Stephen Decatur: *Decatur County, Georgia *Decatur County, Indiana *Decatur County, Iowa *Decatur County, Kansas *Decatur County, Tennessee *Decatu ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, United States. The city is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Decatur County. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 14,468.

History

The first European settlement in what is today Bainbridge was a

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically the location of the trading post would allow people from one geographic area to tr ...

set up by James Burges in the late 18th century. From him comes the name Burges's Bluff. The town was named after U.S. Navy Commodore

William Bainbridge William Bainbridge (May 7, 1774July 27, 1833) was a Commodore in the United States Navy. During his long career in the young American Navy he served under six presidents beginning with John Adams and is notable for his many victories at sea. ...

, commander of the USS ''Constitution'' ("Old Ironsides"), and was incorporated on December 22, 1829. In 1824, Bainbridge was designated seat of the newly formed Decatur County. On October 10, 2018, Bainbridge was victim to

Hurricane Michael Hurricane Michael was a very powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that became the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the contiguous United States since Andrew in 1992. It was the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane to m ...

. The storm left widespread damage through the city limits, including downed trees, power lines, and structural damage. Many residents affected suffered severe damage to their homes.

Geography

Bainbridge is located in the center of Decatur County. The city is in southwestern Georgia along U.S. Routes 27 and 84, which form a bypass around the southern part of the city. U.S. Route 27 leads southeast to

Tallahassee Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2020, the population ...

, Florida, and north to

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

. U.S. Route 84 leads east to Thomasville and northwest to

Dothan Dothan is a place-name from the Hebrew Bible, identified with Tel Dothan. It may refer to: * Dothan, Alabama, a city in Dale, Henry, and Houston counties in the U.S. state of Alabama * Dani Dothan, lyricist and vocalist for the Israeli rock and ne ...

, Alabama. Other highways which run through the city include Georgia State Routes 97,

253 __NOTOC__ Year 253 ( CCLIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Volusianus and Claudius (or, less frequently, year 100 ...

309 __NOTOC__ Year 309 ( CCCIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Licinianus and Constantius (or, less frequentl ...

, and

311 311 may refer to: * 311 (number), a natural number * AD 311, a year of the Julian calendar, in the fourth century AD * 311 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar * 311 (band), an American band ** ''311'' (album), band 311's self-titled album ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 6.40%, is water. Bainbridge is located on the

Flint River The Flint River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 15, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Georgia. The river drains of western Georgia, flowing south from the u ...

, which flows southwest to meet the

Chattahoochee The Chattahoochee River forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida - Georgia border. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the con ...

. Together they form the Apalachicola River which flows to the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...

. At the junction of the two rivers, the

Jim Woodruff Dam Jim Woodruff Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Apalachicola River, about south of that river's origin at the confluence of the Flint and Chattahoochee Rivers. The dam impounds Lake Seminole on the common border of Florida and Georgia. The da ...

forms

Lake Seminole Lake Seminole is a reservoir located in the southwest corner of Georgia along its border with Florida, maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Chattahoochee and Flint rivers join in the lake, before flowing from the Jim Woodruff Lock ...

. A system of

locks Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

at the dam allows barge traffic to travel between the inland port at Bainbridge and the Gulf of Mexico.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 14,468 people, 4,471 households, and 3,111 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...

, there were 12,697 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 54.4% Black, 39.6% White, 0.1% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% from some other race and 1.0% from two or more races. 4.1% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 11,722 people, 4,444 households, and 3,013 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 255.6/km (661.8/sq mi, Georgia average is 141.4/sq mi, U.S. average is 79.6/sq mi). There were 5,051 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 50.34%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

(Georgia 28.7%, U.S. 12.3%), 47.48% White (Georgia 65.1%, U.S. 75.1%), 0.12% Native American (Georgia 0.3%, U.S. 0.9%), 0.64%

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

n (Georgia 2.1%, U.S. 3.6%), 0.02% Pacific Islander (Georgia 0.1%, U.S. 0.1%), 0.78% from other races (Georgia 2.4%, U.S. 5.5%), and 0.61% from two or more races (Georgia 1.4%, U.S. 2.4%). 2.00% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race (Georgia 5.3%, U.S. 12.5%). There were 4,444 households, out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 24.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.09. Historical home Bainbridge, GA 2007-2

In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.0% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $24,869, and the median income for a family was $30,557. Males had a median income of $28,918 versus $21,518 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $15,589. About 24.0% of families and 26.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 41.1% of those under age 18 and 18.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

It was announced in December 2019 that Brazil-based gun manufacturer

Taurus Taurus is Latin for 'bull' and may refer to: * Taurus (astrology), the astrological sign * Taurus (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac * Taurus (mythology), one of two Greek mythological characters named Taurus * '' Bos tauru ...

had been granted a $39 million tax-incentive package to move from the Miami, Florida area to Bainbridge in return for creating 300 jobs. The package includes $20 million for construction, $7.9 million in tax credits, $4.5 million for infrastructure, $4.3 million in property-tax abatements, and $3 million for equipment, in addition to a land lease arrangement of $1/year for 73 acres (20 hectares) of land. The subsidy totals $130,000 per job.

Arts and culture

Arts

* The Firehouse Gallery Art Gallery * Bainbridge Little Theatre

Annual cultural events

River Town Days is held each year the second weekend of March. The Swine Time Festival and Decatur County Fall Festival and Fair are annual events.

National Register of Historic Places

The Decatur County Courthouse was constructed in 1902, and is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. Also listed on the Register is the First African Missionary Baptist Church. with

Public library

The Decatur County Gilbert H. Gragg Library is located in Bainbridge. The library serves the population of Decatur County and acts as the headquarters for the

Southwest Georgia Regional Library The Southwest Georgia Regional Library (SWGRL) is a public library system serving the counties of Decatur, Miller, and Seminole, Georgia. The central library is the Gilbert H. Gragg Library located in Bainbridge, Georgia. SWGRL is a member of P ...

Education

Decatur County School District

The Decatur County School District holds pre-school to grade 12, and consists of one elementary school, two primary schools, one middle school, and a high school. The district has 384 full-time teachers and over 5,782 students. Schools include: *Jones-Wheat Primary School (grades PreK-2) *West Bainbridge Primary School (grades PreK-2) *Hutto Elementary School (grades 3-5) *Bainbridge Middle School (grades 6-8) * Bainbridge High School (grades 9-12)

Other schools

* Southwest Regional Technical Center (ABAC affiliations) *Grace Christian Academy (PreK-12) *Spring Creek Charter Academy (PreK-6)

Infrastructure

Transportation

The city is a seaport linked to the

via Florida's Apalachicola River. Officially known as

Port Bainbridge Port Bainbridge is an inland seaport operated by the Georgia Ports Authority and is located in Bainbridge, Georgia. It handles sea trade and cargo shipments to and from the Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocea ...

, these facilities are managed entirely by the

Georgia Ports Authority The Georgia Ports Authority, which was founded in 1945 and chaired by US. Colonel, Inventor and Engineer Dr. Blake Van Leer, operates port facilities in the U.S. state of Georgia. Georgia's primary deepwater ports are located in Savannah and ...

. The

Decatur County Industrial Air Park Decatur County Industrial Air Park is a county-owned public-use airport located six nautical miles (11 km) northwest of the central business district of Bainbridge, a city in Decatur County, Georgia, United States. Facilities and aircraft ...

, located northwest of the city, provides general aviation service to the community.

Parks and recreation

The Bainbridge-Decatur County

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...

opened on September 15, 1986. Its building had a cost of $1,000,000. - Author was the interim CEO of the YMCA.

Notable people

* James Butler, NFL player * Alfred Corn, poet and essayist; born Bainbridge, raised in Valdosta *

Marvin Griffin Samuel Marvin Griffin, Sr. (September 4, 1907 – June 13, 1982) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Georgia. A lifelong Democrat, Griffin was a native of Bainbridge, Georgia and publisher of the ''Bainbridge Post-Searchligh ...

, former Georgia governor *

Miriam Hopkins Ellen Miriam Hopkins (October 18, 1902 – October 9, 1972) was an American actress known for her versatility. She first signed with Paramount Pictures in 1930. Her best-known roles included a pickpocket in Ernst Lubitsch's romantic comedy '' T ...

, Academy Award-nominated film actress * Paul Kwilecki, documentary photographer *

Jason Lancaster Jason Lancaster is a singer-songwriter born in Tallahassee, Florida. He was the co-lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist in Mayday Parade as well as the lead vocalist/guitarist/pianist in Go Radio. Since Go Radio's breakup shortly after their particip ...

, Singer and guitarist of Mayday Parade, singer of Go Radio, and solo career * Dameon Pierce, NFL player - Houston Texans * David Ross,

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the ca ...

, two-time World Series champion, '' Dancing with the Stars'' contestant *

Kirby Smart Kirby Paul Smart (born December 23, 1975) is an American football coach and former player. He is the current head football coach of the Georgia Bulldogs, his alma mater. He coached the 2021 Bulldogs to a national championship victory, their f ...

, head football coach for the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

* Travis Smith, former drummer of Trivium * Young Stribling, professional heavyweight boxer

References

External links

City of Bainbridge official website"Bainbridge" entry
in ''New Georgia Encyclopedia''
South Georgia Historic Newspapers Archive
- Digital Library of Georgia {{authority control Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in Decatur County, Georgia County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)