Muscogee County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located on the central western border of the U.S. state of Georgia; its western border with the state of

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...

is formed by the Chattahoochee River. As of the 2020 census, the

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction usi ...

was 206,922. Its

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 ...

and only city is

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 ...

, with which it has been a

consolidated city-county In United States local government, a consolidated city-county is formed when one or more cities and their surrounding county ( parish in Louisiana, borough in Alaska) merge into one unified jurisdiction. As such it has the governmental powers ...

since the beginning of 1971. Muscogee County is part of the Columbus, GA- AL

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

. The only other city in the county was Bibb City, a company town that disincorporated in December 2000, two years after its mill closed permanently.

Fort Benning Fort Benning is a United States Army post near Columbus, Georgia, adjacent to the Alabama– Georgia border. Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees and civilian employee ...

, a large Army installation, takes up nearly one quarter of the county and extends into Chattahoochee County; it generates considerable economic power in the region.

History

Inhabited for thousands of years by varying cultures of

indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

, this area was territory of the historic

Creek people The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsLee Lee may refer to: Name Given name * Lee (given name), a given name in English Surname * Chinese surnames romanized as Li or Lee: ** Li (surname 李) or Lee (Hanzi ), a common Chinese surname ** Li (surname 利) or Lee (Hanzi ), a Chinese ...

, Muscogee, Troup, Coweta, and Carroll counties was ceded by a certain eight chiefs among the

Creek people The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsTreaty of Indian Springs. The Creek Nation declared the land cession illegal, because it did not represent the will of the majority of the people. The United States Senate did not ratify it. The following year, the US government negotiated another treaty with the Creek, by which they ceded nearly as much territory under continued pressure from the state of Georgia and US land commissioners. The counties' boundaries were created by the

Georgia General Assembly The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each of the General Assembly's 236 members serve two-year terms and are direct ...

on June 9, but they were not named until December 14 of 1826. The county was originally developed by American Indians for cotton plantations. In many areas of what became known as the Black Belt for the fertility of soil and development of plantations, American Indians who were reclassified by the government as Colored/Negro made up the majority of population in many counties. This county was named by American Indians for the native Muscogee or Creek people. Parts of the then-large county (which extended east to the Flint River) were later taken to create every other neighboring Georgia county, including Harris County to the north in 1827.

Geography

According to the

U.S. 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 the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.1%) is water. The county is located on the

fall line A fall line (or fall zone) is the area where an upland region and a coastal plain meet and is typically prominent where rivers cross it, with resulting rapids or waterfalls. The uplands are relatively hard crystalline basement rock, and the coa ...

between the

Atlantic coastal plain The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe a ...

to the south and the

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

to the north. As such, the newly constructed Fall Line Freeway runs across the northern portion of the county along JR Allen Parkway, and areas across the northern part of the county are hillier compared to the southern part of the county. The majority of Muscogee County, from north of

running northeast in the direction of Ellerslie, is located in the Middle Chattahoochee River- Walter F. George Lake subbasin of the

ACF River Basin The ACF River Basin is the drainage basin, or watershed, of the Apalachicola River, Chattahoochee River, and Flint River, in the Southeastern United States. This area is alternatively known as simply the Apalachicola Basin and is listed by t ...

(Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). The northwestern corner of the county, south of Fortson, is located in the Middle Chattahoochee River- Lake Harding subbasin of the same ACF River Basin.

Major highways

Interstate 14 (Extension is coming) * I-185 (GA)

Interstate 185 * US 27

U.S. Route 27 * US 27 Alternate

U.S. Route 27 Alternate * US 80

U.S. Route 80 * US 280

U.S. Route 280 * Georgia 1

State Route 1 * Georgia 22

State Route 22 * Georgia 22 Connector

State Route 22 Connector * Georgia 22 Spur

State Route 22 Spur * Georgia 85

State Route 85 * Georgia 219

State Route 219 * Georgia 411

State Route 411 (unsigned designation for I-185) * Georgia 520

State Route 520 * Georgia 540

State Route 540 (Fall Line Freeway)

Adjacent counties

* Harris County (north) * Talbot County (northeast) * Chattahoochee County (south) * Russell County,

(southwest/CST border except for

Phenix City Phenix City is a city in Lee and Russell counties in the U.S. state of Alabama, and the county seat of Russell County. As of the 2020 Census, the population of the city was 38,817. Phenix City lies immediately west across the Chattahoochee Ri ...

as the city is jointed by the

Metropolitan Area) * Lee County,

(west/CST border)

Demographics

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 inc ...

of 2000, there were 186,291 people, 69,819 households, and 47,686 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 76,182 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 50.42%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 43.74%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

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 ...

, 0.38% Native American, 1.54% Asian, 0.14%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.90% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races. 4.49% 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 for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 69,819

household A household consists of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is i ...

s, out of which 34.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.70% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 19.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.70% were non-families. 26.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.08. In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.80% under the age of 18, 11.90% from 18 to 24, 29.80% from 25 to 44, 19.70% from 45 to 64, and 11.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.60 males. The median income for a household in the county was $34,798, and the median income for a family was $41,244. Males had a median income of $30,238 versus $24,336 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 county was $18,262. 15.70% of the population and 12.80% of families were below the

poverty Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse

line. Out of the total population, 22.00% of those under the age of 18 and 12.10% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

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 serving ...

, there were 189,885 people, 74,081 households, and 47,742 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 82,690 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 46.3% white, 45.5% black or African American, 2.2% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.2% Pacific islander, 2.4% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 8.7% were Irish, 8.4% were

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 6.7% were

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

, and 6.3% were

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

. Of the 74,081 households, 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.3% were married couples living together, 21.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.6% were non-families, and 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.08. The median age was 33.5 years. The median income for a household in the county was $41,331 and the median income for a family was $50,771. Males had a median income of $37,618 versus $31,430 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,514. About 14.8% of families and 18.2% 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 ...

, including 26.3% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.

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 off ...

, there were 206,922 people, 73,134 households, and 45,689 families residing in the city.

Education

Higher education

Public

* Columbus State University * Columbus Technical College * Troy University - main campus in

Troy, Alabama Troy is a city in and the county seat of Pike County, Alabama, United States. It was formally incorporated on February 4, 1843. Between 1763 and 1783, the area where Troy sits was part of the colony of British West Florida.The Economy of Bri ...

Private

* Beacon University (seminary) * Rivertown School of Beauty * Southeastern Beauty School * Meadows Junior College *

University of Phoenix University of Phoenix (UoPX) is a private for-profit university headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1976, the university confers certificates and degrees at the certificate, associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree leve ...

Primary and secondary education

Public schools

Muscogee County School District serves all parts of the county except

for grades K-12. Fort Benning children are zoned to

Department of Defense Education Activity The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is a federal school system headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, and managing prekindergarten through 12th grade educational programs on behal ...

(DoDEA) schools for grades K-8.
Text list
- "Fort Benning Schools" refers to the DoDEA schools on Fort Benning. The document states that the county schools have high school zoning. However, high school students attend the public high schools in the respective counties they are located in. - The document states that the county schools have high school zoning.

Private and religion-based schools

* Brookstone School (K-12) * Calvary Christian School (Christian, K-12) * Edgewood Christian School (Baptist, K-12) * Grace Christian School (Christian, K-12) * Hallie Turner Private School (9-12) * Kip Christian Academy (Christian, K-8) * New Bethel Christian Academy (Seventh-day Adventist, K-8) * Our Lady of Lourdes School (Catholic, K-8) * Our Redeemer Christian Academy (Christian, K-12) * Pinehurst Christian School (Baptist, K-8) * St. Anne‒Pacelli Catholic School (Catholic, K-12)
St. Luke School
(Christian, K-8) * Victory Academy (K-8) * Westminster Christian School (Christian, K-8) * Wynnbrook Christian School (Baptist, K-12)

Homeschooling

In regards to

homeschooling Homeschooling or home schooling, also known as home education or elective home education (EHE), is the education of school-aged children at home or a variety of places other than a school. Usually conducted by a parent, tutor, or an onlin ...

, the Official Code of Georgia Annotated states the following:

Communities

Cities

(county seat) *

(

military base A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. A military base always provides accommodations for ...

)

Former incorporated communities

* Bibb City

Government and politics

Muscogee County has voted for Democratic candidates by increasing margins since 1992, although partisan leanings have become increasingly stratified by race, class, and in-county migration after 1965. The county has not supported a Republican for president since 1988, but broke free of Solid South voting patterns earlier than most counties in Georgia.

Presidential

United States Congress

Georgia General Assembly

Georgia State Senate

Georgia House of Representatives

References

External links

Documents from Muscogee County in the Digital Library of Georgia
{{Coord, 32.51, -84.87, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-GA_source:UScensus1990 Georgia (U.S. state) counties 1826 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia placenames of Native American origin Populated places established in 1826 Columbus metropolitan area, Georgia Geography of Columbus, Georgia Majority-minority counties in Georgia

History

Geography

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

2000 census

2010 census

2020 census

Education

Higher education

Public

Private

Primary and secondary education

Public schools

Private and religion-based schools

Homeschooling

Communities

Cities

Former incorporated communities

Government and politics

Presidential

United States Congress

Georgia General Assembly

Georgia State Senate

Georgia House of Representatives

See also

References

External links