Central Georgia is the area containing the

metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: * Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories * Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England * Metropolitan county, a typ ...

region surrounding the city of Macon, in Bibb County in the U.S. state of

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 t ...

. It abuts the Atlanta metropolitan area, just to the north. Similar and coextensive names for this region include Middle Georgia and the Heart of Georgia. While no precise definition exists there are several ways to group places as part of the area. A partial list: *The Macon-Warner Robins-Fort Valley, GA Combined Statistical Area (population 417,473). The two components of the CSA are: ** Macon Metropolitan Statistical Area ( Bibb, Crawford,

Jones Jones may refer to: People *Jones (surname), a common Welsh and English surname *List of people with surname Jones *Jones (singer), a British singer-songwriter Arts and entertainment * Jones (''Animal Farm''), a human character in George Orwell' ...

, Monroe, and Twiggs counties) ** Warner Robins Metropolitan Statistical Area (

Houston Houston (; ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, the Southern United States#Major cities, most populous city in the Southern United States, the List of United States cities by population, fourth-most pop ...

, Peach, and

Pulaski Pulaski may refer to: Places * Pulaski Heights, a section of the city of Little Rock, Arkansas * Pulaski Shoal, an underwater landform west of the Florida Keys * Pulaski, Georgia, a town * Pulaski Square, one of the "Squares of Savannah" in t ...

counties) *Counties bordering Bibb are Crawford,

, Monroe,

Peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non- ...

, and Twiggs. *Counties belonging to the

Middle Georgia Regional Library System The Middle Georgia Regional Library System is a library system which serves the counties of Bibb, Crawford, Jones, Macon, Twiggs and Wilkinson in the U.S. state of Georgia. Patrons receive a PINES library card. This may be used at any of the 275 ...

are Bibb, Crawford,

, Macon, Twiggs, and Wilkinson. *Counties within the service areas of Central Georgia Technical College and Middle Georgia State University: Baldwin, Bibb, Bleckley, Crawford, Dodge, Dooly, Houston, Johnson, Jones, Laurens, Macon, Monroe, Peach, Pulaski, Putnam, Taylor, Twiggs, Upson, and Wilkinson. *The Macon

media market A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television and radio station offerings, and may also in ...

for TV ratings includes Bibb County and all of its neighboring counties, in addition to

Baldwin Baldwin is a Germanic name, composed of the elements ''bald'' "bold" and ''win'' "friend". People * Baldwin (name) Places Canada * Baldwin, York Regional Municipality, Ontario * Baldwin, Ontario, in Sudbury District * Baldwin's Mills, Qu ...

, Bleckley, Dodge, Dooly, Hancock, Johnson, Laurens, Macon, Montgomery,

, Taylor, Telfair, Treutlen, Washington, Wheeler, Wilkinson, and Wilcox countie

* Counties belonging to the Middle Georgia Clean Air Coalition: Bibb, Crawford, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Peach, and Twiggs. *Other surrounding counties, such as Butts County, Georgia, Butts,

Crisp CRISP may refer to: * Center for Research in Security and Privacy, largest research center for IT security in Europe * C-language Reduced Instruction Set Processor, an AT&T microprocessor design * Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Pat ...

, Jasper, Lamar, Montgomery, Pike,

Putnam Putnam may refer to: People * Putnam (surname) Places Canada * Putnam, Ontario, community in Thames Centre United States * Putnam, Alabama * Putnam, Connecticut, a New England town ** Putnam (CDP), Connecticut, the main village in the town ...

, Schley, Spalding, Sumter, Taylor, and Upson, are also included in the area at times.

Cities in Central Georgia

Some of the most prominent cities in middle Georgia, each with their own unique history and character, include:

Places with more than 100,000 inhabitants

* Macon Pop: 155,369, the area's anchor city, largest city and the center of the area. Contains museums, institutions of higher education, and historical buildings. In Bibb County. (Consolidated City-County Government)

Places with 50,000 to 100,000 inhabitants

* Warner Robins Pop: 72,531, grew up around Robins Air Force Base.

Other Suburbs, Cities and Counties

* Centerville, Rapidly growing suburban city just south of Macon and west of Warner Robins. The Galleria Mall there is the second largest mall in the Macon metropolitan area after the Macon Mall. * Milledgeville, former state capital. The location of Georgia College and State University. In Baldwin County. *

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

, a city among the farthest away from Macon that is still considered Middle Georgia. In Laurens County. * Fort Valley, the location of Fort Valley State University and the Lane Peach Packing Factory and Store. One of the 8 Blue Bird Bus factories in the U.S and Canada is located in the city. In Peach County. *

Cochran ''For the history of the surname, see Cochrane.'' Cochran is a surname of Scottish (and most likely of Cumbric) origin. The earliest known appearance is in Dumbartonshire (14th cent). The definition is unclear, however the name may be derived from ...

, the location of Middle Georgia State University's Cochran Campus (formerly Middle Georgia College), home of Middle Georgia State University Athletics Department. Also home to the Cochran Motor Speedway, located in Bleckley County. *

Forsyth Forsyth may refer to: Places Oceania * Forsyth Island, Queensland, Australia, one of the West Wellesley Islands (aka Forsyth Islands) * Forsyth Island, Tasmania, Australia * Forsyth Island (New Zealand), in the outer Marlborough Sounds of South Isl ...

. Tift College was once located here. Sited on I-75 just north of Macon, in Monroe County. * Perry, just south of Warner Robins and the location of the

Georgia National Fair It offers a wide range of activities and shows, such as agricultural, livestock and horse shows, home and fine arts competitions, youth organization events (4-H, FBLA, FCCLA, FFA FFA may refer to: Aviation and military * First Flight Airport, ne ...

grounds and Agricenter, Perdue and Frito Lay. In Houston County. *

Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the ...

, about halfway between Macon and Warner Robins on I-75. The Peach Factory Outlets are located there, In Peach County. * Eatonton, birthplace of authors Joel Chandler Harris (the "Uncle Remus" stories) and

Alice Walker Alice Malsenior Tallulah-Kate Walker (born February 9, 1944) is an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist. In 1982, she became the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which she was awa ...

(''The Color Purple''). In Putnam County.

Center

Twiggs County contains the actual geographic center of the state.

Universities and colleges in Central Georgia

* Middle Georgia State University *

Mercer University Mercer University is a private research university with its main campus in Macon, Georgia. Founded in 1833 as Mercer Institute and gaining university status in 1837, it is the oldest private university in the state and enrolls more than 9,00 ...

* Central Georgia Technical College * Wesleyan Collegebr>
* Georgia Military College *

Georgia College Georgia College & State University (Georgia College or GC) is a public liberal arts university in Milledgeville, Georgia. The university enrolls approximately 7,000 students and is a member of the University System of Georgia and the Counc ...

* Fort Valley State University

Economy

The economy in Central Georgia tends to cluster around five areas:

aerospace Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astrona ...

, healthcare and hospitals, kaolin, warehousing and distribution, and heritage and

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide fund ...

.Piazza, Merissa; Andre, Joe; Tsegah, Elorm M.; Lee, Eunkyu; and Austrian, Ziona, "Central Georgia Regional Analysis: Demographics, Economy, Entrepreneurship and Innovation" (2013). Urban Publications. 0 1 2 3 685. https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/urban_facpub/685 Macon is the region's

retail Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesaler, and th ...

and trade center and the Macon-Bibb county serves as the region's center of employment. The Central Georgia region has been competitive in the United States in terms of economic growth and stability, but within the state of Georgia, the region has not experienced much growth. The region lags behind most other regions in the state in terms of well-being of its residents and overall economic growth. As of 2017, over 46,000 workers from nearby counties commute to the Macon-Bibb county for work. To assist in business growth and development, the Macon Economic Development Commission recruits new businesses and industries to the region. In August 2017 the Canadian based Irving Consumer Products announced plans to build a manufacturing plant in Macon that would create additional jobs. The Central Georgia Business and Technology Park in Thomaston is a 240-acre facility that houses tenants such as Southern Company, Solutions Pest & Lawn, Criterion Technologies, and Chief Manufacturing. Houston County is located 75 miles south of the Atlanta International Airport, and home to Georgia's largest industrial complex at the Warner Robins Air Force Base. Houston county has more than 3,000 acres of land for industrial development and one of the lowest property tax rates in middle Georgia. The county is designated one of Georgia’s Entrepreneur Friendly Communities. Houston County has experienced a population growth, from 89,208 in 1990 to a population of 160,000 in 2015.

Major Employers

Central Georgia's largest employer is the Warner Robins Air Force Base, with more than 22,300 employees as of 2015, followed by Geico with over 5,690 employees and the Medical Center of Central Georgia, with over 4,600 employees. Other employers in the region include the Houston County Board of Education, Bibb County Board of Education, Houston Healthcare, Perdue Farms, the Macon-Bibb County Government, the Blue Bird Corp, Coliseum Health System, and Frito lay

Notable people

*Clarence Reid, a.k.a.

Blowfly Blowfly or blow fly may refer to: * Calliphoridae, a family of flies * Blowfly (musician) Clarence Henry Reid (February 14, 1939 – January 17, 2016) was an American musician, songwriter and producer also known by the stage name and altern ...

- musician and songwriter * Ed Roberts - Physician and founder of MITS where he created the Altair 8800 microcomputer, starting the microcomputer revolution. It featured Microsoft's first software, the Altair BASIC and employed

Bill Gates William Henry Gates III (born October 28, 1955) is an American business magnate and philanthropist. He is a co-founder of Microsoft, along with his late childhood friend Paul Allen. During his career at Microsoft, Gates held the positions ...

, Paul Allen, and Monte Davidoff. * Obie Walker - claimant of the World Colored Heavyweight Championship boxing title in the 1930s * Fish Scales — Alternative Southern Rap Artist * Betty Cantrell — Miss America 2016 *

Robert Waymouth Robert M. Waymouth (born 1960) is an American chemist. He is the Robert Eckles Swain Professor in Chemistry at Stanford University. Early life and education He was born in 1960 in Warner Robins, Georgia. In 1982 he earned a B.S. in chemistry and a ...

— Chemistry professor at Stanford University *

Melvyn Douglas Melvyn Douglas (born Melvyn Edouard Hesselberg, April 5, 1901 – August 4, 1981) was an American actor. Douglas came to prominence in the 1930s as a suave leading man, perhaps best typified by his performance in the romantic comedy '' Ninotch ...

— Actor * Carrie Preston — Actress *

Jack McBrayer Jack McBrayer (; born May 27, 1973) is an American actor and comedian, who gained national exposure for his portrayal of characters on '' Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' and as Kenneth Parcell in ''30 Rock''. For his role in ''30 Rock'' he was ...

— Actor *

Jason Aldean Jason Aldean (born Jason Aldine Williams; February 28, 1977) is an American country music singer. Since 2005, he has been signed to Broken Bow Records, a record label for which he has released ten albums and 40 singles. His 2010 album, ''My Kind ...

— Country Singer * Sonny Perdue — Former Governor of Georgia *

Deborah Roberts Deborah Ann Roberts (born September 20, 1960) is an American television journalist for the ABC News division of the ABC broadcast television network. Early life and education Roberts was born in Perry, Georgia to Benjamin Roberts, a business ...

— ABC News Correspondent * Joel Godard — Late night show tv announcer * Richard "Little Richard" Penniman - Singer

Demographics

As of 2010, the estimated total population of central Georgia, including the counties of

, Bibb, Crawford,

, Monroe,

, and Twiggs counties, was 445,608 people.Piazza, Merissa; Andre, Joe; Tsegah, Elorm M.; Lee, Eunkyu; and Austrian, Ziona, "Central Georgia Regional Analysis: Demographics, Economy, Entrepreneurship and Innovation" (2013). Urban Publications. 0 1 2 3 685. https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/urban_facpub/685 The population has grown by 11% over the last 10 years. The fastest growth was reported in Houston County, which saw a population growth of 26.3% followed by Monroe (21.5%) and Jones (21.3%) Counties. The racial make-up of the region is 55.9% white, 38.7% Black and 1.6% asian, with about 1.8% identified as mixed or two more races. Houston county has the highest educational attainment for

Bachelor's Degrees A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to si ...

(14.5%) and Graduate or Professional Degrees (11.2%) for the population over 25 years old in the Central Georgia region in 2011.

Culture and attractions

Central Georgia has several cultural attractions that include the Ocmulgee National Monument, Georgia National Fairground, and the Museum of Aviation at the Robins Air Force Base. Macon is home to over 10 museums, 5 tours and 7 annual festivals. Some of the museums include the Tubman African American Museum, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, and the Museum of Arts & Sciences. The region has an abundance of nature and wildlife; the

High Falls state park High Falls State Park is a Georgia state park located near the city of Jackson in Monroe County, Georgia, part of the Macon metropolitan area. It is the site of a prosperous 19th-century industrial center, which became a ghost town when it was ...

is located just north west of Macon. High Falls was a prosperous Industrial town with several stores, including a mill, a cotton gin and a shoe factory until it fell from prosperity.

Popular Events

The region hosts several events each year, with Macon, the population center hosting over 20 annual events and has been nicknamed the festival capital of Georgia. Macon's popular events include the International Cherry Blossom Festival, the Bragg Jam, the Ocmulgee Indian Celebration. Other popular events include the Georgia Peach Festival which is hosted in Byron and Fort Valley, and the annual miss Georgia Peach pageant hosted in Fort Valley. Harmonic Hall, circa 1876 - DPLA - d437339940a7d2b23c342b2efc12cd4f

Harmonic Hall, circa 1876 - DPLA - d437339940a7d2b23c342b2efc12cd4f

Transportation

The region features a regional airport, the Middle Georgia Regional Airport. The region is only hours away from the port of Savannah, a major U.S. seaport. Major freeways and highways in the region include, Interstate-75, Interstate-475, Interstate-16, Georgia State Route-80, Georgia State route-23, and Georgia State route-19.

References

"History, Mission, Vision, and Philosophy , Central Georgia Technical College". Central Georgia Technical College. Retrieved 2018-02-21. "Middle Georgia State University - History of Macon State College". mga.smartcatalogiq.com. Retrieved 2018-02-21. Peach Shops at Byron Big Peach Antiques Mall (Roadside America) "Georgia Cities by Population". www.georgia-demographics.com. Retrieved 2018-07-16. Piazza, Merissa; Andre, Joe; Tsegah, Elorm M.; Lee, Eunkyu; and Austrian, Ziona, "Central Georgia Regional Analysis: Demographics, Economy, Entrepreneurship and Innovation" (2013). Urban Publications. 0 1 2 3 685. https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/urban_facpub/685 "Economy: The Middle Georgia Report". Georgia Trend. Retrieved 2018-07-19. "Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy" (PDF). Peach County Development. 2018. "Home - Macon Economic Development Commission". Macon Economic Development Commission. Retrieved 2018-07-19. "Irving Consumer Products announced plans to locate a $400 million manufacturing plant in Macon-Bibb County, creating 200 jobs". Macon Economic Development Commission. Archived from the original on 2017-11-21. Retrieved 2018-07-19. "Thomaston Industrial Park". Thomaston-Upson Industrial Development Authority. 2013-12-13. Retrieved 2018-07-18. "Economic Development - Houston County". Houston County Georgia. Retrieved 2018-07-13. "Middle Georgia's largest employers". macon. Retrieved 2018-07-13. www.thirdwavedigital.com, Third Wave Digital -. "Top 5 Famous People From Milledgeville". www.gatewaymacon.org. Retrieved 2018-07-13. www.thirdwavedigital.com, Third Wave Digital -. "Top 5 Famous Macon Actors - Top 5's Everything Else - Gateway Macon". www.gatewaymacon.org. Archived from the original on 2018-07-23. Retrieved 2018-07-13. Piazza, Merissa; Andre, Joe; Tsegah, Elorm M.; Lee, Eunkyu; and Austrian, Ziona, "Central Georgia Regional Analysis: Demographics, Economy, Entrepreneurship and Innovation" (2013). Urban Publications. 0 1 2 3 685. https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/urban_facpub/685 "Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy" (PDF). Peach County Development. 2018. "Living in Macon - Why Macon Works - Macon Economic Development Commission". www.maconworks.com. Archived from the original on 2018-07-14. Retrieved 2018-07-19. "Ga state park". "Macon GA Events , Festivals, Concerts & Farmers Markets". www.maconga.org. Retrieved 2018-07-19. "Home - Georgia Peach Festival". www.gapeachfestival.com. Retrieved 2018-07-19. "Things to do in Middle Georgia: The Georgia Peach Festival". Warner Robins Real Estate - Warner Robins GA 31088. 2018-05-10. Retrieved 2018-07-19. www.thirdwavedigital.com, Third Wave Digital -. "Home - Middle Georgia Regional Airport". iflymacon.com. Retrieved 2018-07-19. "Sea Ports - Georgia Department of Economic Development". Georgia Department of Economic Development. Archived from the original on 2018-07-23. Retrieved 2018-07-19. "Map of Georgia Cities - Georgia Road Map". geology.com. Retrieved 2018-07-19. "Living in Central Georgia". www.thethg.com {{coord missing, Georgia (U.S. state) Geography of Macon, Georgia Geography of Bibb County, Georgia Geography of Houston County, Georgia