Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a

consolidated city-county In local government in the United States, United States local government, a consolidated city-county (#Terminology, see below for alternative terms) is formed when one or more city, cities and their surrounding County (United States), county (Lis ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, United States. Situated near the

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

of the

Ocmulgee River The Ocmulgee River () is a western tributary of the Altamaha River, approximately 255 mi (410 km) long, in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the westernmost major tributary of the Altamaha.Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

and near the state's geographic center—hence its nickname " The Heart of Georgia". Macon's population was 157,346 in the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the

Macon metropolitan statistical area The Macon metropolitan area is a metropolitan statistical area consisting of five counties in Central Georgia, anchored by the principal city of Macon. At the 2010 U.S. census, the five-county area had a population of 232,293. A July 2017 estim ...

, which had 234,802 people in 2020. It also is the largest city in the Macon–Warner Robins combined statistical area (CSA), which had about 420,693 residents in 2017, and adjoins the

Atlanta metropolitan area Metro Atlanta, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Roswell metropolitan statistical area, is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the sixt ...

to the northwest. Voters approved the consolidation of the City of Macon and Bibb County governments in a 2012 referendum. Macon became the state's fourth-largest city (after Augusta) when the merger became official on January 1, 2014. Macon is served by three

interstate highways The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National H ...

: I-16 (connecting to

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

and Coastal Georgia),

I-75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes and Southeastern United States, Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end ...

(connecting to Atlanta to the north and Valdosta to the south), and

I-475 Interstate 475 may refer to: * Interstate 475 (Georgia), a bypass of Macon, Georgia * Interstate 475 (Michigan) Interstate 475 (I-475) is a north–south List of auxiliary Interstate Highways, auxiliary Interstate Highway in the US state o ...

(a city bypass highway). The area has two, small, general-aviation airports,

Middle Georgia Regional Airport Middle Georgia Regional Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located nine nautical miles (10 mi, 17 km) south of the central business district of Macon, a city in Bibb County, Georgia, United States. It is mostly used f ...

and Herbert Smart Downtown Airport. Residents traveling to and from the area mainly use the large commercial airport in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, roughly 80 miles to the northwest. The city has several institutions of higher education and numerous museums and tourism sites.

History

Macon was founded on the site of the Ocmulgee Old Fields, where the

Creek Indians The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek or just Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language; English: ), are a group of related Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsMississippian culture The Mississippian culture was a collection of Native American societies that flourished in what is now the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from approximately 800 to 1600 CE, varying regionally. It was known for building la ...

, built a powerful agriculture-based

chiefdom A chiefdom is a political organization of people representation (politics), represented or government, governed by a tribal chief, chief. Chiefdoms have been discussed, depending on their scope, as a stateless society, stateless, state (polity) ...

(950–1100 AD). The Mississippian culture constructed earthwork

mound A mound is a wikt:heaped, heaped pile of soil, earth, gravel, sand, rock (geology), rocks, or debris. Most commonly, mounds are earthen formations such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. A mound may be any rounded ...

s for ceremonial, religious, and burial purposes.

Indigenous peoples There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...

inhabited the areas along the Southeast's rivers for 13,000 years before Europeans arrived. Macon was developed at the site of

Fort Benjamin Hawkins Fort Hawkins was a fort built between 1806 and 1810 by the United States Army during President Thomas Jefferson's administration. Built in what is now Georgia on the Fall Line on the east side of the Ocmulgee River, the fort overlooked the Ocmulge ...

, built in 1809 at President

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...

's direction after he forced the Creek to cede their lands east of the

Benjamin Hawkins Benjamin Hawkins (August 15, 1754June 6, 1816) was an American planter, statesman and a U.S. Indian agent. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress and a United States Senator from North Carolina, having grown up among the planter elite ...

, who served as superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Southeast territory south of the Ohio River for more than 20 years, had lived among the

Creek A creek in North America and elsewhere, such as Australia, is a stream that is usually smaller than a river. In the British Isles it is a small tidal inlet. Creek may also refer to: * Creek people, a former name of Muscogee, Native Americans * C ...

, and was married to a Creek woman. Located at the

of the Ocmulgee River, the fort established a trading post with native peoples at the river's most inland point navigable from the Low Country. Fort Hawkins guarded the Lower Creek Pathway, an extensive and well-traveled American Indian network that the U.S. government later improved as the Federal Road, linking Washington, DC, to the ports of

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...

, and

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

. Used for trading with the Creek, the fort also was used by state militia and federal troops. It was a major military distribution point during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

and the

Creek War The Creek War (also the Red Stick War or the Creek Civil War) was a regional conflict between opposing Native American factions, European powers, and the United States during the early 19th century. The Creek War began as a conflict within th ...

of 1813. After the wars, it was a trading post and garrisoned troops until 1821. Decommissioned around 1828, it later burned to the ground. A replica of the southeast blockhouse, built in 1938, stands on an east Macon hill. Fort Hawkins Grammar School occupied part of the site. In the 21st century, archeological excavations have revealed more of the fort, increasing its historical significance, and led to further reconstruction planning for this major historical site. Mill Children in Macon 2

With the arrival of more settlers, Fort Hawkins was renamed "Newtown". After Bibb County's organization in 1822, the city was chartered as the county seat in 1823 and officially named Macon, in honor of

Nathaniel Macon Nathaniel Macon (December 17, 1757June 29, 1837) was an American politician who represented North Carolina in both houses of United States Congress, Congress. He was the fifth Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, speaker of the ...

, a statesman from North Carolina, from where many early Georgia residents hailed. City planners envisioned "a city within a park" and created a city of spacious streets and landscapes. Over were dedicated for Central City Park, and ordinances required residents to plant shade trees in their front yards. Because of the beneficial local Black Belt geology and the availability of

slave labor Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

, cotton became the mainstay of Macon's early economy. The city's location on the Ocmulgee River aided initial economic expansion, providing shipping access to new markets. Cotton

steamboats A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...

, stagecoaches, and the 1843 arrival of the

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

increased marketing opportunities and contributed to Macon's economic prosperity. Macon's growth had other benefits. In 1836, the Georgia Conference of the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself nationally. In 1939, th ...

chose Macon as the location for

Wesleyan College Wesleyan College is a Private university, private, Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's Colleges in the Southern United States, women's college in Macon, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1836, Wesleyan was the fi ...

, the first U.S. college to grant women college degrees. Nonetheless, Macon came in last in the 1855 referendum voting to be Georgia's capital city with 3,802 votes. RG77_CWMF_N76_04

During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, Macon served as the official arsenal of the Confederacy manufacturing

percussion cap The percussion cap, percussion primer, or caplock, introduced in the early 1820s, is a type of single-use percussion ignition device for muzzle loader firearm locks enabling them to fire reliably in any weather condition. Its invention gave ...

friction primer A friction primer is a device to initiate the firing of muzzle-loading cannon. Each friction primer consists of a copper tube filled with gunpowder. The tube fits into the cannon touch hole burying its lower end in the gunpowder chamber. The top end ...

s, and pressed

bullet A bullet is a kinetic projectile, a component of firearm ammunition that is shot from a gun barrel. They are made of a variety of materials, such as copper, lead, steel, polymer, rubber and even wax; and are made in various shapes and constru ...

s. Camp Oglethorpe was established as a prison for captured Union officers and enlisted men. Later, it held only officers, at one time numbering 2,300. The camp was evacuated in 1864. Macon City Hall served as the temporary state capitol in 1864 and was converted to a hospital for wounded Confederate soldiers. Union General

William Tecumseh Sherman William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a General officer, general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), earning recognit ...

spared Macon on his Sherman's March to the Sea, march to the sea. His troops sacked the nearby state capital of Milledgeville, Georgia, Milledgeville, and Maconites prepared for an attack. Sherman, however, passed by without entering Macon. The ''Macon Telegraph'' reported the city had furnished 23 companies of men for the Confederacy, but casualties were high. By the war's end, Maconite survivors fit for duty could fill only five companies. The city was taken by Union forces during Wilson's Raid on April 20, 1865. Because of its central location, Macon developed as a state transportation hub. In 1895, ''The New York Times'' dubbed Macon "The Central City" because of its emergence as a railroad transportation and textile factory hub. Terminal Station (Macon, Georgia), Terminal Station was built in 1916. In the 20th century, Macon grew into a prospering town in Middle Georgia. Macon has been impacted by natural catastrophes. In 1994, Tropical Storm Alberto (1994), Tropical Storm Alberto made Wiktionary:landfall, landfall in Florida and flooded several Georgia cities. Macon, which received of rain, suffered major flooding. On Tornado outbreak sequence of May 7–11, 2008, May 11, 2008, an Enhanced Fujita Scale, EF2 tornado hit Macon. Touching down in nearby Lizella, the tornado moved along the southern shore of Lake Tobesofkee, continued into Macon, and lifted in Twiggs County. The storm's total path length was , and its path width was . The tornado produced sporadic areas of major damage, with widespread straight-line wind damage to the south of its path. The most significant damage was along Eisenhower Parkway and Pio Nono Avenue in Macon, where two businesses were destroyed and several others were heavily damaged. The tornado also impacted Macon State College, where almost 50% of the campus's trees were snapped or uprooted and several buildings were damaged, with the gymnasium. The tornado's intensity varied from EF0 to EF2, with the EF2 damage and winds up to occurring near the intersection of Eisenhower Parkway and Pio Nono Avenue.

Consolidation

Bibb County Georgia Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Macon Highlighted

On July 31, 2012, voters in Macon (57.8% approval) and Bibb County (56.7% approval) passed a referendum to merge the governments of the city of Macon and most of unincorporated Bibb County. The vote came after the Georgia General Assembly passed House Bill 1171, authorizing the referendum earlier in the year; Four previous consolidation attempts (in 1933, 1960, 1972, and 1976) failed.Consolidation pass for Macon and Bibb county in the 2012 vote
"Consolidation of City and County Governments: Attempts in Five Cities"
. Retrieved September 14, 2010. As a result of the referendum, the Macon and Bibb County governments were replaced with a mayor and a nine-member county commission elected by districts, and a portion of Macon extending into nearby Jones County was disincorporated. Robert Reichert was elected the first mayor of Bibb County, Georgia, Macon-Bibb in the September 2013 election, which required a runoff with C. Jack Ellis in October.

Geography

The

Ocmulgee River The Ocmulgee River () is a western tributary of the Altamaha River, approximately 255 mi (410 km) long, in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the westernmost major tributary of the Altamaha.Augusta and Columbus, Georgia, Columbus. The Fall Line is where the hills of the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont plateau meet the flat terrain of the coastal plain. As such, Macon has a varied landscape of rolling hills on the north side and flat plains on the south. The

, where the elevation drops noticeably, causes rivers and creeks in the area to flow rapidly toward the ocean. In the past, Macon and other Fall Line cities had many textile mills powered by the rivers. Macon is located at (32.834839, −83.651672). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which (0.82%) is covered by water. Macon is about above mean sea level.

Climate

Macon has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification ''Cfa''). The normal monthly mean temperatures range from in January to in July. On average, 4.8 days have + highs, and 83 days have + highs, and 43 days with a low at or below freezing; the average window for freezing temperatures is November 7 thru March 22, allowing a growing season of 228 days. The city has an average annual precipitation of . The wettest day on record was July 5, 1994, with of rain, and the wettest month on record was July 1994, with of rain. Since 1892, though, when precipitation records for the city began, two months, October 1961 and October 1963, did not even record a trace of precipitation in the city, and two other months, October 1939 and May 2007, only recorded a trace. Snow is occasional, with about half of the winters receiving trace amounts or no snowfall, averaging ; the snowiest winter was 1972−73 with .

Surrounding cities and towns

Demographics

Map of Georgia highlighting Macon-Warner Robins-Fort Valley CSA

Macon is the largest principal city in the Macon metropolitan area, Georgia#Combined Statistical Area, Macon-Warner Robins-Fort Valley CSA, a combined statistical area that includes the Macon metropolitan area, Georgia, Macon metropolitan area (Bibb, Crawford County, Georgia, Crawford, Jones, Monroe County, Georgia, Monroe, and Twiggs County, Georgia, Twiggs Counties) and the Warner Robins, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, Warner Robins metropolitan area (Houston County, Georgia, Houston, Peach County, Georgia, Peach, and Pulaski County, Georgia, Pulaski Counties) with a combined population of 411,898 in the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. As of the official 2010 U.S. census, the population of Macon was 91,351. In the last official census, in 2000, 97,255 people, 38,444 households, and 24,219 families were residing in the city. The population density was . The 44,341 housing units had an average density of . The Race (United States Census), racial makeup of the city was 67.94% African American, 28.56% White, 0.02% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.48% of the population. By the 2020 census, its population increased to 157,346. Of the 38,444 households in 2000, 30.1% had children under 18 living with them, 33.0% were married couples living together, 25.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were not families. About 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.08. In the city, the age distribution was 26.9% under 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 79.7 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 72.8 males.

Crime

Since 2020, crime has become a higher concern in the city. In 2022, Macon set a homicide record with 70. In 2023, Macon had the highest crime rate in Georgia: 52.6 crimes per 1,000 residents. Gang activity is a major reason for the crime problem in Macon. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation expanded its Gang Task Force Office to Macon in 2023. As of 2024, crime has reduced in Macon compared to 2022 and 2023.

Economy

The aerospace, advanced manufacturing, food processing, healthcare, professional services, and warehouse and distribution industries drive the economy in Macon-Bibb County. Long-standing, large, private employers include Mercer University, GEICO's Southeast Corporate Headquarters, YKK USA, and Norfolk Southern Railway's Brosnan Yard. The decline of the textile industry in the South, along with the shuttering of other large manufacturing operations, such as the closing of the Brown & Williamson, Brown and Williamson plant in 2006, caused a decline in the city's economy in the 2000s. In recent years, the city has successfully landed numerous new employers to diversify the economy, such as Irving Consumer Products and Kuhmo Tire manufacturing plants, as well as multiple aerospace employers at the

, including an Embraer aircraft maintenance facility. The health-care and social-assistance sector is the largest industry in Macon by number of employees, with the Atrium Health Navicent and Piedmont Healthcare Macon hospital systems, two of the city's largest employers, making Macon the healthcare hub for the Middle and South Georgia regions.

Personal income

The 2010 Census listed Macon's median household income as $28,366, below the state average of $49,347. The median family income was $37,268. Full-time working males had a median income of $34,163, higher than the $28,082 for females. The city's per capita income was $17,010. About 24.1% of families and 30.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.6% of those under 18 and 18.4% of those over 65.

Retail

Malls include The Shoppes at River Crossing, Macon Mall, and Eisenhower Crossing. Traditional shopping centers are in the downtown area and Ingleside Village.

Military

Macon is the headquarters of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Georgia Army National Guard. The largest single-site industrial complex in Georgia, Robins Air Force Base, is 10 miles south of Macon on Highway 247, just east of Warner Robins.

Arts and culture

Musical heritage

Macon has been home for numerous musicians and composers, including Emmett Miller, The Allman Brothers Band, Randy Crawford, Mark Heard, Lucille Hegamin, Ben Johnston (composer), Ben Johnston, Otis Redding, Little Richard, Mike Mills, and Bill Berry of R.E.M., as well as more recent artists like violinist Robert McDuffie and country music, country artist Jason Aldean. Capricorn Records, run by Macon natives Phil Walden and briefly Alan Walden, made the city a Southern rock music production center in the late 1960s and 1970s.Georgia Music Hall of Fame
"Alan Walden - Georgia Music Hall of Fame 2003 Inductee"
. Georgiamusicstore.com. Retrieved August 27, 2008. The Macon Symphony Orchestra, a youth symphony, and the Middle Georgia Concert Band perform at the Grand Opera House (Macon, Georgia), Grand Opera House in downtown Macon. The Georgia Music Hall of Fame was located in Macon from 1996 to 2011.

Festivals

* International Cherry Blossom Festival, a 10-day celebration, is held every mid-March in Macon. * The Mulberry Street Festival, an arts and crafts festival, is held downtown the last weekend of March. *The Juneteenth Freedom Festival is an annual June performing-arts and educational celebration of the end of American slavery in 1865, celebrating black freedom and heritage both ancient and contemporary. * Pan African Festival, an annual celebration of the African diaspora and culture, is held in April. * Ocmulgee Indigenous Celebration, a celebration of the original residents of the land where Macon now sits, is held every third weekend in September at Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. Representatives from the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek people, Creek, Seminole, and other nations come to share stories, exhibit Native art, and perform traditional songs and dance. * Skydog is a music festival celebrating the birthday, life, and music of Skydog (Duane Allman) held in November. * The Georgia Music Hall of Fame hosts Georgia Music Week in September. * Macon's annual Bragg Jam festival features an Art and Kids' Festival along the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail and a nighttime pub crawl. * Macon Film Festival is an annual celebration of independent films, held the third weekend in July.

Points of interest

Historical sites

* Terminal Station (Macon, Georgia), Terminal Station, a railroad station built in 1916, is located on 5th St. at the end of Cherry St. Its architect was Alfred Fellheimer, prominent for his 1903 design of Grand Central Terminal in New York City. * Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park is located near downtown Macon. It preserves some of Georgia's largest ancient Earthworks (archaeology), earthwork mounds built by the

Mississippian culture The Mississippian culture was a collection of Native American societies that flourished in what is now the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from approximately 800 to 1600 CE, varying regionally. It was known for building la ...

a millennium ago, c. 950–1150. It was sacred to the historic Muscogee (Creek), Muscogee (Creek Nation) as well. Archeological artifacts reveal 13,000 years of human habitation at the site. The park features a spiral mound, funeral mound, temple mounds, burial mounds, and a reconstructed earth house, earth lodge. It is the first Traditional Cultural Property designated by the National Park Service east of the Mississippi River. *

, a major military outpost (1806–1821), was a command headquarters for the U.S. Army and Georgia militia on the boundary between U.S.-held and Native land, as well as a trading post or factory for the Creek Nation. It was a supply depot during U.S. campaigns of the

and the Creek and Seminole Wars. * Cannonball House (Macon, Georgia), Cannonball House, a historic home on the National Register of Historic Places. * Luther Williams Field * Old City Cemetery (Macon, Georgia), Old City Cemetery, one of Macon's oldest cemetery, cemeteries * Rose Hill Cemetery (Georgia), Rose Hill Cemetery, a cemetery listed on the National Register of Historic Places * Sidney Lanier Cottage, the poet's historic home. * Temple Beth Israel (Macon, Georgia), Temple Beth Israel, a domed Neoclassical architecture, Neoclassical built in 1902 to house Macon's Judaism, Jewish congregation, founded in 1859. *

, the first chartered women's college in the world

Museums

* The Allman Brothers Band Museum - the "Big House" used by the Allman Brothers Band in the early 1970s, now a museum of Allman Brothers history and artifacts * The Georgia Children's Museum - interactive education, located in the downtown Museum District * Georgia Sports Hall of Fame * The Little Richard House and Museum - a museum of Little Richard's history and artifacts * Museum of Arts and Sciences (Macon), Museum of Arts and Sciences and Planetarium * Tubman Museum of African American Art, History, and Culture - the largest African American museum in the Southeast

Community

* City Hall (Macon, Georgia), City Hall, Georgia's capital for part of the Civil War Macon Auditorium

* Douglass Theatre, named for its founder Charles Henry Douglass. An entrepreneur from a prominent black family, he was an established theatre developer well versed in the vaudeville and entertainment business. The theatre has undergone modern renovations and hosts numerous theatrical events. * The Grand Opera House (Macon, Georgia), Grand Opera House, where the Macon Symphony Orchestra performs * Johnston-Felton-Hay House, Hay House - also known as the "Johnston-Felton-Hay House," it has been referred to as the "Palace of the South" * Macon City Auditorium, City Auditorium, the world's largest true copper dome * Macon Coliseum * Macon Little Theatre, established in 1934, is the area's oldest community theatre, producing seven plays/musicals per season * Waddell Barnes Botanical Gardens * Theatre Macon, in the old Ritz Theatre; they perform around nine shows a year

Sports

Macon is home to the Mercer Bears, with NCAA Division I teams in association football, soccer (men's and women's), American football, football, baseball, basketball (men's and women's), tennis, and lacrosse. Central Georgia Technical College competes in men's and women's basketball. Wesleyan College, a women's school, has basketball, association football, soccer, cross country running, cross country, tennis, softball, and volleyball teams.

Former teams

Parks and recreation

The city maintains several parks and community centers. OcmulgeeRiverWalk

*Ocmulgee Heritage Trail - a green way of parks, plazas, and landmarks along the

Government

Prior to 2013, the city government consisted of a mayor and city council. Robert Reichert was elected the first mayor of the consolidated Macon-Bibb County in October 2013. There are also 9 County Commissioners elected from districts within the county. On March 15, 2019, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged the former County Manager, Dale M. Walker, with fraud.

Education

Mercer University Administration Building

Public schools

Bibb County Public School District operates district public schools. Public high schools include: * Central High School (Macon, Georgia), Central High School * Howard High School (Macon, Georgia), Howard High School * Northeast Health Science Magnet High School * Rutland High School (Macon, Georgia), Rutland High School * Southwest Magnet High School and Law Academy * Westside High School (Macon, Georgia), Westside High School Georgia Academy for the Blind, operated by the state of Georgia, is a statewide school for blind students. Also operated by Bibb County Public Schools: * Elam Alexander Academy * Northwoods Academy

Private high schools

Macon is home to several private high schools, many of which were established as segregation academies for parents wishing to avoid the desegration of private schools, with the exception of Mount de Sales Academy. * Covenant Academy * First Presbyterian Day School * Mount de Sales Academy (Georgia), Mount de Sales Academy * Stratford Academy * Tattnall Square Academy * Windsor Academy

State public charter schools

* The Academy for Classical Education * Cirrus Academy Charter School

Colleges and universities

Approximately 30,000 college students live in the greater Macon area. * Central Georgia Technical College * Mercer University * Middle Georgia State University * Miller-Motte Technical College - satellite campus *

Media

Macon has a substantial number of local television and radio stations. It is also served by two local papers.

Newspapers and magazines

*''The 11th Hour (newspaper), The 11th Hour'' *Gateway Macon (web portal), The Local's Guide for Things To Do in Macon *''Macon Business Journal'', a journal chronicling the business community in the Middle Georgia region *''Macon Community News'', a monthly positive news print newspaper *''The Mercer Cluster'' *''The Telegraph (Macon), The Telegraph'', a daily newspaper published in Macon

References in popular culture

''The Simpsons''

In "Bart on the Road", the Season 7 episode of ''The Simpsons'', character Nelson Muntz suggests the boys take a road trip to Macon. Later he reminds the group that none of their trouble would have happened had they chosen Macon over Knoxville, Tennessee.

''Gone with the Wind''

In Margaret Mitchell's novel ''Gone with the Wind (novel), Gone with the Wind'', Aunt Pittypat's coachman, Uncle Peter, protected her when she fled to Macon during William Tecumseh Sherman, Sherman's assault on Battle of Atlanta, Atlanta.

Telltale's ''The Walking Dead''

The city of Macon is visited in ''The Walking Dead (video game), The Walking Dead'' episodic adventure game by Telltale Games and its standalone DLC ''400 Days''. In ''Season One'', the city is portrayed as a small rural town and is visited by the main characters as they temporarily set up camp in the city. The city is the hometown of the game's main protagonist and the playable character throughout the game, Lee Everett. He and the other survivors barricade themselves inside his family's pharmacy as they are besieged by zombies. After one of the survivors dies, the group heads to a motel on the outskirts of Macon where they set up camp for two more episodes, before eventually deciding to leave the city for

. In ''400 Days'', the city is briefly shown in the episode "Vince's Story" as a flashback to when the episode's main character, Vince, fatally shoots an unseen and unnamed resident of the city before fleeing into the night before the apocalypse began. This murder would ultimately lead to Vince's arrest and the events that occurred at the beginning of the zombie apocalypse.

"Walkin' Back to Georgia"

In Jim Croce's "Walkin' Back to Georgia" on his album You Don't Mess Around with Jim, You Don't Mess Around With Jim, Croce mentions Macon in the lyric "But she's the girl who said she loved me on that hot dusty Macon road."

Goin' to Georgia by The Mountain Goats

The The Mountain Goats, Mountain Goats mention crossing Macon County line in their song Going to Georgia.

Infrastructure

Hospitals

* The Medical Center, Navicent Health (a part of Atrium Health) * Atrium Health Navicent Beverly Knight Olson Children's Hospital (formerly The Children's Hospital Of Central Georgia) * Piedmont Health Macon (formerly Coliseum Medical Centers) ** Piedmont Macon Medical Center ** Coliseum Northside Hospital, Piedmont Macon North Hospital * The American Red Cross of Central Georgia * Central Georgia Rehabilitation Hospital

Transportation

Airports

*Macon Downtown Airport is located near downtown. It has a large number of corporate and private aviation aircraft. *

provides public air service to Macon as well as cargo flights. The airport is situated south of downtown.

Highways

Interstates: * I-16

Interstate 16 (Georgia), Interstate 16 * I-75

Interstate 75 (Georgia), Interstate 75 * I-475

Interstate 475 (Georgia), Interstate 475 * Interstate 14 (proposed) U.S. Routes: * US 23

U.S. Route 23 (Georgia), U.S. Route 23 * US 41

U.S. Route 41 in Georgia, U.S. Route 41 * US 80

U.S. Route 80 (Georgia), U.S. Route 80 * US 129

U.S. Route 129 (Georgia), U.S. Route 129 State Routes: * Georgia 11

Georgia State Route 11, State Route 11 * Georgia 19

Georgia State Route 19, State Route 19 * Georgia 22

Georgia State Route 22, State Route 22 * Georgia 49

Georgia State Route 49, State Route 49 * Georgia 74

Georgia State Route 74, State Route 74 * Georgia 87

Georgia State Route 87, State Route 87 * Georgia 87 Connector

Georgia State Route 87 Connector (Macon), State Route 87 Connector * Georgia 247

Georgia State Route 247, State Route 247 * Georgia 401

Georgia State Route 401, State Route 401 (unsigned designation for I-75) * Georgia 404

Georgia State Route 404, State Route 404 (unsigned designation for I-16) * Georgia 408

Georgia State Route 408, State Route 408 (unsigned designation for I-475) * Georgia 540

Fall Line Freeway, State Route 540 (Fall Line Freeway)

Mass transit

The Macon Transit Authority (MTA) is Macon's public-transit system, operating the Public Transit City Bus System throughout Macon-Bibb County. As of 2022, the MTA has a total of 10 city bus routes, operating out of the Terminal Station (Macon, Georgia), Terminal Station hub.

Intercity bus and rail

Greyhound Lines provides intercity bus service. In 2019, they moved from a stand-alone bus station to the Terminal Station to be in the same hub as the local mass transit busses. Macon grew as a center of rail transport after the 1846 opening of the Macon and Western Railroad. Two of the most note-worthy train companies operating through the city were the Central of Georgia Railway and the Southern Railway (U.S.), Southern Railway. The city continued to be served by passenger trains at Terminal Station until 1971. The Frisco Railroad's ''Kansas City–Florida Special'' served the city until 1964. The Southern's ''Royal Palm (train), Royal Palm'' ran from Cincinnati, through Macon, to Miami, Florida until 1966. (A truncated route served to Valdosta, Georgia until 1970.) The Central of Georgia's ''Nancy Hanks (train), Nancy Hanks'' ran through Macon, from

until 1971. Since at least 2006 Macon has been included in the proposed Georgia Rail Passenger Program to restore inter-city rail service but as of 2020, Georgia lacks any inter-city passenger rail service other than the federally funded inter-state Amtrak services. In 2022, Amtrak announced a new fifteen-year plan to expand its services, which Macon was included in.

Pedestrians and cycling

*Heritage Trail *Ocmulgee Heritage Trail

Notable people

Sister cities

Macon has six sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI): * Mâcon, France * Elmina, Ghana * Kurobe, Toyama, Kurobe, Toyama Prefecture, Toyama, Japan * Ulyanovsk, Russia * Kaohsiung, Taiwan * Gwacheon, South Korea

Notes

References

Bibliography

Published in 19th century * * * * * Published in 20th century * * * * Ida Young, Julius Gholson, and Clara Nell Hargrove. History of Macon, Georgia (Macon, Ga.: Lyon, Marshall & Brooks, 1950). * John A. Eisterhold. "Commercial, Financial, and Industrial Macon, Georgia, During the 1840s", ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly,'' Winter 1969, Vol. 53 Issue 4, pp 424–441 * James H. Stone. "Economic Conditions in Macon, Georgia in the 1830s", ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly,'' Summer 1970, Vol. 54 Issue 2, pp 209–225 * Bowling C. Yates. "Macon, Georgia, Inland Trading Center 1826–1836", ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly,'' Fall 1971, Vol. 55 Issue 3, pp 365–377 * McInvale, Morton Ray "Macon, Georgia: The War Years, 1861–1865" (Ph.D. dissertation, Florida State University, 1973) * Roger K. Hux. "The Ku Klux Klan in Macon 1919–1925", ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly,'' Summer 1978, Vol. 62 Issue 2, pp 155–168 * Nancy Anderson, Macon: A Pictorial History (Virginia Beach, Va.: Donning, 1979). * Donnie D. Bellamy. "Macon, Georgia, 1823–1860: A Study in Urban Slavery", ''Phylon'' 45 (December 1984): 300–304, 308–309 * Kristina Simms. Macon, Georgia's Central City: An Illustrated History (Chatsworth, Calif.: Windsor, 1989). * Titus Brown. "Origins of African American Education in Macon, Georgia 1865–1866", ''Journal of South Georgia History,'' Oct 1996, Vol. 11, pp 43–59 * Macon: An Architectural Historical Guide (Macon, Ga.: Middle Georgia Historical Society, 1996). * Macon's Black Heritage: The Untold Story (Macon, Ga.: Tubman African American Museum, 1997). * Matthew W. Norman. "James H. Burton and the Confederate States Armory at Macon", ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly,'' Winter 1997, Vol. 81 Issue 4, pp 974–987 * Titus Brown. "A New England Missionary and African-American Education in Macon: Raymond G. Von Tobel at the Ballard Normal School, 1908–1935", ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly,'' Summer 1998, Vol. 82 Issue 2, pp 283–304 * Robert S. Davis. ''Cotton, Fire, & Dreams: The Robert Findlay Iron Works and Heavy Industry in Macon, Georgia, 1839–1912'' (Macon, Ga., 1998) * * Published in 21st century * * * * Robert Scott Davis. "A Cotton Kingdom Retooled for War: The Macon Arsenal and the Confederate Ordnance Establishment", ''The Georgia Historical Quarterly,'' Fall 2007, Vol. 91 Issue 3, pp 266–291 * Candace Dyer, Street Singers, Soul Shakers, Rebels with a Cause: Music from Macon (Macon, Ga.: Indigo Publishing Group, 2008). * Mara L. Keire. ''For Business and Pleasure: Red-Light Districts and the Regulation of Vice in the United States, 1890–1933'' (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010); 248 pages; History and popular culture of districts in Macon, Ga., and other cities * * Wynne, Ben, Something in the Water: A History of Music in Macon, Georgia, 1823-1980 (Mercer University Press, 2021)

External links

*
Macon-Bibb County Convention and Visitors Bureau

Macon
(the New Georgia Encyclopedia) * * *
Items related to Macon
various dates (via Digital Public Library of America) *
Rees stereograph collection from the Digital Library of Georgia
{{Authority control Macon, Georgia, Cities in Bibb County, Georgia Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) County seats in Georgia (U.S. state) Former state capitals in the United States, Georgia Cities in Jones County, Georgia Macon metropolitan area, Georgia Populated places established in 1823 Consolidated city-counties