Muscogee County, Georgia
Muscogee County is a county located on the central western border of the U.S. state of Georgia named after the Muscogee that originally inhabited the land with its western border with the state of Alabama that is formed by the Chattahoochee River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 206,922.[1] Its county seat and only city is Columbus,[2] with which it has been a consolidated city-county since the beginning of 1971.
Muscogee County is part of the Columbus, GA–AL, metropolitan statistical area. 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, a large Army installation, takes up nearly one quarter of the county and extends southeast into neighboring Chattahoochee County; it generates considerable economic power in the region.
History
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Inhabited for thousands of years by varying cultures of indigenous peoples, this area was territory of the historic Creek people at the time of European encounter.
The land for Lee, Muscogee, Troup, Coweta, and Carroll counties was ceded by a certain eight chiefs among the Creek people in the 1825 Treaty 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 on June 9, but they were not named until December 14, 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[3] and Chattahoochee County to the south in 1854.
Geography
[edit | edit source]According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 221 square miles (570 km2), of which 216 square miles (560 km2) is land and 4.6 square miles (12 km2) (2.1%) is water.[4]
The county is located on the fall line between the Atlantic coastal plain to the south and the Piedmont 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 Columbus running northeast in the direction of Ellerslie, is located in the Middle Chattahoochee River-Walter F. George Lake subbasin of the ACF River Basin (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.[5]
Major highways
[edit | edit source]- File:I-14 (GA).svg Interstate 14 (Extension is coming)
- File:I-185 (GA).svg Interstate 185
- File:US 27.svg U.S. Route 27
- File:US 27 Alternate.svg U.S. Route 27 Alternate
- File:US 80.svg U.S. Route 80
- File:US 280.svg U.S. Route 280
- File:Georgia 1.svg State Route 1
- File:Georgia 22.svg State Route 22
- File:Georgia 22 Connector.svg State Route 22 Connector
- File:Georgia 22 Spur.svg State Route 22 Spur
- File:Georgia 85.svg State Route 85
- File:Georgia 219.svg State Route 219
- File:Georgia 411.svg State Route 411 (unsigned designation for I-185)
- File:Georgia 520.svg State Route 520
- File:Georgia 540.svg State Route 540 (Fall Line Freeway)
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Adjacent counties
[edit | edit source]- Harris County (north)
- Talbot County (northeast)
- Chattahoochee County (south)
- Russell County, Alabama (southwest/CST border except for Phenix City as the city is jointed by the Columbus Metropolitan Area)
- Lee County, Alabama (west/CST border)
Communities
[edit | edit source]Cities
[edit | edit source]- Columbus (county seat)
Former incorporated communities
[edit | edit source]Unincorporated communities
[edit | edit source]Demographics
[edit | edit source]Racial and ethnic composition
[edit | edit source]| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[6] | Pop 1990[7] | Pop 2000[8] | Pop 2010[9] | Pop 2020[10] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 106,714 | 103,395 | 90,668 | 82,890 | 79,083 | 62.73% | 57.67% | 48.67% | 43.65% | 38.22% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 57,362 | 67,529 | 80,720 | 85,119 | 94,701 | 33.72% | 37.67% | 43.33% | 44.83% | 45.77% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 423 | 530 | 618 | 599 | 488 | 0.25% | 0.30% | 0.33% | 0.32% | 0.24% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 1,741 | 2,376 | 2,789 | 4,061 | 5,546 | 1.02% | 1.33% | 1.50% | 2.14% | 2.68% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | x [11] | x [12] | 249 | 378 | 517 | x | x | 0.13% | 0.20% | 0.25% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 342 | 154 | 297 | 432 | 1,076 | 0.20% | 0.09% | 0.16% | 0.23% | 0.52% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x [13] | x [14] | 2,578 | 4,296 | 8,998 | x | x | 1.38% | 2.26% | 4.35% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3,526 | 5,294 | 8,372 | 12,110 | 16,513 | 2.07% | 2.95% | 4.49% | 6.38% | 7.98% |
| Total | 170,108 | 179,278 | 186,291 | 189,885 | 206,922 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 206,922 and 45,689 families.[15][16] The median age was 35.8 years. 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 87.4 males age 18 and over. 96.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 3.8% lived in rural areas.[15]
The racial makeup of the county was 39.9% White, 46.5% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.7% Asian, 0.3% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.2% from some other race, and 7.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 8.0% of the population.[17]
There were 82,360 households in the county, of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 37.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[16]
There were 90,348 housing units, of which 8.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 48.3% were owner-occupied and 51.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%.[16]
2010 census
[edit | edit source]In 2010, there were 189,885 people, 74,081 households, and 47,742 families living in the county.[18]
2000 census
[edit | edit source]According to the 2000 U.S. census, there were 186,291 people, 69,819 households, and 47,686 families living in the county. The population density was 861 inhabitants per square mile (332/km2).[19]
Education
[edit | edit source]Higher education
[edit | edit source]Public
[edit | edit source]- Columbus State University
- Columbus Technical College[20]
- Troy University[21] - main campus in Troy, Alabama
Private
[edit | edit source]- Rivertown School of Beauty[22]
- Southeastern Beauty School[23]
- Meadows Junior College[citation needed]
- University of Phoenix[24]
Primary and secondary education
[edit | edit source]Public schools
[edit | edit source]Muscogee County School District serves all parts of the county except Fort Benning for grades K-12. Fort Benning children are zoned to Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools for grades K-8.[25] However, high school students attend the public high schools in the respective counties they are located in.[26]
Private and religion-based schools
[edit | edit source]- 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
[edit | edit source]In regards to homeschooling, the Official Code of Georgia Annotated states the following:
Required Subjects: A basic academic educational program that includes, but is not limited to, reading, language arts, math, social studies, and science. [Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-690(c)(4).]
Government and politics
[edit | edit source]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. In 2020, Joe Biden won 61.4% of the vote, the best performance by a Democrat since 1976.
Presidential
[edit | edit source]| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1880 | 930 | 38.10% | 1,511 | 61.90% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1884 | 590 | 23.22% | 1,951 | 76.78% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1888 | 611 | 35.24% | 1,107 | 63.84% | 16 | 0.92% |
| 1892 | 540 | 20.35% | 2,062 | 77.69% | 52 | 1.96% |
| 1896 | 501 | 25.06% | 1,365 | 68.28% | 133 | 6.65% |
| 1900 | 272 | 17.89% | 1,245 | 81.91% | 3 | 0.20% |
| 1904 | 164 | 9.51% | 1,522 | 88.28% | 38 | 2.20% |
| 1908 | 459 | 20.94% | 1,599 | 72.95% | 134 | 6.11% |
| 1912 | 102 | 5.18% | 1,817 | 92.23% | 51 | 2.59% |
| 1916 | 44 | 2.21% | 1,833 | 92.25% | 110 | 5.54% |
| 1920 | 101 | 6.86% | 1,372 | 93.14% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 218 | 9.03% | 2,067 | 85.59% | 130 | 5.38% |
| 1928 | 1,574 | 42.86% | 2,098 | 57.14% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 230 | 6.27% | 3,413 | 93.07% | 24 | 0.65% |
| 1936 | 455 | 8.32% | 5,009 | 91.56% | 7 | 0.13% |
| 1940 | 702 | 11.51% | 5,392 | 88.38% | 7 | 0.11% |
| 1944 | 1,344 | 17.14% | 6,498 | 82.86% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 2,443 | 23.94% | 5,920 | 58.02% | 1,840 | 18.03% |
| 1952 | 7,814 | 41.05% | 11,220 | 58.95% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 8,176 | 50.05% | 8,160 | 49.95% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 9,578 | 52.83% | 8,553 | 47.17% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 21,025 | 62.81% | 12,446 | 37.18% | 3 | 0.01% |
| "text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/American Independent |1968 | 11,193 | 32.36% | 7,593 | 21.95% | 15,804 | 45.69% |
| 1972 | 28,449 | 77.55% | 8,234 | 22.45% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 13,496 | 35.91% | 24,092 | 64.09% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 15,203 | 38.42% | 23,272 | 58.82% | 1,091 | 2.76% |
| 1984 | 23,816 | 53.34% | 20,835 | 46.66% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1988 | 23,058 | 54.90% | 18,772 | 44.70% | 170 | 0.40% |
| 1992 | 21,386 | 41.70% | 25,476 | 49.68% | 4,418 | 8.62% |
| 1996 | 19,360 | 41.86% | 24,867 | 53.77% | 2,021 | 4.37% |
| 2000 | 23,479 | 45.01% | 28,193 | 54.05% | 491 | 0.94% |
| 2004 | 30,850 | 48.16% | 32,867 | 51.31% | 335 | 0.52% |
| 2008 | 29,568 | 39.87% | 44,158 | 59.54% | 436 | 0.59% |
| 2012 | 27,510 | 38.90% | 42,573 | 60.20% | 632 | 0.89% |
| 2016 | 26,976 | 38.80% | 39,851 | 57.32% | 2,698 | 3.88% |
| 2020 | 30,107 | 37.39% | 49,446 | 61.40% | 975 | 1.21% |
| 2024 | 30,616 | 38.04% | 49,413 | 61.39% | 462 | 0.57% |
| 2016 | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% |
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United States Congress
[edit | edit source]| Senators | Name | Party | Assumed office | Level | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senate Class 2 | Jon Ossoff | Democratic | 2021 | Senior Senator | |
| Senate Class 3 | Raphael Warnock | Democratic | 2021 | Junior Senator | |
| Representatives | Name | Party | Assumed office | ||
| District 2 | Sanford Bishop | Democratic | 1993 | ||
| District 3 | Brian Jack | Republican | 2025 | ||
Georgia General Assembly
[edit | edit source]Georgia State Senate
[edit | edit source]| District | Name | Party | Assumed office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Ed Harbison | Democratic | 2013 | |
| 29 | Randy Robertson | Republican | 2019 | |
Georgia House of Representatives
[edit | edit source]| District | Name | Party | Assumed office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 133 | Vance Smith | Republican | 2019 | |
| 134 | Richard H. Smith | Republican | 2005 | |
| 140 | Teddy Reese | Democratic | 2023 | |
| 141 | Carolyn Hugley | Democratic | 1993 | |
| 137 | Debbie Buckner | Democratic | 2003 | |
See also
[edit | edit source]- National Register of Historic Places listings in Muscogee County, Georgia
- List of counties in Georgia
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "Census - Geography Profile: Muscogee County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ↑ "Muscogee County History" Archived April 2, 2005, at the Wayback Machine, University of Georgia
- ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ↑ "Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience". Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
- ↑ "1980 Census of Population - General Social and Economic Characteristics - Georgia - Table 58 - Race by Sex: 1980 and Table 59 - Persons by Spanish Origin, Race, and Sex: 1980" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 12-52. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 18, 2026 – via Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia: Table 6 - Race and Hispanic Origin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 15-65. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 1, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Muscogee County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Muscogee County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Muscogee County, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
- ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
- ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
- ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ↑ "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
- ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
- ↑ www.thirdwavedigital.com, Third Wave Digital -. "Home - Columbus Technical College". www.columbustech.edu. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
- ↑ Troy University at Columbus Archived January 31, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "Rivertown School of Beauty". www.rivertownschoolofbeauty.com. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
- ↑ "Southeastern Beauty School". Archived from the original on June 1, 2013. Retrieved September 21, 2009.
- ↑ "Columbus Georgia Campus - Columbus - Georgia - University of Phoenix". Archived from the original on August 5, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2009.
- ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Muscogee County, GA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 5, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022. - Text list - "Fort Benning Schools" refers to the DoDEA schools on Fort Benning. The document states that the county schools have high school zoning.
- ↑ "Fort Benning Schools". Department of Defense Education Activity. Retrieved July 4, 2022. - The document states that the county schools have high school zoning.
- ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ↑ "2022 Senate Election (Official Returns)". Commonwealth of Georgia by county. November 5, 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ↑ "House Members List". Retrieved June 2, 2016.
- ↑ "Senate Members List". Retrieved June 2, 2016.
- ↑ "Georgia Counties by 2012 Legislative and Congressional District" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on May 30, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
External links
[edit | edit source]Template:Geographic Location Template:Muscogee County, Georgia Template:Georgia (U.S. state) Template:Columbus Auburn Opelika Coordinates: 32°31′N 84°52′W / 32.51°N 84.87°W
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- Muscogee County, Georgia
- Georgia (U.S. state) counties
- 1826 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Georgia (U.S. state) placenames of Native American origin
- Populated places in the United States established in 1826
- Columbus metropolitan area, Georgia
- Geography of Columbus, Georgia
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