Thomaston, Georgia
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City of Thomaston | |
|---|---|
| Thomaston-Upson County Government Administration Complex Thomaston-Upson County Government Administration Complex | |
| Template:Infobox settlement/columns | |
| Motto(s): "One of the Best 100 Towns"[1] | |
| Location in Upson County and the state of Georgia. Location in Upson County and the state of Georgia. | |
| Coordinates: 32°54′N 84°20′W / 32.900°N 84.333°WCoordinates: 32°54′N 84°20′W / 32.900°N 84.333°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Upson |
| Area | |
| • Total | Template:Infobox settlement/areadisp |
| • Land | Template:Infobox settlement/areadisp |
| • Water | Template:Infobox settlement/areadisp |
| Elevation | Template:Infobox settlement/lengthdisp |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 9,816 |
| • Density | Template:Infobox settlement/densdisp |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 30286 |
| Area code(s) | 706 |
| FIPS code | 13-76168[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0324093[4] |
| Website | Official City of Thomaston, Georgia Government Website |
Thomaston is a city in and the county seat of Upson County,[5] Georgia, United States.[6] The population was 9,816 at the 2020 census.[7] It is the principal city of and is included in the Thomaston, Georgia Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Atlanta - Sandy Springs (GA) - Gainesville (GA) - Alabama (partial) CSA.
History
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Thomaston was incorporated on January 1, 1825,[8] and designated as the seat of Upson County. The town was named for General Jett Thomas, an Indian fighter in the War of 1812.[9]
Geography
[edit]Thomaston is located near the center of Upson County at 32.90 N, -84.333333 W (32° 54′ 0″ N, 84° 20′ 0″ W).[10] The city is located in the west central Piedmont region of the state.
U.S. Route 19 is the main north–south route through the city, leading north 16 mi (26 km) to Zebulon and south 28 mi (45 km) to Butler. Georgia State Routes 36 and 74 are the main east–west routes through the city. GA-36 leads northeast 17 mi (27 km) to Barnesville and southwest 18 mi (29 km) to Woodland. GA-74 leads east 12 mi (19 km) to Yatesville and northwest 19 mi (31 km) to Woodbury.
Demographics
[edit]2020 census
[edit]As of the 2020 census, Thomaston had a population of 9,816. The median age was 38.8 years. 23.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 78.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 73.6 males age 18 and over.[11][12]
96.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 3.3% lived in rural areas.[13]
There were 4,082 households in Thomaston, of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 26.9% were married-couple households, 19.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 46.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. As of the 2020 census, there were 1,779 families residing in the city.[11]
There were 4,493 housing units, of which 9.1% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.8%.[11]
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 4,899 | 49.91% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 4,202 | 42.81% |
| Native American | 21 | 0.21% |
| Asian | 34 | 0.35% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.01% |
| Other/Mixed | 357 | 3.64% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 302 | 3.08% |
Health care
[edit]Its principal hospital is the Upson Regional Medical Center at 801 West Gordon Street.
Industry
[edit]Industry in the city is driven primarily by manufacturing which makes up 36.5%. The second largest industry is educational, health, and social service comprising 21.0%. The third largest industry is retail trade at 11.6% of the total industry in Thomaston. The remaining portions of industry include agriculture, construction, wholesale trade, transportation, information, finance, management, administration, arts and entertainment, food service, recreation, accommodation, and public administration.
Arts and culture
[edit]National Register of Historic Places
[edit]The Upson County courthouse was built in 1908, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[15]
- Pettigrew-White-Stamps House
- Silvertown Mill District
Annual events
[edit]Thomaston hosts an annual Emancipation Proclamation Celebration each May. It is the nation's oldest and longest running emancipation celebration of its kind.[8]
Parks and recreation
[edit]- Sprewell Bluff Park, located on the Flint River
- The Greatest Generation Recreational Park
Education
[edit]Thomaston-Upson County School District
[edit]The Thomaston-Upson County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school.[16] The district has 279 full-time teachers and over 5,009 students.[17]
- Upson-Lee Elementary School
- Upson-Lee Primary School
- Upson-Lee Middle School
- Upson-Lee High School
- Upson-Lee Pre-K
- Upson-Lee Alternative School
Colleges and universities
[edit]Southern Crescent Technical College is located in Thomaston, and is a two-year technical school.[18][19]
Notable people
[edit]
- Coy Bowles – musician and member of Zac Brown Band
- Elia Goode Byington (1858–1936) – journalist
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (b. 1993) – former University of Georgia basketball player, SEC basketball player of the year (2012-13 season), and first round draft pick in the 2013 NBA draft
- Mike Cavan (b. 1948) – former University of Georgia quarterback, college head coach (Valdosta State, East Tennessee State, and SMU), and director of football administration at the University of Georgia
- Wayne Cochran (1939–2017) – singer
- Scott Franklin (b. 1964) – U.S. representative for Florida's 18th congressional district[20]
- Ivylyn Girardeau (1900–1987) – medical missionary in Pakistan and India
- John B. Gordon (1832–1904) – U.S. senator for Georgia, governor of Georgia, and Confederate States Army major general
- Frank Gordy (1904–1983) – founder of The Varsity fast-food chain
- William Guilford (1844–1909) – Georgia House of Representatives member
- Bill Hartman (1915–2006) – football player and College Football Hall of Fame inductee
- John Holliman (1948–1998) – journalist and correspondent for CNN, noted for his live coverage of the Persian Gulf War
- Marion Montgomery (1925–2011) – poet, novelist, educator, and critic
- Dallas Raines (b. 1954) – meteorologist
- Thelma Thompson Slayden (1907–1977) – novelist
- Hunter Strickland (b. 1988) – baseball player
- Travon Walker (b. 2000) – defensive lineman for the Jacksonville Jaguars. First overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft out of University of Georgia
References
[edit]- ↑ "Official City of Thomaston, Georgia Government Website". Official City of Thomaston, Georgia Government Website. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
- ↑ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
- ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ↑ "Thomaston". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ↑ "Profile for Thomaston, Georgia, GA". ePodunk. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
- ↑ "Thomaston, GA Census Data". United States Census. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Thomaston". Georgia Gov. Archived from the original on May 11, 2012. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
- ↑ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 225. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
- ↑ "GeoHack - Thomaston, Georgia".
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
- ↑ "Thomaston". Georgia Department of Community Affairs. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
- ↑ Georgia Board of Education[permanent dead link], Retrieved June 27, 2010.
- ↑ School Stats, Retrieved June 27, 2010.
- ↑ "Thomaston". Georgia Department of Community Affairs. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
- ↑ "Flint River Campus". Southern Crescent Technical College. Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
- ↑ "FRANKLIN, Scott". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
External links
[edit] |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Thomaston, Georgia. |
- Official City of Thomaston, Georgia Government Website Portal style website, Government, Business, Library, Recreation and more
- City-Data.com Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Thomaston
Template:Upson County, Georgia Template:Georgia county seats
- Articles with dead external links from June 2018
- Use American English from June 2025
- Use mdy dates from January 2019
- Coordinates not on Wikidata
- Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Micropolitan statistical areas of Georgia (U.S. state)
- Cities in Upson County, Georgia
- County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)
- 1825 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)