Coffee County, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Coffee County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Georgia
. As of 2000, the population was 37,413. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 40,085. The county seat
is Douglas
.
on February 9, 1854, from portions of Clinch
, Irwin
, Telfair
, and Ware
counties. These lands were originally ceded
by the Creek
in the Treaty of Fort Jackson
in (1814) and the Treaty of the Creek Agency (1818)
and apportioned to the above Counties before becoming Coffee County.
Berrien
(1856), Jeff Davis
(1905), and Atkinson
(1917) Counties were subsequently formed from sections of Coffee's original borders.
The County is named for General
John E. Coffee
, a state legislator, and a U. S. representative
.
of 2000, there were 37,413 people, 13,354 households, and 9,788 families residing in the county. The population density
was 62 people per square mile (24/km²). There were 15,610 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 68.23% White
, 25.88% Black
or African American
, 0.32% Native American
, 0.56% Asian
, 0.04% Pacific Islander
, 4.04% from other races
, and 0.92% from two or more races. 6.82% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 13,354 households out of which 37.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.50% were married couples
living together, 15.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.70% were non-families. 22.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the county the population was spread out with 28.30% under the age of 18, 11.00% from 18 to 24, 30.30% from 25 to 44, 20.50% from 45 to 64, and 9.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 98.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,710, and the median income for a family was $35,936. Males had a median income of $26,642 versus $20,644 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $15,530. About 15.30% of families and 19.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.90% of those under age 18 and 21.10% of those age 65 or over.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. As of 2000, the population was 37,413. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 40,085. The county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Douglas
Douglas, Georgia
Douglas is a city in Coffee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 11,589. Douglas is the county seat of Coffee County and the core city of the Douglas, Georgia Micropolitan Statistical Area which has a population of 48,708 as of the 2008 census...
.
History
Coffee County was created by an act of the Georgia General AssemblyGeorgia General Assembly
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, being composed of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate....
on February 9, 1854, from portions of Clinch
Clinch County, Georgia
Clinch County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on February 14, 1850, named in honor of Duncan Lamont Clinch. As of 2000, the population is 6,878. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 6,992...
, Irwin
Irwin County, Georgia
Irwin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 15, 1818. As of 2000, the population was 9,931. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 9,934...
, Telfair
Telfair County, Georgia
Telfair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the population was 11,794. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 13,366...
, and Ware
Ware County, Georgia
Ware County is a county located in the southeast of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 35,483. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 35,831 The county seat is Waycross....
counties. These lands were originally ceded
Cession
The act of Cession, or to cede, is the assignment of property to another entity. In international law it commonly refers to land transferred by treaty...
by the Creek
Creek people
The Muscogee , also known as the Creek or Creeks, are a Native American people traditionally from the southeastern United States. Mvskoke is their name in traditional spelling. The modern Muscogee live primarily in Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida...
in the Treaty of Fort Jackson
Treaty of Fort Jackson
The Treaty of Fort Jackson was signed on August 9, 1814 at Fort Jackson near Wetumpka, Alabama following the defeat of the Red Stick resistance by United States allied forces at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. It occurred on the banks of the Tallapoosa River near the present city of Alexander City,...
in (1814) and the Treaty of the Creek Agency (1818)
Treaty of the Creek Agency (1818)
The Treaty of the Creek Agency was signed on January 22, 1818, at the Creek Agency on the Flint River in Georgia. The treaty was handled for the U.S. by former Governor of Georgia David Brydie Mitchell who was serving as President James Monroe's agent of Indian affairs for the Creek nation...
and apportioned to the above Counties before becoming Coffee County.
Berrien
Berrien County, Georgia
Berrien County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population is 16,235. The 2007 Census Estimate placed the population at 16,722. The county seat is Nashville....
(1856), Jeff Davis
Jeff Davis County, Georgia
Jeff Davis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on August 18, 1905. As of 2000, the population was 12,684. It was named for the only President of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 13,291...
(1905), and Atkinson
Atkinson County, Georgia
Atkinson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia, and was formed in 1917 from parts of Coffee and Clinch counties. As of 2000, the population was 7,609. The 2007 Census Estimate placed the population at 8,223...
(1917) Counties were subsequently formed from sections of Coffee's original borders.
The County is named for General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
John E. Coffee
John E. Coffee
John E. Coffee was a military leader and a United States Congressman for the state of Georgia.-Early life:...
, a state legislator, and a U. S. representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 602.61 square miles (1,560.8 km²), of which 598.9 square miles (1,551.1 km²) (or 99.38%) is land and 3.72 square miles (9.6 km²) (or 0.62%) is water.Highways
U.S. Route 221U.S. Route 221U.S. Route 221 is a spur of U.S. Route 21. It runs for 734 miles from Perry, Florida at US Routes 19/98/ALT 27 to Lynchburg, Virginia at U.S. Route 29 . It passes through the states of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia...
U.S. Route 319U.S. Route 319U.S. Highway 319 is a spur of U.S. Route 19. It runs for 318 miles from US 1 /State Route 4 in Wadley, Georgia to the John Gorrie Bridge at Apalachicola, Florida. The sections of US 319 in Medart, Florida and from just east of Carrabelle, Florida to its terminus in Apalachicola are jointly...
U.S. Route 441U.S. Route 441U.S. Route 441 is a spur route of U.S. Route 41. It currently runs for 939 miles from U.S. Route 41 in Miami, Florida to U.S. Route 25W in Lake City, Tennessee. Between its termini, US 441 passes through the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee...
State Route 31
State Route 32
State Route 64
State Route 90
State Route 107
State Route 135
State Route 158
Adjacent counties
- Telfair CountyTelfair County, GeorgiaTelfair County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the population was 11,794. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 13,366...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- north - Jeff Davis CountyJeff Davis County, GeorgiaJeff Davis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on August 18, 1905. As of 2000, the population was 12,684. It was named for the only President of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 13,291...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- northeast - Bacon CountyBacon County, GeorgiaBacon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Bacon County is named after Augustus Bacon, a former United States Senator from Georgia. The constitutional amendment to create the county was proposed July 7, 1914, and ratified November 3, 1914. As of 2000, the population is...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- east - Ware CountyWare County, GeorgiaWare County is a county located in the southeast of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 35,483. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 35,831 The county seat is Waycross....
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- southeast - Atkinson CountyAtkinson County, GeorgiaAtkinson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia, and was formed in 1917 from parts of Coffee and Clinch counties. As of 2000, the population was 7,609. The 2007 Census Estimate placed the population at 8,223...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- south - Berrien CountyBerrien County, GeorgiaBerrien County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population is 16,235. The 2007 Census Estimate placed the population at 16,722. The county seat is Nashville....
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- southwest - Irwin CountyIrwin County, GeorgiaIrwin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 15, 1818. As of 2000, the population was 9,931. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 9,934...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- west - Ben Hill CountyBen Hill County, GeorgiaBen Hill County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The constitutional amendment to create the county was proposed July 31, 1906 and ratified November 6, 1906. As of 2000, the population was 17,484. The 2007 Census Estimate placed the population at 17,650...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
- west
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 37,413 people, 13,354 households, and 9,788 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 62 people per square mile (24/km²). There were 15,610 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 68.23% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 25.88% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.32% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.56% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.04% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 4.04% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.92% from two or more races. 6.82% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 13,354 households out of which 37.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.50% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 15.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.70% were non-families. 22.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the county the population was spread out with 28.30% under the age of 18, 11.00% from 18 to 24, 30.30% from 25 to 44, 20.50% from 45 to 64, and 9.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 98.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,710, and the median income for a family was $35,936. Males had a median income of $26,642 versus $20,644 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $15,530. About 15.30% of families and 19.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.90% of those under age 18 and 21.10% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
- AmbroseAmbrose, GeorgiaAmbrose is a city in Coffee County, Georgia, United States. The population was 320 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ambrose is located at ....
- BroxtonBroxton, GeorgiaBroxton is a city in Coffee County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,428 at the 2000 census. It is known for its unique sandstone formation called Broxton Rocks along Rocky Creek.-Geography:Broxton is located at ....
- Bushnell
- DouglasDouglas, GeorgiaDouglas is a city in Coffee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 11,589. Douglas is the county seat of Coffee County and the core city of the Douglas, Georgia Micropolitan Statistical Area which has a population of 48,708 as of the 2008 census...
- Lax
- Mora
- NichollsNicholls, GeorgiaNicholls is a city in Coffee County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,008 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Nicholls is located at ....
- Pridgen
- Upton
- West GreenWest Green, GeorgiaWest Green is an unincorporated community in Coffee County, Georgia, United States, originally known as The Twenty and later Garrant. It was an incorporated town from July 29, 1914 to July 1, 1995....
See also
- Coffee RoadCoffee RoadCoffee Road as it became known, was a supply trail cut through the southern Georgia frontier by General John E. Coffee,with the help of Thomas Swain. After establishing the counties of Early, Irwin, and Appling in 1819, the Georgia General Assembly approved construction of the road DC 23rd 1822...
- General Coffee State ParkGeneral Coffee State ParkGeneral Coffee State Park is a 1,511 acre Georgia state park located near Douglas. The park is named after politician, farmer, and military leader General John E. Coffee. The park plays host to many rare and endangered species, especially in the cypress swamps through which the Seventeen-Mile...
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Coffee County, Georgia
- Sapps Still, GeorgiaSapps Still, GeorgiaSapps Still is an unincorporated community in rural north Coffee County, Georgia, United States.-History:Sapps Still was the site of a turpentine still in the early 1900s until the still exploded due to a fire. Later, a lumber mill was built in its place. Ruins and remains of both facilities can...
- Broxton RocksBroxton RocksBroxton Rocks is the single largest exposure of sandstone, about 4 miles in extent, found in the Altamaha Grit, a subterranean band of sandstone that lies under some 15,000 square miles of the Atlantic Coastal Plain...