The Historic Chattahoochee Commission (HCC) promotes an eighteen county area in Alabama

Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

  and 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...

 centered on the lower Chattahoochee River

Chattahoochee River

The Chattahoochee River flows through or along the borders of the U.S. states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers and emptying into Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of...

 where it forms the boundary between the states. Organized in 1970, the HCC is charged with the responsibility of promoting tourism and historic preservation throughout this river corridor. In 1978 the Georgia General Assembly

Georgia 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....

 and the Alabama Legislature

Alabama Legislature

The Alabama Legislature is the legislative branch of the state government of Alabama. It is a bicameral body composed of the Alabama House of Representatives, with 105 members, and the Alabama Senate, with 35 members...

 passed identical legislation to establish an interstate compact

Interstate compact

An interstate compact is an agreement between two or more states of the United States of America. Article I, Section 10 of the United States Constitution provides that "no state shall enter into an agreement or compact with another state" without the consent of Congress...

 for the operation of the Commission. Final approval of the compact came in October of that year when the same bill cleared the U.S. Congress and President Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter

James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...

 signed it into law.

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

 counties include Barbour

Barbour County, Alabama

Barbour County, Alabama is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of James Barbour, who served as Governor of Virginia. As of 2010 the population was 27,457. Its county seat is Clayton.-History:...

, Chambers

Chambers County, Alabama

Chambers County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Henry H. Chambers, who served as a United States Senator from Alabama. As of 2010 the population was 34,215. Its county seat is Lafayette...

, Dale

Dale County, Alabama

Dale County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of General Samuel Dale. As of the 2010 census the population was 50,251...

, Henry

Henry County, Alabama

Henry County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Patrick Henry, famous orator and Governor of Virginia. As of 2010, its population was 17,302...

, Houston

Houston County, Alabama

Houston County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of 2010 the population was 101,547. Its county seat is Dothan.Houston County is part of the Dothan Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...

, Lee

Lee County, Alabama

Lee County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is named in honor of Robert E. Lee, commanding general of the Confederate Army. As of 2010 the population was 140,247. It is part of the Auburn, Alabama Metropolitan Area. The county seat is Opelika, and the largest city is Auburn...

, and Russell

Russell County, Alabama

Russell County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Colonel Gilbert C. Russell, who fought in the wars against the Creek Indians. As of 2010, the population was 52,947...

; 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...

 counties include Chattahoochee

Chattahoochee County, Georgia

Chattahoochee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on February 13, 1854. The 2000 Census reported a population of 14,882. The 2009 Census Estimate shows a population of 14,402. It is part of the Columbus, Georgia-Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area...

, Clay

Clay County, Georgia

Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 3,357. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 3,207...

, Decatur

Decatur County, Georgia

Decatur County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 28,240. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 28,544. The county seat is Bainbridge.-History:...

, Early

Early County, Georgia

Early County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 15, 1818 and was named for Peter Early. As of 2010, the population is 11,008. The county seat is Blakely.-Geography:...

, Harris

Harris County, Georgia

Harris County is located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 14, 1827. As of 2000, the population was 23,695. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 29,073. The county seat is Hamilton...

, Muscogee

Muscogee County, Georgia

Muscogee County is a county located on the central western border of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is part of the Columbus, Georgia-Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the population was 186,291. The 2009 Census Estimate shows a population of 190,414...

, Quitman

Quitman County, Georgia

Quitman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 10, 1858 and named after General John A. Quitman, leader in the Mexican War, and once Governor of Mississippi. As of 2000, the population was 2,598. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 2,666...

, Randolph

Randolph County, Georgia

Randolph County is a county located in the US state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population is 7,791. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 7,294. The county seat is Cuthbert.-History:Randolph County is named after Virginian John Randolph....

, Seminole

Seminole County, Georgia

Seminole County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 9,369. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 9,081. The county seat is Donalsonville.-History:...

, Stewart

Stewart County, Georgia

Stewart County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 23, 1830. The 2010 Census reflected a population of 6,058. The 2009 Census Estimate shows a population of 4,558. The county seat is Lumpkin.-History:...

, and Troup

Troup County, Georgia

Troup County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2010, the population was 67,044. The county seat is LaGrange.-History:...

.

Presently the Commission is funded by both Alabama and Georgia. The HCC is the only tourism/preservation agency in the nation with official authority to cross state lines to pursue goals common to all counties involved.

External links

• Historic Chattahoochee Commission