List of counties in Georgia (U.S. state)
The U.S. state of Georgia is divided into 159 counties. Under the Georgia Constitution, counties are granted home rule to deal with issues that are local in nature. Four consolidated city-counties exist—Athens (Clarke County), Augusta (Richmond County), Columbus (Muscogee County), and Cusseta (Chattahoochee County).
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History
Georgia has the second-highest number of counties of any state in the United States, behind Texas (254). The traditional idea for county creation was that a farmer should be able to go to the county seat and back home in one day on horseback. However, about 25 counties were created in the early 20th century after the automobile had become widespread. These last counties created were generally seen as being done for political purposes.
The proliferation of counties in the state led to multiple state constitutional amendments, attempting to establish limits. The most recent such amendment, dating to 1945, limits the state to 159 counties, though there were previously 161 from 1924 to 1931. In a rare consolidation, Campbell County and Milton County were made part of Fulton County as of 1932, as an austerity measure during the Great Depression.
Currently, there is a movement among some to change the state constitution to allow the creation of at least one new county. Some residents of northern Fulton County support the re-creation of Milton County. The reasoning behind this is that the northern sections of Fulton County are among the most affluent in the state, and residents want to stop tax revenues from going to the poorer areas of South Fulton to be spent.
Changed county names
A few Georgia counties have changed names over time. Jasper County was originally known as Randolph County. Later, the current Randolph County came into being. Webster County was once known as Kinchafoonee County, and Bartow County was formerly known as Cass County.
Defunct counties
In addition, there was once another Walton County. It was a county that is in present-day North Carolina. A skirmish, "The Walton War," was actually fought between North Carolina and Georgia before Georgia gave up the claim.
Alphabetical Listing
| County |
FIPS Code [1] |
County seat [2] |
Established [2] |
Origin |
Etymolgy |
Population [2] |
Area [2] |
Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appling County | 001 | Baxley | 1818 | ? | Daniel Appling | 17,419 | 509 sq mi (1,318 km²) |
|
| Atkinson County | 003 | Pearson | 1919 | ? | William Yates Atkinson | 7,609 | 338 sq mi (875 km²) |
|
| Bacon County | 005 | Alma | 1914 | ? | Augustus Octavius Bacon | 10,103 | 285 sq mi (738 km²) |
|
| Baker County | 007 | Newton | 1825 | ? | Colonel John Baker | 4,074 | 343 sq mi (888 km²) |
|
| Baldwin County | 009 | Milledgeville | 1803 | ? | Abraham Baldwin | 44,700 | 258 sq mi (668 km²) |
|
| Banks County | 011 | Homer | 1858 | ? | Richard Banks | 14,422 | 234 sq mi (606 km²) |
|
| Barrow County | 013 | Winder | 1914 | ? | David Crenshaw Barrow Jr. | 46,144 | 162 sq mi (420 km²) |
|
| Bartow County | 015 | Cartersville | 1832 | ? | Francis S. Bartow | 76,019 | 460 sq mi (1,191 km²) |
|
| Ben Hill County | 017 | Fitzgerald | 1906 | ? | Benjamin Harvey Hill | 17,484 | 252 sq mi (653 km²) |
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| Berrien County | 019 | Nashville | 1856 | ? | John MacPherson Berrien | 16,235 | 452 sq mi (1,171 km²) |
|
| Bibb County | 021 | Macon | 1822 | ? | William Wyatt Bibb | 153,887 | 250 sq mi (647 km²) |
|
| Bleckley County | 023 | Cochran | 1912 | ? | Logan Edwin Bleckley | 11,666 | 217 sq mi (562 km²) |
|
| Brantley County | 025 | Nahunta | 1920 | ? | Benjamin D. Brantley or William Gordon Brantley | 14,629 | 444 sq mi (1,150 km²) |
|
| Brooks County | 027 | Quitman | 1858 | ? | Peterson Smith Brooks | 16,450 | 494 sq mi (1,279 km²) |
|
| Bryan County | 029 | Pembroke | 1793 | ? | Jonathan Bryan | 23,417 | 442 sq mi (1,145 km²) |
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| Bulloch County | 031 | Statesboro | 1796 | ? | Archibald Bulloch | 55,983 | 683 sq mi (1,769 km²) |
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| Burke County | 033 | Waynesboro | 1777 | ? | Edmund Burke | 22,243 | 831 sq mi (2,152 km²) |
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| Butts County | 035 | Jackson | 1825 | ? | Captain Samuel Butts | 19,522 | 187 sq mi (484 km²) |
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| Calhoun County | 037 | Morgan | 1854 | ? | John Caldwell Calhoun | 6,320 | 280 sq mi (725 km²) |
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| Camden County | 039 | Woodbine | 1777 | ? | Charles Pratt 1st Earl Camden | 43,664 | 630 sq mi (1,632 km²) |
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| Candler County | 043 | Metter | 1914 | ? | Allen Daniel Candler | 9,577 | 247 sq mi (640 km²) |
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| Carroll County | 045 | Carrollton | 1826 | ? | Charles Carroll | 87,268 | 499 sq mi (1,292 km²) |
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| Catoosa County | 047 | Ringgold | 1853 | ? | Chief Catoosa | 53,282 | 162 sq mi (420 km²) |
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| Charlton County | 049 | Folkston | 1854 | ? | Robert Milledge Carlton | 10,282 | 781 sq mi (2,023 km²) |
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| Chatham County | 051 | Savannah | 1777 | ? | William Pitt 1st Earl of Chatham | 232,048 | 440 sq mi (1,140 km²) |
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| Chattahoochee County | 053 | Cusseta | 1854 | ? | Chattagoochee River | 14,882 | 249 sq mi (645 km²) |
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| Chattooga County | 055 | Summerville | 1838 | ? | Chattooga River | 25,470 | 314 sq mi (813 km²) |
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| Cherokee County | 057 | Canton | 1832 | ? | Cherokee Native Americans | 141,903 | 424 sq mi (1,098 km²) |
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| Clarke County | 059 | Athens | 1801 | ? | Elijah Clarke | 101,489 | 121 sq mi (313 km²) |
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| Clay County | 061 | Fort Gaines | 1854 | ? | Henry Clay | 3,357 | 195 sq mi (505 km²) |
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| Clayton County | 063 | Jonesboro | 1858 | ? | Augustin Smith Clayton | 236,517 | 143 sq mi (370 km²) |
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| Clinch County | 065 | Homerville | 1850 | ? | Duncan Lamont Clinch | 6,878 | 809 sq mi (2,095 km²) |
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| Cobb County | 067 | Marietta | 1832 | ? | Thomas Willis Cobb | 607,751 | 340 sq mi (881 km²) |
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| Coffee County | 069 | Douglas | 1854 | ? | John E. Coffee | 37,413 | 599 sq mi (1,551 km²) |
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| Colquitt County | 071 | Moultrie | 1856 | ? | Walter Terry Colquitt | 42,053 | 552 sq mi (1,430 km²) |
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| Columbia County | 073 | Appling | 1790 | ? | Christopher Columbus | 89,288 | 290 sq mi (751 km²) |
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| Cook County | 075 | Adel | 1918 | ? | Phillip Cook | 15,771 | 229 sq mi (593 km²) |
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| Coweta County | 077 | Newnan | 1826 | ? | Coweta Native Americans | 89,215 | 443 sq mi (1,147 km²) |
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| Crawford County | 079 | Knoxville | 1822 | ? | William Harris Crawford | 12,495 | 325 sq mi (842 km²) |
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| Crisp County | 081 | Cordele | 1905 | ? | Charles Frederick Crisp | 21,996 | 274 sq mi (710 km²) |
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| Dade County | 083 | Trenton | 1837 | ? | Francis Langhorne Dade | 15,154 | 174 sq mi (451 km²) |
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| Dawson County | 085 | Dawsonville | 1857 | ? | William Crosby Dawson | 15,999 | 211 sq mi (546 km²) |
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| Decatur County | 087 | Bainbridge | 1823 | ? | Stephen Decatur | 28,240 | 597 sq mi (1,546 km²) |
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| DeKalb County | 089 | Decatur | 1822 | ? | Johann DeKalb | 665,865 | 268 sq mi (694 km²) |
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| Dodge County | 091 | Eastman | 1870 | ? | William Earl Dodge | 19,171 | 501 sq mi (1,298 km²) |
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| Dooly County | 093 | Vienna | 1821 | ? | John Dooly | 11,525 | 393 sq mi (1,018 km²) |
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| Dougherty County | 095 | Albany | 1853 | ? | Charles Doughterty | 96,065 | 330 sq mi (855 km²) |
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| Douglas County | 097 | Douglasville | 1870 | ? | Stephen Arnold Douglas | 92,174 | 199 sq mi (515 km²) |
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| Early County | 099 | Blakely | 1818 | ? | Peter Early | 12,354 | 511 sq mi (1,323 km²) |
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| Echols County | 101 | Statenville | 1858 | ? | Robert M. Echols | 3,754 | 404 sq mi (1,046 km²) |
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| Effingham County | 103 | Springfield | 1777 | ? | Francis Howard 1st Earl of Effingham | 37,535 | 480 sq mi (1,243 km²) |
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| Elbert County | 105 | Elberton | 1790 | ? | Samuel Elbert | 20,511 | 369 sq mi (956 km²) |
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| Emanuel County | 107 | Swainsboro | 1812 | ? | David Emanuel | 21,837 | 686 sq mi (1,777 km²) |
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| Evans County | 109 | Claxton | 1914 | ? | Clement Anselm Evans | 10,495 | 185 sq mi (479 km²) |
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| Fannin County | 111 | Blue Ridge | 1854 | ? | James Walker Fannin Jr. | 19,798 | 386 sq mi (1,000 km²) |
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| Fayette County | 113 | Fayetteville | 1821 | ? | Marquis de la Fayette | 91,263 | 197 sq mi (510 km²) |
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| Floyd County | 115 | Rome | 1832 | ? | John Floyd | 90,565 | 513 sq mi (1,329 km²) |
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| Forsyth County | 117 | Cumming | 1832 | ? | John Forsyth | 98,407 | 226 sq mi (585 km²) |
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| Franklin County | 119 | Carnesville | 1784 | ? | Benjamin Franklin | 20,285 | 263 sq mi (681 km²) |
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| Fulton County | 121 | Atlanta | 1853 | ? | Robert Fulton | 816,006 | 529 sq mi (1,370 km²) |
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| Gilmer County | 123 | Ellijay | 1832 | ? | George Rockingham Gilmer | 23,456 | 427 sq mi (1,106 km²) |
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| Glascock County | 125 | Gibson | 1857 | ? | Thomas Glascock | 2,556 | 144 sq mi (373 km²) |
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| Glynn County | 127 | Brunswick | 1777 | ? | John Glynn | 67,568 | 422 sq mi (1,093 km²) |
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| Gordon County | 129 | Calhoun | 1850 | ? | William Washington Gordon | 44,104 | 355 sq mi (919 km²) |
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| Grady County | 131 | Cairo | 1906 | ? | Henry Woodfin Grady | 23,659 | 458 sq mi (1,186 km²) |
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| Greene County | 133 | Greensboro | 1786 | ? | Nathanael Greene | 14,406 | 388 sq mi (1,005 km²) |
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| Gwinnett County | 135 | Lawrenceville | 1818 | ? | Button Gwinnett | 588,448 | 433 sq mi (1,121 km²) |
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| Habersham County | 137 | Clarkesville | 1818 | ? | Joseph Habersham | 35,902 | 278 sq mi (720 km²) |
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| Hall County | 139 | Gainesville | 1818 | ? | Lyman Hall | 139,277 | 394 sq mi (1,020 km²) |
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| Hancock County | 141 | Sparta | 1793 | ? | John Hancock | 10,076 | 473 sq mi (1,225 km²) |
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| Haralson County | 143 | Buchanan | 1856 | ? | Hugh Anderson Haralson | 25,690 | 282 sq mi (730 km²) |
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| Harris County | 145 | Hamilton | 1827 | ? | Charles Harris | 23,695 | 464 sq mi (1,202 km²) |
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| Hart County | 147 | Hartwell | 1853 | ? | Nancy Morgan Hart | 22,997 | 232 sq mi (601 km²) |
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| Heard County | 149 | Franklin | 1830 | ? | Stephen Heard | 11,012 | 296 sq mi (767 km²) |
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| Henry County | 151 | McDonough | 1821 | ? | Patrick Henry | 119,341 | 323 sq mi (837 km²) |
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| Houston County | 153 | Perry | 1821 | ? | John Houston | 110,765 | 377 sq mi (976 km²) |
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| Irwin County | 155 | Ocilla | 1818 | ? | Jared Irwin | 9,931 | 357 sq mi (925 km²) |
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| Jackson County | 157 | Jefferson | 1796 | ? | James Jackson | 41,589 | 342 sq mi (886 km²) |
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| Jasper County | 159 | Monticello | 1807 | ? | William Jasper | 11,426 | 370 sq mi (958 km²) |
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| Jeff Davis County | 161 | Hazlehurst | 1905 | ? | Jefferson Davis | 12,684 | 333 sq mi (862 km²) |
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| Jefferson County | 163 | Louisville | 1796 | ? | Thomas Jefferson | 17,266 | 528 sq mi (1,368 km²) |
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| Jenkins County | 165 | Millen | 1905 | ? | Charles Jones Jenkins | 8,575 | 350 sq mi (906 km²) |
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| Johnson County | 167 | Wrightsville | 1858 | ? | Herschel Vespasian Johnson | 8,560 | 304 sq mi (787 km²) |
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| Jones County | 169 | Gray | 1807 | ? | James Jones | 23,639 | 394 sq mi (1,020 km²) |
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| Lamar County | 171 | Barnesville | 1920 | ? | Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar | 15,912 | 185 sq mi (479 km²) |
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| Lanier County | 173 | Lakeland | 1920 | ? | Sidney Lanier | 7,241 | 187 sq mi (484 km²) |
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| Laurens County | 175 | Dublin | 1807 | ? | John Laurens | 44,874 | 813 sq mi (2,106 km²) |
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| Lee County | 177 | Leesburg | 1826 | ? | Richard Henry Lee | 24,757 | 356 sq mi (922 km²) |
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| Liberty County | 179 | Hinesville | 1777 | ? | righ and freedom of liberty | 61,610 | 519 sq mi (1,344 km²) |
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| Lincoln County | 181 | Lincolnton | 1796 | ? | Benjamin Lincoln | 8,348 | 211 sq mi (546 km²) |
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| Long County | 183 | Ludowici | 1920 | ? | Crawford Williamson Long | 10,304 | 401 sq mi (1,039 km²) |
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| Lowndes County | 185 | Valdosta | 1825 | ? | William Jones Lowdens | 92,115 | 504 sq mi (1,305 km²) |
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| Lumpkin County | 187 | Dahlonega | 1832 | ? | Wilson Lumpkin | 21,016 | 284 sq mi (736 km²) |
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| Macon County | 189 | Oglethorpe | 1837 | ? | Nathaniel Macon | 14,074 | 403 sq mi (1,044 km²) |
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| Madison County | 191 | Danielsville | 1811 | ? | James Madison | 25,730 | 284 sq mi (736 km²) |
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| Marion County | 193 | Buena Vista | 1827 | ? | Francis Marion | 7,144 | 367 sq mi (951 km²) |
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| McDuffie County | 195 | Thomson | 1870 | ? | George McDuffie | 21,231 | 260 sq mi (673 km²) |
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| McIntosh County | 197 | Darien | 1793 | ? | William McIntosh | 10,847 | 434 sq mi (1,124 km²) |
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| Meriwether County | 199 | Greenville | 1827 | ? | David Meriwether | 22,534 | 503 sq mi (1,303 km²) |
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| Miller County | 201 | Colquitt | 1856 | ? | Andrew Jackson Miller | 6,383 | 283 sq mi (733 km²) |
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| Mitchell County | 205 | Camilla | 1857 | ? | Gen. Henry Mitchell | 23,932 | 512 sq mi (1,326 km²) |
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| Monroe County | 207 | Forsyth | 1821 | ? | James Monroe | 21,757 | 396 sq mi (1,026 km²) |
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| Montgomery County | 209 | Mount Vernon | 1793 | ? | Richard Montgomery | 8,270 | 245 sq mi (635 km²) |
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| Morgan County | 211 | Madison | 1807 | ? | Daniel Morgan | 15,457 | 350 sq mi (906 km²) |
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| Murray County | 213 | Chatsworth | 1832 | ? | Thomas W. Murray | 36,506 | 344 sq mi (891 km²) |
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| Muscogee County | 215 | Columbus | 1826 | ? | Muscogee Native Americans | 186,291 | 216 sq mi (559 km²) |
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| Newton County | 217 | Covington | 1821 | ? | John Newton | 62,001 | 276 sq mi (715 km²) |
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| Oconee County | 219 | Watkinsville | 1875 | ? | Oconee River | 26,225 | 186 sq mi (482 km²) |
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| Oglethorpe County | 221 | Lexington | 1793 | ? | James Edwar Oglethorpe | 12,635 | 441 sq mi (1,142 km²) |
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| Paulding County | 223 | Dallas | 1832 | ? | John Paulding | 81,678 | 314 sq mi (813 km²) |
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| Peach County | 225 | Fort Valley | 1924 | ? | peaches | 23,668 | 151 sq mi (391 km²) |
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| Pickens County | 227 | Jasper | 1853 | ? | Andrew Pickens | 22,983 | 232 sq mi (601 km²) |
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| Pierce County | 229 | Blackshear | 1857 | ? | Franklin Pierce | 15,636 | 343 sq mi (888 km²) |
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| Pike County | 231 | Zebulon | 1822 | ? | Zebulon Montgomery Pike | 13,688 | 218 sq mi (565 km²) |
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| Polk County | 233 | Cedartown | 1851 | ? | James Knox Polk | 38,127 | 311 sq mi (805 km²) |
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| Pulaski County | 235 | Hawkinsville | 1808 | ? | Kazimierz Pulaski | 9,588 | 247 sq mi (640 km²) |
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| Putnam County | 237 | Eatonton | 1807 | ? | Israel Putnam | 18,812 | 344 sq mi (891 km²) |
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| Quitman County | 239 | Georgetown | 1858 | ? | John Anthony Quitman | 2,598 | 152 sq mi (394 km²) |
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| Rabun County | 241 | Clayton | 1819 | ? | William Rabun | 15,050 | 371 sq mi (961 km²) |
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| Randolph County | 243 | Cuthbert | 1828 | ? | John Randolph | 7,791 | 429 sq mi (1,111 km²) |
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| Richmond County | 245 | Augusta | 1777 | ? | Charles Lenox Duke of Richmond | 199,775 | 324 sq mi (839 km²) |
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| Rockdale County | 247 | Conyers | 1870 | ? | Rockdale Church | 70,111 | 131 sq mi (339 km²) |
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| Schley County | 249 | Ellaville | 1857 | ? | William Schley | 3,766 | 168 sq mi (435 km²) |
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| Screven County | 251 | Sylvania | 1793 | ? | James Screven | 15,374 | 648 sq mi (1,678 km²) |
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| Seminole County | 253 | Donalsonville | 1920 | ? | Seminole Native Americans | 9,369 | 238 sq mi (616 km²) |
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| Spalding County | 255 | Griffin | 1851 | ? | Thomas Spalding | 58,417 | 198 sq mi (513 km²) |
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| Stephens County | 257 | Toccoa | 1905 | ? | Alexander Stephens | 25,435 | 179 sq mi (464 km²) |
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| Stewart County | 259 | Lumpkin | 1830 | ? | Daniel Stewart | 5,252 | 459 sq mi (1,189 km²) |
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| Sumter County | 261 | Americus | 1831 | ? | Thomas Sumter | 33,200 | 485 sq mi (1,256 km²) |
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| Talbot County | 263 | Talbotton | 1827 | ? | Matthew Talbot | 6,498 | 393 sq mi (1,018 km²) |
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| Taliaferro County | 265 | Crawfordville | 1825 | ? | Benjamin Taliaferro | 2,077 | 195 sq mi (505 km²) |
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| Tattnall County | 267 | Reidsville | 1801 | ? | Josiah Tattnall | 22,305 | 484 sq mi (1,254 km²) |
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| Taylor County | 269 | Butler | 1852 | ? | Zachary Taylor | 8,815 | 378 sq mi (979 km²) |
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| Telfair County | 271 | McRae | 1807 | ? | Edward Telfair | 11,794 | 441 sq mi (1,142 km²) |
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| Terrell County | 273 | Dawson | 1856 | ? | William Terrell | 10,970 | 336 sq mi (870 km²) |
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| Thomas County | 275 | Thomasville | 1825 | ? | Jett Thomas | 42,737 | 548 sq mi (1,419 km²) |
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| Tift County | 277 | Tifton | 1905 | ? | Nelson Tift | 38,407 | 265 sq mi (686 km²) |
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| Toombs County | 279 | Lyons | 1905 | ? | Robert Toombs | 26,067 | 367 sq mi (951 km²) |
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| Towns County | 281 | Hiawassee | 1856 | ? | George Washington Towns | 9,319 | 166 sq mi (430 km²) |
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| Treutlen County | 283 | Soperton | 1917 | ? | John A. Treutlen | 6,854 | 201 sq mi (521 km²) |
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| Troup County | 285 | Lagrange | 1826 | ? | George M. Troup | 58,779 | 414 sq mi (1,072 km²) |
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| Turner County | 287 | Ashburn | 1905 | ? | Henry Gray Turner | 9,504 | 286 sq mi (741 km²) |
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| Twiggs County | 289 | Jeffersonville | 1809 | ? | John Twiggs | 10,590 | 360 sq mi (932 km²) |
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| Union County | 291 | Blairsville | 1832 | ? | Federal Union | 17,289 | 323 sq mi (837 km²) |
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| Upson County | 293 | Thomaston | 1824 | ? | Stephen Upson | 27,597 | 326 sq mi (844 km²) |
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| Walker County | 295 | Lafayette | 1833 | ? | Freeman Walker | 61,053 | 446 sq mi (1,155 km²) |
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| Walton County | 297 | Monroe | 1803 | ? | George Walton | 60,687 | 329 sq mi (852 km²) |
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| Ware County | 299 | Waycross | 1824 | ? | Nicholas Ware | 35,483 | 903 sq mi (2,339 km²) |
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| Warren County | 301 | Warrenton | 1793 | ? | Joseph Warren | 6,336 | 286 sq mi (741 km²) |
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| Washington County | 303 | Sandersville | 1784 | ? | George Washington | 21,176 | 680 sq mi (1,761 km²) |
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| Wayne County | 305 | Jesup | 1803 | ? | "Mad" Anthony Wayne | 26,565 | 645 sq mi (1,671 km²) |
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| Webster County | 307 | Preston | 1853 | ? | Daniel Webster | 2,390 | 210 sq mi (544 km²) |
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| Wheeler County | 309 | Alamo | 1912 | ? | Joseph E. Wheeler | 6,179 | 298 sq mi (772 km²) |
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| White County | 311 | Cleveland | 1857 | ? | David T. White | 19,944 | 242 sq mi (627 km²) |
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| Whitfield County | 313 | Dalton | 1851 | ? | George Whitfield | 83,525 | 290 sq mi (751 km²) |
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| Wilcox County | 315 | Abbeville | 1857 | ? | Mark Wilcox | 8,577 | 380 sq mi (984 km²) |
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| Wilkes County | 317 | Washington | 1777 | ? | John Wilkes | 10,687 | 471 sq mi (1,220 km²) |
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| Wilkinson County | 319 | Irwinton | 1803 | ? |