Douglas County, Georgia


Douglas County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 144,237, having more than doubled since 1990. The county seat is Douglasville. The city of Villa Rica, and a small portion of Austell are both also located in Douglas County. Douglas County is included in Metro Atlanta. It has attracted new residents as jobs have increased in the Atlanta area.
WWW Official Site

History

Name

The county was created during Reconstruction after the American Civil War. The Georgia General Assembly named it after former Illinois senator Stephen A. Douglas, an Illinois senator and the Democratic opponent of Abraham Lincoln in the presidential election of 1860. The existing historical marker says:
Historical marker:

County seat

The act creating Douglas County provided that in November 1870, voters of the new county would elect county officers, and vote to select the site of the county seat. In the election, some voters chose a site near the center of the county, but a larger number voted for the settlement known as "Skinned Chestnut" or "Skin Chestnut," based on a Creek Indian landmark tree. The courthouse commissioners chose this site as county seat and proceeded to sell lots and build a courthouse. It later changed its name to Douglasville.
A group of citizens filed suit against the commissioners. The case ultimately went to the Georgia (U.S. state)|Supreme Court of Georgia], which ruled against the commissioners. Both sides agreed to postpone further action until the route of the Georgia Western Railroad through Douglas County was determined. The General Assembly enacted legislation on February 28, 1874, directing that an election be held on April 7, 1874, to determine the location of the county seat—but with the provision that the site be located on the Georgia Western Railroad. In the election, voters confirmed Douglasville as the county seat. On February 25, 1875, the General Assembly incorporated Douglasville.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
Douglas County's elevation above sea level ranges as low as at the Chattahoochee River to as high as ; one of the county's highest elevation points lies inside the city of Douglasville. Andy Mountain, between Villa Rica and Winston – west of Douglasville along Bankhead Highway, has the highest elevation in Douglas County. Two other elevated summits are located in the county, known as Cedar Mountain at, and Pine Mountain at.
Douglas County sits in Georgia's Piedmont region, which makes its elevation vary due to many rolling hills that Douglas County sits on near the tail end of the Appalachian Mountains. There are no high mountain peaks in Douglas County, just a range of ridges, hills and valleys.
The entirety of Douglas County is located in the Middle Chattahoochee River-Lake Harding sub-basin of the ACF River Basin.
LocationHeight
Andy Mountain
Cedar Mountain, Georgia
Winston
Downtown Douglasville
Beulah
Pine Mountain
White City
Fairplay
Wellstar Douglas Hospital
Midway
Hannah
McWhorter
Lithia Springs
Villa Rica
Groovers Lake

Bodies of water

All of these had massive flooding during the 2009 Atlanta floods.

Climate

Douglas County has been experiencing numerous natural disasters over the most recent decades. Being located in the Southeastern United States' Dixie Alley, the county experiences strong storms and tornadoes.
The county has suffered through numerous ice storms throughout the years. They bring everything to a stand still in the area due to the lack of equipment to deal with the problem and drastic amounts of power outages. Some of the worst ice storms were in 1938, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2005 North American ice storm|2005], and 2010.
The March 1993 Storm of the Century brought to Douglasville, with drifts measuring several feet.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina's remnants tore through the area spawning tornadoes, causing wind damage, and flooding rains. Katrina killed 2 people in Georgia.
In 2007, the county suffered one of the worst droughts in the area's history, causing a complete watering ban and resulting in the largest wildfire in Georgia history. The fire was located in south east Georgia, but it still affected the county with smoke often through the life of the fire.
2008 was the first time in Douglas County history that two tornadoes touched down in the same year. They were:
  • March 7, 2008: This tornado damaged many homes and ripping one home in half in the Brookmont subdivision on Chapel Hill Road. Arbor Place Mall also reported broken windows from the storm. The tornado also damaged the Chapel Hill Kroger grocery store and threw a heavy air conditioning unit onto cars below. There was only one injury reported from the storm.
  • May 11, 2008: Known as the "Mother's Day Tornado," the EF2 caused damage all over the county. It first touched down in the Fairplay area and then moved through the rest of the county, picking up wind speeds up to . A filling station in Douglasville was destroyed by the storm, with the large roof being thrown onto the street. No injuries or deaths were reported. The governor of Georgia declared a state of emergency for Douglas County and many other counties in the state on May 12, 2008.
On September 21, 2009, Douglas County was devastated by the worst flood in Georgia history. Over of rain fell in one night causing many roads to be destroyed and many homes a total loss. The county was later declared a disaster area, and the governor of Georgia declared a state of emergency. The flooding's worst affected areas were in the areas of Douglasville, Villa Rica, Austell, Lithia Springs, and Chapel Hill. The disaster killed more than eight people in the county, most of them in the Douglasville area. The Austell death toll was also high but it was reported in the Cobb County losses.
On Sunday night on January 9, 2011, right after Douglasville's first white Christmas in decades, a snowstorm developed over Douglas County and caused as much as 8 inches of snow in the area. The storm closed grocery stores, the courthouse, and Arbor Place Mall until that Wednesday, January 12. Schools were closed the entire second week of January.

Adjacent counties

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Demographics

Race / Ethnicity Pop 2000Pop 2010% 2000% 2010
White alone 69,96564,91149,87775.91%49.03%34.58%
Black or African American alone 16,97851,38768,76318.42%38.81%47.67%
Native American or Alaska Native alone 2723213350.30%0.24%0.23%
Asian alone 1,0751,8762,3131.17%1.42%1.60%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone 17128970.02%0.10%0.07%
Other race alone 1073271,0720.12%0.25%0.74%
Mixed race or Multiracial 1,1202,3285,7451.22%1.76%3.98%
Hispanic or Latino 2,64011,12516,0352.86%8.40%11.12%
Total92,174132,403144,237100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 144,237, with 51,024 households and 32,898 families.
The median age was 37.5 years, 24.8% of residents were under the age of 18, and 12.5% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 86.1 males. 84.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 15.5% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the county was 36.2% White, 48.4% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 5.8% from some other race, and 7.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 11.1% of the population.
Of those households, 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 31.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 53,885 housing units, of which 5.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 65.9% were owner-occupied and 34.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.5%.

Economy

Per Capita Income Growth for Douglas County:
YearIncomeIncrease
1994$19,189—
1995$20,3205.894%
1997$22,38610.17%
1998$23,2013.641%
1999$24,4575.414%
2000$26,2727.421%
2001$26,4550.6966%
2002$26,191-0.9979%
2003$26,048-0.546%
2004$26,6872.453%

Douglas County is part of the greater Appalachia region, is served by the Appalachian Regional Commission, and is currently a transitional economy.

Healthcare

Douglas County is served by WellStar Douglas Hospital.
Tanner Health System serves Douglas County with three locations in Villa Rica. Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica is a 53-bed acute care hospital located in Villa Rica, Georgia, serving the residents of Carroll, Douglas and Paulding counties and beyond.

Parks and recreation

  • Sweetwater Creek State Park is host to the ruins of a Civil War-era mill destroyed in General Sherman's campaign through Georgia.
  • Hunter Park is located within the city limits of Douglasville, and it is home to the majority of the sports events held in Douglas County. It is home to the Douglas County Boys and Girls Club.
  • Deer Lick Park is located in the northeast corner of the county and is the third-largest park in the county. It is also home to sporting events.
  • Woodrow Wilson Park and Lithia Springs Girls Ball Field are located in Lithia Springs next to Sweetwater Creek. The ballfield has flooded during heavy rain storms.
  • Boundary Waters Aquatic Center opened in July 2005 in the southeastern section of the county, and it is home to the Douglas County swim team, the Stingrays. The center also provides aquatic therapy and swim lessons to the county's citizens for a low fee. Residents outside the county can use the center as well for a slightly higher fee. Boundary Waters Park features 9 miles of trails open to hikers, joggers, bicyclists and equestrians.
Other parks in the county include:
  • Post Road Park
  • Clinton Nature Preserve
  • Bill Arp Park
  • Fairplay Park
  • Winston Park
  • Mount Carmel Ball Field
  • Dog River Park/Reservoir

Government

Most government offices in the county are located at the Douglas County Courthouse complex, about south of the downtown area of Douglasville. The exception is the Douglas County Board of Education, located adjacent to Hunter Park. The Douglas County Chamber of Commerce is located in downtown Douglasville.
The county courthouse was constructed in 1997–98 and opened in 1998 after the county services needed a new courthouse for the ever-growing and changing county. The services prior to the opening were scattered all over downtown Douglasville in seven or eight office buildings. The old Douglas County courthouse, built in 1956, remains in downtown and is now used as a museum and a satellite school for the University of West Georgia an institution of the University System of Georgia with the main campus located in the city of Carrollton in Carroll County, which is included in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area historically, a commercial center for several mostly rural counties in both Georgia and Alabama.
Douglas County is governed by the Douglas County Board of Commissioners with an elected chairman and commissioners from Douglas County's four districts.

Politics

For elections to the United States House of Representatives, Douglas County is divided between Georgia's 3rd congressional district and Georgia's 6th congressional district.
For elections to the Georgia State Senate, Douglas County is represented by districts 28 and 30. For elections to the Georgia House of Representatives, Douglas County is represented by districts 40, 64 and 66.
In presidential elections, Douglas County had been a reliably Republican county between 1980 [United States presidential election in Georgia|1980] and 2004, voting Republican by a double-digit margin even in 1992, when Democrat Bill Clinton carried the state of Georgia. The county gave over 60% of the vote to Republican George W. Bush in both of his presidential runs in 2000 and 2004. The county has since become increasingly Democratic, voting for Democrats since 2008. In 2024, Democrat Kamala Harris won 65% of the vote, the highest share of the vote in the county since 1976.
Douglas County is one of nine counties that shifted more than 25 percentage points to the left from 2012 to 2024.

Law enforcement

Douglas County law enforcement is handled by the Douglas County Sheriffs Department. Inside Douglasville city limits, law enforcement is handled by the Douglasville Police Department.

Education

All of the county is served by the Douglas County School System. Based in Douglasville, it operates 20 Elementary Schools, 8 Middle Schools, 5 High Schools, a Performance Learning Center and numerous private academies, as of 2019.
Douglas County is home to a regional academic center of Mercer University, which provides educational programs and extended learning opportunities for working adults. In addition, the county has a campus of West Georgia Technical College, formerly West Central Technical College ; the college provides programs for those seeking higher education in technical fields, as well as adult education and GED classes. The county also is home to Tanner Technical Institute, Strayer University, and Georgia Highlands College.

Media

The newspaper that serves the Douglas County area is the Douglas County Sentinel, a paper that circulates three days a week: Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The paper has been in circulation since 1902. It now relies on its website for breaking news.
The county also has a secondary paper that circulates on Wednesday, the Douglas Neighbor, a paper that is run by the publisher of the Marietta Daily Journal. This paper is delivered free of charge, supported by advertising.
The county also has a monthly magazine called Chapel Hill News & Views and Villa Rica News & Views that delivers to 39,000 homes and businesses ranging from Villa Rica to Lithia Springs and everywhere in between. It also includes a local yellow pages. The company's website covers a wide range of local information as well.
The county is also well-served by online media. Home Rule News launched in 2009 and covers Douglas County as part of its Greater West Metro Atlanta territory. All On Georgia-Douglas which is the newest and fastest growing digital news outlet in the county. Douglasville Patch launched in 2010 and focuses on countywide news and extensive crime coverage. The Douglasville Menu launched in 2015 and focuses on the retail, economic and development news of the city and county with some community and events news as well. The Douglasville Menu is part of The City Menus which began solely as The Carrollton Menu.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also serves readers of Douglas County, seven days a week, with its largest paper on Sunday.
Douglas County is served by the Atlanta television market, but has a small information TV channel on cable, DCTV 23. The station broadcasts board meetings and special events, classified job listings, and original shows: Gesundheit, Douglas County Living, Insights, District Dialogue, Legally Speaking, dctv23 Presents, Storytime at the Library, Pet Pause, and the "Friday Night Drive-in Movie".

Transportation

Major highways

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Other roads

  • Lee Road: Runs through the eastern portion of the county in the Lithia Springs area. The road intersects I-20, begins at Fairburn Road in the south and terminates at S. Sweetwater Rd north of I-20.
  • Post Road: Runs through the western portion of Douglas County through the Winston area. The road begins at the southern border with Carroll County, and runs north, intersects I-20 and ends at Bankhead Highway.
  • Chapel Hill Road: begins at I-20 and runs south to Dorsett Shoals Road, ending at SR 166.
  • Douglas Boulevard runs from Chapel Hill Rd. at I-20 to SR 5, and from there to Bright Star Road. This road passes Douglasville's Arbor Place Mall.
  • Kings Highway runs south from SR 5 to Big A Road, and is host to many residential developments.
  • Pope Road runs south, southeast looping from the Midway area of Fairburn Rd. and ends at Annewakee Rd.
  • Annewakee Road runs south from Chapel Hill Rd. at Dorsett Shoals Rd. and ending at Fairburn Rd. and Pope Rd.
  • Dorsett Shoals Road runs west from Chapel Hill Rd. at Annewakee Rd. to SR 5.
  • Capps Ferry Road runs from the end of South Fulton Parkway to S.R. 166 connecting southern Douglas County to Atlanta.

Pedestrians and cycling

  • Douglasville Running Trail
  • Sweetwater Creek Park Trail
  • Water Lily Dr
  • Boundary Waters Park Trails

Rail

Historically, the Southern Railway ran several daily passenger trains, including the Kansas City-Florida Special, the Sunnyland and an Atlanta-Birmingham section of the Piedmont Limited, making flag or signal stops in Austell and Douglasville. The last trains made stops in 1967. Today, the nearest passenger service is Amtrak's Crescent in Atlanta, 21 miles east of Lithia Springs.

In popular culture