Carroll County, Georgia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Carroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 87,268. The county's explosive growth is evident with a population of 105,453 according to the 2005 U.S. Census Estimate. The county seat is Carrollton, Georgia6. Carroll County is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area, though few locals would consider this to be true except for the media market, and for telephone area code and metro area toll-free dialing.
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[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,305 km² (504 mi²). 1,292 km² (499 mi²) of it is land and 13 km² (5 mi²) of it (0.97%) is water.
[edit] Major Highways
Interstate 20
U.S. Highway 27
U.S. Highway 78
Georgia State Route 1
Georgia State Route 5
Georgia State Route 16
Georgia State Route 61
Georgia State Route 100
Georgia State Route 113
Georgia State Route 166
[edit] Adjacent Counties
- Paulding County, Georgia - north
- Douglas County, Georgia - east
- Fulton County, Georgia - east
- Coweta County, Georgia - southeast
- Heard County, Georgia - south
- Randolph County, Alabama - southwest
- Cleburne County, Alabama - west
- Haralson County, Georgia - northwest
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 87,268 people, 31,568 households, and 23,013 families residing in the county. The population density was 68/km² (175/mi²). There were 34,067 housing units at an average density of 26/km² (68/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 80.52% White, 16.32% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.12% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. 2.57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 31,568 households out of which 35.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.30% were married couples living together, 12.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.10% were non-families. 21.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.90% under the age of 18, 12.90% from 18 to 24, 29.90% from 25 to 44, 21.20% from 45 to 64, and 10.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,799, and the median income for a family was $44,642. Males had a median income of $33,102 versus $22,538 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,656. About 10.00% of families and 13.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.40% of those under age 18 and 16.00% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] History
The land for Lee, Muscogee, Troup, Coweta, and Carroll counties was ceded by the Creek people in the 1825 Treaty of Indian Springs. This land was the last remaining portion of the Creek's Georgia territory, and was ceded by William McIntosh, chief of the Lower Creeks or White Sticks. This cession resulted in his murder at McIntosh Reserve near present day Whitesburg by fellow Creeks from northern Alabama called Red Sticks or Upper Creeks.
The counties' boundaries were created by the Georgia General Assembly on June 9, but they were not named until December 14 of 1826. Carroll County was named for Charles Carroll of Maryland, at that time the last surviving signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence when the county was created in 1826. Carrollton, the county seat, was also named for this reason.
The county originally extended from the Chattahoochee River to the Alabama state line on the East and West with the northern boundary just north of present day I-20 with the Cherokees. This land was carved up over time to become Carroll, Douglas, Heard, parts of Haralson and Troup counties. A portion that became Douglas was once Campbell County which no longer exists (divided between Douglas and Fulton counties.
Because of the small slave population the county was known as the Free State of Carroll in the 1850s.
Even before the cession of the territory some white settlers were in the northern part of the county in the Villa Rica area.
During the American Civil War, the county provided the Bowdon Volunteers and the Carroll Boys, which were a part of Cobb's Legion.
In August, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall along the Gulf Coast and spawned numerous tornadoes throughout the county that shredded dozens of mobile homes and killed several.
