Douglas, Georgia

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Coordinates: 31°30′27″N 82°51′3″W / 31.5075, -82.85083
City of Douglas, Georgia
Location in Coffee County and the state of Georgia
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Coffee
Government
- City Mayor	Jackie Wilson
Area
- Total	12.9 sq mi (33.5 km²)
- Land	12.9 sq mi (33.4 km²)
- Water	0.1 sq mi (0.02 km²)
Elevation	253 ft (77 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	10,639
- Density	825.7/sq mi (318.9/km²)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	31533-31535
Area code(s)	912
FIPS code	13-23872^[1]
GNIS feature ID	0313591^[2]
Website: http://www.cityofdouglas.com/

Douglas is a city in Coffee County, Georgia, United States. The population was 10,639 at the 2000 census and 11,246 as of estimates conducted by the United States Census Bureau for a 12-month period ending 1 July 2006^[3]. Douglas is the county seat of Coffee County^[4] and the core city of the Douglas, Georgia Micropolitan Statistical Area which has a population of 48,308 as of the 2007 census estimates^[5].

1 History
2 Geography
3 Demographics
4 Transportation
- 4.1 Major highways
5 Economy
6 Healthcare
7 Education
8 Notable residents and natives
9 References
10 External links

[edit] History

Douglas was established in 1858 on 50 acres of land donated by J.S. Pearson at the confluence of Twenty Mile Creek and Seventeen Mile Creek. It was named for Senator Stephen A. Douglas, a renowned stump speaker and Congressman who was the presidential challenger to Abraham Lincoln in the Election of 1860. Douglas was chartered as a town in 1895 and as a city in 1897. In 1895, the railroad came to Douglas and the community began to boom^[6]. In 1909, the Georgia and Florida Railroad located its offices in Douglas. The Eleventh District Agricultural College was established in Douglas in 1907. It became the first state junior college, South Georgia College, in 1927. During the 1920s and 1930s Douglas became one of the major tobacco markets in the state. Much of this history is depicted in the Heritage Station Museum, which is located in the old Georgia and Florida Railroad train station.

Today, Douglas had two areas listed on the National Register of Historic Places: downtown and Gaskin Avenue historic districts which were added in 1989^[7].

[edit] Geography

Douglas is located at 31°30′27″N, 82°51′3″W (31.507413, -82.850799)^[8]. Douglas is 62 miles (99 kilometres) driving distance NE of Valdosta, Georgia, 116 miles (186 km) driving distance NW of Jacksonville, Florida, and 205 miles (328 km) driving distance SE of Atlanta, Georgia.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.9 square miles (33.5 km²), of which, 12.9 square miles (33.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.46%) is water. Major water bodies include Twenty Mile Creek and Seventeen Mile Creek.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 10,639 people, 3,977 households, and 2,656 families residing in the city. The population density was 825.7 people per square mile (318.9/km²). There were 4,692 housing units at an average density of 364.2/sq mi (140.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 48.41% White, 45.33% African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.09% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.80% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.92% of the population.

There were 3,977 households out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were married couples living together, 21.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 83.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,946, and the median income for a family was $36,349. Males had a median income of $26,551 versus $20,145 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,652. About 17.9% of families and 24.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.2% of those under age 18 and 22.0% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Major highways

U.S. Route 221 (runs north-south)
U.S. Route 441 (runs north-south)
Georgia State Route 31 (runs north-south)
Georgia State Route 32 (runs east-west)
Georgia State Route 135 (runs north-south)
Georgia State Route 158 (runs east-west)
Georgia State Route 206 (runs east-west)

[edit] Economy

[edit] Major employers

Wal-Mart is the biggest employer in the area, with a retail store in Douglas and a distribution center which employs over 1,600 people. The distribution center was built in 1987 using $10 million in government funding.
American Insulated Wire
Gold Kist
Fleetwood Mobile Homes Corporation
PCC Airfoils

[edit] Agriculture

Farming plays a large role in the area's economy. Major agricultural products from the town and surrounding county include peanuts, corn, tobacco, and cotton.

[edit] Tourism

Douglas is home to Heritage Station Museum which displays artifacts of the city's history.

Douglas has ten public parks that offer year-round activities for all age and interest groups. Also, there are four golf courses in and around the city.

Nearby, the 1,490 acre (6 km²) General Coffee State Park draws more than 100,000 visitors a year and is the most popular tourist attraction in the area.

[edit] Healthcare

Coffee Regional Medical Center

[edit] Education

The Douglas-Coffee County area is serviced by the Coffee County Board of Education, which presides over 8 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 1 pre-kindergarten academy, 1 ninth grade academy, and 1 high school (Coffee High School).

Citizens Christian Academy is a K-12 private school.

South Georgia College is a public two-year institution of the the University System of Georgia. Adjoining the college is a satellite campus of East Central Technical College, which has its main campus in Fitzgerald, Georgia.

[edit] Notable residents and natives

Jennifer Nettles, singer for Grammy-nominated country band Sugarland, is a native of Douglas.
Maureen Tucker, drummer and occasional singer of Sixties and Seventies rock group The Velvet Underground lives in Douglas.
Greg Walker, former first baseman and current hitting coach for the 2005 World Champion Chicago White Sox, is a native of Douglas.
Dr. Wayne Clough, president of Georgia Institute of Technology, spent his early years in Douglas.
James Brown, singer, lived here for a short time while working at a local saw mill.
Bobby Bowden, FSU football coach, first coaching job was with the football team at South Georgia College.