Coffee County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the southeastern part of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to t ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 43,092, up from 37,413 at the 2010 census. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals * Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking * Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civi ...

. Coffee County comprises the Douglas, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Coffee County was created by an act of the

Georgia General Assembly The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each of the General Assembly's 236 members serve two-year terms and are directly ...

on February 9, 1854, from portions of

Clinch Clinch may refer to: * Nail (fastener) or device to hold in this way * Clinching, in metalworking * Clinch fighting or the clinch, a grappling position in boxing or wrestling, a stand-up embrace * Clinch County, Georgia, USA * Clinch River, near T ...

Irwin Irwin may refer to: Places ;United States * Irwin, California * Irwin, Idaho * Irwin, Illinois * Irwin, Iowa * Irwin, Nebraska * Irwin, Ohio * Irwin, Pennsylvania * Irwin, South Carolina * Irwin County, Georgia * Irwin Township, Venango Co ...

, Telfair, and

Ware Ware may refer to: People * Ware (surname) * William of Ware (), English Franciscan theologian Places Canada * Fort Ware, British Columbia United Kingdom *Ware, Devon *Ware, Hertfordshire * Ware, Kent United States * Ware, Elmore County, A ...

counties. These lands were originally ceded by the

Creek A creek in North America and elsewhere, such as Australia, is a stream that is usually smaller than a river. In the British Isles it is a small tidal inlet. Creek may also refer to: People * Creek people, also known as Muscogee, Native Americans ...

in the

Treaty of Fort Jackson The Treaty of Fort Jackson (also known as the Treaty with the Creeks, 1814) was signed on August 9, 1814 at Fort Jackson near Wetumpka, Alabama following the defeat of the Red Stick (Upper Creek) resistance by United States allied forces at th ...

in (1814) and the

Treaty of the Creek Agency (1818) The Treaty of the Creek Agency was signed on January 22, 1818, at the Creek Agency on the Flint River in Georgia. The treaty was handled for the U.S. by former Governor of Georgia David Brydie Mitchell who was serving as President James Monroe' ...

and apportioned to the above counties before becoming Coffee County. Berrien (1856), Jeff Davis (1905), and Atkinson (1917) counties were subsequently formed from sections of Coffee County. The county is named for

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

John E. Coffee John E. Coffee (December 3, 1782 – September 25, 1836) was a military leader and a Congressman for the state of Georgia. Early life John E. Coffee was born in Prince Edward County, Virginia in 1782. He was a grandson of Peter Coffee, Sr. ( ...

, a state legislator and a U.S. representative. Coffee County Correctional Facility is located in

Nicholls, Georgia Nicholls is a city in Coffee County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,798 as of the 2010 census, up from 1,008 in 2000, due to counting of the Coffee County Correctional Facility population within the city limits. This facility is pri ...

. It is privately owned and operated by

CoreCivic CoreCivic, formerly the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), is a company that owns and manages private prisons and detention centers and operates others on a concession basis. Co-founded in 1983 in Nashville, Tennessee by Thomas W. Beasley ...

, the largest prison company in the nation. Many of the early settlers of what is now Coffee County are buried in historic cemeteries across the region, including the cemetery at Lone Hill United Methodist Church—located at 6833 Broxton-West Green Highway, some 10 miles northeast of

. The church and its cemetery date to the 1840s, with the earliest marked grave dated 1848. A majestic Eastern Redcedar has graced the cemetery for generations and is recognized as the nation's largest of this species through American Forests’ Champion Trees program. (see:) In July 2018 the tree was recognized as 2018's Great American Tree by American Grove. ( See:) Having been nominated by Mark McClellan of the

Georgia Forestry Commission This is a list of Georgia state forests. In the state of Georgia, all state forests are managed by the Georgia Forestry Commission. All state forests are operated under a multiple-use Forest Stewardship management plan. This takes into account the ...

, the tree has been featured in such publications as the

Smithsonian Magazine ''Smithsonian'' is the official journal published by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The first issue was published in 1970. History The history of ''Smithsonian'' began when Edward K. Thompson, the retired editor of ''Life'' ma ...

and Janisse Ray's Wild Card Quilt. The circumference of the tree exceeds 20 feet.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (4.6%) is water. The vast majority of Coffee County is located in the

Satilla River The Satilla River rises in Ben Hill County, Georgia, United States, near the town of Fitzgerald, and flows in a mostly easterly direction to the Atlantic Ocean. Along its approximately U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high ...

sub-basin of the St. Marys-Satilla River basin. The northern corner of the county, well north of Broxton, an area bisected by State Route 107, is located in the Lower

Ocmulgee River The Ocmulgee River () is a western tributary of the Altamaha River, approximately 255 mi (410 km) long, in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the westernmost major tributary of the Altamaha.

sub-basin of the

Altamaha River The Altamaha River is a major river in the U.S. state of Georgia. It flows generally eastward for 137 miles (220 km) from its origin at the confluence of the Oconee River and Ocmulgee River towards the Atlantic Ocean, where it empti ...

basin. The very southwestern corner of Coffee County, northeast of Alapaha, is located in the

Alapaha River The Alapaha River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 18, 2011 river in southern Georgia and northern Florida in the United States. It is a tributary of t ...

sub-basin of the

Suwannee River The Suwannee River (also spelled Suwanee River) is a river that runs through south Georgia southward into Florida in the southern United States. It is a wild blackwater river, about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset hig ...

basin.

Highways

U.S. Route 221 * US 319

U.S. Route 319 * US 441

U.S. Route 441 U.S. Route 441 (US 441) is a auxiliary route of U.S. Route 41. It extends from US 41 in Miami, Florida to US 25W in Rocky Top, Tennessee. Between its termini, US 441 travels through the states of Florida, Georgia, North ...

State Route 31 * Georgia 32

State Route 32 * Georgia 64

State Route 64 * Georgia 90

State Route 90 * Georgia 107

State Route 107 * Georgia 135

State Route 135 * Georgia 158

State Route 158 * Georgia 206

State Route 206 * Georgia 206 Connector

State Route 206 Connector * Georgia 268

State Route 268

Adjacent counties

* Telfair County – north * Jeff Davis County – northeast * Bacon County – east *

Ware County Ware may refer to: People * Ware (surname) * William of Ware (), English Franciscan theologian Places Canada * Fort Ware, British Columbia United Kingdom *Ware, Devon *Ware, Hertfordshire * Ware, Kent United States * Ware, Elmore County, A ...

– southeast * Atkinson County – south * Berrien County – southwest *

Irwin County Irwin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,538. The county seat is Ocilla. The county was created on December 15, 1818. It was named for Governor Jared Irwin. In the last yea ...

– west *

Ben Hill County Ben Hill County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,194. The county seat is Fitzgerald. The county was organized in 1906. It is named after Benjamin Harvey Hill, a former Confederate an ...

– west

Demographics

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 37,413 people, 13,354 households, and 9,788 families living in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 62 people per square mile (24/km²). There were 15,610 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 68.23%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 25.88%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.32% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...

, 4.04% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. 6.82% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 13,354 households, out of which 37.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.50% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 15.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.70% were non-families. 22.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.14. In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.30% under the age of 18, 11.00% from 18 to 24, 30.30% from 25 to 44, 20.50% from 45 to 64, and 9.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 98.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $30,710, and the median income for a family was $35,936. Males had a median income of $26,642 versus $20,644 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $15,530. About 15.30% of families and 19.10% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 23.90% of those under age 18 and 21.10% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 42,356 people, 14,817 households, and 10,630 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 17,061 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 64.7% white, 26.6% black or African American, 0.7% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 6.3% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 10.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 14.6% were English, 10.7% were American, and 5.8% were Irish. Of the 14,817 households, 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.3% were non-families, and 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.18. The median age was 34.8 years. The median income for a household in the county was $35,202 and the median income for a family was $39,880. Males had a median income of $33,590 versus $26,129 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,664. About 18.3% of families and 21.3% of the population were below the

, including 29.6% of those under age 18 and 18.4% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 43,092 people, 14,438 households, and 9,913 families residing in the county.

Education

Communities

Cities

Ambrose Ambrose of Milan ( la, Aurelius Ambrosius; ), venerated as Saint Ambrose, ; lmo, Sant Ambroeus . was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promo ...

* Broxton *

* Nicholls