Garden City is a city in Chatham County,

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 the ...

, United States, located just northwest of

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...

. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 10,289. Part industrial and part residential, the city is home to much of the

heavy industry Heavy industry is an industry that involves one or more characteristics such as large and heavy products; large and heavy equipment and facilities (such as heavy equipment, large machine tools, huge buildings and large-scale infrastructure); o ...

in Chatham County. It hosts the largest and busiest ocean terminal of the

Port of Savannah The Port of Savannah is a major U.S. seaport located at Savannah, Georgia. As of 2021, the port was the third busiest seaport in the United States. Its facilities for oceangoing vessels line both sides of the Savannah River and are approximate ...

, the flagship operation of the

Georgia Ports Authority The Georgia Ports Authority, which was founded in 1945 and chaired by US. Colonel, Inventor and Engineer Dr. Blake Van Leer, operates port facilities in the U.S. state of Georgia. Georgia's primary deepwater ports are located in Savannah and ...

. Garden City was created in 1939 as Industrial City Gardens, a community intended to house the large workforce required by the new factories and chemical plants just west of downtown Savannah. Garden City is part of the

Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area The Savannah metropolitan area is centered on the principal city of Savannah, Georgia. The official name given by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the Savannah, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is used for statistical pur ...

Geography

Garden City is located northwest of the center of Chatham County at (32.100372, −81.164965). It is bordered to the southeast by the city of Savannah, to the west by the city of Pooler, and to the north by the city of

Port Wentworth Port Wentworth is a city in Chatham County, Georgia, United States. The 2020 population was 10,878, more than double the population of 5,359 at the 2010 census. Port Wentworth is part of the Savannah metropolitan area. History The Georgia Genera ...

. To the northeast in unincorporated land is the Port of Savannah and the

Savannah River The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the norther ...

. According to the

United States 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 ...

, Garden City has a total area of , of which is land and , or 4.35%, is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 10,289 people, 3,221 households, and 1,734 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 8,778 people, 3,981 households, and 2,663 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,704 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 49.2%

White White is the 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 reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 37.4%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.4% Native American, 1.4%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.2%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 8.9% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 16.7% of the population. There were 3,392 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% were married couples living together, 20.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.12. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.2% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $37,264, and the median income for a family was $42,905. Males had a median income of $30,509 versus $30,509 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,380. About 15.5% of families and 22.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.6% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Agriculture

Located at 701 West

U.S. Highway 80 U.S. Route 80 or U.S. Highway 80 (US 80) is a major east–west United States Numbered Highway in the Southern United States, much of which was once part of the early auto trail known as the Dixie Overland Highway. As the "0" in the rou ...

, the State Farmers Market is a farmers' market run by the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

Business

Commercial activities are traditionally concentrated near the junction of U.S. Highway 80,

U.S. Highway 17 U.S. Route 17 or U.S. Highway 17 (US 17), also known as the Coastal Highway, is a north–south United States Highway that spans in the southeastern United States. It runs close to the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Co ...

and State Highway 21 (an area once known as Traffic Circle), as well as along Augusta Road (Highway 21), where several long-term-stay hotels, franchise and independently owned fast food restaurants, financial institutions, pawn shops, strip shopping malls, gas stations, car repair shops and automotive retail stores are located. Strip shopping centers include:

Industry

Garden City's industry is located primarily on its waterfront, as is the case for surrounding communities. The

operates a terminal, located at 2 Main Street. Garden City is also home to numerous trucking and railway companies. Other industries are: Industrial rental space is available at locations such as:

History

From the

Reconstruction Era The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...

until the 1930s, the area was home to three major plantations: Brampton, Givens and Telfair. Garden City was incorporated on February 8, 1939, as Industrial City Gardens. The name was officially changed to Garden City on March 24, 1941.

Neighborhoods and housing

The oldest inhabited section of Garden City roughly corresponds to the triangle formed by Smith Avenue, State Highway 25 (Main Street) and State Highway 21 corridors. Throughout its history, Garden City has significantly expanded westward and southward. It has acquired several residential subdivisions, which include: Garden City is home to the following apartment complexes, rental housing units and mobile home parks:

Politics

Municipal

Garden City operated under a mayor–council form of government until 2009. It has adopted a council-administrator style, and by 2011 it will replace its seven at-large council members by one at-large and five district-elected ones. ''For a list of past and present mayors and council members of Garden City, see

List of mayors of Garden City, Georgia Garden City, Georgia was incorporated on February 8, 1939. It operates under a council-administrator form of government. By 2011, its city council will be composed of one mayor and five city council members. Each of the councillors will repre ...

.'' As of 2010, Garden City has never collected property taxes.

Other levels of government

Garden City is represented by: * the 7th and the 8th districts on the boards of the Chatham County Commission and the Savannah Chatham County Public School System * the 162nd district in the State House * the 2nd district in the

State Senate A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...

* the 1st congressional district in Congress In the last three decades, the area's county commissioners have been: Color code:

State representation

The

Georgia Department of Corrections The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) is an agency of the U.S. state of Georgia operating state prisons. The agency is headquartered in Forsyth, on the former campus of Tift College. Headquarters The GDC has its offices in Gibson Hall, ...

operates the

Coastal State Prison Coastal State Prison is a Georgia Department of Corrections medium-security state prison located in Savannah, near Garden City. The facility houses adult male felons and has a capacity of 1836. It was constructed and opened in 1981 and later ren ...

near Garden City.

Public education

Three public schools can be found within Garden City limits. They are managed by the Savannah Chatham County Public School System. Groves High School - Long known as "the pride of the Westside", Groves High School has a rich community tradition that dates back to its founding in 1958. Established to serve the young people and families of West Chatham County, the school is named for Robert W. Groves, a prominent business and civic leader in the county. Besides his role in business and his many commercial and community activities, Groves took particular concern for the youth of the area and their educational needs. Groves High School is home of the Fighting Scottish Rebels football and basketball teams. Campus points of interest include the Woodville-Tompkins Annex, where the automotive and construction programs are offered, and the Cumming Field, named to honor Second Lieutenant Britt C. Cumming, a

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

veteran who was killed in action. Mercer Middle School serves grades six through eight and is a part of the Savannah Chatham County School System (SCCPSS). Originally called Mercer Junior High School, Mercer Middle School first opened on September 4, 1962, and was the first climate-controlled school in Georgia. Mercer was named for George Anderson Mercer, an attorney who served as the president of the Board of Education from 1883 until his death in 1907. Garden City Elementary School was built to serve the consolidated student population of the former Benjamin Sprague and Martin G. Haynes elementary schools.

Religion

45.08% of Garden City residents are affiliated with religious congregations.

Southern Baptists The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptists, Baptist denomination, and the Protestantism in the United States, largest Protestantism, Protestant and Christia ...

account for 33% of the population that has a church affiliation, Catholics for 20%, and United Methodists for 15%. There is no Catholic church in Garden City. The nearest is Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, located at 501 South Coastal Highway in

. Local houses of prayer include:

Services

Services to the citizens of Garden City include:

Public parks and recreation

The Garden City Parks and Recreation Department has year-round programs available for citizens. Youth sports include baseball, girls' fast pitch softball, T-ball, football, cheerleading, soccer, gymnastics and basketball. The city also provides non-team activities such as a summer day camp (Camp Eagle), roller skating, after-school programs, and a center for senior citizens. Garden City is home to five public parks. All are managed by the municipal City Parks & Recreation Department, headquartered at 160B Priscilla D. Thomas Way.

Other landmarks

Other landmarks located in Garden City include: * The Air National Guard facility at 1401 Robert B. Miller Jr. Road *

, located at 200 Gulfstream Road and dedicated on May 12, 1981; it replaced the Chatham Correctional Institution as the local-based state-run correctional facility * The Dotson House (the oldest residence in Garden City), built in 1850 and moved from the surroundings of George A. Mercer School to the site of the current town centerDotson House Restoration Project: Preserving Garden City's History, Genevieve Rogers, The Spirit Newspapers, August 23, 2007
/ref> * Fire Department Station No. 1, 160 Main Street * Fire Department Station No. 2, 2406 U.S. Highway 80 West * The

Order of the Eastern Star The Order of the Eastern Star is a Freemasonry, Masonic List of fraternal auxiliaries and side degrees, appendant Masonic bodies, body open to both men and women. It was established in by lawyer and educator Rob Morris (Freemason), Rob Morris, ...

's local branch, located at 131 Rommel Avenue * The county-run Sharon Park Solid Waste Drop-Off Center, located at 50 Kelly Road * A statue of baseball icon

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

, which stands on the front lawn of Babe's Barbeque Shack, 525 U.S. Highway 80 West * Hillcrest Abby West Cemetery, located on Dean Forest Road * Several roadside welcome signs, posted near the city limits * Several water towers

References

External links

Garden City official website
{{authority control Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in Chatham County, Georgia Populated coastal places in Georgia (U.S. state) Savannah metropolitan area