Garden City is a city in Chatham County,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, United States, located just northwest of

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

. 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 United States of America, U.S. seaport located at Savannah, Georgia, Savannah, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. As of 2021, the port was the third busiest seaport in the United States. Its facilities for oceangoing ...

, the flagship operation of the

Georgia Ports Authority The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) is the port authority for the State of Georgia. It was founded by an act of the Georgia General Assembly in 1945 and chaired by Blake R. Van Leer. The GPA operates all seven of Georgia's rail and sea port fac ...

. 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.Ed Jackson and Charles Pou, "This Day in Georgia History", Digital Library of Georgia, University of Georgia, 2010
/ref> Garden City is part of the Savannah metropolitan statistical area.

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 Gener ...

. 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 Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and South Carolina. The river flows from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

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

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 10,289 people, 3,221 households, and 1,734 families residing in the city.

Economy

Agriculture

Located at 701 West U.S. Highway 80, 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 Numbered Highway that spans in the Southeastern United States. It runs close to the Atlantic Coast for much of its len ...

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.

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:

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.'' 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 State House or statehouse may refer to: Buildings *Aso Villa or State House, the official residence of the President of Nigeria *Government House, Dominica or The State House, the official residence of the President of Dominica * State House, Bar ...

* the 2nd district in the

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* 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 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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

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.

Parks and recreation

Services to the citizens of Garden City include: 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 * Coastal State Prison, 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 (OES) 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 1850 by lawyer and educator Rob Morris (Freemason), R ...

's local branch, located at 131 Rommel Avenue * Hillcrest Abby West Cemetery, located on Dean Forest Road

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