Statesboro is the largest city and
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 st ...
of
Bulloch County
Bulloch County is a County (United States), county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 81,099, up from 70,217 in 2010. The coun ...
,
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
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
located in the southeastern part of the state.
Statesboro is home to the flagship campus of
Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University (GS or Georgia Southern) is a public research university in the U.S. state of Georgia. The flagship campus is in Statesboro, and other locations include the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and the Liberty Campus in Hine ...
and is part of the
Savannah–Hinesville–Statesboro Combined Statistical Area. As of 2018, the Statesboro Micropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Bulloch County, had an estimated population of 74,722. The city had an estimated 2019 population of 32,954.
Statesboro is the largest
Micropolitan Statistical Area in Georgia. It is the largest city in the Magnolia Midlands Region.
The city was chartered in 1803, starting as a small trading community providing basic essentials for surrounding
cotton plantations. This drove the economy throughout the 19th century, both before and after the U.S. Civil War.
In 1906, Statesboro and area leaders joined together to bid for and win the First District A&M School, a
land grant college
A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890.
Signed by Abraha ...
that eventually developed into
Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University (GS or Georgia Southern) is a public research university in the U.S. state of Georgia. The flagship campus is in Statesboro, and other locations include the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and the Liberty Campus in Hine ...
.
Statesboro inspired the blues song "
Statesboro Blues
"Statesboro Blues" is a Piedmont blues song written by Blind Willie McTell, who recorded it in 1928. The title refers to the town of Statesboro, Georgia. In 1968, Taj Mahal recorded a popular blues rock adaptation of the song with a prominent slid ...
", written by
Blind Willie McTell
Blind Willie McTell (born William Samuel McTier; May 5, 1898 – August 19, 1959) was a Piedmont blues and ragtime singer and guitarist. He played with a fluid, syncopated fingerstyle guitar technique, common among many exponents of Piedmont bl ...
in the 1920s, and covered in a well-known version by the
Allman Brothers Band Allman may refer to:
Music
*The Allman Brothers Band, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame southern rock band, formed by Duane and Gregg Allman
*The Allman Joys, an early band formed by Duane and Gregg Allman
*The Gregg Allman Band
People
*Allman (surname) ...
.
[Statesboro, Georgia Convention and Visitors Bureau](_blank)
In 2017, Statesboro was selected in the top three of the national America's Best Communities competition and was named one of nine Georgia "live, work, play" cities by the Georgia Municipal Association.
Economy
The economy of Statesboro is based on education, manufacturing, and agribusiness sectors. Statesboro serves as a regional economic hub and has more than one billion dollars in annual retail sales.
Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University (GS or Georgia Southern) is a public research university in the U.S. state of Georgia. The flagship campus is in Statesboro, and other locations include the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and the Liberty Campus in Hine ...
is the largest employer in the city, with 6,700 regional jobs tied directly and indirectly to the campus.
Agriculture is responsible for $100 million in annual farm gate revenues.
Statesboro is home to multiple manufacturing facilities. Statesboro
Briggs & Stratton
Briggs & Stratton Corporation is an American manufacturer of gasoline engines with headquarters in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.
Engine production averages 10 million units per year as of April 2015. The company reports that it has 13 large facilit ...
Plant is the third-largest employer in the region with 950 employees.
The Development Authority of Bulloch County retains over 100 acres of GRAD (Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development) land at the Gateway Industrial Park.
Southern Gateway Park is a newly developed 200-acre tract located at the intersection of U.S. 301 and Interstate 16 in close proximity to the Court of Savannah. Southern Gateway is served by municipal water, sewer and natural gas lines.
GAF, the largest privately owned roofing manufacturer in North America, relocated to Statesboro in the early 21st century.
Geography
Statesboro is located at (32.445147, -81.779234).
The city is located in southeastern Georgia along U.S. Routes
80,
25, and
301
__NOTOC__
Year 301 (Roman numerals, CCCI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Postumius and Nepotianus (or, less freque ...
. US 80 runs northwest to southeast through the city, leading southeast 58 mi (93 km) to
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 ...
and west-northwest 37 mi (60 km) to
Swainsboro. US 25 and 301 run concurrently through the center of town and split upon their junction with US 80, leading south 12 mi (19 km) to
Interstate 16
Interstate 16 (I-16), also known as Jim Gillis Historic Savannah Parkway, is an east–west Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Georgia. It carries the hidden designation of State Route 404 (SR 404) for its ...
at exit 116. US 25 leads north 29 mi (47 km) to
Millen and US 301 north 24 mi (39 km) to
Sylvania.
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 ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 2.60%, is water.
The city is in the
coastal plain
A coastal plain is flat, low-lying land adjacent to a sea coast. A fall line commonly marks the border between a coastal plain and a piedmont area. Some of the largest coastal plains are in Alaska and the southeastern United States. The Gulf Coa ...
region, or Low Country, of Georgia, so it is mainly flat with a few small hills. With an elevation of , the downtown area is one of the highest places in Bulloch County. Pine, oak, magnolia, dogwood, palm,
sweetgum
''Liquidambar'', commonly called sweetgum
(star gum in the UK),
gum, redgum, satin-walnut, or American storax, is the only genus in the flowering plant family Altingiaceae and has 15 species. They were formerly often treated in Hamamelidaceae ...
, and a variety of other trees can be found in the area.
Climate
Statesboro has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
, according to the
Köppen classification Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author an ...
. The city experiences very hot and humid summers with average July highs of about 91 degrees and lows around 70. Afternoon thunderstorms associated with the summer heat and humidity can spawn from time to time. Winters are mild with average January highs of 58 degrees and lows of 36 degrees.
Winter storm
A winter storm is an event in which wind coincides with varieties of precipitation that only occur at freezing temperatures, such as snow, mixed snow and rain, or freezing rain. In temperate continental climates, these storms are not necessar ...
s are rare, but they happen periodically, the most recent being an ice storm in January 2018. On February 12, 2010, approximately two inches of snow fell on the city.
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 33,438 people, 10,214 households, and 4,569 families residing in the city.
2010 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 incl ...
of 2010, there were 28,422 people, 8,560 households, and 3,304 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 9,235 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 53%
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 ...
, 39.4%
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 ...
, 0.1%
Native American, 2.8%
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 ...
,1.6% 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 3% 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 ...
or
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 2.2% of the population.
There were 8,560 households, out of which 17.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 21.9% 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, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 61.4% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 14.3% under the age of 18, 48.7% from 18 to 24, 16.6% from 25 to 44, 11.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $19,016, and the median income for a family was $35,391. Males had a median income of $29,132 versus $20,718 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 city was $12,585. About 20.5% of families and 42.6% 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 t ...
, including 33.9% of those under age 18 and 21.4% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Higher education
Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University (GS or Georgia Southern) is a public research university in the U.S. state of Georgia. The flagship campus is in Statesboro, and other locations include the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and the Liberty Campus in Hine ...
is the city's principal institution of higher learning. The university, a unit of the
University System of Georgia
The University System of Georgia (USG) is the government agency that includes 26 public institutions of higher learning in the U.S. state of Georgia. The system is governed by the Georgia Board of Regents. It sets goals and dictates general ...
(USG), was founded as the First District Agricultural and Mechanical School in 1906 as a
land grant college
A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890.
Signed by Abraha ...
, open only to white students. On July 1, 1990, it became the fifth university of the University System, and as of 2015 is a comprehensive residential university of nearly 20,000 students. The university's graduate programs are offered on campus, at satellite centers, and by distance and on-line delivery. For the past decade, the university has combined a capital building program with beautification of the nearly campus.
The university facilities include a museum of cultural and natural history, a botanical garden, and a center for wildlife education located within the campus grounds. The university's Division I athletic teams, the
Georgia Southern Eagles
The Georgia Southern Eagles are the athletic team(s) of Georgia Southern University (GS). The Eagles compete in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) (formerly I-A) and are members of the NCAA Division I Sun Belt Conference. Prior to joi ...
, compete in the
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football conference, the Sun Belt began sponsoring football in 2001. Its football teams participa ...
.
![Georgia Southern University College Information Technology night view](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Georgia_Southern_University_College_Information_Technology_night_view.jpg)
Two community colleges are also located in Statesboro.
East Georgia State College
East Georgia State College (EGSC) is a public college in Swainsboro, Georgia. It is part of the University System of Georgia. As an access institution, the college serves a predominantly rural area of 24 counties in Georgia's coastal plain from i ...
(EGSC), a USG college based in nearby
Swainsboro, operates a satellite center within the campus of Georgia Southern.
Ogeechee Technical College
Ogeechee Technical College (OTC) is a public technical college in Statesboro, Georgia. It is part of the Technical College System of Georgia. OTC serves Bulloch, Evans, Screven and surrounding counties.
History
State Senator Joe Kennedy was i ...
(OTC) is a part of the
Technical College System of Georgia
The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), formerly known as the Department of Technical and Adult Education (DTAE), is the State of Georgia Government Agency which supervises the U.S. state of Georgia's 22 technical colleges, while also su ...
, providing technical and adult education to area students; OTC is located on
U.S. Highway 301 South, outside of the city limits and approximately from the campus of Georgia Southern.
History
![Statesborocityhall](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Statesborocityhall.jpg)
In 1801, George Sibbald of
Augusta donated a tract for a centrally located county seat for the growing agricultural community of Bulloch County. The area was developed by white planters largely for cotton plantations that were worked by
black slave labor. In December 1803, the Georgia legislature created the town of Statesborough. The community most likely was named after the notion of
states' rights
In American political discourse, states' rights are political powers held for the state governments rather than the federal government according to the United States Constitution, reflecting especially the enumerated powers of Congress and the ...
, an issue central in the
1800 United States presidential election
The 1800 United States presidential election was the fourth quadrennial presidential election. It was held from October 31 to December 3, 1800. In what is sometimes called the "Revolution of 1800", Vice President Thomas Jefferson of the Democra ...
. In 1866 the state legislature granted a permanent charter to the city, changing the spelling of its name to the present "Statesboro."
During the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
and
General William T. Sherman's famous
March to the Sea through Georgia, a
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
officer asked a saloon proprietor for directions to Statesboro. The proprietor replied, "You are standing in the middle of town," indicating its small size. The soldiers destroyed the courthouse, a log structure that doubled as a barn when court was not in session. After the Civil War, the small town began to grow, and Statesboro has developed as a major town in southeastern Georgia. Many
freedmen
A freedman or freedwoman is a formerly enslaved person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, enslaved people were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their captor-owners), abolitionism, emancipation (gra ...
stayed in the area, working on plantations as
sharecroppers
Sharecropping is a legal arrangement with regard to agricultural land in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crops produced on that land.
Sharecropping has a long history and there are a wide range ...
and
tenant farmer
A tenant farmer is a person (farmer or farmworker) who resides on land owned by a landlord. Tenant farming is an agricultural production system in which landowners contribute their land and often a measure of operating capital and management, ...
s.
Following 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 ...
, racial violence of whites against blacks increased. In the era from 1880 to 1930, Georgia had the highest rate of
lynching
Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an ex ...
s of any state in the nation.
Among them were three black men who were lynched and burned to death on August 16, 1904, near Statesboro. A fourth man was lynched later in the month in Bulloch County. After a white farm family was killed, the white community spread unfounded rumors of black clergy urging blacks to violence against whites, and more than twelve black men were arrested in this case.
[Charlton Moseley and Frederick Brogdon, Review: "A Lynching at Statesboro: The Story of Paul Reed and Will Cato"](_blank)
''The Georgia Historical Quarterly'' Vol. 65, No. 2 (Summer, 1981), pp. 104-118, via JSTOR; accessed 29 July 2016
Paul Reed and Will Cato were convicted of the Hodge family murders by an
all-white jury
Racial discrimination in jury selection is specifically prohibited by law in many jurisdictions throughout the world. In the United States, it has been defined through a series of judicial decisions. However, juries composed solely of one racial ...
and sentenced to death on August 16, 1904, but they were abducted that day from the courthouse by a lynch mob and brutally burned to death. Handy Bell, another suspect, was lynched and burned by a mob that night.
[ ''Pittsburg Press,'' 17 August 1904; accessed 29 July 2016](_blank)
/ref> White violence against blacks did not end; both men and women were physically attacked on the streets. Area newspaper coverage of the trial and lynching had been sensationalized, arousing anger, and two more black men were lynched in August 1904: Sebastian McBride in Portal
Portal often refers to:
* Portal (architecture), an opening in a wall of a building, gate or fortification, or the extremities (ends) of a tunnel
Portal may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Gaming
* ''Portal'' (series), two video games ...
, another town in Bulloch County, and A.L. Scott in Wilcox County.[Ralph Ginzburg, ''100 Years of Lynching,'' Black Classic Press (1967/reprint paperback 1996); W. Fitzhugh Brundage, ''Lynching in the New South,'' Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1993]
To escape oppression and violence, many African Americans left Statesboro and Bulloch County altogether, causing local businessmen to worry about labor shortages in the cotton and turpentine industries.[Jenel Few, "Racial strife"](_blank)
, ''Savannah Morning News,'' 20 August 2000; accessed 29 July 2016 African Americans made a Great Migration from the rural South to northern cities in the first half of the 20th century. Local effects can be seen in the drop in Statesboro population growth from 1910 to 1930 on the census tables below in the "Demographics" section.
Around the turn of the century, new businesses in Statesboro included stores and banks built along North, East, South, and West Main streets. In 1908, Statesboro led the world in sales of long-staple Sea Island Cotton
''Gossypium barbadense'' (''gos-SIP-pee-um bar-ba-DEN-see'') is one of several species of cotton. It is in the mallow family. It has been cultivated since antiquity, but has been especially prized since a form with particularly long fibers was ...
, a specialty of the Low Country.
Mechanization of agriculture decreased the need for some farm labor. After the boll weevil
The boll weevil (''Anthonomus grandis'') is a beetle that feeds on cotton buds and flowers. Thought to be native to Central Mexico, it migrated into the United States from Mexico in the late 19th century and had infested all U.S. cotton-growing ...
destroyed the cotton crop in the 1930s, farmers shifted to tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
. The insect had invaded the South from the west, disrupting cotton cultivation throughout the region. By 1953, however, more than 20 million pounds of tobacco passed through warehouses in Statesboro, then the largest market of the "Bright Tobacco Belt" spanning Georgia and Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
.
The 1906 First District Agricultural & Mechanical School at Statesboro was developed as a land grant college
A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890.
Signed by Abraha ...
, initiated by federal legislation to support education. Its mission shifted in the 1920s to teacher training; and in 1924 it was renamed as the Georgia Normal School. With expansion of the curriculum to a 4-year program, it was renamed as the South Georgia Teachers College in 1929. Other name changes were to Georgia Teachers College in 1939, and Georgia Southern College in 1959. After this period, it became racially integrated and with development of graduate programs and research in numerous fields, since 1990 it has had university status as Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University (GS or Georgia Southern) is a public research university in the U.S. state of Georgia. The flagship campus is in Statesboro, and other locations include the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and the Liberty Campus in Hine ...
.
Bulloch County School District
The Bulloch County Board of Education runs the public school district
A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public Primary school, primary and Secondary school, secondary schools in various nations.
North America United States
In the U.S, most K–12 public schools function as uni ...
in Statesboro. The largest school in the city is Statesboro High School
Statesboro High School is a public high school located in the city of Statesboro, Georgia, United States. It was founded in 1901.
Its current principal is Keith Wright.
The school completed construction on a new $4.2 million state-of-the-art bu ...
. Other public schools include Southeast Bulloch High School, William James Middle School, Langston Chapel Middle School, Southeast Bulloch Middle School, Julia P. Bryant Elementary School, Sallie Zetterower Elementary School, Mattie Lively Elementary School, Langston Chapel Elementary School, and Mill Creek Elementary School. Private schools include Bulloch Academy, Trinity Christian School, and Bible Baptist Christian School. The Charter Conservatory for Liberal Arts and Technology
The Statesboro STEAM Academy is a public charter school located in Statesboro, Georgia, United States, and operated by the CCAT Public School District. It was authorized by the Georgia State Board of Education and opened its doors in September 2 ...
, part of the CCAT public school district, is a charter school located within the city limits. In 2016 CCAT was renamed Statesboro STEAM - College, Careers, Arts, & Technology Academy.
Arts and Culture
The culture of Statesboro reflects a blend of both its southern heritage and college town identity.
The city has developed a unique culture, common in many college towns, that coexists with the university students in creating an art scene, music scene and intellectual environment. Statesboro is home to numerous restaurants, bars, live music venues, bookstores and coffee shops that cater to its creative college town climate.
Statesboro's downtown was named one of eight "Renaissance Cities" by ''Georgia Trend'' magazine. The downtown area is currently undergoing a revitalization. The Old Bank of Statesboro and Georgia Theater have been adapted with renovation for the David H. Averitt Center for the Arts. It houses the Emma Kelly Theater, named after the local singer, known as the "Lady of 6,000 Songs". The center also contains art studios, conference rooms and an exhibition area. Downtown Statesboro has been featured in several motion pictures including '' Now and Then'' (1995) as well as ''1969
This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon.
Events January
* January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco.
* January 5
**Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...
''.
Georgia Southern offers a variety of cultural options available both for the university and the wider community: the Georgia Southern Symphony, the Georgia Southern Planetarium, Georgia Southern Museum, and the Botanical Gardens at Bland Cottage. Touring groups appear at the Performing Arts Center, and also featured are shows put on by Georgia Southern students and faculty.
Mill Creek Regional Park is a large outdoor recreational facility with athletic fields and a water park, Splash in the Boro.
Sports
Georgia Southern Eagles
Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University (GS or Georgia Southern) is a public research university in the U.S. state of Georgia. The flagship campus is in Statesboro, and other locations include the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and the Liberty Campus in Hine ...
Eagles field 17 varsity teams in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and are members of the NCAA Division I
NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of College athletics, intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major ...
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football conference, the Sun Belt began sponsoring football in 2001. Its football teams participa ...
.
Prior to joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2014, the Eagles were members of the Trans America Athletic Conference (presently known as the ASUN Conference
The ASUN Conference, formerly the Atlantic Sun Conference, is a collegiate athletic conference operating mostly in the Southeastern United States. The league participates at the NCAA Division I level, and began sponsoring football at the Divisio ...
) and the Southern Conference
The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly ...
. During their time at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS/I-AA) level, the Eagles football team won an unprecedented six national championships.
Tormenta FC
South Georgia Tormenta FC
South Georgia Tormenta FC is an American soccer organization based in Statesboro, Georgia, United States. Founded in 2015, the club fields a professional team in USL League One, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, as well as a pre-prof ...
fields a professional team in USL League One
USL League One (USL1) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that had its inaugural season in 2019. The Division III league is operated by United Soccer League, the same group that operates the Division II USL Championshi ...
, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid
The United States soccer league system is a series of professional and amateur soccer leagues based, in whole or in part, in the United States. Sometimes called the American soccer pyramid, teams and leagues are not linked by the system of prom ...
. The club's inaugural season was the 2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
season. Games are played at Optim Sports Medicine Field
Optim Sports Medicine Field is a 5,300-seat soccer-specific stadium in Statesboro, Georgia. The stadium is the home field for South Georgia Tormenta FC, a professional soccer club that plays in USL League One, the third tier of soccer in the Unit ...
at Tormenta Stadium. The club won the USL League One championship in the 2022 season.
Media
Statesboro is served by a variety of media outlets in print, radio, television, and the Internet. Statesboro Magazine is the community's premier quality of life publication. The local newspaper is the ''Statesboro Herald
The ''Statesboro Herald'' is a newspaper published one day a week located in Statesboro, Georgia, United States. Owned by Morris Multimedia, it has a circulation of about 5,300, and primarily serves Bulloch, Screven, Evans, and Candler counties.
T ...
'', a daily with a circulation of about 6,000. Other newspapers include the ''George-Anne'' produced by Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University (GS or Georgia Southern) is a public research university in the U.S. state of Georgia. The flagship campus is in Statesboro, and other locations include the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and the Liberty Campus in Hine ...
students, ''Connect Statesboro'', a weekly entertainment publication, and the ''E11eventh Hour'', a twice-a-month entertainment publication. Radio stations include WHKN
WPMX (94.9 FM) is a radio station broadcasting an adult contemporary format. Licensed to Millen, Georgia, United States, the station is currently owned by Neal Ardman, through licensee Radio Statesboro, Inc. It features programming from Jones R ...
, WMCD, WPMX, WPTB
WPTB (850 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a top 40 radio format. Licensed to Statesboro, Georgia, United States, the station is currently owned by Neal Ardman, through licensee Radio Statesboro, Inc.
History
The station went on the air as WP ...
, WWNS
WWNS (1240 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a conservative talk radio format. Licensed to Statesboro, Georgia, United States, the station is currently owned by Bryan Steele, through licensee Foundry Broadcasting. It features programming from W ...
, and WVGS. ''Statesboro Business Magazine'' offers Statesboro and area business news, articles, features, jobs, real estate listings and other area business information and reviews.
StatesboroHerald.com has received numerous state and national awards from the newspaper industry for online innovation.
Infrastructure
Hospitals
* East Georgia Regional Medical Center
* Willingway Hospital
Willingway, located in Statesboro, Georgia, is a privately owned hospital which specializes in treating alcoholism and drug addiction. The treatment modality at Willingway Hospital is based on the principles of the twelve-step program, Alcoholic ...
Transportation
Airports
Approximately outside of Statesboro is the Statesboro-Bulloch County Airport, which can accommodate private aircraft but does not have a control tower
Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airsp ...
or commercial flights. Most travelers use the nearby Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport
Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is a commercial and military-use airport in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Savannah/Hilton Head International provides travelers with access to Savannah, Georgia, and Hilton Head Island, South Car ...
, which is located to the east and is served by eight commercial airlines. Statesboro is about three hours by highway from the major Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , also known as Atlanta Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport, Atlanta Airport, Hartsfield, Hartsfield–Jackson and, formerly, as the Atlanta Municipal Airport, is the primary internatio ...
.
Highways
Interstate 16
Interstate 16 (I-16), also known as Jim Gillis Historic Savannah Parkway, is an east–west Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Georgia. It carries the hidden designation of State Route 404 (SR 404) for its ...
is located to the south of Statesboro. Statesboro is also served by three U.S. highways
The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these h ...
: U.S. Highway 301, which runs north-south through the city, U.S. Highway 25, which runs northwest-south through the city, and 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 ...
, which is the main east-west route through the city. The Veterans Memorial Parkway ( Highway 301 Bypass and Highway 25 Bypass) forms a near circle around the city.
U.S. Routes:
* U.S. Route 25
U.S. Route 25 (US 25) is a north–south United States Highway that runs for in the southern and midwestern US. Its southern terminus is in Brunswick, Georgia, from where it proceeds mostly due north, passing through the cities of Augusta, Georg ...
* U.S. Route 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 ...
* U.S. Route 301
U.S. Route 301 (US 301) is a spur of U.S. Route 1 running through the South Atlantic States. It runs from Biddles Corner, Delaware at Delaware Route 1 to Sarasota, Florida at U.S. Route 41. It passes through the states of Delaware, Mar ...
State Routes:
* State Route 24
* State Route 26
* State Route 67
Pedestrians and cycling
* S&S Greenway Trail
Rail
Rail service for freight is provided by Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31 ...
.
Notable people
* Jason Childers
Jason Lee Childers (born January 13, 1975) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher.
He is the brother of Matt Childers.
Career
He appeared in only 5 games for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2006. Childers played for the Sultanes ...
(born 1975), Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
relief pitcher
In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...
* Berry Avant Edenfield, United States District Court judge and Georgia State Senator
* Dale Eggeling
Karen Dale Eggeling (born April 21, 1954) is an American professional golfer who played on the LPGA Tour
The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at the ...
(born 1954), golfer, winner of three LPGA
The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at the LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekl ...
Tour events
* Sutton Foster
Sutton Lenore Foster (born March 18, 1975) is an American actress, singer and dancer. She is known for her work on the Broadway stage, for which she has won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical twice, in 2002 for her role as Millie Dill ...
(born 1975), Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
star, 2-time Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
winner
* Joey Hamilton
Johns Joseph Hamilton (born September 9, 1970) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played professionally for nine seasons, recording a 74–73 win–loss record, a 4.44 earned run average (ERA) and 894 strikeouts. He attended St ...
(born 1970), retired Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
player
* Margie Hendrix
Marjorie "Margie" Hendrix (sometimes Hendricks) (March 13, 1935 – July 14, 1973) was an American rhythm and blues singer and founding member of the Raelettes, who were the backing singers for Ray Charles, the father of her child, Charles Wa ...
(1935-1973), singer of Ray Charles Robinson Raelettes, member of The Cookies
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
girl group, solo recording artist
* Justin Houston
Justin Donovan Houston (born January 21, 1989) is an American football outside linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia, where he earned All-American honors, and was draf ...
(born 1989), linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
* Emma Kelly
Emma Thompson Kelly (December 17, 1918 – January 17, 2001) was an American musician. Known as the "Lady of 6,000 Songs", she appeared in both John Berendt's 1994 book ''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'' and its 1997 movie adaptation.
...
(1918–2001), pianist
* Sharma Lewis (born 1963), African American United Methodist bishop
* Danny McBride
Daniel Richard McBride (born December 29, 1976) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter and producer. He starred in the HBO television series '' Eastbound & Down'', ''Vice Principals'', and ''The Righteous Gemstones'', also co-creating the ...
(born 1976), actor, ''Pineapple Express
Pineapple Express is a non-technical term for a meteorological phenomenon characterized by a strong and persistent large-scale flow of warm moist air, and the associated heavy precipitation both in the waters immediately northeast of the Hawaii ...
'' and ''Eastbound & Down
''Eastbound & Down'' is an American sports comedy television series that was broadcast on HBO, and created by Ben Best, Jody Hill, and Danny McBride. It stars McBride as Kenny Powers, a former professional baseball pitcher who, after a career d ...
''
* Jeremy Mincey
Jeremy Lamar Mincey (born December 14, 1983) is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, and Dallas Cowboys. He was selected by the New Eng ...
(born 1983), defensive end for Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
* Blind Willie McTell
Blind Willie McTell (born William Samuel McTier; May 5, 1898 – August 19, 1959) was a Piedmont blues and ragtime singer and guitarist. He played with a fluid, syncopated fingerstyle guitar technique, common among many exponents of Piedmont bl ...
(1901–1959), blues musician, composed "Statesboro Blues
"Statesboro Blues" is a Piedmont blues song written by Blind Willie McTell, who recorded it in 1928. The title refers to the town of Statesboro, Georgia. In 1968, Taj Mahal recorded a popular blues rock adaptation of the song with a prominent slid ...
"
* Adrian Peterson
Adrian Lewis Peterson (born March 21, 1985) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football history. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he set the ...
(born 1979), former running back for Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
, Walter Payton Award winner who earned degree from Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University (GS or Georgia Southern) is a public research university in the U.S. state of Georgia. The flagship campus is in Statesboro, and other locations include the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and the Liberty Campus in Hine ...
in 2001 and helped win 1999 and 2000 National Championships
* Marty Pevey (born 1961), current manager of Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. The ...
, Triple A affiliate of Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
* Commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain.
...
William M. Rigdon, USN (1904–1991), assistant Naval Aide in White House, 1942–53; served throughout Presidency of Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman's tenure as the 33rd president of the United States began on April 12, 1945, upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and ended on January 20, 1953. He had been vice president for only days. A Democrat from Missouri, he ran fo ...
* John Rocker
John Loy Rocker (born October 17, 1974) is a former American relief pitcher who played six seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the Atlanta Braves. Making his major league debut in 1998 as a member of the Braves, with whom he p ...
, Major League baseball relief pitcher
* Erk Russell
Erskine "Erk" Russell (July 23, 1926 – September 8, 2006) was an American football, basketball, track and baseball player and coach. He was also the defensive coordinator for the Georgia Bulldogs for seventeen years (1964–1981) and head foo ...
(1926–2006), college football coach
* Lindsay Thomas, lived in Statesboro while serving in the United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
.
* DeAngelo Tyson
DeAngelo Tyson (born April 12, 1989) is a former American football defensive end. He was selected in the seventh round, 236th overall, by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2012 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia.
Early life and high s ...
(born 1989), defensive end, Baltimore Ravens
* Rashad Wright
Rashad Wright (born March 17, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. He graduated from the University of Georgia and was selected by the Indiana Pacers with the final pick of the 2004 NBA draft
The 2004 NBA draft was held ...
(born 1982), basketball point guard
Points of interest
* Georgia Southern Botanical Garden
The Botanic Garden at Georgia Southern University (nearly 11 acres) is a botanical garden featuring many unique and endangered plants with many native to Georgia. The garden's main entrance is located at 1505 Bland Avenue, Statesboro, Georgia, a ...
* Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University (GS or Georgia Southern) is a public research university in the U.S. state of Georgia. The flagship campus is in Statesboro, and other locations include the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and the Liberty Campus in Hine ...
* J. I. Clements Stadium
J. I. Clements Stadium is a baseball venue located in Statesboro, Georgia, USA. It is home to the Georgia Southern University Eagles college baseball team of the Division I Sun Belt Conference. It has a capacity of 3,000 spectators (530 chai ...
* Mill Creek Recreational Park
* Paulson Stadium
Allen E. Paulson Stadium is a 25,000-seat on-campus football stadium in Statesboro, Georgia. It is home to the Georgia Southern Eagles football team and the focal point of Erk Russell Athletic Park.
Paulson Stadium was dedicated on September 29, ...
* Splash in the Boro
* Statesboro Mall
References
External links
City of Statesboro official website
Statesboro
at Georgia.gov
Statesboro Convention and Visitors Bureau
Statesboro 360
events and entertainment listings
Averitt Center for the Arts
Center for Wildlife Education and Lamar Q. Ball Raptor Center
Georgia Southern University
Red Fern Plantation
Historic Statesboro Photographs Collection
from Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University (GS or Georgia Southern) is a public research university in the U.S. state of Georgia. The flagship campus is in Statesboro, and other locations include the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and the Liberty Campus in Hine ...
First Baptist Church of Statesboro
historical marker
New Hope Methodist Church
historical marker
{{Authority control
Cities in Bulloch County, Georgia
Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)
Micropolitan areas of Georgia (U.S. state)
County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)
Populated places established in 1803
1803 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)