Central Georgia is the area containing the metropolitan region surrounding the city of Macon, in Bibb County in 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 the ...

. It abuts the Atlanta metropolitan area, just to the north. Similar and coextensive names for this region include Middle Georgia and the Heart of Georgia. While no precise definition exists there are several ways to group places as part of the area. A partial list: *The Macon-Warner Robins-Fort Valley, GA Combined Statistical Area (population 417,473). The two components of the CSA are: **

Macon Metropolitan Statistical Area The Macon metropolitan area is a metropolitan area consisting of five counties in Central Georgia (Bibb, Crawford, Jones, Monroe, and Twiggs) anchored by the principal city of Macon. The Office of Management and Budget defines the area as one o ...

(

Bibb Bibb may refer to: Places in the United States * Bibb County, Alabama * Fort Bibb, Alabama, constructed in 1818 * Bibb City, Georgia, in Muscogee County * Bibb County, Georgia People * Bibb (surname) * Bibb (given name) Ships * , a Revenue Mari ...

, Crawford, Jones, Monroe, and Twiggs counties) ** Warner Robins Metropolitan Statistical Area (

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

, Peach, and Pulaski counties) *Counties bordering

are Crawford,

, Jones, Monroe,

Peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-f ...

, and Twiggs. *Counties belonging to the Middle Georgia Regional Library System are

, Crawford, Jones, Macon, Twiggs, and Wilkinson. *Counties within the service areas of

Central Georgia Technical College Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC) is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) and provides education for an eleven-county service area in central Georgia. The school's service area includes Baldwin, Bibb, Crawford, Dooly, ...

and

Middle Georgia State University Middle Georgia State University is a public university with its main campus in Macon, Georgia. It is part of the University System of Georgia and offers programs to students on five campuses in Middle Georgia and online. Middle Georgia State Uni ...

: Baldwin, Bibb, Bleckley, Crawford, Dodge, Dooly, Houston, Johnson, Jones, Laurens, Macon, Monroe, Peach, Pulaski, Putnam, Taylor, Twiggs, Upson, and Wilkinson. *The Macon

media market A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television and radio station offerings, and may also incl ...

for TV ratings includes Bibb County and all of its neighboring counties, in addition to Baldwin, Bleckley, Dodge, Dooly,

Hancock Hancock may refer to: Places in the United States * Hancock, Iowa * Hancock, Maine * Hancock, Maryland * Hancock, Massachusetts * Hancock, Michigan * Hancock, Minnesota * Hancock, Missouri * Hancock, New Hampshire ** Hancock (CDP), New Hampshir ...

Johnson Johnson is a surname of Anglo-Norman origin meaning "Son of John". It is the second most common in the United States and 154th most common in the world. As a common family name in Scotland, Johnson is occasionally a variation of ''Johnston'', a ...

, Laurens, Macon, Montgomery, Pulaski,

Taylor Taylor, Taylors or Taylor's may refer to: People * Taylor (surname) ** List of people with surname Taylor * Taylor (given name), including Tayla and Taylah * Taylor sept, a branch of Scottish clan Cameron * Justice Taylor (disambiguation) Pl ...

, Telfair, Treutlen,

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, Wheeler, Wilkinson, and

Wilcox Wilcox may refer to: Places ;Canada *Wilcox, Saskatchewan ;United States * Wilcox, Florida, an unincorporated community in Gilchrist County, Florida * Wilcox, Missouri * Wilcox, Nebraska * Wilcox, Pennsylvania *Wilcox, Washington * Wilcox, Wisconsi ...

countie

* Counties belonging to the Middle Georgia Clean Air Coalition: Bibb, Crawford, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Peach, and Twiggs. *Other surrounding counties, such as Butts County, Georgia, Butts, Crisp,

Jasper Jasper, an aggregate of microgranular quartz and/or cryptocrystalline chalcedony and other mineral phases,Kostov, R. I. 2010. Review on the mineralogical systematics of jasper and related rocks. – Archaeometry Workshop, 7, 3, 209-213PDF/ref> ...

, Lamar, Montgomery, Pike, Putnam, Schley, Spalding,

Sumter Sumter may refer to: People Given name * Sumter S. Arnim (1904–1990), American dentist * Sumter de Leon Lowry Jr. (1893–1985), United States Army general Surname * Rowendy Sumter (born 1988), Curaçaoan footballer * Shavonda E. Sumter ( ...

, and Upson, are also included in the area at times.

Cities in Central Georgia

Some of the most prominent cities in middle Georgia, each with their own unique history and character, include:

Places with more than 100,000 inhabitants

* Macon Pop: 155,369, the area's anchor city, largest city and the center of the area. Contains museums, institutions of higher education, and historical buildings. In Bibb County. (Consolidated City-County Government)

Places with 50,000 to 100,000 inhabitants

* Warner Robins Pop: 72,531, grew up around

Robins Air Force Base Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force installation located in Houston County, Georgia, United States. The base is located just east of the city of Warner Robins, south-southeast of Macon and approximately south-southeast o ...

Other Suburbs, Cities and Counties

* Centerville, Rapidly growing suburban city just south of Macon and west of Warner Robins. The Galleria Mall there is the second largest mall in the Macon metropolitan area after the

Macon Mall Macon may refer to: Places Belgium *Macon, Belgium France *Mâcon **Ancient Diocese of Mâcon **Mâcon, another name for the Mâconnais wine from that region United States of America * Macon, Alabama *Macon, Georgia *Macon, Illinois *Macon, Mi ...

. * Milledgeville, former state capital. The location of

Georgia College and State University Georgia College & State University (Georgia College or GC) is a public liberal arts university in Milledgeville, Georgia. The university enrolls approximately 7,000 students and is a member of the University System of Georgia and the Council ...

. In Baldwin County. *

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

, a city among the farthest away from Macon that is still considered Middle Georgia. In Laurens County. * Fort Valley, the location of

Fort Valley State University } Fort Valley State University (FVSU, formerly Fort Valley State College and Fort Valley Normal and Industrial School) is a public land-grant historically black university in Fort Valley, Georgia. It is part of the University System of Georgia and ...

and the Lane Peach Packing Factory and Store. One of the 8 Blue Bird Bus factories in the U.S and Canada is located in the city. In Peach County. * Cochran, the location of Middle Georgia State University's Cochran Campus (formerly

Middle Georgia College Middle Georgia College (MGC) was a four-year state college unit of the University System of Georgia. On January 8, 2013, it was consolidated with Macon State College into a new institution, which is now known as Middle Georgia State University. T ...

), home of Middle Georgia State University Athletics Department. Also home to the Cochran Motor Speedway, located in Bleckley County. * Forsyth. Tift College was once located here. Sited on I-75 just north of Macon, in Monroe County. *

Perry Perry, also known as pear cider, is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally the perry pear. It has been common for centuries in England, particularly in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. It is also mad ...

, just south of Warner Robins and the location of the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter, Perdue and Frito Lay. In Houston County. *

Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the ...

, about halfway between Macon and Warner Robins on I-75. The Peach Factory Outlets are located there, In Peach County. * Eatonton, birthplace of authors

Joel Chandler Harris Joel Chandler Harris (December 9, 1848 – July 3, 1908) was an American journalist, fiction writer, and folklorist best known for his collection of Uncle Remus stories. Born in Eatonton, Georgia, where he served as an apprentice on a planta ...

(the "Uncle Remus" stories) and

Alice Walker Alice Malsenior Tallulah-Kate Walker (born February 9, 1944) is an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist. In 1982, she became the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which she was awa ...

(''The Color Purple''). In Putnam County.

Center

Twiggs County contains the actual geographic center of the state.

Universities and colleges in Central Georgia

Mercer University Mercer University is a private research university with its main campus in Macon, Georgia. Founded in 1833 as Mercer Institute and gaining university status in 1837, it is the oldest private university in the state and enrolls more than 9,000 s ...

Wesleyan College Wesleyan College is a private, liberal arts women's college in Macon, Georgia. Founded in 1836, Wesleyan was the first college in the world chartered to grant degrees to women. History The school was chartered on December 23, 1836, as the Ge ...

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*

Georgia Military College Georgia Military College (GMC) is a public military junior college in Milledgeville, Georgia. It is divided into the junior college, a military junior college program, high school, middle school, and elementary school. It was originally known as M ...

* Georgia College *

Economy

The economy in Central Georgia tends to cluster around five areas:

aerospace Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astr ...

, healthcare and hospitals,

kaolin Kaolinite ( ) is a clay mineral, with the chemical composition Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4. It is an important industrial mineral. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet of silica () linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral ...

, warehousing and distribution, and heritage and

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide fund ...

.Piazza, Merissa; Andre, Joe; Tsegah, Elorm M.; Lee, Eunkyu; and Austrian, Ziona, "Central Georgia Regional Analysis: Demographics, Economy, Entrepreneurship and Innovation" (2013). Urban Publications. 0 1 2 3 685. https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/urban_facpub/685 Macon is the region's

retail Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesaler, and ...

and trade center and the Macon-Bibb county serves as the region's center of employment. The Central Georgia region has been competitive in the United States in terms of economic growth and stability, but within the state of Georgia, the region has not experienced much growth. The region lags behind most other regions in the state in terms of well-being of its residents and overall economic growth. As of 2017, over 46,000 workers from nearby counties commute to the Macon-Bibb county for work. To assist in business growth and development, the Macon Economic Development Commission recruits new businesses and industries to the region. In August 2017 the Canadian based Irving Consumer Products announced plans to build a manufacturing plant in Macon that would create additional jobs. The Central Georgia Business and Technology Park in Thomaston is a 240-acre facility that houses tenants such as

Southern Company Southern Company is an American gas and electric utility holding company based in the southern United States. It is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with executive offices also located in Birmingham, Alabama. The company is the second largest ...

, Solutions Pest & Lawn, Criterion Technologies, and Chief Manufacturing. Houston County is located 75 miles south of the Atlanta International Airport, and home to Georgia's largest industrial complex at the Warner Robins Air Force Base. Houston county has more than 3,000 acres of land for industrial development and one of the lowest property tax rates in middle Georgia. The county is designated one of Georgia’s Entrepreneur Friendly Communities. Houston County has experienced a population growth, from 89,208 in 1990 to a population of 160,000 in 2015.

Major Employers

Central Georgia's largest employer is the Warner Robins Air Force Base, with more than 22,300 employees as of 2015, followed by Geico with over 5,690 employees and the Medical Center of Central Georgia, with over 4,600 employees. Other employers in the region include the Houston County Board of Education, Bibb County Board of Education, Houston Healthcare,

Perdue Farms Perdue Farms is the parent company of Perdue Foods and Perdue AgriBusiness, based in Salisbury, Maryland. Perdue Foods is a major chicken, turkey, and pork processing company in the United States. Perdue AgriBusiness ranks among the top United ...

, the Macon-Bibb County Government, the Blue Bird Corp, Coliseum Health System, and Frito lay

Notable people

*Clarence Reid, a.k.a. Blowfly - musician and songwriter * Ed Roberts - Physician and founder of MITS where he created the Altair 8800 microcomputer, starting the

microcomputer revolution The history of the personal computer as a mass-market consumer electronic device began with the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s. A personal computer is one intended for interactive individual use, as opposed to a mainframe computer where ...

. It featured Microsoft's first software, the

Altair BASIC Altair BASIC is a discontinued interpreter for the BASIC programming language that ran on the MITS Altair 8800 and subsequent S-100 bus computers. It was Microsoft's first product (as Micro-Soft), distributed by MITS under a contract. Altair BASI ...

and employed

Bill Gates William Henry Gates III (born October 28, 1955) is an American business magnate and philanthropist. He is a co-founder of Microsoft, along with his late childhood friend Paul Allen. During his career at Microsoft, Gates held the positions ...

Paul Allen Paul Gardner Allen (January 21, 1953 – October 15, 2018) was an American business magnate, computer programmer, researcher, investor, and philanthropist. He co-founded Microsoft Corporation with childhood friend Bill Gates in 1975, which ...

, and

Monte Davidoff Monte Davidoff (; born 1956) is an American computer programmer. Davidoff is from Glendale, Wisconsin. He graduated from Nicolet High School in 1974, and went on to Harvard College, where he majored in applied mathematics, the department at Harva ...

. * Obie Walker - claimant of the World Colored Heavyweight Championship boxing title in the 1930s *

Fish Scales A fish scale is a small rigid plate that grows out of the skin of a fish. The skin of most jawed fishes is covered with these protective scales, which can also provide effective camouflage through the use of reflection and colouration, as w ...

— Alternative Southern Rap Artist * Betty Cantrell — Miss America 2016 * Robert Waymouth — Chemistry professor at Stanford University *

Melvyn Douglas Melvyn Douglas (born Melvyn Edouard Hesselberg, April 5, 1901 – August 4, 1981) was an American actor. Douglas came to prominence in the 1930s as a suave leading man, perhaps best typified by his performance in the romantic comedy ''Ninotchk ...

— Actor *

Carrie Preston Carrie Preston (born June 21, 1967) is an American actress known for her work on the television series ''True Blood'', ''Person of Interest (TV series), Person of Interest'', ''Crowded (TV series), Crowded'', ''The Good Wife'', ''The Good Fight ...

— Actress *

Jack McBrayer Jack McBrayer (; born May 27, 1973) is an American actor and comedian, who gained national exposure for his portrayal of characters on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' and as Kenneth Parcell in '' 30 Rock''. For his role in ''30 Rock'' he was ...

— Actor * Jason Aldean — Country Singer *

Sonny Perdue George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III (born December 20, 1946) is an American veterinarian, businessman, politician, and university administrator who served as the 31st United States Secretary of Agriculture from 2017 to 2021. He previously served as t ...

— Former Governor of Georgia * Deborah Roberts — ABC News Correspondent * Joel Godard — Late night show tv announcer * Richard "Little Richard" Penniman - Singer

Demographics

As of 2010, the estimated total population of central Georgia, including the counties of Baldwin,

, Crawford,

, Jones, Monroe,

, and Twiggs counties, was 445,608 people.Piazza, Merissa; Andre, Joe; Tsegah, Elorm M.; Lee, Eunkyu; and Austrian, Ziona, "Central Georgia Regional Analysis: Demographics, Economy, Entrepreneurship and Innovation" (2013). Urban Publications. 0 1 2 3 685. https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/urban_facpub/685 The population has grown by 11% over the last 10 years. The fastest growth was reported in Houston County, which saw a population growth of 26.3% followed by Monroe (21.5%) and Jones (21.3%) Counties. The racial make-up of the region is 55.9% white, 38.7% Black and 1.6% asian, with about 1.8% identified as mixed or two more races. Houston county has the highest educational attainment for

Bachelor's Degrees A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

(14.5%) and Graduate or Professional Degrees (11.2%) for the population over 25 years old in the Central Georgia region in 2011.

Culture and attractions

Central Georgia has several cultural attractions that include the

Ocmulgee National Monument Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park (formerly Ocmulgee National Monument) in Macon, Georgia, United States preserves traces of over ten millennia of culture from the Native Americans in the Southeastern Woodlands. Its chief remains are majo ...

, Georgia National Fairground, and the Museum of Aviation at the Robins Air Force Base. Macon is home to over 10 museums, 5 tours and 7 annual festivals. Some of the museums include the

Tubman African American Museum The Tubman Museum, formerly known as the "Tubman African American Museum", is located in Macon, Georgia, USA. It is located in the city's museum district near the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. History Location ...

, the

Georgia Sports Hall of Fame The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame is located in Macon, Georgia. It is the largest state sports hall of fame in the United States at . Exhibitions The Hall of Fame houses over of exhibit space broken down into sections including Hall of Fame Induc ...

, and the Museum of Arts & Sciences. The region has an abundance of nature and wildlife; the High Falls state park is located just north west of Macon. High Falls was a prosperous Industrial town with several stores, including a mill, a cotton gin and a shoe factory until it fell from prosperity.

Popular Events

The region hosts several events each year, with Macon, the population center hosting over 20 annual events and has been nicknamed the festival capital of Georgia. Macon's popular events include the

International Cherry Blossom Festival The International Cherry Blossom Festival is held in Macon, Georgia every spring. Macon, known as the "Cherry Blossom Capital of the World," has around 300,000–350,000 Yoshino Cherry Trees that bloom around the city in late March every year. Th ...

, the Bragg Jam, the Ocmulgee Indian Celebration. Other popular events include the Georgia Peach Festival which is hosted in Byron and Fort Valley, and the annual miss Georgia Peach pageant hosted in Fort Valley. Harmonic Hall, circa 1876 - DPLA - d437339940a7d2b23c342b2efc12cd4f

Harmonic Hall, circa 1876 - DPLA - d437339940a7d2b23c342b2efc12cd4f

Transportation

The region features a regional airport, the

Middle Georgia Regional Airport Middle Georgia Regional Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located nine nautical miles (10 mi, 17 km) south of the central business district of Macon, a city in Bibb County, Georgia, United States. It is mostly used fo ...

. The region is only hours away from 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 ...

, a major U.S. seaport. Major freeways and highways in the region include, Interstate-75, Interstate-475, Interstate-16, Georgia State Route-80, Georgia State route-23, and Georgia State route-19.

References

"History, Mission, Vision, and Philosophy , Central Georgia Technical College". Central Georgia Technical College. Retrieved 2018-02-21. "Middle Georgia State University - History of Macon State College". mga.smartcatalogiq.com. Retrieved 2018-02-21. Peach Shops at Byron Big Peach Antiques Mall (Roadside America) "Georgia Cities by Population". www.georgia-demographics.com. Retrieved 2018-07-16. Piazza, Merissa; Andre, Joe; Tsegah, Elorm M.; Lee, Eunkyu; and Austrian, Ziona, "Central Georgia Regional Analysis: Demographics, Economy, Entrepreneurship and Innovation" (2013). Urban Publications. 0 1 2 3 685. https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/urban_facpub/685 "Economy: The Middle Georgia Report". Georgia Trend. Retrieved 2018-07-19. "Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy" (PDF). Peach County Development. 2018. "Home - Macon Economic Development Commission". Macon Economic Development Commission. Retrieved 2018-07-19. "Irving Consumer Products announced plans to locate a $400 million manufacturing plant in Macon-Bibb County, creating 200 jobs". Macon Economic Development Commission. Archived from the original on 2017-11-21. Retrieved 2018-07-19. "Thomaston Industrial Park". Thomaston-Upson Industrial Development Authority. 2013-12-13. Retrieved 2018-07-18. "Economic Development - Houston County". Houston County Georgia. Retrieved 2018-07-13. "Middle Georgia's largest employers". macon. Retrieved 2018-07-13. www.thirdwavedigital.com, Third Wave Digital -. "Top 5 Famous People From Milledgeville". www.gatewaymacon.org. Retrieved 2018-07-13. www.thirdwavedigital.com, Third Wave Digital -. "Top 5 Famous Macon Actors - Top 5's Everything Else - Gateway Macon". www.gatewaymacon.org. Archived from the original on 2018-07-23. Retrieved 2018-07-13. Piazza, Merissa; Andre, Joe; Tsegah, Elorm M.; Lee, Eunkyu; and Austrian, Ziona, "Central Georgia Regional Analysis: Demographics, Economy, Entrepreneurship and Innovation" (2013). Urban Publications. 0 1 2 3 685. https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/urban_facpub/685 "Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy" (PDF). Peach County Development. 2018. "Living in Macon - Why Macon Works - Macon Economic Development Commission". www.maconworks.com. Archived from the original on 2018-07-14. Retrieved 2018-07-19. "Ga state park". "Macon GA Events , Festivals, Concerts & Farmers Markets". www.maconga.org. Retrieved 2018-07-19. "Home - Georgia Peach Festival". www.gapeachfestival.com. Retrieved 2018-07-19. "Things to do in Middle Georgia: The Georgia Peach Festival". Warner Robins Real Estate - Warner Robins GA 31088. 2018-05-10. Retrieved 2018-07-19. www.thirdwavedigital.com, Third Wave Digital -. "Home - Middle Georgia Regional Airport". iflymacon.com. Retrieved 2018-07-19. "Sea Ports - Georgia Department of Economic Development". Georgia Department of Economic Development. Archived from the original on 2018-07-23. Retrieved 2018-07-19. "Map of Georgia Cities - Georgia Road Map". geology.com. Retrieved 2018-07-19. "Living in Central Georgia". www.thethg.com {{coord missing, Georgia (U.S. state) Geography of Macon, Georgia Geography of Bibb County, Georgia Geography of Houston County, Georgia