Coweta County is a

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

located in the west central portion of the

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

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

. It is part of Metro Atlanta. As of the 2020 census, the population was 146,158. The

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

is Newnan. Coweta County is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The land for Lee,

Muscogee The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsTroup, Coweta and Carroll counties was ceded by the

Creek people The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsTreaty of Indian Springs. The counties' boundaries were created by the Georgia General Assembly on June 9, 1826, but they were not named until December 14, 1826. Coweta County was named for the Koweta Indians (a sub-group of the

Creek people The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsSam Hose Sam Hose (born Samuel Thomas Wilkes; c. 1875 – April 23, 1899) was an African American man who was tortured and murdered by a white lynch mob in Coweta County, Georgia, after being falsely accused of rape by the mob. Personal life ...

(born Tom Wilkes) was accused of killing his boss, Alfred Cranford. Hose was tortured and burned alive by a lynch mob of approximately 2,000 citizens of Coweta County. On August 9, 1882, Aleck Brown was lynched.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.1%) is water. The county is located in the

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

region of the state. The eastern half of Coweta County, from Palmetto southwest to Newnan, then south to Luthersville, is in the Upper Flint River sub-basin of the

ACF River Basin The ACF River Basin is the drainage basin, or watershed, of the Apalachicola River, Chattahoochee River, and Flint River, in the Southeastern United States. This area is alternatively known as simply the Apalachicola Basin and is listed by t ...

(Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). The western half is in the Middle Chattahoochee River-

Lake Harding Lake Harding, also known as ''Bartlett's Ferry Lake,'' is a reservoir on the Chattahoochee River. The lake is formed by Bartlett's Ferry Dam, and the lake is located in Harris County, Georgia with some portions of the lake going into Alabama. L ...

sub-basin of the same ACF River Basin.

Major highways

Interstate 85 Interstate 85 (I-85) is a major Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with I-65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus is an interchange with I-95 in Petersburg, Virginia, ...

U.S. Route 27 Alternate * US 29

U.S. Route 29 U.S. Route 29 (US 29) is a north–south United States highway that runs for from Pensacola, Florida to the western suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland in the Southern United States, connecting the Florida Panhandle to the Baltimore-Washington me ...

State Route 14 * Georgia 16

State Route 16 * Georgia 34

State Route 34 * Georgia 34 Bypass

State Route 34 Bypass * Georgia 41

State Route 41 The following highways are numbered 41: International * AH41, Asian Highway 41 * European route E41 Australia * Olympic Highway * Mid-Western Highway Canada * Alberta Highway 41 * British Columbia Highway 41 * Manitoba Highway 41 * Newfoundlan ...

State Route 54 * Georgia 70

State Route 70 * Georgia 74

State Route 74 * Georgia 85

State Route 85 * Georgia 154

State Route 154 * Georgia 403

State Route 403

Adjacent counties

Fulton County Fulton County is the name of eight counties in the United States of America. Most are named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the first practical steamboat: *Fulton County, Arkansas, named after Governor William Savin Fulton *Fulton County, Georgia *F ...

– northeast * Fayette County – east * Spalding County – southeast *

Meriwether County Meriwether County is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,613. The county seat is Greenville, home of the Meriwether County Courthouse. The county was formed on ...

– south *

Troup County Troup County (pronounced ) is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 69,426.US Census Bureau, 2020 Report, Troup County, Georgia The county seat is LaGrange. Troup ...

– southwest * Heard County – west * Carroll County – northwest

Demographics

2000 census

As of the

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

of 2000, there were 89,215 people, 31,442 households, and 24,713 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 33,182 housing units at an average density of 75 per square mile (29/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 78.86%

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 o ...

, 17.97%

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

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 ...

, 0.23% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 0.01%

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

, 1.22% 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 1.02% from two or more races. 3.14% of the population were

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

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. There were 31,442 households, out of which 39.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.50% were married couples living together, 12.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.40% were non-families. Of all households 17.60% were made up of individuals, and 5.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.17. In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.70% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 33.40% from 25 to 44, 21.80% from 45 to 64, and 8.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.40 males. The median income for a household in the county was $52,706, and the median income for a family was $58,750. Males had a median income of $41,369 versus $27,322 for females. The

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

for the county was $21,949. About 6.10% of families and 7.80% 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 9.60% of those under age 18 and 10.50% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...

, there were 127,317 people, 45,673 households, and 34,737 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 50,171 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 76.8% white, 18.4% black or African American, 2.2% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.9% from other races, and 2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 22.2% were Various European, 10.4% were

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 10.4% were

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, and 9.9% were

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

. Of the 45,673 households, 41.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 23.9% were non-families, and 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.18. The median age was 36.6 years. The median income for a household in the county was $61,550 and the median income for a family was $68,469. Males had a median income of $51,658 versus $36,535 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,161. About 7.7% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the

, including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

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 146,158 people, 53,640 households, and 37,400 families residing in the county.

Education

The Coweta County School System holds pre-school to grade 12, and consists of nineteen elementary schools, six middle schools and three high schools. The system has 1,164 full-time teachers and more than 18,389 students. Private schools in the county include The Heritage School and Trinity Christian School.

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 ...

has a Regional Academic Center in Newnan. The center, opened in 2010, offers programs through the university's College of Continuing and Professional Studies. The

University of West Georgia The University of West Georgia is a public university in Carrollton, Georgia. The university offers a satellite campus in Newnan, Georgia, select classes at its Douglasville Center, and off-campus Museum Studies classes at the Atlanta History Ce ...

has a campus near downtown Newnan on the site of the old Newnan Hospital. This campus offers two undergraduate programs - bachelor of science in nursing and early childhood education. Newnan is also home to a campus of

West Georgia Technical College West Georgia Technical College (WGTC) is a public community college in Waco, Georgia. It is part of the Technical College System of Georgia and provided education for a seven-county service area that includes Carroll, Coweta, Douglas, Haralson, ...

Notable people

* Ellis Gibbs Arnall, governor of Georgia, 1943-1947 *

William Yates Atkinson William Yates Atkinson (November 11, 1854 – August 8, 1899), was the 55th Governor of Georgia from 1894 to 1898. Early life Atkinson was born in the Oakland community in Meriwether County, Georgia on November 11, 1854. He graduated from the ...

, governor of Georgia, 1894-1896; founded

Georgia State College for Women 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 o ...

, now

Georgia College & 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 ...

Steve Bedrosian Stephen Wayne Bedrosian (born December 6, 1957) is an American former Major League Baseball player. Nicknamed "Bedrock", he played from 1981 to 1995 with the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, and Minnesota Twins. Bedrosi ...

, former Major League baseball player;

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...

Cy Young Award winner in 1987 *

Eric Berry James Eric Berry (born December 29, 1988) is an American former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, where he was a two-time unanimous All-American and rec ...

, plays football for Kansas City Chiefs * Keith Brooking, football player for the Atlanta Falcons and

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 divi ...

Erskine Caldwell Erskine Preston Caldwell (December 17, 1903 – April 11, 1987) was an American novelist and short story writer. His writings about poverty, racism and social problems in his native Southern United States, in novels such as '' Tobacco Road'' (1 ...

, author of the novels '' Tobacco Road'' and '' God's Little Acre'' *

Lewis Grizzard Lewis McDonald Grizzard Jr. (October 20, 1946 – March 20, 1994) was an American writer and humorist, known for his Southern demeanor and commentary on the American South. Although he spent his early career as a newspaper sports writer and ed ...

, newspaper columnist, author and humorist * Drew Hill, played for the pro football

Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 a ...

, Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons *

Sam Hose Sam Hose (born Samuel Thomas Wilkes; c. 1875 – April 23, 1899) was an African American man who was tortured and murdered by a white lynch mob in Coweta County, Georgia, after being falsely accused of rape by the mob. Personal life ...

, African-American man who was brutally murdered by a lynch mob after accusations of murder, assault and rape *

Alan Jackson Alan Eugene Jackson (born October 17, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for blending traditional honky-tonk and mainstream country pop sounds (for a style widely regarded as "neotraditional country"), as well as penning many ...

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

singer and musician * Joe M. Jackson, colonel,

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

recipient * Warren Newson, played pro baseball for the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

* Stephen W. Pless, major, U.S. Marine Corps, Medal of Honor recipient * Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith, confidence man and crime boss * Charles Wadsworth, retired director of the Chamber Music Society at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts *

Jerome Walton Jerome O'Terrell Walton (born July 8, 1965) is an American former Major League Baseball center fielder who played for the Chicago Cubs, California Angels, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays, between 1989 a ...

, former Major League baseball player; Rookie of the Year in the National League in 1989 *

Rutledge Wood Rutledge Wood (born April 22, 1980 in Birmingham, Alabama) is an auto racing analyst and TV show host. Wood was one of three hosts for History's ''Top Gear'' along with Adam Ferrara and Tanner Foust, which premiered on November 21, 2010. Unti ...

, auto racing analyst and host of ''Top Gear''

Communities

Cities

* Grantville * Newnan * Palmetto (partly in

) * Senoia

Towns

* Haralson * Moreland * Sharpsburg *

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The ...

Census-designated place

* East Newnan

Unincorporated communities

Corinth Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government refor ...

(partly in Heard County) *

Raymond Raymond is a male given name. It was borrowed into English from French (older French spellings were Reimund and Raimund, whereas the modern English and French spellings are identical). It originated as the Germanic ᚱᚨᚷᛁᚾᛗᚢᚾᛞ ( ...

* Roscoe * Sargent * Thomas Crossroads

Planned town

In the federal government's

National Urban Policy and New Community Development Act of 1970 The Urban Growth and New Community Development Act (Renamed National Urban Policy and New Community Development Act of 1970, , title VII, 1970-12-31, , et seq.) is a statute enacted by the United States Congress in 1970. The act championed by Sena ...

, funding was provided for thirteen "new towns" or planned cities throughout the country. One 70,000 acre location was set to be developed in Coweta County and was known as Shenandoah. The project was launched in the early 1970s and was foreclosed on in 1981, when it included 170 families and 108 residential lots.

Government

The legislative body of Coweta is the Coweta County Commission, which consists of five members elected from numbered districts. The chairmanship rotates among the members. Coweta County is the only county in Georgia that operates with a rotating chairmanship. In the General Assembly, it is currently divided between State House district 70, 71, 72 and 132, and is within State Senate district 28 (currently held by Matt Brass). In Congress, it is in the 3rd congressional district, currently represented by Drew Ferguson.

Politics

Coweta is a strongly Republican county, voting 68.4 percent for

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

in 2016 and 69.9 percent for

Brian Kemp Brian Porter Kemp (born November 2, 1963) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 83rd governor of Georgia since January 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Kemp served as the 27th secretary of state of Georgia from 2010 to ...

in 2018.

References

External links

Website
{{Coord, 33.35, -84.76, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-GA_source:UScensus1990 1826 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia placenames of Native American origin

Coweta Coweta is a city in Wagoner County, Oklahoma, United States, a suburb of Tulsa. As of 2010, its population was 9,943. Part of the Creek Nation in Indian Territory before Oklahoma became a U.S. state, the town was first settled in 1840.Georgia (U.S. state) counties Populated places established in 1826

History

Geography

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

2000 census

2010 census

2020 census

Education

Notable people

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Planned town

Government

Politics

See also

References

External links