Adel () is a city in and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Cook County
Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40 percent of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
, United States,
located southeast of
Albany. As of the
2020 census, the city had a population of 5,571.
History
The original name of the city was Puddleville.
[Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). ''Georgia Place-Names.'' Winship Press, ] The city's first postmaster, Joel "Uncle Jack" Parrish, wanted to change the name of the city. It is believed that he saw the name "Philadelphia" on a croaker sack and struck out the first and last four letters to create the present name of Adel.
The
Georgia Southern and Florida Railway
The Georgia Southern and Florida Railway , also known as the ''Suwanee River Route'' from its crossing of the Suwanee River, was founded in 1885 as the Georgia Southern and Florida ''Railroad'' and began operations between Macon, GA and Valdo ...
arrived in Adel in the 1880s. Adel was incorporated as a town in 1889.
Tornadoes
On
January 22, 2017, a
low-end EF3 tornado struck the extreme southern portion of Adel. Sunshine Acres, a local mobile home park, experienced severe damage, with over 20 homes destroyed and others damaged; seven residents were killed and an indeterminate number were injured or displaced. The tornado ultimately killed 14 people. An EF1 tornado also moved through the city on
April 23, 2020 On
January 22, 2023, a low-end EF2 tornado caused major damage on the north side of town.
Geography
Adel is located just south of the center of Cook County at (31.138466, -83.425944).
It is bordered to the north by
Sparks.
U.S. Route 41 passes through the center of town as Hutchinson Avenue, and
Interstate 75
Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from S ...
passes through the western side of the city, with access from Exit 39.
Valdosta is to the south, and
Tifton is to the north.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, Adel has a total area of , of which is land and , or 2.21%, is water.
The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Adel has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Demographics
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 5,571 people, 2,111 households, and 1,108 families residing in the city.
Education
Cook County School District
The
Cook County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 188 full-time teachers and over 3,215 students.
*Cook Primary School
*Cook Elementary School
*Cook Middle School
*
Cook High School
Library
Adel is served by the Cook County Public Library.
Notable people
*
Ray McKinnon – actor and producer
*
Kaleb Cowart – baseball player (LA Angels 2015–2019)
*
Eugene Patterson
References
External links
City of Adel official websiteAdel Lime Sinkhistorical marker
{{authority control
Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)
Cities in Cook County, Georgia
County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)