Covington is a city 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 so ...

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 ...

and the

seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but may also refer to concentrations of power in a wider sense (i.e " seat (legal entity)"). See disambiguation. Types of seat The ...

of Newton County, and is part of the

Atlanta metropolitan area Metro Atlanta, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Roswell metropolitan statistical area, is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the sixt ...

. As of the 2020 census, its population was 14,192.

History

Covington was founded by European immigrants to the United States. It was incorporated in 1821 as the seat of the newly organized Newton County. Covington was named for

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

Brigadier General and United States Congressman Leonard Covington, a hero of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

. The settlement grew with the advent of the railroad in 1845. Covington incorporated as a city in 1854. In 1864, General Sherman's troops marched through during their March to the Sea. Although they looted the city, destroying numerous buildings, several

antebellum Antebellum, Latin for "before war", may refer to: United States history * Antebellum South, the pre-American Civil War period in the Southern US ** Antebellum Georgia ** Antebellum South Carolina ** Antebellum Virginia * Antebellum architectu ...

homes were spared.

Historic districts

The Covington Historic District and the North Covington Historic District within the city are both listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. The maps and materials describing these two districts are available for review through City Hall. The Covington Historic District contains Floyd Street and the downtown square. The North Covington Historic District contains North Emory Street and Odum Street as its hub. Both districts have an ordinance to preserve their character, regulating changes proposed for properties, and special permits may be required. The Covington Mill Village is also a vital part of local history. The Starrsville Historic District, site of the historic settlement of Starrsville, is in the exurban area around Covington. The Newton County Courthouse, brick store, and Salem campground are separately NRHP-listed.

Geography

Covington is located in north central Georgia, in the eastern part of

Metro Atlanta Metro Atlanta, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Roswell metropolitan statistical area, is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the sixt ...

. Interstate 20 runs to the north of the city, with access from exits 90, 92, and 93. Via I-20,

downtown Atlanta Downtown Atlanta is the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The largest of the city's three commercial districts (Midtown Atlanta, Midtown and Buckhead being the others), it is the location of many corporate and region ...

is west, and Augusta is east. U.S. Route 278 also runs through the city, leading east to Rutledge and northwest to Conyers, concurrent with I-20. Other highways that run through the city include Georgia State Routes 36, 81, and 142. 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 ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.72%) is water.

Climate

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 11,547 people, 4,261 households, and 2,906 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,542 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 51.55%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 45.54%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

, 0.18% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.94% from other races, and 1.19% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 2.87% of the population. There were 4,261 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 23.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.19. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.5% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $31,997, and the median income for a family was $36,408. Males had a median income of $29,622 versus $23,339 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $15,554. About 14.8% of families and 19.6% 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 ...

, including 33.7% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Newton County School District

The Newton County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of fourteen elementary schools, five middle schools, three high schools, an elementary theme school, and a charter school. The district has 853 full-time teachers and 13,681 students.

Private education

*Grace Christian Academy *Montessori School of Covington *Providence Classical Christian School *Peachtree Academy *Covington Academy *Point of Grace Christian School *First Baptist Academy

Higher education

Georgia Piedmont Technical College Georgia Piedmont Technical College (GPTC) is a public community college based in Clarkston, Georgia. It is part of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) and provides education for a three-county service area, mostly in the metro Atlanta ...

- Covington Campus * Perimeter College at Georgia State University - Newton County Campus *

Emory University Emory University is a private university, private research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was founded in 1836 as Emory College by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory. Its main campu ...

- Oxford Campus

Tourism events

*Gaither's Plantation hosts a Fall Festival every year. *The Satsuki Garden Club conducts tours of historic houses in Covington every other Christmas. *The Vampire Diaries, Mystic Falls Tours

Economy

Archer Aviation's ''Midnight''

eVTOL An electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is a variety of VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft that uses electric power to hover, takeoff and landing, take off, and land vertically. This technology came about owing to m ...

air taxi is set to be manufactured in Covington by carmaker Stellantis (merger of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot).

In film and television

Covington has been featured in numerous TV shows and movies since the 1950s. *'' A Man called Peter'' (1955) *'' False Face'' (1977) *''

The Dukes of Hazzard ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy television series created by Gy Waldron that aired on CBS from January 26, 1979, to February 8, 1985, with a total of seven seasons consisting of List of The Dukes of Hazzard episodes, 147 ...

'' (1979, TV series, first 5 episodes) *'' The Prize Fighter'' (1979) *''

Little Darlings ''Little Darlings'' is a 1980 American teen comedy-drama film starring Tatum O'Neal and Kristy McNichol and featuring Armand Assante and Matt Dillon. It was directed by Ronald F. Maxwell. The screenplay was written by Kimi Peck and Dalen ...

'' (1980) *''

The Cannonball Run ''The Cannonball Run'' is a 1981 action-comedy film directed by Hal Needham, produced by Hong Kong firm Golden Harvest, and distributed by 20th Century-Fox. Filmed in Panavision, it features an all-star ensemble cast, including Burt Reynolds ...

'' (1981) *'' Coward of the County'' (1981, TV movie) *''Door to Door'' (1985) *'' Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI'' (1986) *''Resting Place'' (1986, TV movie) *''A Fathers Homecoming'' (1988) *'' In the Heat of the Night'' (1988–1995, TV series) *'' Sudie and Simpson'' (1990) *'' Carolina Skeletons'' (1991) *''White Lie'' (1991) *'' Stay the Night'' (1992) *'' I'll Fly Away'' (1991–1992, TV series) *''Grass Roots'' (1992) *''The Secret Passion of Robert Clayton'' (1992) *'' My Cousin Vinny'' (1992) *'' Kalifornia'' (1993) *'' The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All'' (1993 film adaption of 1989 book) *''A Passion for Justice: The Hazel Brannon Smith Story'' (1993) *''Past the Bleachers'' (1994) *'' A Simple Twist of Fate'' (1994) *''

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

'' (1996, TV series) *''

Fled ''Fled'' is a 1996 American Buddy film, buddy action comedy film directed by Kevin Hooks. It stars Laurence Fishburne and Stephen Baldwin as two prisoners chained together who flee during an escape attempt gone bad. Plot An interrogator prepa ...

'' (1996) *'' Flash'' (1997, TV movie) *''

Miss Evers' Boys ''Miss Evers' Boys'' is an American made-for-television drama starring Alfre Woodard and Laurence Fishburne that first aired on February 22, 1997, and is based on the true story of the four-decade-long Tuskegee Syphilis Study. It was directed by ...

'' (1997 TV movie) *''

Remember the Titans ''Remember the Titans'' is a 2000 American biographical sports drama film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Boaz Yakin. The screenplay by Gregory Allen Howard is loosely based on the true story of coach Herman Boone, portrayed b ...

'' (1999) *''The Price of a Broken Heart'' (1999, TV movie) *'' Wayward Son'' (1999) *'' Run Ronnie Run'' (2000) *'' The Accountant'' (2001, short film) *'' Boycott (2001 film)'' (2001, TV movie) *''TV Road Trip'' (2002, documentary) *'' Sweet Home Alabama'' (2002) *''Autorequiem'' (2002) *'' The Fighting Temptations'' (2003) *''Turbulance!'' (2004) *''The Spy/Fancy Dress'' (2004) *'' Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius'' (2004) * ''Three Wishes'' (2005, TV series, episode 3) *''False River'' (2005) *''Boxed In'' (2005) *'' Madea's Family Reunion'' (2006) *''Dangerous Calling'' (2008) *'' Get Low'' (2009) *'' Halloween II'' (2009) *'' The Family That Preys'' (2009) *''Fly By'' (2009) *''

The Vampire Diaries ''The Vampire Diaries'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural teen drama television series developed by Kevin Williamson (screenwriter), Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on the The Vampire Diaries (novel series), book series ...

'' (2009–2017, TV series) *''

Pretty Little Liars ''Pretty Little Liars'' is an American Mystery fiction, mystery teen drama television series created by I. Marlene King, which aired on Freeform (TV channel), Freeform from June 8, 2010 to June 27, 2017, based on the novel series Pretty Little L ...

'' (2010–2018, TV series) *'' The Walking Dead'' (2010, TV series, episode 1) *'' Footloose'' (2011) *'' American Reunion'' (2012) *'' The Odd Life of Timothy Green'' (2012) *'' Selma'' (2014) *'' Taken 3'' (2014) *''

Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors ''Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors'' is a 2015 American television film, made-for-television drama (film and television), drama film based on the life of Dolly Parton, written by Pamela K. Long and directed by Stephen Herek. The film premiered ...

'' (2015, TV movie) *''

Vacation A vacation (American English) or holiday (British English) is either a leave of absence from a regular job or school or an instance of leisure travel away from home. People often take a vacation during specific holiday observances or for sp ...

'' (2015) *'' Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween'' (2018) *'' Dumplin''' (2018) *'' Legacies'' (2018–2022), TV series) *'' Doctor Sleep'' (2019) *'' Sweet Magnolias'' (2020, TV series) *'' Freaky'' (2020) *'' The American Barbecue Showdown'' (2020, TV series) *'' Jungle Cruise (film)'' (2021) *'' Just Beyond'' (2021, TV series)

Notable people

* George T. Anderson - Confederate

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, 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.J ...

* Dinah Watts Pace - educator, operated an orphanage in the area * Steadman Vincent Sanford -

Chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

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 gener ...

* Curley Weaver - Early piedmont-style country-bluesman * David Grier Martin - President of

Davidson College Davidson College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina, United States. It was established in 1837 by the Concord Presbytery and named after American Revolutiona ...

* George Adams - jazz tenor saxophonist * Leon Ashley - country music singer * Boondox (David Hutto) - rapper on Majik Ninja Entertainment * Dale Carter - former

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...

in the NFL * Ellia English - actress best known for her role as Aunt Helen on The Jamie Foxx Show * Akeem Hunt - former

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...

in the NFL and CFL * Andy Offutt Irwin - award-winning storyteller and recording artist * Ryan Klesko - former

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

player * Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II - politician, Secretary of the Interior for

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. He was the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Hist ...

Associate Justice An associate justice or associate judge (or simply associate) is a judicial panel member who is not the chief justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the Supreme Court of the United States and some ...

of the

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

* Demetrius McCray - former

in the NFL * Drew Parker -

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

-nominated country music

songwriter A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...

and recording artist * Sheldon Rankins -

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that typically lines up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the Guard (American football), offensive guards; however, he may also line up opposite one of the offensive Tackle (gridir ...

in the NFL * Jake Reed - former

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

in the NFL * Eric Stokes -

for the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

of the NFL * Lizzie Wilkerson - African-American folk artist * Elija Godwin - Olympic track and field athlete * Stephon Castle - professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player for the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

References

External links

The City of Covington official site

Downtown Covington

The Covington/Newton County Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in Newton County, Georgia County seats in Georgia (U.S. state) Geography of Newton County, Georgia Historic districts in Metro Atlanta Second Empire architecture in Georgia (U.S. state) Italianate architecture in Georgia (U.S. state) 1820s architecture in the United States 1822 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Georgia (U.S. state) National Register of Historic Places in Newton County, Georgia