Douglas is a city in

Coffee County, Georgia Coffee County is a County (United States), county located in the Southeast Georgia, 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 43,092, up from 42,3 ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 11,722. Douglas is 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 Coffee County and the core city of the Douglas micropolitan statistical area, which had a population of 50,731 as of the 2010 census.

History

Douglas was founded in 1855 as the seat of the newly formed Coffee County. It was named for Senator

Stephen A. Douglas Stephen Arnold Douglas (né Douglass; April 23, 1813 – June 3, 1861) was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. As a United States Senate, U.S. senator, he was one of two nominees of the badly split Democratic Party (United States) ...

from Illinois, a renowned stump speaker who was the challenger to

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

in the

presidential election of 1860 United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 6, 1860. The History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party ticket of Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin emerged victoriou ...

. Douglas was chartered as a town in 1895 and as a city in 1897. In 1895, the railroad came to Douglas and the community began to boom. In 1909, the Georgia and Florida Railway located its offices in Douglas. The Eleventh District Agricultural & Mechanical School was established in Douglas in 1906. In 1927, South Georgia College was founded as Georgia's first state-supported junior college. During the 1920s and 1930s, Douglas was one of the major tobacco markets in the state. Much of this history is depicted in the Heritage Station Museum, located in the former Georgia and Florida Railway train station on Ward Street in downtown Douglas. Douglas has two areas 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 downtown and Gaskin Avenue historic districts. They were added to the list in 1989. In the aftermath of the

2020 United States presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 3, 2020. The Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and California junior senator Kamala H ...

, Douglas gained national attention when the elections office for Coffee County was visited by lawyers for President Trump on the day after the January 6 incident at the US Capitol, after Coffee County elections officials were unable to certify results in a mandatory recount following a close win in the state by Joe Biden over President Trump. In late September 2024, Douglas was in the direct path of

Hurricane Helene Hurricane Helene ( ) was a deadly and devastating tropical cyclone that caused widespread catastrophic damage and numerous fatalities across the Southeastern United States in late September 2024. It was the strongest hurricane on record to ...

, which resulted in widespread damage and power outages. A wind gust of was recorded in Douglas during the storm, with 80-85% of homes in Coffee County suffering damage.

Geography

Douglas is located near the center of Coffee County at (31.507413, −82.850799). It is driving distance northeast of

Valdosta, Georgia Valdosta is a city in and the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, Lowndes County in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. As the principal city of the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area, Valdosta metropolitan statistical area, ...

, driving distance northwest of

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

, and driving distance southeast of

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

. 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 ...

, Douglas has a total area of , of which is land and , or 4.08%, is water. Major water bodies include Twenty Mile Creek, the Seventeen Mile River (a tributary of the

Satilla River The Satilla River rises in Ben Hill County, Georgia, United States, near the town of Fitzgerald, and flows in a mostly easterly direction to the Atlantic Ocean. Along its approximately U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset hi ...

), and Hilliard's Pond, which was once the ski show park "Holiday Beach".

Climate

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 11,722 people, 4,339 households, and 2,610 families residing in the city.

Douglas micropolitan statistical area

Douglas is the principal city of the Douglas micropolitan statistical area, a micropolitan area that covers Atkinson and Coffee counties and had a combined population of 50,731 at the 2010 census.

Infrastructure

Highways

U.S. Route 221 U.S. Route 221 (US 221) is a spur of U.S. Route 21. It travels from Perry, Florida, at US 19/ US 98/ US 27 Alternate to Lynchburg, Virginia, at US 29 Business ( Lynchburg Expressway). It travels through the sta ...

(runs north–south) * U.S. Route 441 (runs north–south) *

Georgia State Route 31 State Route 31 (SR 31) is a State highway (US), state highway that travels south-to-north through portions of Lowndes County, Georgia, Lowndes, Lanier County, Georgia, Lanier, Clinch County, Georgia, Clinch, Atkinson County, Georgia, ...

(runs north–south) *

Georgia State Route 32 State Route 32 (SR 32) is a state highway that travels west-to-east through portions of Terrell, Lee, Worth, Turner, Irwin, Coffee, Bacon, Pierce, Brantley, and Glynn counties in the southern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. T ...

(runs east–west) *

Georgia State Route 135 State Route 135 (SR 135) is a state highway in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Georgia. It connects the Florida state line with Higgston, via Lakeland, Willacoochee, Douglas, and Hazlehurst. It travels concurrently ...

(runs north–south) *

Georgia State Route 158 State Route 158 (SR 158) is a state highway that runs west-to-east through portions of Berrien, Irwin, Coffee, and Ware counties in the south-central and southeastern parts of the U.S. state of Georgia. Route description SR ...

(runs east–west) *

Georgia State Route 206 State Route 206 (SR 206) is a State highway (US), state highway in the Southeast Georgia, southeastern part of U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It runs southeast–northwest through portions of Ben Hill County, Georgia, Ben Hil ...

(runs east–west)

Airport

* Douglas Municipal Airport

Utilities

* The Electric Department, locally owned and a member of the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, services Douglas with power. * The Natural Gas Department, member of both Georgia & American Public Gas Association and the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia, provides gas to the area. * Water and sewer service is conducted by the city's Water Department. * The Public Works Department handles yard clippings, junk items, and animal control for the city.

Economy

Major employers

Wal-Mart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...

* Premium Peanut * Premium Waters * American Insulated Wire * Fleetwood Mobile Homes Corporation * PCC Airfoils * Pilgrim's

Agriculture

Farming plays a large role in the area's economy. Major agricultural products from the town and surrounding county include peanuts, corn, tobacco, and cotton. Chicken is also a major part of the economy.

Tourism

Douglas is home to Heritage Station Museum, which displays artifacts of the city's history. The World War II Flight Training Museum (the old 63rd Army Air Forces Contract Pilot School), Broxton is home to the Broxton Rocks, and the Ashley-Slater House are also popular tourist attractions in the area. All three were recently named among "Georgia's Hidden Treasures" in a segment on

WSB-TV WSB-TV (channel 2) is a television station in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is the flagship television property of locally based Cox Media Group, which has owned the station since its inception, and is sister to rad ...

. Douglas has ten public parks. There are four golf courses in and around the city. Nearby, the

General Coffee State Park General Coffee State Park is a Georgia state park located near Douglas. The park is named after politician, farmer, and military leader General John E. Coffee. The park is host to many rare and endangered species, especially in the cypress swam ...

draws more than 100,000 visitors a year and is the most popular tourist attraction in the area.

Healthcare

* Coffee Regional Medical Center *Coffee Regional Walk-In Clinic

Media

* WOKA Dixie Country 106.7 FM * WOKA Radio 1310 AM * WOUG Radio Cielo 107.3 FM * WULS Radio 103.7 FM * WDMG Radio 97.9 FM, 860 AM * WPNG Radio Shine 101.9 FM * WSIZ Radio MyFM 102.3 @ 99.9 FM * ''The Douglas News'' * ''The Douglas Enterprise'' *

WSWG WSWG (channel 44) is a television station in Valdosta, Georgia, United States, serving as the CBS affiliate for the Albany, Georgia, area. It is owned by Marquee Broadcasting alongside Cordele-licensed MyNetworkTV affiliate WSST-TV (channel ...

, CBS TV

Education

Coffee County School District

The Douglas-Coffee County area is served by the Coffee County Board of Education. The Coffee County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of eight elementary schools, a middle school, three high schools, and an alternative education center. The district has 438 full-time teachers and over 8,000 students.School Stats
Retrieved June 4, 2010. *Ambrose Elementary School *Broxton Mary-Hayes Elementary School *Eastside Elementary School *Indian Creek Elementary School *Nicholls Elementary School *Satilla Elementary School *West Green Elementary School *Westside Elementary School *Coffee Middle School * George Washington Carver Freshman Campus *Coffee County Career Academy * Coffee High School *Coffee Alternative Education Center

Private schools

*First Academy at First Baptist Church provides preschool (1 year olds - 3 year olds), pre-kindergarten, and K-12. *Citizens Christian Academy is K-12 * Douglas First Methodist Church provides pre-kindergarten

Higher education

South Georgia State College South Georgia State College is a public college in Douglas, Georgia, Douglas and Waycross, Georgia, United States. It is part of the University System of Georgia. History Eleventh District A & M School On August 18, 1906, the Georgia Gene ...

is a public four-year institution 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 ...

. *

Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Wiregrass Georgia Technical College (WGTC) is a public community college in Valdosta, Georgia. It is part of the Technical College System of Georgia and provides education for an eleven-county service area in south-central Georgia. The school's ...

Notable people

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...

, singer *

Tyreek Hill Tyreek Hill (born March 1, 1994) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Garden City Broncbusters, Oklahoma State Cowboys, and West ...

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

player for the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

, formerly 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 of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

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 Sultane ...

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 for the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

G. Wayne Clough Gerald Wayne Clough (born September 24, 1941) is an American civil engineer and educator who is President Emeritus of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and former Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. A graduate of Georgia T ...

, Secretary of

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

and former president,

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Established in 1885, it has the lar ...

Greg Holland Gregory Scott Holland (born November 20, 1985) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals, Arizona Diamon ...

, country singer *

Jennifer Nettles Jennifer Odessa Nettles (born September 12, 1974) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and record producer. Nettles is the lead vocalist of the duo Sugarland alongside Kristian Bush, and prior to this she fronted the Atlanta-based bands ...

, one-half of the

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

duo

Sugarland Sugarland is an American country music duo founded in Atlanta, Georgia. The duo consists of singer-songwriters Jennifer Nettles (lead vocals) and Kristian Bush (vocals, guitar, mandolin). They were founded in 2002, when Kristen Hall (vocals, gu ...

* Joel Parrish, football player * Willie Spence, singer and runner-up of

Season 19 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and polar ...

of ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...

'' *

Maureen Tucker Maureen Ann "Moe" Tucker (born August 26, 1944) is an American retired musician, singer, and songwriter who achieved international fame as the drummer of the rock band the Velvet Underground. Tucker occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, ...

, drummer and occasional singer of 1960s and 1970s rock group

The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1964. Its classic lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Lou Reed, Welsh multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and percussionis ...

, lives in Douglas. * Greg Walker, former first baseman and hitting coach,

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) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

* Cathy Latham, former Coffee County GOP Chair

References

External links

City of Douglas official website

Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce

{{authority control 1855 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in Coffee County, Georgia Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) County seats in Georgia (U.S. state) Micropolitan areas of Georgia (U.S. state)