Hazlehurst 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
Jeff Davis 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.
The population was 4,088 in 2020.
History
Initially called "Handtown" due to the Hand Family living in the area, it wasn't until the establishment of the railroad line from Macon to Brunswick that an actual community began to populate in the area. It was formally founded ''circa'' 1880 as depot on the
Macon and Brunswick Railroad
The Macon and Brunswick Railroad ran from Macon, Georgia to Brunswick, Georgia. Its construction was interrupted by the American Civil War, and initially only ran from Macon to Cochran, Georgia. The gauge line was completed and extended to the ...
. The depot was first named "Milepost 8" before eventually gaining the name "Hazlehurst".
The community was named for railroad surveyor Col. George Hazlehurst.
In 1891, the community was incorporated as a town.
A courthouse was not built until 1907, after the formation of Jeff Davis County the previous year.
Geography
Transportation
Hazlehurst is served by the intersection of
U.S. routes 23,
221
__NOTOC__
Year 221 ( CCXXI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Gratus and Vitellius (or, less frequently, year 974 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 221 ...
and
341
__NOTOC__
Year 341 ( CCCXLI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Marcellinus and Probinus (or, less frequently, year 1094 ''ab Urbe condita''). The denominati ...
. U.S. 23 heads south, south-east for 25 miles towards
Alma
Alma or ALMA may refer to:
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* ''Alma'' (film), a 2009 Spanish short animated film
* ''Alma'', an upcoming film by Sally Potter
* ''Alma'' (Oswald de Andrade novel), 1922
* ''Alma'' (Le Clézio novel), 2017
* ''Alma'' ( ...
and north-west for 8 miles to
Lumber City, while U.S. 341 travels south-east for roughly 16 miles to
Baxley and joins U.S. 23 heading north-west towards Lumber City. U.S. 221 heads 29 miles north-east towards
Vidalia and south-west for 31 miles to
Douglas.
Aside from the Macon-Brunswick railroad running through the center of town, the Hazlehurst Municipal Airport, a roughly 165 acre facility located just northwest of the city.
Climate
Demographics
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 4,088 people, 1,494 households, and 894 families residing in the city.
Education
Jeff Davis County School District
The
Jeff Davis County School District consists of a primary school, an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 210 classroom teachers and 3,075 students.
National Center for Educational Statistics
Retrieved April 1, 2024
*Jeff Davis Elementary School
*Jeff Davis Primary School
*Jeff Davis Middle School
* Jeff Davis High School
References
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Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)
Cities in Jeff Davis County, Georgia
County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)