Muscogee County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

located on the central western border 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 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 ...

named after the

Muscogee The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek or just Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language; English: ), are a group of related Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands Here they waged war again ...

that originally inhabited the land with its western border with the state of

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

that is formed by the

Chattahoochee River The Chattahoochee River () is a river in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern United States. It forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida and Georgia border. It ...

. As of the 2020 census, the

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

was 206,922. Its

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 ...

and only city is

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451–1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, the capital city of the U.S. state of Ohio * Columbus, Georgia, a city i ...

, with which it has been a

consolidated city-county In local government in the United States, United States local government, a consolidated city-county (#Terminology, see below for alternative terms) is formed when one or more city, cities and their surrounding County (United States), county (Lis ...

since the beginning of 1971. Muscogee County is part of the Columbus, GA–AL, metropolitan statistical area. The only other city in the county was Bibb City, a company town that disincorporated in December 2000, two years after its mill closed permanently.

Fort Benning Fort Benning (named Fort Moore from 2023–2025) is a United States Army post in the Columbus, Georgia area. Located on Georgia's border with Alabama, Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve compone ...

, a large Army installation, takes up nearly one quarter of the county and extends southeast into neighboring Chattahoochee County; it generates considerable economic power in the region.

History

Inhabited for thousands of years by varying cultures of

indigenous peoples There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...

, this area was territory of the historic

Creek people The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek or just Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language; English: ), are a group of related Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsLee Lee may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Lee'' (2007 film), Tamil-language sports action film * ''Lee'' (2017 film), Kannada-language action film * ''Lee'' (2023 film), biographical drama about Lee Miller, American photojournalist * ''L ...

, Muscogee, Troup, Coweta, and Carroll counties was

ceded The act of cession is the assignment of property to another entity. In international law it commonly refers to land transferred by treaty. Ballentine's Law Dictionary defines cession as "a surrender; a giving up; a relinquishment of jurisdicti ...

by a certain eight chiefs among the

Creek people The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek or just Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language; English: ), are a group of related Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsTreaty of Indian Springs. The Creek Nation declared the land cession illegal, because it did not represent the will of the majority of the people. The United States Senate did not ratify it. The following year, the US government negotiated another treaty with the Creek, by which they ceded nearly as much territory under continued pressure from the state of Georgia and US land commissioners. The counties' boundaries were created by the

Georgia General Assembly The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each of the General Assembly's 236 members serve two-year terms and are directl ...

on June 9, but they were not named until December 14, 1826. The county was originally developed by American Indians for cotton plantations. In many areas of what became known as the Black Belt for the fertility of soil and development of plantations, American Indians who were reclassified by the government as Colored/Negro made up the majority of population in many counties. This county was named by American Indians for the native Muscogee or Creek people. Parts of the then-large county (which extended east to the

Flint River The Flint River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 15, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Georgia. The river drains of western Georgia, flowing south from th ...

) were later taken to create every other neighboring Georgia county, including Harris County to the north in 1827 and Chattahoochee County to the south in 1854.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.1%) is water. The county is located on the

fall line A fall line (or fall zone) is the area where an upland region and a coastal plain meet and is noticeable especially the place rivers cross it, with resulting rapids or waterfalls. The uplands are relatively hard crystalline basement rock, and the ...

between the

Atlantic coastal plain The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

to the south and the

Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...

to the north. As such, the newly constructed

Fall Line Freeway The Fall Line Freeway (FLF), also signed as State Route 540 (SR 540), is a highway designed to span the width of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia from Columbus, Georgia, Columbus at the Alabama state line to Augusta, ...

runs across the northern portion of the county along JR Allen Parkway, and areas across the northern part of the county are hillier compared to the southern part of the county. The majority of Muscogee County, from north of

running northeast in the direction of Ellerslie, is located in the Middle

- Walter F. George Lake subbasin of the

ACF River Basin The Apalachicola–Chattahoochee–Flint 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 know ...

(Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). The northwestern corner of the county, south of Fortson, is located in the Middle

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 border between Georgia and Alabama traverses the main channel along the western side of the lak ...

subbasin of the same ACF River Basin.

Major highways

Interstate 14 Interstate 14 (I-14), also known as the 14th Amendment Highway, the Gulf Coast Strategic Highway, and the Central Texas Corridor, is an Interstate Highway that is currently located entirely in Central Texas, following US Highway 190 ( ...

(Extension is coming) * Interstate 185 * US 27

U.S. Route 27 U.S. Route 27 or U.S. Highway 27 (US 27) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway in the Southern and Midwestern U.S. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 (I ...

U.S. Route 27 Alternate * US 80

U.S. Route 80 U.S. Route 80 or U.S. Highway 80 (US 80) is a major east–west United States Numbered Highway in the Southern United States, much of which was once part of the early auto trail known as the Dixie Overland Highway. As the "0" in the ...

U.S. Route 280 U.S. Route 280 (US 280) is a spur of U.S. Highway 80. It currently runs for 392 miles (631 km) from Blitchton, Georgia, at US 80 to Birmingham, Alabama at I-20/ I-59. For much of its route, US 280 travels through rural areas and smaller ...

State Route 1 * Georgia 22

State Route 22 * Georgia 22 Connector

State Route 22 Connector * Georgia 22 Spur

State Route 22 Spur * Georgia 85

State Route 85 * Georgia 219

State Route 219 * Georgia 411

State Route 411 (unsigned designation for I-185) * Georgia 520

State Route 520 * Georgia 540

State Route 540 (Fall Line Freeway)

Adjacent counties

* Harris County (north) * Talbot County (northeast) * Chattahoochee County (south) * Russell County,

(southwest/CST border except for

Phenix City Phenix City is a city in Lee and Russell counties in the U.S. state of Alabama, and the county seat of Russell County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 38,817. Phenix City lies immediately west across the Chattahoochee R ...

as the city is jointed by the

Metropolitan Area) * Lee County,

(west/CST border)

Communities

Cities

(county seat)

Former incorporated communities

* Bibb City

Unincorporated communities

(

military base A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. A military base always provides accommodations for ...

)

Demographics

According to the 2000 U.S. census, there were 186,291 people, 69,819 households, and 47,686 families living in the county. The population density was . In 2010, there were 189,885 people, 74,081 households, and 47,742 families living in the county. By the 2020 United States census, there were 206,922 people, 73,134 households, and 45,689 families residing in the city.

Education

Higher education

Public

Columbus State University Columbus State University is a public university in Columbus, Georgia, United States. Founded as Columbus College in 1958, the university was established and is administered by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. History ...

Columbus Technical College Columbus Technical College (commonly called Columbus Tech) is a two-year technical college located in Columbus, Georgia, United States. It is governed by Technical College System of Georgia The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), for ...

Troy University Troy University is a public university in Troy, Alabama, United States. It was founded in 1887 as Troy State Normal School within the Alabama State University System, and is now the flagship university of the Troy University System. It was one ...

- main campus in

Troy, Alabama Troy is a city in and the county seat of Pike County, Alabama, United States. It was formally incorporated on February 4, 1843. Between 1763 and 1783, the area where Troy sits was part of the colony of British West Florida.The Economy of Bri ...

Private

* Rivertown School of Beauty * Southeastern Beauty School * Meadows Junior College *

University of Phoenix University of Phoenix (UoPX) is a Private university, private For-profit higher education in the United States, for-profit university headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1976, the university confers certificates and degrees at the Ac ...

Primary and secondary education

Public schools

Muscogee County School District The Muscogee County School District (MCSD) is the County (United States), county government agency which operates the Public school (government funded), public schools in Muscogee County, Georgia. The district serves as the designated school d ...

serves all parts of the county except

Fort Moore Fort Benning (named Fort Moore from 2023–2025) is a United States Army post in the Columbus, Georgia area. Located on Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia's border with Alabama, Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family me ...

for grades K-12. Fort Moore children are zoned to

Department of Defense Education Activity The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is a federal school system headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, and managing prekindergarten through 12th grade educational programs on beh ...

(DoDEA) schools for grades K-8.
Text list
- "Fort Benning Schools" refers to the DoDEA schools on Fort Benning. The document states that the county schools have high school zoning. However, high school students attend the public high schools in the respective counties they are located in. - The document states that the county schools have high school zoning.

Private and religion-based schools

* Brookstone School (K-12) * Calvary Christian School (Christian, K-12) * Edgewood Christian School (Baptist, K-12) * Grace Christian School (Christian, K-12) * Hallie Turner Private School (9–12) * Kip Christian Academy (Christian, K-8) * New Bethel Christian Academy (Seventh-day Adventist, K-8) * Our Lady of Lourdes School (Catholic, K-8) * Our Redeemer Christian Academy (Christian, K-12) * Pinehurst Christian School (Baptist, K-8) *

St. Anne‒Pacelli Catholic School St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School is named for Saint Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary, and Pope Pius XII (Eugenio Pacelli). The school's history stretches back to 1868. Located in Columbus, Georgia, St. Anne-Pacelli is the only Preschool (age ...

(Catholic, K-12) * St. Luke School (Christian, K-8) * Victory Academy (K-8) * Westminster Christian School (Christian, K-8) * Wynnbrook Christian School (Baptist, K-12)

Homeschooling

In regards to

homeschooling Homeschooling or home schooling (American English), also known as home education or elective home education (EHE) (British English), is the education of school-aged children at home or a variety of places other than a school. Usually conducted ...

, the

Official Code of Georgia Annotated The ''Official Code of Georgia Annotated'' or ''OCGA'' is the compendium of all laws in the state of Georgia. Like other state codes in the United States, its Judicial interpretation, legal interpretation is subject to the U.S. Constitution, th ...

states the following:

Government and politics

Muscogee County has voted for Democratic candidates by increasing margins since 1992, although partisan leanings have become increasingly stratified by race, class, and in-county migration after 1965. The county has not supported a Republican for president since 1988, but broke free of

Solid South The Solid South was the electoral voting bloc for the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the Southern United States between the end of the Reconstruction era in 1877 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In the aftermath of the Co ...

voting patterns earlier than most counties in Georgia. In 2020,

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

won 61.4% of the vote, the best performance by a Democrat since 1976.

Presidential

United States Congress

Georgia General Assembly

Georgia State Senate

Georgia House of Representatives

References

External links

Documents from Muscogee County in the Digital Library of Georgia
{{Coord, 32.51, -84.87, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-GA_source:UScensus1990 Georgia (U.S. state) counties 1826 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia (U.S. state) placenames of Native American origin Populated places established in 1826 Columbus metropolitan area, Georgia Geography of Columbus, Georgia Majority-minority counties in Georgia Consolidated city-counties