Oconee 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 in the northeastern part 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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 41,799. 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 ...

is Watkinsville. Oconee County is included in the Athens-Clarke County metropolitan area.

History

The county's name derives from the Oconee, a

Muskogean Muskogean ( ; also Muskhogean) is a language family spoken in the Southeastern United States. Members of the family are Indigenous Languages of the Americas. Typologically, Muskogean languages are highly synthetic and agglutinative. One docume ...

people of central Georgia. The name exists in several variations, including Ocone, Oconi, Ocony, and Ekwoni. Oconee County was created from the southwestern part of Clarke County in 1875 by the Georgia General Assembly. The new county was created to satisfy southwestern Clarke County residents' demand for their own county after the county seat was moved from Watkinsville to

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

by the General Assembly in 1872. It is named for the river flowing along part of its eastern border. The county was ranked as the third-best rural county to live in by

Progressive Farmer ''Progressive Farmer'' is an agricultural magazine, published 14 times a year by DTN. The magazine is based in Birmingham, Alabama. History Founded in Winston, North Carolina, in 1886 by North Carolina native Leonidas Lafayette Polk (1837� ...

magazine in 2006.

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 (1.1%) is water. The county is located in 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 ...

region of the state. The entirety of Oconee County is located in the Upper

Oconee River The Oconee River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map Accessed April 21, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its origin is in Hall County and it terminates where it join ...

sub-basin of the

Altamaha River The Altamaha River is a major river in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It flows generally eastward for from its Source (river or stream), origin at the confluence of the Oconee River and Ocmulgee River towards the Atlantic Oce ...

basin.

Adjacent counties

* Clarke County (north) * Oglethorpe County (east) * Greene County (southeast) * Morgan County (south) * Walton County (west)Southwest * Barrow County (northwest)

National protected area

* Oconee National Forest (part)

Communities

Towns

Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

* Bogart * North High Shoals * Watkinsville

Unincorporated community

* Elder * Farmington * Salem

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 41,799 people, 13,423 households, and 10,727 families residing in the county.

Government

Oconee County is governed by a four-member board of commissioners, which holds legislative power. The board is led by a separately-elected chairman, who holds executive power. The board is vested with budget and taxing authority, ordinance-making authority, and control of county property, roads and facilities. The chairman and all members of the board are elected from at-large districts (called "posts") to staggered terms of four years.Board Of Commissioners
section of Oconee County website. Last accessed April 4, 2012. The chairman of the board is the county's chief executive officer who, in consultation with the commissioners, appoints officers and staff as needed to administer the responsibilities of the board. The current members of the Board are: * Chairman: John Daniell * Post 1: Mark Thomas * Post 2: Chuck Horton * Post 3: Amrey Harden * Post 4: Mark Saxon The judicial branch of government is administered through the Georgia court system as a part of the 10th Judicial District, Western Circuit. Primary law enforcement services in the portion of the county outside the City of Watkinsville are provided by the sheriff's office. (Law enforcement within the Watkinsville City Limits is the jurisdiction of the Watkinsville Police Department.) The office of Sheriff is an elected position; since 2020, the office has been held by James Hale.

Politics

Education

Oconee County School District

The Oconee County School District provides education for grades pre-school to twelve and consists of six elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools. The district has 361 full-time teachers and over 5,615 students.

Private schools

There are currently three private schools located in the county. They are: * Westminster Christian Academy *

Prince Avenue Christian School Prince Avenue Christian School (PACS) is a private school, private, covenant Christian school located on 2201 Ruth Jackson Road in Bogart, Georgia, United States, with an annual enrollment between 800 and 850 students. History The school ope ...

Athens Academy The Academy of Athens (, ''Akadimía Athinón'') is Greece's national academy, and the highest research establishment in the country. It was established in 1926, with its founding principle tracing back to the historical Platonic Academy, Acad ...

Colleges and universities

The

University of North Georgia The University of North Georgia (UNG) is a public university with multiple campuses in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. It is part of the University System of Georgia. The university was established on January 8, 2013, through a m ...

maintains a satellite campus near Watkinsville. It was a Gainesville State College campus until the 2012 merger of Gainesville State College with North Georgia College and State University. The College of Athens (CoA) is a private Christian college that was established in 2012 near Watkinsville. CoA currently offers certificates, undergraduate, and graduate degrees in nine various major areas.

Media

There is one weekly-published newspaper in Oconee County
''The Oconee Enterprise''

Cox Media Group CMG Media Corporation (doing business as Cox Media Group) is an American media conglomerate principally owned by Apollo Global Management in conjunction with Cox Enterprises, which maintains a 29% minority stake in the company. The company p ...

also operates a radio broadcast facility on Tower Place in northeast Oconee County. Four radio stations are operated from this facility:Athens location information
, Cox Media Group website. Last accessed April 4, 2012. * WNGC 106.1 FM * WGMG 102.1 FM (Magic 102.1) * WPUP 100.1 FM (Power 100.1) * WRFC 960 AM (The Ref)

Transportation

Major highways

U.S. Route 29 U.S. Route 29 or U.S. Highway 29 (US 29) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs for from Pensacola, Florida, to Ellicott City, Maryland, just west of Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, in the Eastern United Stat ...

U.S. Route 78 * Business plate

U.S. Route 78 Business * US 129

U.S. Route 129 * Business plate

U.S. Route 129 Business * US 441

U.S. Route 441 * Business plate

U.S. Route 441 Business * Georgia 8

State Route 8 * Georgia 10

State Route 10 * Georgia 10 Loop

State Route 10 Loop * Georgia 15

State Route 15 * Georgia 24

State Route 24 * Georgia 24 Business

State Route 24 Business * Georgia 53

State Route 53 * Georgia 186

State Route 186 * Georgia 316

State Route 316 * Georgia 422

State Route 422

Pedestrians and cycling

The city has limited

walkability In urban planning, walkability is the accessibility of amenities within a reasonable walking distance. It is based on the idea that urban spaces should be more than just transport corridors designed for maximum vehicle throughput. Instead, it s ...

options available. However, since 2017 plans are being discussed to develop a multi-use trail network.

Notable people

* Nathan Crawford Barnett, member of the

Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republican Party (United States), Repu ...

and Georgia Secretary of State for more than 30 years. * Phil Campbell, farmer * Adam Frazier, Baltimore Orioles second baseman * Gavin Adcock, country music singer * John Wes Townley, former NASCAR Driver

References

External links

Oconee County Tourism Official Website
{{Coord, 33.84, -83.44, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-GA_source:UScensus1990 Georgia (U.S. state) counties Georgia (U.S. state) placenames of Native American origin Athens – Clarke County metropolitan area 1875 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Populated places established in 1875