Thomas 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

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 45,798. 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 Thomasville. Thomas County comprises the Thomasville, GA micropolitan statistical area.

History

Thomas County was created by an act of 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 December 23, 1825, from portions of Decatur and

Irwin Irwin may refer to: Places ;United States * Irwin, California * Irwin, Idaho * Irwin, Illinois * Irwin, Iowa * Irwin, Nebraska * Irwin, Ohio * Irwin, Pennsylvania * Irwin, South Carolina * Irwin County, Georgia * Irwin Township, Venango Co ...

Counties. Colquitt (1856), Brooks (1858), and Grady (1905) Counties all were formed partially from lands within Thomas County's original borders. The county is named for

Jett Thomas Jett Thomas (May 13, 1776 – January 6, 1817) was an American military officer, politician, and builder who served as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives and participated in the early construction of the University of Georgia. ...

, an officer in 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 ...

who is also known for overseeing the construction of the first building at the

University of Georgia The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...

(originally referred to as Franklin College and known today as Old College) as well as the state capital at Milledgeville.

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 (1.4%) is water. The northwestern half of Thomas County, bordered by U.S. Route 319 southwest of Thomasville, and a line that ends up bisecting the distance between Coolidge and Pavo in the northeast, is located in the Upper

Ochlockonee River The Ochlockonee River ( ) is a fast running river, except where it has been dammed to form Lake Talquin in Florida, originating in Georgia and flowing for before terminating in Florida. Background The name is from the Hitchiti language wor ...

sub-basin of the larger Ochlockonee River basin. The northeastern edge of the county, from north of Pavo to

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, is located in the Withlacoochee River sub-basin of the

Suwannee River The Suwannee River (also spelled Suwanee River or Swanee River) is a river that runs through south Georgia southward into Florida in the Southern United States. It is a wild blackwater river, about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrog ...

basin. The southeastern portion of Thomas County, running southeast from Thomasville, is located in the

Aucilla River The Aucilla River rises in Brooks County, Georgia, Brooks County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, USA, close to Thomasville, Georgia, Thomasville, and passes through the Big Bend (Florida), Big Bend region of Florida, emptying into the Gulf of M ...

sub-basin of the larger Aucilla- Waccasassa basin. Almost all of the southwestern portion of the county is located in the

Apalachee Bay Apalachee Bay is a bay in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico occupying an indentation of the Florida coast to the west of where the Florida peninsula joins the United States mainland. It is bordered by Taylor, Jefferson, Wakulla, and Franklin ...

- St. Marks sub-basin of the Ochlockonee River basin, with the exception of the tiny southwesternmost corner, which is located in the Lower

sub-basin of the same Ochlockonee River basin. The

rises in Thomas County. The

Red Hills Region The Red Hills or Tallahassee Hills is a region of gently rolling hills in the southeastern United States. It is a geomorphic region and an ecoregion. Location The Red Hills physiographic region of northern Florida was defined in 1914 as most o ...

is centered on Thomas County.

Major highways

U.S. Route 19 * US 84

U.S. Route 84 * Business plate

U.S. Route 84 Business * US 319

U.S. Route 319 * Georgia 3

State Route 3 * Georgia 3 Alternate

State Route 3 Alternate * Georgia 33

State Route 33 * Georgia 35

State Route 35 * Georgia 35 Connector

State Route 35 Connector * Georgia 38

State Route 38 * Georgia 38 Business

State Route 38 Business * Georgia 111

State Route 111 * Georgia 122

State Route 122 * Georgia 188

State Route 188 * Georgia 202

State Route 202 * Georgia 300

State Route 300

Adjacent counties

* Colquitt County - northeast * Brooks County - east * Jefferson County,

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

- south * Leon County,

- southwest * Grady County - west * Mitchell County - northwest

Communities

Cities

* Barwick (partly in Brooks County) *

* Coolidge * Meigs (partly in Mitchell County) * Pavo (partly in Brooks County) * Thomasville

Town

* Ochlocknee

Unincorporated community

* Metcalf

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 45,798 people, 17,595 households, and 12,161 families residing in the county.

Education

Colleges and universities: * Thomas University *

Southern Regional Technical College Southern Regional Technical College is a public community college with its main campus in Thomasville, Georgia. It is part of the Technical College System of Georgia and provides education services for a seven-county service area in southwest Ge ...

There are two school districts:
Text list
/ref> * Thomasville City School District (areas in Thomasville City) * Thomas County School District (areas not in Thomasville City) Private schools: * Brookwood School

Politics

Similar to other Georgia counties on the Florida border, the county is reliably Republican in presidential elections, having last voted for a Democrat in 1980 when the Democrat was native Georgian

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...

References

External links

Thomas County

University of Georgia Thomas County Cooperative Extension Website

Thomasville Landmarks - Historic preservation organization

Thomas County Historical Society & Museum of History
* {{Coord, 30.86, -83.92, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-GA_source:UScensus1990 Georgia (U.S. state) counties 1825 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Populated places established in 1825