Douglas, Georgia

Not to be confused with Douglas County, Georgia.

Douglas, Georgia
City
Douglas City Hall in 2022
Flag Logo
Motto:  Working Together to Serve You Better
Location of Douglas in Coffee County, Georgia (left) and of Coffee County in Georgia (right)
Coordinates: 31°30′27″N82°51′3″W / 31.50750°N 82.85083°W / 31.50750; -82.85083
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Coffee
Government
• Mayor	Tony Paulk
• City Manager	Charles Davis
Area [1]
• Total	14.67 sq mi (38.01 km2)
• Land	14.44 sq mi (37.39 km2)
• Water	0.24 sq mi (0.61 km2)
Elevation	253 ft (77 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	11,722
• Density	811.94/sq mi (313.50/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	31533-31535
Area code	912
FIPS code	13-23872 [2]
GNIS feature ID	0313591 [3]
Website	cityofdouglasga.gov

Douglas is a city in Coffee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 11,722. Douglas is the county seat of Coffee County ^[4] and the core city of the Douglas micropolitan statistical area, which had a population of 50,731 as of the 2010 census. ^[5]

History

Douglas was founded in 1855 as the seat of the newly formed Coffee County. ^[6] It was named for Senator Stephen A. Douglas from Illinois, a renowned stump speaker who was the challenger to Abraham Lincoln in the presidential election of 1860. ^[7]

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. ^[8] 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 downtown and Gaskin Avenue historic districts. They were added to the list in 1989. ^[9]

Geography

Douglas is located near the center of Coffee County at 31°30′27″N82°51′3″W / 31.50750°N 82.85083°W / 31.50750; -82.85083 (31.507413, −82.850799). ^[10] It is 59 miles (95 km) driving distance northeast of Valdosta, Georgia, 115 miles (185 km) driving distance northwest of Jacksonville, Florida, and 201 miles (323 km) driving distance southeast of Atlanta.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Douglas has a total area of 14.0 square miles (36.2 km²), of which 13.4 square miles (34.7 km²) is land and 0.58 square miles (1.5 km²), or 4.08%, is water. ^[11] Major water bodies include Twenty Mile Creek, the Seventeen Mile River (a tributary of the Satilla River), and Hilliard's Pond, which was once the ski show park "Holiday Beach".

Climate

Climate data for Douglas, Georgia, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1902–2015
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	84 (29)	86 (30)	90 (32)	97 (36)	103 (39)	111 (44)	108 (42)	105 (41)	103 (39)	97 (36)	90 (32)	83 (28)	111 (44)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	76.9 (24.9)	80.2 (26.8)	84.9 (29.4)	90.3 (32.4)	94.8 (34.9)	98.3 (36.8)	99.4 (37.4)	98.3 (36.8)	95.1 (35.1)	90.1 (32.3)	83.9 (28.8)	79.2 (26.2)	100.6 (38.1)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	60.4 (15.8)	64.3 (17.9)	71.5 (21.9)	78.5 (25.8)	85.9 (29.9)	90.4 (32.4)	92.1 (33.4)	91.1 (32.8)	86.9 (30.5)	79.0 (26.1)	69.6 (20.9)	63.1 (17.3)	77.7 (25.4)
Daily mean °F (°C)	49.3 (9.6)	52.8 (11.6)	59.1 (15.1)	65.8 (18.8)	73.8 (23.2)	79.7 (26.5)	81.8 (27.7)	81.2 (27.3)	76.7 (24.8)	67.5 (19.7)	57.5 (14.2)	51.8 (11.0)	66.4 (19.1)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	38.3 (3.5)	41.2 (5.1)	46.7 (8.2)	53.1 (11.7)	61.8 (16.6)	69.0 (20.6)	71.6 (22.0)	71.3 (21.8)	66.4 (19.1)	56.0 (13.3)	45.5 (7.5)	40.6 (4.8)	55.1 (12.9)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	20.5 (−6.4)	24.8 (−4.0)	30.3 (−0.9)	38.0 (3.3)	48.7 (9.3)	60.0 (15.6)	65.4 (18.6)	63.9 (17.7)	52.9 (11.6)	38.6 (3.7)	31.1 (−0.5)	23.5 (−4.7)	17.4 (−8.1)
Record low °F (°C)	1 (−17)	6 (−14)	18 (−8)	29 (−2)	40 (4)	51 (11)	57 (14)	56 (13)	37 (3)	29 (−2)	16 (−9)	8 (−13)	1 (−17)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	4.38 (111)	3.99 (101)	5.14 (131)	3.34 (85)	2.64 (67)	5.21 (132)	5.42 (138)	5.68 (144)	4.17 (106)	3.35 (85)	2.79 (71)	3.80 (97)	49.91 (1,268)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	trace	0.1 (0.25)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.1 (0.25)	0.2 (0.5)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	6.9	6.3	6.7	5.2	5.4	9.4	9.9	9.9	6.3	4.8	4.6	6.0	81.4
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.1
Source 1: NOAA [12]
Source 2: National Weather Service (mean maxima/minima, precip/precip days, snow/snow days 1981–2010) [13]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	617		—
1910	3,550		475.4%
1920	3,401		−4.2%
1930	4,206		23.7%
1940	5,175		23.0%
1950	7,428		43.5%
1960	8,736		17.6%
1970	10,195		16.7%
1980	10,980		7.7%
1990	10,464		−4.7%
2000	10,639		1.7%
2010	11,589		8.9%
2020	11,722		1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census [14]

Douglas racial composition as of 2020 ^[15]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White	3,939	33.6%
Black or African American	6,113	52.15%
Native American	22	0.19%
Asian	110	0.94%
Pacific Islander	7	0.06%
Other/Mixed	357	3.05%
Hispanic or Latino	1,174	10.02%

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

Location of the Douglas Micropolitan Statistical Area in Georgia

Douglas is the principal city of the Douglas micropolitan statistical area, a micropolitan area that covers Atkinson and Coffee counties ^[16] and had a combined population of 50,731 at the 2010 census. ^[5]

Infrastructure

Highways

• U.S. Route 221 (runs north-south)
• U.S. Route 441 (runs north-south)
• Georgia State Route 31 (runs north-south)
• Georgia State Route 32 (runs east-west)
• Georgia State Route 135 (runs north-south)
• Georgia State Route 158 (runs east-west)
• Georgia State Route 206 (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. ^[17]
• The Natural Gas Department, member of both Georgia & American Public Gas Association and the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia, provides gas to the area. ^[18]
• Water and sewer service is conducted by the city's Water Department. ^[19]
• The Public Works Department handles yard clippings, junk items, and animal control for the city. ^[20]

Economy

Confederate soldier memorial

Major employers

• Wal-Mart
• 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. ^[21]

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.^{[ citation needed ]} All three were recently^{[ when? ]} named among "Georgia's Hidden Treasures" in a segment on WSB-TV.^{[ citation needed ]}

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

Nearby, the 1,490 acres (6.0 km²) General Coffee State Park draws more than 100,000 visitors a year and is the most popular tourist attraction in the area.^{[ citation needed ]}

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, 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. ^[22] The district has 438 full-time teachers and over 8,000 students. ^[23]

• 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 is a public four-year institution of the University System of Georgia.
• Wiregrass Georgia Technical College

Notable people

• James Brown, singer
• Tyreek Hill, National Football League player for the Miami Dolphins, formerly the Kansas City Chiefs
• Jason Childers, Major League Baseball player for the Tampa Bay Rays
• G. Wayne Clough, Secretary of Smithsonian Institution and former president, Georgia Tech
• Greg Holland, country singer
• Jennifer Nettles, one-half of the country music duo Sugarland
• Joel Parrish, football player
• Willie Spence, singer and runner-up of Season 19 of American Idol
• Maureen Tucker, drummer and occasional singer of 1960s and 1970s rock group The Velvet Underground, lives in Douglas.
• Greg Walker, former first baseman and hitting coach, Chicago White Sox

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
3. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
5. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Douglas, GA Micro Area". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
6. Hellmann, Paul T. (May 13, 2013). Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Routledge. p. 228. ISBN   978-1135948597 . Retrieved November 30, 2013.
7. Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 64. ISBN   0-915430-00-2.
8. City of Douglas - A Georgia City of Excellence. Retrieved 13 May 2008. Archived May 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
9. "georgia.gov – City of Douglas. Retrieved 14 March 2008". Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. Retrieved May 14, 2008.
10. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
11. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Douglas city, Georgia". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
12. "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Douglas, GA". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
13. "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Jacksonville". National Weather Service. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
14. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
15. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
16. MICROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS AND COMPONENTS Archived June 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine , Office of Management and Budget, May 11, 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2008.
17. Public Utilities – Electric Archived February 21, 2009, at the Wayback Machine , City of Douglas – A Georgia City of Excellence. Copyright 2002-7. Retrieved February 17, 2009.
18. Public Utilities – Natural Gas Archived February 21, 2009, at the Wayback Machine , City of Douglas – A Georgia City of Excellence. Copyright 2002-7. Retrieved February 17, 2009.
19. Public Utilities – Water Department Archived February 21, 2009, at the Wayback Machine , City of Douglas – A Georgia City of Excellence. Copyright 2002-7. Retrieved February 17, 2009.
20. Public Utilities – Public Works Department Archived February 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine , City of Douglas – A Georgia City of Excellence. Copyright 2002-7. Retrieved February 17, 2009.
21. Etter, Lauren. "At Chicken Plant, a Recession Battle - WSJ". WSJ.
22. Georgia Board of Education ^{[ permanent dead link ‍]}. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
23. School Stats. Retrieved June 4, 2010.

External links

• City of Douglas official website
• Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce
• City of Douglas at Georgia.gov Archived April 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine