List of counties in Georgia
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Georgia is divided into 159 counties. Under the Georgia Constitution, counties are granted home rule to deal with issues that are local in nature.
Contents |
History
Georgia has the second-highest number of counties of any state in the United States, behind Texas (254). The traditional idea for county creation was that a farmer should be able to go to the county seat and back home in one day on horseback. However, about 25 counties were created in the early 20th century after the automobile had become widespread. These last counties created were generally seen as being done for political purposes.
The proliferation of counties in the state led to multiple state constitutional amendments, attempting to establish limits. The most recent such amendment, dating to 1945, limits the state to 159 counties, though there were previously 161 from 1924 to 1931. In a rare consolidation, Campbell County and Milton County were made part of Fulton County as of 1932, as an austerity measure during the Great Depression.
Currently, there is a movement among some to change the state constitution to allow the creation of at least one new county. Residents of northern Fulton County support the re-creation of Milton County. The reasoning behind this is that the northern sections of Fulton County are among the most affluent in the state, and residents want to stop tax revenues from going to Atlanta to be spent.
Changed County Names
A few Georgia counties have changed names over time. Jasper County was originally known as Randolph County. Later, the current Randolph County came into being. Webster County was once known as Kinchafoonee County, and Bartow County was formerly known as Cass County.
Defunct Counties
In addition, there was once another Walton County. It was a county that is in present-day North Carolina. A skirmish, "The Walton War," was actually fought between North Carolina and Georgia before Georgia gave up the claim.
Alphabetical Listing
Image:Georgia (U.S. state) counties map.png
List of 159 counties in the U.S. state of Georgia:
| State Abbr. | FIPS State Code | State |
| GA | 13 | Georgia |
| FIPS County Code | County Name | |
| 001 | Appling County | |
| 003 | Atkinson County | |
| 005 | Bacon County | |
| 007 | Baker County | |
| 009 | Baldwin County | |
| 011 | Banks County | |
| 013 | Barrow County | |
| 015 | Bartow County | |
| 017 | Ben Hill County | |
| 019 | Berrien County | |
| 021 | Bibb County | |
| 023 | Bleckley County |
External links
- Historical Atlas of Georgia Counties
- Article IX of the Constitution of Georgia, on counties and municipal corporations
- History of Walton County
- Walton War