Editing Lakeland, Georgia

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->
|official_name            = Lakeland, Georgia
|other_name               = 
|native_name              = <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
|nickname                 = 
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|motto                    = <!-- images and maps  ----------->
|image_skyline            = Lakeland City Hall Police Department.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Lakeland City Hall and Lakeland Police Department
|image_flag               = 
|flag_size                = 
|image_seal               = 
|seal_size                = 
|image_shield             = 
|shield_size              = 
|image_blank_emblem       = 
|blank_emblem_type        = 
|blank_emblem_size        = 
|image_map                = Lanier_County_Georgia_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Lakeland_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Lanier County, Georgia|Lanier County]] and the state of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
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|image_dot_map            = 
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|dot_y                    = 
|pushpin_map              = <!-- the name of a location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map -->
|pushpin_label_position   = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_map_caption      = 
|pushpin_mapsize          = <!-- Location ------------------>
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Georgia (U.S. state)|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Lanier County, Georgia|Lanier]]
|subdivision_type3        = 
|subdivision_name3        = 
|subdivision_type4        = 
|subdivision_name4        = <!-- Politics ----------------->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = <!-- for places with, say, both a mayor and a city manager -->
|leader_name1             = 
|leader_title2            = 
|leader_name2             = 
|leader_title3            = 
|leader_name3             = 
|leader_title4            = 
|leader_name4             = 
|established_title        = <!-- Settled -->
|established_date         = 
|established_title2       = <!-- Incorporated (town) -->
|established_date2        = 
|established_title3       = <!-- Incorporated (city) -->
|established_date3        = <!-- Area    --------------------->
|area_magnitude           = 
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_13.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=December 18, 2021}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 8.16
|area_land_km2            = 8.04
|area_water_km2           = 0.12
|area_total_sq_mi         = 3.15
|area_land_sq_mi          = 3.10
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.05
|area_water_percent       = 
|area_urban_km2           = 
|area_urban_sq_mi         = 
|area_metro_km2           = 
|area_metro_sq_mi         = 
|area_blank1_title        = 
|area_blank1_km2          = 
|area_blank1_sq_mi        = <!-- Population   ----------------------->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_note          = 
|population_total         = 2875
|population_density_km2   = 357.79
|population_density_sq_mi = 926.52
|population_metro         = 
|population_density_metro_km2     = 
|population_density_metro_sq_mi   = 
|population_urban                 = 
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|population_density_blank1_sq_mi  = <!-- General information  --------------->
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|coordinates              = {{coord|31|2|21|N|83|4|13|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_footnotes      = <!--for references: use <ref> tags-->
|elevation_m              = 61
|elevation_ft             = 200
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 31635
|area_code                = [[Area code 229|229]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 13-44592<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0356347<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=2008-01-31|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=2007-10-25}}</ref>
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
}}
'''Lakeland''' is a city and the [[county seat]] of [[Lanier County, Georgia|Lanier County]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], United States. The city is the [[county seat]] of Lanier County.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=2011-06-07|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> It is part of the [[Valdosta, Georgia]] [[Valdosta metropolitan area|metropolitan statistical area]]. The population was 2,875 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name=":0" />

Originally called '''Alapaha''' and then '''Milltown''' or '''Mill Town''', Lakeland received its current name in 1925 in honor of its proximity to Grand Bay Lake, Lake Irma, and Banks Lake.<ref>{{cite web |last=Poling |first=Dean |url=http://www.valdostascene.com/may2007/local_story_179123740.html |title=LAKELAND: The past makes a new present » May 2007 |publisher=Valdosta Scene |access-date=2013-03-27 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130205094350/http://www.valdostascene.com/may2007/local_story_179123740.html |archive-date=2013-02-05 }}</ref> For many years, Lakeland owned and operated its own railroad.

==History==
By the late 1830s, a community known as Alapaha had come into existence along the road from [[Waresboro, Georgia]] to [[Troupville, Georgia]] near the mill established by Joshua Lee on what is now [[Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge]]. In 1838, a post office was established and was officially named Alapaha after the nearby [[Alapaha River]]. In 1848, Joshua Lee sold his mill to William Lastinger. In the 1850s, additional mills were established in the area and the population of the community continued to grow. In 1857, Alapaha was renamed Milltown. During the American Civil, William Lastinger sold his mill to Henry Banks.<ref>{{cite book |last= Roquemore|first= Nell Patten |date= 2000|title= Lanier County: The Land and Its People|publisher= Mercer University Press|pages= 20–42}}</ref> Milltown was incorporated in 1901. In 1919, Milltown was designated seat of the newly formed Lanier County. In 1928, the city was incorporated and renamed to its present form of Lakeland.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=REtEXQNWq6MC&pg=PA235 | title=Historical Gazetteer of the United States | publisher=Routledge | date=May 13, 2013 | access-date=30 November 2013 | author=Hellmann, Paul T. | pages=235| isbn=978-1135948597 }}</ref>

==Geography==
Lakeland is located at {{coord|31|2|21|N|83|4|13|W|type:city}} (31.039214, -83.070397).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|3.1|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|3.1|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.04|sqmi|km2}} (1.28%) is water.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 1247
|1920= 860
|1930= 1006
|1940= 1502
|1950= 1551
|1960= 2236
|1970= 2569
|1980= 2647
|1990= 2467
|2000= 2730
|2010= 3366
|2020= 2875
|estyear=
|estimate=
|estref=
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=}}</ref><br> 1850-1870<ref name=1870CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1870 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1870|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1870/population/1870a-13.pdf |accessdate=|page=}}</ref> 1870-1880<ref name=1880CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1880 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1880|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1880/vol-01-population/1880_v1-09.pdf |accessdate=|page=}}</ref><br> 1890-1910<ref name=1910CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1910 Census of Population - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1910|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1910/abstract/supplement-ga.pdf |accessdate=|page=}}</ref> 1920-1930<ref name=1930CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1930 Census of Population - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1930|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/03815512v1ch04.pdf |accessdate=|pages=251–256}}</ref><br> 1940<ref name=1940CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1940 Census of Population - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1940|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1940/population-volume-1/33973538v1ch04.pdf |accessdate=}}</ref> 1950<ref name=1950CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1950 Census of Population - Georgia |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1950|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1950/population-volume-2/37779083v2p11ch2.pdf |accessdate=}}</ref> 1960<ref name=1960CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1960 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1960|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1960/population-volume-1/vol-01-12-c.pdf|accessdate=}}</ref><br> 1970<ref name=1970CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1970 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1970|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1970a_ga-01.pdf|accessdate=}}</ref> 1980<ref name=1980CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1980|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_gaABC-01.pdf|accessdate=}}</ref> 1990<ref name=1990CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1990 Census of Population - Summary Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics - Georgia |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1990|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cph-5/cph-5-12.pdf|accessdate=}}</ref><br> 2000<ref name=2000CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 2000 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 2000|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2003/dec/phc-3-12.pdf |accessdate=}}</ref> 2010<ref name=2010CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 2010 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 2010|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-2/cph-2-12.pdf|accessdate=}}</ref>
}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+Lakeland racial composition as of 2020<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US1344592&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=2021-12-18|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
|1,486
|51.69%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
|1,152
|40.07%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|3
|0.1%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|26
|0.9%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
|6
|0.21%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|114
|3.97%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|88
|3.06%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 2,875 people, 997 households, and 631 families residing in the city.

== Education ==
[[File:Lanier County Board of Education.JPG|thumb|[[Lanier County School District]] headquarters]]
The [[Lanier County School District]] holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school.<ref>{{cite web|title=Schools in Lanier County|url=http://archives.gadoe.org/ReportingFW.aspx?PageReq=111&PID=62&PTID=213&CountyId=686&T=0&FY=2010|publisher=Georgia Board of Education|access-date=11 February 2012}}</ref> The district has 94 full-time teachers and over 1,345 students.<ref>[http://www.school-stats.com/GA/LANIER/LANIER_COUNTY.html School Stats], Retrieved June 22, 2010.</ref>
*Lanier County Primary School
*Lanier County Elementary School
*Lanier County Middle School
*[[Lanier County High School]]

The [[South Georgia Regional Library]] operates the W. L. Miller Memorial Library in Lakeland. Initially the community was served by a library that was only open during school periods, and therefore people in the community considered it to be a school library rather than a complete community library. This small library opened in the courthouse office of the superintendent of the county school system in 1950. It was relocated to the Lanier County Primary School's Kindergarten building and then to a portion of Lanier County High School. The first standalone library, then the Lanier-Lakeland Library, opened on May 18, 1980. The current facility, built as part of a State of Georgia grant-funded library wave and partially financed by the W. L. Miller family through a $45,000 donation, opened on March 13, 1988. It was renovated from August 9 through August 23 in 2012.<ref>"[http://www.sgrl.org/index.php/find-a-branch/miller-lakeland-library Miller Lakeland Library]." [[South Georgia Regional Library]]. Retrieved on May 10, 2017.</ref>

<gallery>
File:Lanier County High School.jpg|[[Lanier County High School]]
File:Lanier County Middle School.jpg|Lanier County Middle School
File:Lanier County Elementary School.jpg|Lanier County Elementary School
File:Lanier County Primary School.jpg|Lanier County Primary School
File:W L Miller Memorial Library.JPG|W. L. Miller Memorial Library of the [[South Georgia Regional Library]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{commons category}}
<references />

{{Lanier County, Georgia}}
{{Georgia county seats}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Cities in Lanier County, Georgia]]
[[Category:County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Cities in the Valdosta metropolitan area]]