Editing Tift County, Georgia

{{Short description|County in Georgia, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Tift County
 | state                = Georgia
 | founded year         = {{start date and age|1905}}
 | founded date         = August 17
 | seat wl              = Tifton
 | largest city wl      = Tifton
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 269
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 259
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 9.9
 | area percentage      = 3.7%
 | census yr            = 2020
 | pop                  = 41344
 | density_sq_mi        = 160
 | time zone            = Eastern
 | web                  = www.tiftcounty.org
 | named for            = [[Nelson Tift]]
 | ex image             = Tift County Courthouse.jpg
 | ex image cap         = Tift County Courthouse, (Built 1912), Tifton
 | district             = 8th
}}

'''Tift County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the south central portion of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 41,344.<ref>{{cite web|title=Census - Geography Profile: Tift County, Georgia|url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Tift_County,_Georgia?g=0500000US13277|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=December 29, 2022}}</ref> The [[county seat]] is [[Tifton, Georgia|Tifton]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref>

Tift County comprises the Tifton, Georgia [[Micropolitan Statistical Area|micropolitan statistical area]].

==History==
The county was created on August 17, 1905, and is named for [[Henry Harding Tift]], who founded Tifton in 1872. Tift purchased about 65,000 acres of virgin pine timberland there in the [[Wiregrass Region]] of South Georgia, and established a sawmill and a village for his workers. Tift eventually expanded into turpentine and barrel-making operations, and turned his barren timberlands into farms for cotton, corn, livestock, fruit, tobacco, pecans and sweet potatoes. When the [[Georgia Southern and Florida Railway]] intersected the [[Brunswick and Western Railroad]] near Tift's mill in 1888, the settlement was connected to Atlanta and became a boom town. It was incorporated as Tifton by the Georgia Legislature in 1890.

Tift provided employment and financial growth opportunities for his flourishing market center by founding the Tifton Cotton Mill, the Bank of Tifton, and other types of businesses in which he had a leading interest. These included fruit growing, groceries and general merchandise, cottonseed oil, lumber, brick and stone, and several railroads, all essential for the development of a region. Tift also established a model farm north of town and donated a large parcel of acreage for an agricultural experiment station; these enterprises led eventually to the development of [[Abraham Baldwin College]] and the Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton.

Tift's civic commitment was most evident in his donation of lands for churches (Methodist, Baptist, and Episcopal) and Fulwood Park, and in his decades of service as a city councilman and mayor. Through a variety of business and civic undertakings, Tift contributed significantly to the economic and social development of south central Georgia. Though a captain of industry, agriculture, and finance, he is best remembered for his civic service and generosity.

Tift County was created on August 17, 1905, by an act of the General Assembly.<ref>Ga. Laws 1905, p.&nbsp;60</ref> Because Georgia law in 1905 did not allow a new county to be named after a living person, the legislature voted to name Tift County after Nelson Tift of Albany, Georgia, who was an uncle of Henry Harding Tift.

In 2013, John Edward (Edd) Dorminey a native of Tifton, author and historian drafted resolutions and presented them to the Tifton and Tift County Commissions which were passed unanimously. Soon after with assistance from Representative Jay Roberts the Georgia House of Representatives and the Senate voted to approve the submitted resolution establishing the naming of Tift County after its rightful founder, Henry Harding Tift.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/display/20132014/HR/281|title=HR 281 2013-2014 Regular Session|website=www.legis.ga.gov}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|269|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|259|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|9.9|sqmi}} (3.7%) is water.<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=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

The western portion of Tift County, roughly west of [[Interstate 75 in Georgia|Interstate 75]], is located in the [[Little River (Withlacoochee River)|Little River]] sub-basin of the [[Suwannee River]] basin. The county's southeastern third, from north of [[Tifton, Georgia|Tifton]] heading southeast, is located in the [[Withlacoochee River (Suwannee River)|Withlacoochee River]] sub-basin of the same Suwannee River basin. The northeastern portion of the Tift County, east of [[Chula, Georgia|Chula]], is located in the [[Alapaha River]] sub-basin of the same larger Suwannee River basin.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gaswcc.org/maps/ |title=Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Interactive Mapping Experience |publisher=Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission |access-date=November 25, 2015}}</ref>

===Major highways===
{{div col}}
* [[File:I-75.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 75 in Georgia|Interstate 75]]
* [[File:US 41.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 41 in Georgia|U.S. Route 41]]
* [[File:US 82.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 82 in Georgia|U.S. Route 82]]
* [[File:US 319.svg|25px]] [[U.S. Route 319 in Georgia|U.S. Route 319]]
* [[File:Georgia 7.svg|20px]] [[Georgia State Route 7|State Route 7]]
* [[File:Georgia 35.svg|20px]] [[Georgia State Route 35|State Route 35]]
* [[File:Georgia 125.svg|23px]] [[Georgia State Route 125|State Route 125]]
* [[File:Georgia 401.svg|23px]] [[Georgia State Route 401|State Route 401]] (unsigned designation for I-75)
* [[File:Georgia 520.svg|23px]] [[Georgia State Route 520|State Route 520]]
{{div col end}}

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Irwin County, Georgia|Irwin County]] (northeast)
* [[Berrien County, Georgia|Berrien County]] (southeast)
* [[Cook County, Georgia|Cook County]] (south)
* [[Colquitt County, Georgia|Colquitt County]] (southwest)
* [[Worth County, Georgia|Worth County]] (west)
* [[Turner County, Georgia|Turner County]] (northwest)

==Communities==
===Cities===
* [[Omega, Georgia|Omega]]
* [[Tifton, Georgia|Tifton]]
* [[Ty Ty, Georgia|Ty Ty]]

===Census-designated places===
* [[Phillipsburg, Georgia|Phillipsburg]]
* [[Unionville, Georgia|Unionville]]

===Unincorporated communities===
* [[Brookfield, Georgia|Brookfield]]
* [[Chula, Georgia|Chula]]

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1910 = 11487
| 1920 = 14493
| 1930 = 16068
| 1940 = 18599
| 1950 = 22645
| 1960 = 23487
| 1970 = 27288
| 1980 = 32862
| 1990 = 34998
| 2000 = 38407
| 2010 = 40118
| 2020 = 41344
|estyear=2023
|estimate=41554
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 31, 2024}}</ref>
|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 Decades|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=}}</ref><br>1790-1880<ref name=1880CensusGACty>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1880 Census Population by Counties 1790-1800 |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 1880|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1880/vol-01-population/1880_v1-08.pdf|accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=|page=}}</ref> 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=|archive-url=| archive-date=|page=}}</ref><br> 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=|archive-url=| archive-date=|page=}}</ref> 1930-1940<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=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}</ref><br> 1940-1950<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=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}</ref> 1960-1980<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=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}</ref><br> 1980-2000<ref name=2000CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Georgia  |publisher=United States Census Bureau|date= 2000|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2003/dec/phc-3-12.pdf |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}</ref> 2010<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/13/13277.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=February 18, 2014|archive-date=December 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208165451/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/13/13277.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+Tift County racial composition as of 2020<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US13277&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 18, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
|22,189
|53.67%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
|12,049
|29.14%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|56
|0.14%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|650
|1.57%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
|2
|0.0%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|1,179
|2.85%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|5,219
|12.62%
|}
At the [[2020 United States census]], there were 41,344 people, 15,144 households, and 10,703 families residing in the county.

==Education==
[[File:Tift County Board of Education.jpg|thumb|[[Tift County School District]] headquarters]]
[[Tift County School District]] operates public schools.

==Politics==
{{PresHead|place=Tift County, Georgia|source=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|website=uselectionatlas.org}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|11,496|5,438|94|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|10,784|5,318|178|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|9,584|4,347|345|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|9,185|4,660|97|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|9,431|4,749|89|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|8,619|3,864|54|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|6,678|3,547|103|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|5,613|4,198|766|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|4,485|3,930|1,154|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|4,760|2,446|28|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|4,429|2,736|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|3,280|4,572|170|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|2,162|5,185|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|4,591|816|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1968|American Independent|1,692|1,187|3,942|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1964|Republican|4,650|2,286|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|1,423|2,964|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|960|3,123|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|1,318|2,954|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|637|3,158|849|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|396|1,630|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|226|1,463|22|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|161|1,627|10|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|65|1,394|7|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|511|736|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|33|522|40|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|154|576|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|42|1,034|173|Georgia}}
{{PresFoot|1912|Democratic|0|305|18|Georgia}}

==See also==
{{Portal|State of Georgia}}
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Tift County, Georgia]]
*[[List of counties in Georgia]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.tiftcounty.org/ Official County website]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Tift County, Georgia
|North     = [[Turner County, Georgia|Turner County]]
|Northeast = [[Irwin County, Georgia|Irwin County]]
|East      =
|Southeast = [[Berrien County, Georgia|Berrien County]]
|South     = [[Cook County, Georgia|Cook County]]
|Southwest = [[Colquitt County, Georgia|Colquitt County]]
|West      = [[Worth County, Georgia|Worth County]]
|Northwest =
}}
{{Tift County, Georgia}}
{{Georgia (U.S. state)}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|31.46|-83.53|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-GA_source:UScensus1990}}

[[Category:Tift County, Georgia| ]]
[[Category:Georgia (U.S. state) counties]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1905]]
[[Category:1905 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)]]