Editing Toombs County, Georgia

{{Short description|County in Georgia, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Toombs County
 | state                = Georgia
 | seal                 = 
 | founded year         = {{start date and age|1905}}
 | founded date         = August 18
 | seat wl              = Lyons
 | largest city wl      = Vidalia
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 371
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 364
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 7.0
 | area percentage      = 1.9%
 | census yr            = 2020
 | pop                  = 27030
 | density_sq_mi        = 74
 | time zone            = Eastern
 | footnotes            = 
 | web                  = www.toombscountyga.gov/
 | named for            = [[Robert Toombs]]
 | district             = 12th
 | ex image             = Toombs County Courthouse.JPG
 | ex image cap         = Former Toombs County Courthouse in Lyons
}}

'''Toombs County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the [[South Georgia (region)|southern portion]] of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 27,030.<ref>{{cite web|title=Census - Geography Profile: Toombs County, Georgia|url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Toombs_County,_Georgia?g=0500000US13279|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=December 29, 2022}}</ref> The [[county seat]] is [[Lyons, Georgia|Lyons]]<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> and the largest city is [[Vidalia, Georgia|Vidalia]]. The county was created on August 18, 1905.

Toombs County is part of the [[Vidalia, Georgia|Vidalia]] [[Vidalia micropolitan area|micropolitan statistical area]].

==History==
Toombs County was founded as the 144th county in Georgia by the [[Georgia General Assembly|State Legislature]] on August 18, 1905, and organized on October 9 of that year. The county was originally formed from portions of [[Tattnall County, Georgia|Tattnall]] and [[Montgomery County, Georgia|Montgomery]] Counties; a small piece of [[Emanuel County, Georgia|Emanuel County]] was added in 1907 to give Toombs County its present-day boundaries.

The county is named for [[Robert Toombs]], [[United States House of Representatives|United States representative]] and [[United States Senate|senator]].<ref>{{cite book | url=http://www.kenkrakow.com/gpn/t.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030917143007/http://www.kenkrakow.com/gpn/t.pdf |archive-date=September 17, 2003 |url-status=live| title=Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins | publisher=Winship Press | author=Krakow, Kenneth K. | year=1975 | location=Macon, GA | pages=228 | isbn=0-915430-00-2}}</ref> During the Civil War, Toombs also served in the Confederate Provisional Congress, as Secretary of State of the Confederate States, and a brigadier general in the Confederate Army.

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|371|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|364|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|7.0|sqmi}} (1.9%) 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 southern half of Toombs County, from south of [[Vidalia, Georgia|Vidalia]] southeast to [[Georgia State Route 147|State Route 147]], is located in the [[Altamaha River]] sub-basin of the larger river basin by the same name. The northern half of the county, centered on [[Lyons, Georgia|Lyons]], is located in the [[Ohoopee River]] sub-basin of the Altamaha 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 22, 2015}}</ref>

===Major highways===
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[File:US 1.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 1 in Georgia|U.S. Route 1]]
* [[File:US 280.svg|23px]] [[U.S. Route 280 in Georgia|U.S. Route 280]]
* [[File:Georgia 4.svg|20px]] [[Georgia State Route 4|State Route 4]]
* [[File:Georgia 15.svg|20px]] [[Georgia State Route 15|State Route 15]]
* [[File:Georgia 29.svg|20px]] [[Georgia State Route 29|State Route 29]]
* [[File:Georgia 30.svg|20px]] [[Georgia State Route 30|State Route 30]]
* [[File:Georgia 56.svg|20px]] [[Georgia State Route 56|State Route 56]]
* [[File:Georgia 86.svg|20px]] [[Georgia State Route 86|State Route 86]]
* [[File:Georgia 130.svg|23px]] [[Georgia State Route 130|State Route 130]]
* [[File:Georgia 147.svg|23px]] [[Georgia State Route 147|State Route 147]]
* [[File:Georgia 152.svg|23px]] [[Georgia State Route 152|State Route 152]]
* [[File:Georgia 178.svg|23px]] [[Georgia State Route 178|State Route 178]]
* [[File:Georgia 292.svg|23px]] [[Georgia State Route 292|State Route 292]]
* [[File:Georgia 297.svg|23px]] [[Georgia State Route 297|State Route 297]]
* [[File:Georgia 298.svg|23px]] [[Georgia State Route 298|State Route 298]]
{{div col end}}

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Emanuel County, Georgia|Emanuel County]] (north)
* [[Tattnall County, Georgia|Tattnall County]] (east)
* [[Appling County, Georgia|Appling County]] (south)
* [[Jeff Davis County, Georgia|Jeff Davis County]] (southwest)
* [[Montgomery County, Georgia|Montgomery County]] (west)
* [[Treutlen County, Georgia|Treutlen County]] (northwest)
* [[Candler County, Georgia|Candler County]] (northeast)

==Communities==

===Cities===
* [[Lyons, Georgia|Lyons]]
* [[Santa Claus, Georgia|Santa Claus]]
* [[Vidalia, Georgia|Vidalia]]

===Census-designated place===
* [[Ohoopee, Georgia|Ohoopee]]

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 11206
|1920= 13897
|1930= 17165
|1940= 16952
|1950= 17382
|1960= 16837
|1970= 19151
|1980= 22592
|1990= 24072
|2000= 26067
|2010= 27223
|2020= 27030
|estyear=2023
|estimate=27040
|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/13/13279.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 26, 2014|archive-date=December 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208101050/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/13/13279.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+Toombs County racial composition as of 2020<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US13279&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 18, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
|16,007
|59.22%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
|6,980
|25.82%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|31
|0.11%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|207
|0.77%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
|6
|0.02%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|755
|2.79%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|3,044
|11.26%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 27,030 people, 10,030 households, and 6,537 families residing in the county.

==Government==
Toombs County is governed by a five-member Board of Commissioners, headed by David Sikes, the chairman. It is also governed by Alvie Kight Jr., who has been Sheriff since 1997.

===Politics===
{{PresHead|place=Toombs County, Georgia|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 22, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|8,208|2,674|30|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|7,873|2,938|103|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|6,615|2,338|185|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|6,524|2,746|87|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|6,658|2,964|82|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|6,196|2,567|57|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|4,487|2,643|80|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|3,646|2,763|628|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|3,609|2,648|1,233|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|4,433|1,152|34|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|4,470|2,385|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|2,835|3,255|107|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|2,126|4,047|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|4,080|675|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1968|American Independent|1,397|896|3,405|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1964|Republican|3,543|1,685|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|1,038|2,209|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|565|2,397|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|723|2,641|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|193|1,161|662|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|237|1,825|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|134|1,061|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|78|1,001|4|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|54|1,868|14|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|551|615|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|32|314|32|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|246|397|0|Georgia}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|33|425|86|Georgia}}
{{PresFoot|1912|Democratic|20|327|75|Georgia}}

== Notable people ==
* [[Mel Blount]] (football hall of famer and founder of [[Mel Blount Youth Home]])
* [[Nick Eason]] (former NFL player and current NFL assistant defensive line coach)
* [[Craig Campbell (singer)|Craig Campbell]] (country music singer)
* [[Fred Stokes]] (former pro football player)
* [[Travares Tillman]] (professional football player)
* [[Don Collins (baseball)|Don Collins]] (former professional baseball player)
* [[Paul Claxton]] (PGA tour professional golfer)
* [[Wally Moses]] (former professional baseball player)
* [[Algur H. Meadows]] (oilman, businessman)
* [[Iris Blitch]] (politician)
* [[Carl Simpson]] (former professional baseball player)
* [[Don Harris (journalist)|Don Harris]] (journalist killed during Jonestown Massacre)
* [[Ben Utt]] (professional football player)
* [[Paul Anderson (weightlifter)|Paul Anderson]] (strongest man)

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

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*  [http://www.legis.ga.gov/en-US/default.aspx Welcome to the Georgia General Assembly] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703173413/http://www.legis.ga.gov/en-US/default.aspx |date=July 3, 2013 }}. Home page. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
*  [http://www.toombscosheriffsoffice.com/ Toombs County Sheriff's Office]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Toombs County, Georgia
|North     = [[Emanuel County, Georgia|Emanuel County]]
|Northeast =
|East      = [[Tattnall County, Georgia|Tattnall County]]
|Southeast =
|South     = [[Appling County, Georgia|Appling County]]
|Southwest = [[Jeff Davis County, Georgia|Jeff Davis County]]
|West      = [[Montgomery County, Georgia|Montgomery County]]
|Northwest =
}}
{{Toombs County, Georgia}}
{{Georgia (U.S. state)}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|32.12|-82.34|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-GA_source:UScensus1990}}

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