Douglas, Georgia

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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<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> and the core city of the Douglas micropolitan statistical area, which had a population of 50,731 as of the 2010 census.<ref name=Micropop>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Douglas was founded in 1855 as the seat of the newly formed Coffee County.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

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.<ref>City of Douglas - A Georgia City of Excellence. Retrieved 13 May 2008. Template:Webarchive</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In the aftermath of the 2020 United States presidential election, Douglas gained national attention when the elections office for Coffee County was visited by lawyers for President Trump on the day after the January 6 incident at the US Capitol, after Coffee County elections officials were unable to certify results in a mandatory recount following a close win in the state by Joe Biden over President Trump.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In late September 2024, Douglas was in the direct path of Hurricane Helene, which resulted in widespread damage and power outages. A wind gust of Template:Convert was recorded in Douglas during the storm, with 80-85% of homes in Coffee County suffering damage.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

Douglas is located near the center of Coffee County at Template:Coord (31.507413, −82.850799).<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> It is Template:Convert driving distance northeast of Valdosta, Georgia, Template:Convert driving distance northwest of Jacksonville, Florida, and Template:Convert driving distance southeast of Atlanta.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Douglas has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert, or 4.08%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">Template:Cite web</ref> 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

Template:Weather box

Demographics

Template:US Census population

Douglas racial composition as of 2020<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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

File:Douglas Micropolitan Area.png

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<ref>MICROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS AND COMPONENTS Template:Webarchive, Office of Management and Budget, May 11, 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2008.</ref> and had a combined population of 50,731 at the 2010 census.<ref name=Micropop/>

Infrastructure

Highways

File:US 221.svg U.S. Route 221 (runs north–south)
File:US 441.svg U.S. Route 441 (runs north–south)
File:Georgia 31.svg Georgia State Route 31 (runs north–south)
File:Georgia 32.svg Georgia State Route 32 (runs east–west)
File:Georgia 135.svg Georgia State Route 135 (runs north–south)
File:Georgia 158.svg Georgia State Route 158 (runs east–west)
File:Georgia 206.svg 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.<ref>Public Utilities – Electric Template:Webarchive, City of Douglas – A Georgia City of Excellence. Copyright 2002-7. Retrieved February 17, 2009.</ref>
The Natural Gas Department, member of both Georgia & American Public Gas Association and the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia, provides gas to the area.<ref>Public Utilities – Natural Gas Template:Webarchive, City of Douglas – A Georgia City of Excellence. Copyright 2002-7. Retrieved February 17, 2009.</ref>
Water and sewer service is conducted by the city's Water Department.<ref>Public Utilities – Water Department Template:Webarchive, City of Douglas – A Georgia City of Excellence. Copyright 2002-7. Retrieved February 17, 2009.</ref>
The Public Works Department handles yard clippings, junk items, and animal control for the city.<ref>Public Utilities – Public Works Department Template:Webarchive, City of Douglas – A Georgia City of Excellence. Copyright 2002-7. Retrieved February 17, 2009.</ref>

Economy

File:Confederate soldier memorial, Douglas, GA, US.jpg

Confederate soldier memorial

Major employers

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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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.Template:Citation needed All three were recentlyTemplate:When named among "Georgia's Hidden Treasures" in a segment on WSB-TV.Template:Citation needed

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

Nearby, the Template:Convert General Coffee State Park draws more than 100,000 visitors a year and is the most popular tourist attraction in the area.Template: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.<ref>Georgia Board of Education Template:Dead link. Retrieved June 4, 2010.</ref> The district has 438 full-time teachers and over 8,000 students.<ref>School Stats. Retrieved June 4, 2010.</ref>

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