Cordele, Georgia | |
|---|---|
 Cordele City Hall | |
 Flag  Logo | |
| Nickname: Watermelon Capital of the World | |
| Motto: Gateway to South Georgia[1] | |
 Location of Cordele inGeorgia (left) and inCrisp County, Georgia (right) | |
| Coordinates:31°57′51″N83°46′38″W / 31.96417°N 83.77722°W /31.96417; -83.77722 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Crisp |
| Area | |
• Total | 10.51 sq mi (27.21 km2) |
| • Land | 10.42 sq mi (26.99 km2) |
| • Water | 0.085 sq mi (0.22 km2) |
| Elevation | 315 ft (96 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 10,220 |
| • Density | 980.6/sq mi (378.61/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 31010, 31015 |
| Area code | 229 |
| FIPS code | 13-19616[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0312971[4] |
| Website | www |
Cordele is a city in and thecounty seat ofCrisp County,Georgia.[6] The population was 11,165 at the2010 census,[7] and 10,220 in 2020.
Cordele calls itself thewatermelon capital of the world.[8]
Cordele was incorporated on January 1, 1888,[5] and named for Cordelia Hawkins, eldest daughter of Colonel Samuel Hawkins, the president of theSavannah, Americus and Montgomery Railway.[9]
In November 1864, the area that is now Cordele served as the temporary capital of Georgia. During the last days of theConfederacy, Georgia's war governorJoseph E. Brown used his rural farmhouse to escapeSherman's March to the Sea. During that time, the farmhouse, which Brown called "Dooly County Place," served as the official capital for only a few days. It was replaced in 1890 by the Suwanee Hotel, located in what became downtown Cordele. The hotel was destroyed by a fire in late 1994 and was rebuilt.
Cordele was founded in 1888 by J.E.D. Shipp ofAmericus. The town was located at the junction of two major railroads – the Savannah, Americus & Montgomery line, and theGeorgia Southern & Florida. As the railroads brought more people and business to the newly settled territory, Cordele experienced phenomenal growth. Before 1905 Cordele was located in southernDooly County, 9 miles (14 km) from the county seat inVienna.
With Cordele's continued progress, many in the community felt the need for a seat of government to be closer than Vienna. Crisp County was formed in 1905 by taking a portion of southern Dooly County, and Cordele became its county seat.
By 1915, Cordele was home to several industries including an ice-making plant, mills for processing cotton products into cloth and oil, a fertilizer factory, and other small manufacturing outfits.[10]
By August 1930, Cordele housed the Crisp County Hydroelectric System, the first county-owned electric system. Located on theFlint River, thehydroelectric plant continues to operate, and the resulting Lake Blackshear has attracted residents to its waterfront properties.
OnApril 2, 1936, a tornado struck Cordele, killing 23 people.
Cordele is located north of the center of Crisp County at31°57′51″N83°46′38″W / 31.96417°N 83.77722°W /31.96417; -83.77722 (31.964178, -83.777277).[11]U.S. Route 41 passes through the city as Seventh Street and leads north 9 miles (14 km) toVienna and south 20 miles (32 km) toAshburn.U.S. Route 280 (16th Avenue) crosses US 41 in the center of the city and leads east 29 miles (47 km) toAbbeville and west 31 miles (50 km) toAmericus.Interstate 75 passes through the east side of the city, with access from exits 99, 101, and 102, and leads 65 miles (105 km) north toMacon and 103 miles (166 km) south to theFlorida state line.State Route 300 leads from the south side of the city 37 miles (60 km) southwest toAlbany.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, Cordele has a total area of 10.2 square miles (26.5 km2), of which 10.2 square miles (26.3 km2) is land and 0.077 square miles (0.2 km2), or 0.82%, is water.[7]
Cordele has ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classificationCfa), with mild winters and hot, humid summers.
| Climate data for Cordele, Georgia (1991-2020 normals, extremes 1892–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 84 (29) | 85 (29) | 90 (32) | 96 (36) | 100 (38) | 106 (41) | 104 (40) | 104 (40) | 101 (38) | 99 (37) | 89 (32) | 83 (28) | 106 (41) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 59.1 (15.1) | 63.3 (17.4) | 70.7 (21.5) | 78.4 (25.8) | 85.9 (29.9) | 90.8 (32.7) | 93.0 (33.9) | 91.6 (33.1) | 87.0 (30.6) | 78.6 (25.9) | 68.6 (20.3) | 60.7 (15.9) | 77.3 (25.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 36.5 (2.5) | 39.5 (4.2) | 45.6 (7.6) | 53.0 (11.7) | 61.7 (16.5) | 69.2 (20.7) | 71.7 (22.1) | 70.9 (21.6) | 65.6 (18.7) | 54.5 (12.5) | 43.8 (6.6) | 38.7 (3.7) | 54.2 (12.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −3 (−19) | 9 (−13) | 15 (−9) | 30 (−1) | 36 (2) | 45 (7) | 57 (14) | 56 (13) | 37 (3) | 27 (−3) | 9 (−13) | 8 (−13) | −3 (−19) |
| Average rainfall inches (mm) | 4.67 (119) | 4.33 (110) | 4.88 (124) | 4.39 (112) | 2.98 (76) | 4.86 (123) | 4.54 (115) | 4.09 (104) | 4.54 (115) | 2.61 (66) | 3.20 (81) | 5.04 (128) | 50.13 (1,273) |
| Source:NOAA[12] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 1,578 | — | |
| 1900 | 3,473 | 120.1% | |
| 1910 | 5,883 | 69.4% | |
| 1920 | 6,538 | 11.1% | |
| 1930 | 6,880 | 5.2% | |
| 1940 | 7,929 | 15.2% | |
| 1950 | 9,462 | 19.3% | |
| 1960 | 10,609 | 12.1% | |
| 1970 | 10,733 | 1.2% | |
| 1980 | 11,184 | 4.2% | |
| 1990 | 10,321 | −7.7% | |
| 2000 | 11,608 | 12.5% | |
| 2010 | 11,147 | −4.0% | |
| 2020 | 10,220 | −8.3% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 9,868 | [13] | −3.4% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[14] 1850-1870[15] 1870-1880[16] 1890-1910[17] 1920-1930[18] 1940[19] 1950[20] 1960[21] 1970[22] 1980[23] 1990[24] 2000[25] 2010[26] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 2,601 | 25.45% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 6,816 | 66.69% |
| Native American | 6 | 0.06% |
| Asian | 156 | 1.53% |
| Pacific Islander | 4 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 304 | 2.97% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 333 | 3.26% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 10,220 people, 3,874 households, and 2,453 families residing in the city.
Cordele has the distinction of being one of the highest rated cities or towns with regards to crime, with a Total Crime Index of 1, making it safer than only 1% of US cities.[28] One's chance of becoming a victim of any crime here is one in fifteen in any given year.[citation needed]
Five citizens of Cordele are elected to serve as the City Commissioners.
The current Cordele City Commissioners are:Jeanie Bartee,Wesley Rainey,Royce Reeves,Vesta Beal Shephard, andChairman John Wiggins[29]
In theGeorgia State Senate, the City of Cordele is represented by Sen.Carden Summers.[30]In theGeorgia House of Representatives, the City of Cordele is represented by Rep.Noel Williams Jr.
In theUnited States House of Representatives, the City of Cordele is represented by Rep.Sanford Bishop.
To the west of Cordele town centre and located on Route 280 is the largeGeorgia Veterans State Park, which lies on the eastern edge of Lake Blackshear. This facility includes campgrounds, a resort hotel, and a golf course. There are also interesting displays of preserved military aircraft and helicopters and army tanks and other fighting vehicles. These displays are open to public viewing during daylight hours[31]
Cordele hosts an annual Watermelon Festival each June.[32]
In 1968 aTitan I missile was erected by the Rotary Club of Cordele at the intersection of I-75 and U.S. 280 East.[33]
Cordele is home toCordele Motor Speedway formerly known as Crisp Motorsports Park, a 3/8-mile asphalt oval. It is home to the race series known as Speed Fest, which is sanctioned by theUARA National Tour. The series features four 125-lap races for theUARA National Tour. The track also hosts the World Crown 300 for UARA.
TheCrisp County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of four elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school.[34] The district has 266 full-time teachers and over 4,337 students.[35]
Interstate 75 / SR 401
U.S. Route 41 /
State Route 7
U.S. Route 280 /
State Route 30
State Route 33
State Route 90
State Route 257
State Route 300 (Georgia-Florida Parkway)The Cordele Inland Port is operated by a private company, Cordele Intermodal Services, which offers rail service via theHeart of Georgia Railroad andGeorgia Central Railroad, from their rail ramp in Cordele to theGeorgia Ports Authority inSavannah. Two class I railroadsCSX andNorfolk Southern pass through Cordele. Shortline Railroad, Heart of Georgia currently interchanges with CSX in downtown Cordele.
Municipalities and communities ofCrisp County, Georgia,United States | ||
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| Other unincorporated communities | ||
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