Oconee County, Georgia | |
|---|---|
 Oconee County Courthouse in Watkinsville | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofGeorgia | |
 Georgia's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:33°50′N83°26′W / 33.84°N 83.44°W /33.84; -83.44 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Georgia |
| Founded | February 24, 1875; 150 years ago (1875-02-24) |
| Named after | Oconee River |
| Seat | Watkinsville |
| Largest town | Watkinsville |
| Area | |
• Total | 186 sq mi (480 km2) |
| • Land | 184 sq mi (480 km2) |
| • Water | 2.1 sq mi (5.4 km2) 1.1% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 41,799 |
| • Density | 227/sq mi (88/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 10th |
| Website | www |
Oconee County is acounty located in theEast Central region of theU.S. state ofGeorgia. As of the2020 census, the population was 41,799.[1] Thecounty seat isWatkinsville.[2]
Oconee County is included in theAthens-Clarke County metropolitan area.
The county's name derives from theOconee, aMuskogean people of central Georgia. The name exists in several variations, including Ocone, Oconi, Ocony, and Ekwoni.[3] Oconee County was created from the southwestern part ofClarke County in 1875 by the Georgia General Assembly. The new county was created to satisfy southwesternClarke County residents' demand for their own county after the county seat was moved fromWatkinsville toAthens by the General Assembly in 1872. It is named for the river flowing along part of its eastern border.[4]
The county was ranked as the third-best rural county to live in byProgressive Farmer magazine in 2006.[5]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 186 square miles (480 km2), of which 184 square miles (480 km2) is land and 2.1 square miles (5.4 km2) (1.1%) is water.[6] The county is located in thePiedmont region of the state.
The entirety of Oconee County is located in the UpperOconee River sub-basin of theAltamaha River basin.[7]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 6,351 | — | |
| 1890 | 7,713 | 21.4% | |
| 1900 | 8,602 | 11.5% | |
| 1910 | 11,104 | 29.1% | |
| 1920 | 11,067 | −0.3% | |
| 1930 | 8,082 | −27.0% | |
| 1940 | 7,576 | −6.3% | |
| 1950 | 7,009 | −7.5% | |
| 1960 | 6,304 | −10.1% | |
| 1970 | 7,915 | 25.6% | |
| 1980 | 12,427 | 57.0% | |
| 1990 | 17,618 | 41.8% | |
| 2000 | 26,225 | 48.9% | |
| 2010 | 32,666 | 24.6% | |
| 2020 | 41,799 | 28.0% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 44,751 | [8] | 7.1% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790-1880[10] 1890-1910[11] 1920-1930[12] 1930-1940[13] 1940-1950[14] 1960-1980[15] 1980-2000[16] 2010[17] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 33,886 | 81.07% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 1,897 | 4.54% |
| Native American | 31 | 0.07% |
| Asian | 2,066 | 4.94% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,572 | 3.76% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 2,347 | 5.61% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 41,799 people, 13,423 households, and 10,727 families residing in the county.
Oconee County is governed by a four-member board of commissioners, which holds legislative power. The board is led by a separately-elected chairman, who holds executive power. The board is vested with budget and taxing authority, ordinance-making authority, and control of county property, roads and facilities. The chairman and all members of the board are elected fromat-large districts (called "posts") to staggered terms of four years.[19]
The chairman of the board is the county's chief executive officer who, in consultation with the commissioners, appoints officers and staff as needed to administer the responsibilities of the board.
The current members of the Board are:[19]
The judicial branch of government is administered through theGeorgia court system as a part of the 10th Judicial District, Western Circuit.[20]
Primary law enforcement services in the portion of the county outside theCity of Watkinsville are provided by the sheriff's office. (Law enforcement within the Watkinsville City Limits is the jurisdiction of the Watkinsville Police Department.)[21] The office of Sheriff is an elected position; since 2020, the office has been held by James Hale.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 1 | 0.26% | 208 | 53.47% | 180 | 46.27% |
| 1916 | 0 | 0.00% | 497 | 74.96% | 166 | 25.04% |
| 1920 | 108 | 24.05% | 341 | 75.95% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 46 | 11.89% | 279 | 72.09% | 62 | 16.02% |
| 1928 | 300 | 46.58% | 344 | 53.42% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 39 | 5.43% | 664 | 92.48% | 15 | 2.09% |
| 1936 | 173 | 26.25% | 483 | 73.29% | 3 | 0.46% |
| 1940 | 177 | 21.66% | 635 | 77.72% | 5 | 0.61% |
| 1944 | 195 | 25.49% | 570 | 74.51% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 94 | 10.05% | 579 | 61.93% | 262 | 28.02% |
| 1952 | 337 | 22.19% | 1,182 | 77.81% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 314 | 21.36% | 1,156 | 78.64% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 297 | 19.60% | 1,218 | 80.40% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 1,241 | 53.63% | 1,073 | 46.37% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 713 | 28.16% | 414 | 16.35% | 1,405 | 55.49% |
| 1972 | 2,029 | 81.39% | 464 | 18.61% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 1,184 | 34.70% | 2,228 | 65.30% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 2,065 | 47.29% | 2,141 | 49.03% | 161 | 3.69% |
| 1984 | 3,471 | 70.29% | 1,467 | 29.71% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1988 | 4,265 | 67.89% | 1,990 | 31.68% | 27 | 0.43% |
| 1992 | 4,125 | 51.08% | 2,745 | 33.99% | 1,206 | 14.93% |
| 1996 | 5,116 | 58.05% | 2,992 | 33.95% | 705 | 8.00% |
| 2000 | 7,611 | 68.15% | 3,184 | 28.51% | 373 | 3.34% |
| 2004 | 10,276 | 72.37% | 3,789 | 26.68% | 134 | 0.94% |
| 2008 | 12,120 | 70.57% | 4,825 | 28.09% | 229 | 1.33% |
| 2012 | 13,098 | 73.34% | 4,421 | 24.76% | 340 | 1.90% |
| 2016 | 13,425 | 65.96% | 5,581 | 27.42% | 1,347 | 6.62% |
| 2020 | 16,595 | 65.87% | 8,162 | 32.40% | 436 | 1.73% |
| 2024 | 18,424 | 67.31% | 8,620 | 31.49% | 326 | 1.19% |
TheOconee County School District provides education for grades pre-school to twelve and consists of six elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools.[23] The district has 361 full-time teachers and over 5,615 students.[24]
There are currently three private schools located in the county. They are:
TheUniversity of North Georgia maintains a satellite campus near Watkinsville. It was a Gainesville State College campus until the 2012 merger of Gainesville State College with North Georgia College and State University.[28]
TheCollege of Athens (CoA) is a private Christian college that was established in 2012 near Watkinsville. CoA currently offers certificates, undergraduate, and graduate degrees in nine various major areas.[29]
There is one weekly-published newspaper in Oconee County:The Oconee Enterprise.
Cox Media Group also operates a radio broadcast facility on Tower Place in northeast Oconee County. Four radio stations are operated from this facility:[30]
The city has limitedwalkability options available. However, since 2017 plans are being discussed to develop a multi-use trail network.[31]
Places adjacent to Oconee County, Georgia | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
Municipalities and communities ofOconee County, Georgia,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Towns |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
