Chatham County, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Chatham County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Georgia
. The county seat
and largest city is Savannah
. In the official US Census of 2010, Chatham County had a total population of 265,128 (a 14 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 232,048). Chatham is the most populous Georgia county outside the Atlanta metropolitan area. One of the original counties of Georgia, Chatham County was created February 5, 1777, and is named for William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
.
Chatham County is one of three counties that constitute the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area.
. It is bounded on the northeast by the Savannah River
.
The racial makeup of the county was 55.28% White, 40.50% Black, 2.33% Hispanic, 0.25% Native American, 1.73% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, and 0.89% other. The age of the population was spread out with 25.00% under the age of 18, 11.20% from 18 to 24, 29.50% from 25 to 44, 21.40% from 45 to 64, and 12.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years old.
The median income per household was $37,752, and the median income for a family was $46,125. Males had a median income of $35,132 versus $24,686 for females. Chatham County residence’s per capita income was $21,152. Estimates show 11.80% of families and 15.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.10% of those under age 18 and 11.50% of those ages 65 or older.
. The Chatham County Sheriff's Office is the enforcement arm of the county court system and operates the county jail. The SCMPD was formed on January 1, 2005 when the separate Savannah Police Department and Chatham County Police merged.
, a Georgia Department of Corrections state prison, is located in Savannah
, near Garden City
.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. The county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
and largest city is Savannah
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
. In the official US Census of 2010, Chatham County had a total population of 265,128 (a 14 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 232,048). Chatham is the most populous Georgia county outside the Atlanta metropolitan area. One of the original counties of Georgia, Chatham County was created February 5, 1777, and is named for William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham PC was a British Whig statesman who led Britain during the Seven Years' War...
.
Chatham County is one of three counties that constitute the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 632.28 square miles (1,637.6 km²), of which 438.11 square miles (1,134.7 km²) (or 69.29%) is land and 194.17 square miles (502.9 km²) (or 30.71%) is water.Geographic features
Chatham County is the northernmost of Georgia's coastal counties on the Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. It is bounded on the northeast by the Savannah River
Savannah River
The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the northernmost part of the border...
.
Major highways
- Interstate 16Interstate 16Interstate 16 , also known as Jim Gillis Historic Savannah Parkway or State Route 404 , is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the state of Georgia, United States...
- Interstate 95Interstate 95 in GeorgiaInterstate 95, the main Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States, serves the Atlantic coast of Georgia. It begins at the St. Marys River at the Florida state line north of Jacksonville and heads north past the border of South Carolina at the Savannah River...
- Interstate 516Interstate 516Interstate 516 is a 6.49-mile long auxiliary Interstate Highway near the southeastern, coastal Georgia city of Savannah as a spur route of Interstate 16. I-516 was formerly signed State Route 21 and even early as State Route 26 Loop...
U.S. Route 17U.S. Route 17 in GeorgiaU.S. Route 17 in Georgia runs north–south near the Atlantic Ocean, serving Brunswick and Savannah on its path from Florida at the St. Marys River to South Carolina at the Savannah River...
U.S. Route 80U.S. Route 80U.S. Route 80 is an east–west United States highway, much of which was once part of the early auto trail known as the Dixie Overland Highway. As the "0" in the route number indicates, it was originally a cross-country route, from the Atlantic to the Pacific...
State Route 17
State Route 21
State Route 25
State Route 26
State Route 204
Adjacent counties
- Jasper County, South CarolinaSouth CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
– northeast - Bryan CountyBryan County, GeorgiaBryan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 23,417. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 30,132...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
– west - Effingham CountyEffingham County, GeorgiaEffingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. In the United States Census of 2000, the population was 37,535. The Census Bureau's 2008 estimate estimates that this figure has grown to 52,060. The seat of Effingham County is Springfield....
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
– northwest
National protected areas
- Fort Pulaski National MonumentFort Pulaski National MonumentFort Pulaski National Monument is located between Savannah and Tybee Island, Georgia. It preserves Fort Pulaski, notable as the place where, during the American Civil War, in 1862, the Union Army successfully tested a rifled cannon. The success of the test rendered brick fortifications obsolete....
- Savannah National Wildlife RefugeSavannah National Wildlife RefugeThe Savannah National Wildlife Refuge is a 29,175 acre National Wildlife Refuge located in Chatham and Effingham counties in Georgia and Jasper County in South Carolina. Of the total area, is in Georgia and is in South Carolina...
(part) - Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge
Demographics
Per the 2000 census, Chatham County’s total population was 232,048 people, comprising 89,865 households, and 59,400 families. The population density was 530 people per square mile. There were 99,683 housing units at an average density of 228 per square mile.The racial makeup of the county was 55.28% White, 40.50% Black, 2.33% Hispanic, 0.25% Native American, 1.73% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, and 0.89% other. The age of the population was spread out with 25.00% under the age of 18, 11.20% from 18 to 24, 29.50% from 25 to 44, 21.40% from 45 to 64, and 12.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years old.
The median income per household was $37,752, and the median income for a family was $46,125. Males had a median income of $35,132 versus $24,686 for females. Chatham County residence’s per capita income was $21,152. Estimates show 11.80% of families and 15.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.10% of those under age 18 and 11.50% of those ages 65 or older.
Public Safety
Chatham County is primarily policed by the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department (SCMPD) and the Georgia State PatrolGeorgia State Patrol
The Georgia State Patrol is the highway patrol agency for the U.S. state of Georgia. The GSP has statewide jurisdiction with the exception of federal military installations...
. The Chatham County Sheriff's Office is the enforcement arm of the county court system and operates the county jail. The SCMPD was formed on January 1, 2005 when the separate Savannah Police Department and Chatham County Police merged.
Government and infrastructure
The Coastal State PrisonCoastal State Prison
Coastal State Prison is a Georgia Department of Corrections state prison located in Savannah, near Garden City. The facility houses Adult Male Felons, the capacity is 1580. It was constructed 1981 and opened in the same year...
, a Georgia Department of Corrections state prison, is located in Savannah
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, near Garden City
Garden City, Georgia
Garden City is a city in Chatham County, Georgia, United States. It lies along the Savannah River just northwest of Savannah. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 8,778...
.
Cities
- BloomingdaleBloomingdale, GeorgiaBloomingdale is a city in Chatham County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,713 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Bloomingdale is located at ....
- Garden CityGarden City, GeorgiaGarden City is a city in Chatham County, Georgia, United States. It lies along the Savannah River just northwest of Savannah. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 8,778...
- PoolerPooler, GeorgiaPooler is a city in Chatham County, Georgia, United States. According to 2010 US Census, the population was 19,140, a threefold increase over the 2000 count of 6,239...
- Port WentworthPort Wentworth, GeorgiaPort Wentworth is a city in Chatham County, Georgia, USA. The population was 5,359 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Port Wentworth is located at...
- SavannahSavannah, GeorgiaSavannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
- Tybee IslandTybee Island, GeorgiaTybee Island is an island and city in Chatham County, Georgia near the city of Savannah in the southeastern United States. It is the easternmost point in the state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,990. Tybee Island is an island and city in Chatham County, Georgia near...
Census-designated places
- GeorgetownGeorgetown, Chatham County, GeorgiaGeorgetown is a census-designated place in Chatham County, Georgia, United States. The population was 11,823 at the 2010 census. Georgetown lies across the Forest River from Savannah, Georgia, and is a suburban "bedroom community" of Savannah, where most of its adult residents work...
- Isle of HopeIsle of Hope, GeorgiaIsle of Hope is a census-designated place in Chatham County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area, and at the 2010 census, its population was 2,402...
- MontgomeryMontgomery, GeorgiaMontgomery is a census-designated place in Chatham County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,134 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Montgomery is located at ....
- Skidaway IslandSkidaway Island, GeorgiaSkidaway Island is a census-designated place in Chatham County, Georgia, United States. The population was 8,341 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is one of the most affluent communities in the state...
- Whitemarsh IslandWhitemarsh Island, GeorgiaWhitemarsh Island is a census-designated place in Chatham County, Georgia, United States. The population was 6,792 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area...
- Wilmington IslandWilmington Island, GeorgiaWilmington Island is a census-designated place in Chatham County, Georgia, United States. The population was 15,138 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The communities of Wilmington Island form a large and affluent suburb of Savannah, where most residents...