Douglas County, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Douglas County, Georgia has been experiencing numerous natural disasters over the most recent decades. Being located in the South Eastern United States the county experiences strong storms and tornadoes often because of its location in Dixie Alley
.
A tornado
touched down in the city of Douglasville on March 7, 2008 damaging many homes and ripping one home in half in the Brookmont subdivision on Chapel Hill Road. Arbor Place Mall
also reported broken windows from the storm. The tornado also damaged the Chapel Hill Kroger
grocery store and threw a heavy air conditioning
unit onto cars below. There was only one injury reported from the storm.
Another tornado touched down in Douglas County on May 11, 2008, known as the "Mother's Day
Tornado". The EF2 tornado caused damage all over the county. The tornado touched down in the Fairplay area and moved through the rest of the county. The tornado packing wind speeds up to 110 mi/h downed many trees and damaged many homes in the county. A gas station in Douglasville was destroyed by the storm, with the large roof being thrown onto the street. No injuries or deaths were reported. The governor of Georgia declared a state of emergency
for Douglas County and many other counties in the state on May 12, 2008. This is the first time in history that two tornados have touched down in Douglas County in the same year.
The county has suffered through numerous ice storms throughout the years. The ice storms bring everything to a stand still in the area due to the lack of equipment to deal with the problem and drastic amounts of power outages. Some of the worst ice storms were in 1938, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2005, and 2010.
In 2007 the county suffered one of the worst droughts in the areas history, causing a complete watering ban and resulting in the largest wildfire in Georgia history. The fire was located in south east Georgia, but it still affected the county with smoke often through the life of the fire.
In 2005 Hurricane Katrina's remnants tore through the area spawning tornadoes, causing wind damage, and flooding rains. Katrina killed 2 people in Georgia
Sunday night on January 9, 2011, Right after Douglasville's first white Christmas in decades, a snowstorm developed over Douglas County and caused as much as 8 inches of snow in the area. The storm closed grocery stores, the courthouse, and arbor place mall until that Wednesday January 12. Schools were closed the entire second week of January.
The Storm of the Century (1993) in March 1993 brought 17 inches to Douglasville, with drifts measuring several feet.
On September 21, 2009 Douglas County was devastated by the worst flood in Georgia history. Over 18 inches of rain fell in one night causing many roads to be destroyed and many homes a total loss. The county was later declared a disaster area
, and the governor of Georgia declared a state of emergency. The floodings worst affected areas were in the areas of Douglasville, Villa Rica, Austell, Lithia Springs, and Chapel Hill. The disaster killed more than eight people in the county, most of them in the Douglasville area. The Austell death toll was also high but it was reported in the Cobb County losses.
of 2010, there were 132,403 people, 42,423 households, and 24,911 families residing in the county. The population density
was 662 people per square mile. There were 51,672 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 52.5% White
, 39.5% Black
or African American
, 0.3% Native American
, 1.4% Asian
and 2.4% from two or more races. 8.4% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 32,822 households out of which 38.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.90% were married couples
living together, 12.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.10% were non-families. 18.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the county the population was spread out with 27.60% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 33.50% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 7.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 96.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $50,798, and the median income for a family was $54,082. Males had a median income of $38,204 versus $28,475 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $21,172. About 5.70% of families and 7.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.90% of those under age 18 and 7.50% of those age 65 or over.
Other parks in the county include:
The county courthouse was constructed in 1997-98 and opened in 1998 after the county services needed a new courthouse for the ever growing and changing county. The services prior to the opening were scattered all over downtown Douglasville in 7-8 offices. The old Douglas County courthouse, built in 1956, remains in downtown and is now used as a museum and a satellite school for the University of West Georgia
.
Douglas County is governed by the Douglas County Board of Commissions and its Chairman, Tom Worthan (R), elected in 2004. The remaining commissioners are representatives from Douglas County's four districts.
is handled by the Douglas County Sheriffs Department, run by Sheriff Phil Miller elected in 2000. Inside Douglasville city limits, law enforcement is handled by the Douglasville Police Department under Chief Chris Womack.
, it operates 19 Elementary Schools, 7 Middle Schools, 5 High Schools, Crossroads Night school, A Performance Learning Center and numerous private academies.
Douglas County is also home to a campus for the West Georgia Technical College
, (formerly West Central Technical College), whose main campus is located in Waco, Georgia
. The school serves those seeking higher education
in technical fields, as well as adult education
and GED
classes in Douglas County. The county also is home to Tanner Technical Institute, Strayer University
, and Georgia Highlands College.
that serves the Douglas County area is the Douglas County Sentinel, a paper that circulates daily except Monday, with its largest publication on Sunday. The paper has been in circulation since 1902.
The county also has a secondary paper that circulates on Wednesday, the Douglas Neighbor, a paper that is run by the publisher of the Marietta Daily Journal
. This paper is delivered free of charge, supported by advertising.
The county also has a monthly magazine called Chapel Hill News & Views that delivers to 38,000 homes and businesses ranging from Villa Rica to Lithia Springs and everywhere in between. It also includes a local yellow pages
.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also serves readers of Douglas County, seven days a week, with its largest paper on Sunday.
Local Television celebrity, Bryan Allen, is well known for his weekly Fantasy Football prognostications and was celebrated as the FFL Champion in 2001 in a landslide victory over Landon Scott.
Douglas County is served by the Atlanta television market, but has a small information TV channel on cable, DCTV 23. The station broadcasts board meetings and special events, classified job listings, and three original shows: Gesundheit, Douglas County Living, and Insights.
Dixie Alley
Dixie Alley is a nickname sometimes given to areas of the southern United States that are particularly vulnerable to strong or violent tornadoes...
.
A tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
touched down in the city of Douglasville on March 7, 2008 damaging many homes and ripping one home in half in the Brookmont subdivision on Chapel Hill Road. Arbor Place Mall
Arbor Place Mall
Arbor Place Mall, the only regional mall directly serving the growing western suburbs of Atlanta, is located in Douglasville, Georgia, in Douglas County. Opened in October 1999, the mall was originally to be anchored by Dillard's, Parisian, Sears, and Upton's...
also reported broken windows from the storm. The tornado also damaged the Chapel Hill Kroger
Kroger
The Kroger Co. is an American supermarket chain founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It reported US$ 76.7 billion in sales during fiscal year 2009. It is the country's largest grocery store chain and its second-largest grocery retailer by volume and second-place general retailer...
grocery store and threw a heavy air conditioning
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
unit onto cars below. There was only one injury reported from the storm.
Another tornado touched down in Douglas County on May 11, 2008, known as the "Mother's Day
Mother's Day
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring mothers and celebrating motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, yet most commonly in March, April, or May...
Tornado". The EF2 tornado caused damage all over the county. The tornado touched down in the Fairplay area and moved through the rest of the county. The tornado packing wind speeds up to 110 mi/h downed many trees and damaged many homes in the county. A gas station in Douglasville was destroyed by the storm, with the large roof being thrown onto the street. No injuries or deaths were reported. The governor of Georgia declared a state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
for Douglas County and many other counties in the state on May 12, 2008. This is the first time in history that two tornados have touched down in Douglas County in the same year.
The county has suffered through numerous ice storms throughout the years. The ice storms bring everything to a stand still in the area due to the lack of equipment to deal with the problem and drastic amounts of power outages. Some of the worst ice storms were in 1938, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2005, and 2010.
In 2007 the county suffered one of the worst droughts in the areas history, causing a complete watering ban and resulting in the largest wildfire in Georgia history. The fire was located in south east Georgia, but it still affected the county with smoke often through the life of the fire.
In 2005 Hurricane Katrina's remnants tore through the area spawning tornadoes, causing wind damage, and flooding rains. Katrina killed 2 people in Georgia
Sunday night on January 9, 2011, Right after Douglasville's first white Christmas in decades, a snowstorm developed over Douglas County and caused as much as 8 inches of snow in the area. The storm closed grocery stores, the courthouse, and arbor place mall until that Wednesday January 12. Schools were closed the entire second week of January.
The Storm of the Century (1993) in March 1993 brought 17 inches to Douglasville, with drifts measuring several feet.
On September 21, 2009 Douglas County was devastated by the worst flood in Georgia history. Over 18 inches of rain fell in one night causing many roads to be destroyed and many homes a total loss. The county was later declared a disaster area
Disaster area
A disaster area is a region or a locale heavily damaged by either natural hazards, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, technological hazards including nuclear and radiation accidents, or sociological hazards like riots, terrorism or war. The population living there often...
, and the governor of Georgia declared a state of emergency. The floodings worst affected areas were in the areas of Douglasville, Villa Rica, Austell, Lithia Springs, and Chapel Hill. The disaster killed more than eight people in the county, most of them in the Douglasville area. The Austell death toll was also high but it was reported in the Cobb County losses.
Adjacent counties
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2010, there were 132,403 people, 42,423 households, and 24,911 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 662 people per square mile. There were 51,672 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 52.5% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 39.5% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.3% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.4% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
and 2.4% from two or more races. 8.4% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 32,822 households out of which 38.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.90% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.10% were non-families. 18.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the county the population was spread out with 27.60% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 33.50% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 7.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 96.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $50,798, and the median income for a family was $54,082. Males had a median income of $38,204 versus $28,475 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $21,172. About 5.70% of families and 7.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.90% of those under age 18 and 7.50% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Per Capita Income Growth for Douglas County| Year | Income | Increase |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | $19,189 | - |
| 1995 | $20,320 | 5.894% |
| 1997 | $22,386 | 10.17% |
| 1998 | $23,201 | 3.641% |
| 1999 | $24,457 | 5.414% |
| 2000 | $26,272 | 7.421% |
| 2001 | $26,455 | 0.6966% |
| 2002 | $26,191 | -0.9979% |
| 2003 | $26,048 | -0.546% |
| 2004 | $26,687 | 2.453% |
Parks & Recreation
- Sweetwater Creek State ParkSweetwater Creek State ParkSweetwater Creek State Park is a 2,549 acre Georgia state park located east of Douglasville in Douglas County, from downtown Atlanta. The park is named after Sweetwater Creek which runs through the park...
is host to the ruins of a Civil War-era mill destroyedAtlanta CampaignThe Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
in General Sherman'sWilliam Tecumseh ShermanWilliam Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
campaign through GeorgiaSherman's March to the SeaSherman's March to the Sea is the name commonly given to the Savannah Campaign conducted around Georgia from November 15, 1864 to December 21, 1864 by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army in the American Civil War...
. - Hunter Park is located within the city limits of Douglasville, and it is home to the majority of the sports events held in Douglas County. It's home to the Douglas County Boys and Girls Club.
- Deer Lick Park is located in the northeast corner of the county and is the third-largest park in the county. It is also home to sporting events.
- Woodrow Wilson Park and Lithia Springs Girls Ball Field are located in Lithia Springs next to Sweetwater Creek. The ballfield has flooded during heavy rain storms.
- Boundary Waters Aquatic Center opened in July 2005 in the southeastern section of the County, and it is home to the Douglas County swim team, the Stingrays. The Center also provides aquatic therapy and swim lessons to the county's citizens for a low fee. Residents outside the county can use the center as well for a slightly higher fee.
Other parks in the county include:
- Post Road Park
- Clinton Nature Preserve
- Bill Arp Park
- Fairplay Park
- Winston Park
- Mount Carmel Ball Field
- Dog River Park/Reservoir
Government
Most government offices in the county are located at the Douglas County Courthouse complex, about 1 miles (1.6 km) south of the downtown area of Douglasville. The exception is the Douglas County Board of Education and the Douglas County Chamber of Commerce, the former located outside of Douglasville next to Hunter Park, the latter located in downtown Douglasville.The county courthouse was constructed in 1997-98 and opened in 1998 after the county services needed a new courthouse for the ever growing and changing county. The services prior to the opening were scattered all over downtown Douglasville in 7-8 offices. The old Douglas County courthouse, built in 1956, remains in downtown and is now used as a museum and a satellite school for the University of West Georgia
University of West Georgia
The University of West Georgia is a comprehensive doctoral-granting university in Carrollton, Georgia, approximately 45 miles west of Atlanta, Georgia. The University is built on 645 acres including a recent land gift of 246 acres from the city of Carrollton in 2003...
.
Douglas County is governed by the Douglas County Board of Commissions and its Chairman, Tom Worthan (R), elected in 2004. The remaining commissioners are representatives from Douglas County's four districts.
Law enforcement
Douglas County law enforcementLaw enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
is handled by the Douglas County Sheriffs Department, run by Sheriff Phil Miller elected in 2000. Inside Douglasville city limits, law enforcement is handled by the Douglasville Police Department under Chief Chris Womack.
Education
Douglas County is served by the Douglas County School System, the seventeenth largest public school district in Georgia. Based in DouglasvilleDouglasville, Georgia
The city of Douglasville is the county seat of Douglas County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 30,961...
, it operates 19 Elementary Schools, 7 Middle Schools, 5 High Schools, Crossroads Night school, A Performance Learning Center and numerous private academies.
Douglas County is also home to a campus for the West Georgia Technical College
West Georgia Technical College
West Georgia Technical College is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia providing education for a seven-county service area that includes Carroll, Coweta, Douglas, Haralson, Heard, Meriwether, and Troup...
, (formerly West Central Technical College), whose main campus is located in Waco, Georgia
Waco, Georgia
Waco is a city in Haralson County, Georgia, United States. The population was 469 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Waco is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
. The school serves those seeking higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
in technical fields, as well as adult education
Adult education
Adult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults. Adult education takes place in the workplace, through 'extension' school or 'school of continuing education' . Other learning places include folk high schools, community colleges, and lifelong learning centers...
and GED
GED
General Educational Development tests are a group of five subject tests which, when passed, certify that the taker has American or Canadian high school-level academic skills...
classes in Douglas County. The county also is home to Tanner Technical Institute, Strayer University
Strayer University
Strayer University, formerly Strayer College of Baltimore, Maryland, is a private, for-profit educational institution. The Strayer University campuses are owned by Strayer Education, Inc. , headquartered in Herndon, Virginia....
, and Georgia Highlands College.
Media
The newspaperNewspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
that serves the Douglas County area is the Douglas County Sentinel, a paper that circulates daily except Monday, with its largest publication on Sunday. The paper has been in circulation since 1902.
The county also has a secondary paper that circulates on Wednesday, the Douglas Neighbor, a paper that is run by the publisher of the Marietta Daily Journal
Marietta Daily Journal
The Marietta Daily Journal is a daily newspaper published in Marietta, Georgia. It has a daily paid circulation of approximately 17,000 copies, and covers local, national and international news...
. This paper is delivered free of charge, supported by advertising.
The county also has a monthly magazine called Chapel Hill News & Views that delivers to 38,000 homes and businesses ranging from Villa Rica to Lithia Springs and everywhere in between. It also includes a local yellow pages
Yellow Pages
Yellow Pages refers to a telephone directory of businesses, organized by category, rather than alphabetically by business name and in which advertising is sold. As the name suggests, such directories were originally printed on yellow paper, as opposed to white pages for non-commercial listings...
.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also serves readers of Douglas County, seven days a week, with its largest paper on Sunday.
Local Television celebrity, Bryan Allen, is well known for his weekly Fantasy Football prognostications and was celebrated as the FFL Champion in 2001 in a landslide victory over Landon Scott.
Douglas County is served by the Atlanta television market, but has a small information TV channel on cable, DCTV 23. The station broadcasts board meetings and special events, classified job listings, and three original shows: Gesundheit, Douglas County Living, and Insights.
Transportation
Interstate 20Interstate 20Interstate 20 is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I‑20 runs 1,535 miles from near Kent, Texas, at Interstate 10 to Florence, South Carolina, at Interstate 95...
U.S. Route 78U.S. Route 78U.S. Highway 78 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 715 miles from Memphis, Tennessee, to Charleston, South Carolina. Between Memphis and Birmingham, Alabama, it is being upgraded to become Interstate 22....
U.S. Route 278U.S. Route 278U.S. Route 278 is a parallel route of U.S. Route 78. It currently runs for 1,074 miles from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina to Wickes, Arkansas at U.S. Highway 71/U.S. Highway 59. It might be notable that it is longer than its parent highway, US Hwy-78. US Hwy-278 passes through the states of...
State Route 92
State Route 5
Georgia State Route 166Georgia State Route 166State Route 166 starts at the Alabama line west of Carrollton in Carroll County. It goes around Carrollton on a by-pass route constructed in the mid-1900s. From there, S.R. 166 enters Douglas County where it remains mostly rural. After a short north–south concurrency with State Route 92, it...
Georgia State Route 6Georgia State Route 6State Route 6 State Route 6 State Route 6 (also known as Camp Creek Parkway and honorarily as Tuskegee Airmen Parkway in Fulton County, Thornton Road in Douglas County, C.H...
Georgia State Route 61Georgia State Route 61Georgia State Route 61 is a series of streets, roads and highways that form a mostly rural route in the western part of the state of Georgia connecting the cities of Carrollton, Villa Rica, Dallas, Cartersville, and White. The route's northern terminus is at the Tennessee state line north of...
- Lee Road: Runs through the eastern portion of the county in the Lithia Springs area. The road intersects I-20, begins at Fairburn Road (State Highway 92) in the south and terminates at S. Sweetwater Rd north of I-20.
- Post Road: Runs through the western portion of Douglas County through the WinstonWinston, GeorgiaWinston is an unincorporated community, formerly incorporated as a city, in southwestern Douglas County, Georgia, United States.Winston is assigned the United States Postal Service ZIP code 30187....
area. The road begins at the southern border with Carroll County, and runs north, intersects I-20 and ends at Bankhead Highway (US Route 78). - Chapel Hill Road: begins at I-20 (road continues north as Campbellton St.) and runs south to Dorsett Shoals Road, ending at SR 166.
- Douglas Boulevard runs from Chapel Hill Rd. at I-20 to SR 5 (Bill Arp Rd.), and from there to Bright Star Road. This road passes Douglasville's Arbor Place Mall.
- Kings Highway runs south from SR 5 to Big A Road, and is host to many residential developments.
- Pope Road runs south, southeast looping from the Midway area of Fairburn Rd.(SR 92) and ends at Annewakee Rd.
- Annewakee Road runs south from Chapel Hill Rd. at Dorsett Shoals Rd. and ending at Fairburn Rd.(SR 92) and Pope Rd.
- Dorsett Shoals Road runs west from Chapel Hill Rd. at Annewakee Rd. to SR 5.
- Capps Ferry Road (a future state route) runs from the end of South Fulton Parkway to S.R. 166 connecting southern Douglas County to Atlanta.
Healthcare
Douglas County is served by Wellstar Douglas HospitalWellStar Douglas Hospital
WellStar Douglas Hospital is the hospital in Douglasville, Georgia, United States, and has served the Douglas County community since 1989. The hospital was previously known as Douglas General Hospital, but took on its current name following a change of ownership to WellStar in 1998.The hospital...