Social Circle, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Social Circle is a city in Walton County
, extending into Newton County
, in the U.S. state
of Georgia
, approximately 45 miles east of Atlanta
, and approximately four miles due north of access to Interstate 20
.
The historic part of the downtown area is run as a row of turn-of-the-20th-century
brick buildings occupied mostly by antiques, furniture, gift shops, and local restaurants.
The population was 4,500 according to 2009 United States Census
data. The city was named circa
1826, and incorporated in 1832. The origin of the name derives from an old story, where a traveler passed by a group of men gathered around a well, enjoying their favorite beverage (not specified, but generally assumed as being a reference to 'moonshine'), when asked to join them, the traveler declared, "My, this certainly is a social circle." And thus the name was born.
The City of Social Circle lies along a tourism board's motorcoach antiquing
trail route, with other chartered motorcoaches often passing along the downtown area by way of Georgia State Route 11
(a route which traverses between northern Florida and a remote isolated part of the Appalachian Mountains
in Tennesee).
Commercial logging trucks hauling loads of trees
along Georgia State Route 11 occasionally harvested inside the city limits west of and during the lake district
region's off-season are not an uncommon sight.
While most residents are occupied in such sectors as administration, retail and other, the multiple industry and rail
of the city itself are constant and familar presences along the east-side.
(The city has historic links to the American Civil War
(1861–1865) General Sherman's
March to the Sea
campaign, known as the Savannah Campaign).
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 11.3 square miles (29.3 km²), of which 11.2 square miles (29 km²) are land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) (0.27%) is water. It was founded in 1820.
The Great Walton Railroad
from the south, and the CSX line from the east, extends through the city's downtown, as a result the city is bi-sected by an approximately 4,500-foot engineered railway through cut
, causing the downtown area to be accessed from roadway on the southside, by bridge. The city's railway switching area contains one of the relatively few remaining concrete coaling station
towers in the southeastern United States. The Social Circle depot is in use by the CSX Transportation Corporation.
data, there were about 4,500 people, 1,671 households,
and 1,210 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 67% White, 30% African American, 0.5% Native American, 1% Asian, less than 0.5% were Pacific Islander, 0.5% were from other races
, and 0.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8% of the population.
There were 1,671 occupied households, of which about 40.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49% were married couples
living together, 17.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 4% were non-families. Also, 24% of all households were people living alone and 3.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.7 people.
In the city the population was spread out with 29% under the age of 18, 8% from 18 to 24, 29% from 25 to 44, 26% from 45 to 64, and 8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.5 years. The female sector accounted for about 48.7% of the population, while males accounted for about 51.3%.
The median income for a household in the city was $47,027. The per capita income
for the
city was $22,129. About 19% of families and 23% of the city's population were below the poverty line,
including 43% of those under age 18, and 12% of those age 65 or over.
and Georgia State Route 11
, in close proximity to U.S. Highway 278, with SR 11
passing through as the city's main street (S. Cherokee Rd.).
alternate route on its eastside. The southern section, in planning, is commissioned to be labeled as, Martin Luther King, Jr.
holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, that consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 90 full-time teachers and over 1,448 students.
Walton County, Georgia
Walton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2009, the population was 87,311. The county seat is Monroe.This county is a part of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area ....
, extending into Newton County
Newton County, Georgia
Newton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 62,001. The 2010 Census showed a population of 99,958. The county seat is Covington....
, in the U.S. state
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...
, approximately 45 miles east of Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, and approximately four miles due north of access to Interstate 20
Interstate 20
Interstate 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...
.
The historic part of the downtown area is run as a row of turn-of-the-20th-century
Turn of the century
Turn of the century, in its broadest sense, refers to the transition from one century to another. The term is most often used to indicate a non-specific time period either before or after the beginning of a century....
brick buildings occupied mostly by antiques, furniture, gift shops, and local restaurants.
The population was 4,500 according to 2009 United States Census
United States Census
The United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats , electoral votes, and government program funding. The United States Census Bureau The United States Census...
data. The city was named circa
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
1826, and incorporated in 1832. The origin of the name derives from an old story, where a traveler passed by a group of men gathered around a well, enjoying their favorite beverage (not specified, but generally assumed as being a reference to 'moonshine'), when asked to join them, the traveler declared, "My, this certainly is a social circle." And thus the name was born.
The City of Social Circle lies along a tourism board's motorcoach antiquing
Antiquing
Antiquing has several meanings:*Antiquing is a shopping activity; see Antiques.*Antiquing is also a woodworking and decorative art technique; see Distressing.*Antiquing is also a comedy sketch and prank; see Jackass....
trail route, with other chartered motorcoaches often passing along the downtown area by way of Georgia State Route 11
Georgia State Route 11
State Route 11 runs the entire length of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the longest route in the state. The route begins at the Florida state line south of Statenville. The route travels north cosigned with US 129 through Statenville, Lakeland, Nashville, Ocilla, Fitzgerald, and Abbeville, before...
(a route which traverses between northern Florida and a remote isolated part of the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
in Tennesee).
Commercial logging trucks hauling loads of trees
Southern Yellow Pine
Southern Yellow Pine doesn't refer to any one species of tree, but rather a group of species which are classified as yellow pine , and are native to the Southern United States. They grow very well in the acidic red clay soil found in most of the region. The varieties include Loblolly, Longleaf,...
along Georgia State Route 11 occasionally harvested inside the city limits west of and during the lake district
Lake Oconee
Lake Oconee is a reservoir in central Georgia on the Oconee River near Greensboro and Eatonton. It was created in 1979 when Georgia Power completed the construction of the Wallace Dam on the Oconee River. Lake Oconee is the second largest lake in the state of Georgia...
region's off-season are not an uncommon sight.
While most residents are occupied in such sectors as administration, retail and other, the multiple industry and rail
Great Walton Railroad
The Great Walton Railroad is a class III railroad that operates of track in Georgia. In addition to its own line between Monroe and Social Circle, Georgia, the railroad operates the Athens Line, LLC and the Hartwell Railroad....
of the city itself are constant and familar presences along the east-side.
(The city has historic links to the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
(1861–1865) General Sherman's
William Tecumseh Sherman
William 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...
March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman'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...
campaign, known as the Savannah Campaign).
Geography
Social Circle is located at 33°39′N 83°43′W (33.6566, -83.7172).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 11.3 square miles (29.3 km²), of which 11.2 square miles (29 km²) are land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) (0.27%) is water. It was founded in 1820.
The Great Walton Railroad
Great Walton Railroad
The Great Walton Railroad is a class III railroad that operates of track in Georgia. In addition to its own line between Monroe and Social Circle, Georgia, the railroad operates the Athens Line, LLC and the Hartwell Railroad....
from the south, and the CSX line from the east, extends through the city's downtown, as a result the city is bi-sected by an approximately 4,500-foot engineered railway through cut
Cut (earthmoving)
In civil engineering, a cut or cutting is where soil or rock material from a hill or mountain is cut out to make way for a canal, road or railway line....
, causing the downtown area to be accessed from roadway on the southside, by bridge. The city's railway switching area contains one of the relatively few remaining concrete coaling station
Fuelling station
Fuelling stations are repositories of fuel that have been located to service commercial and naval vessels...
towers in the southeastern United States. The Social Circle depot is in use by the CSX Transportation Corporation.
CSX bridge
The CSX bridge along E. Hightower, a narrow structure with overhangs on Social Circle's eastside, while open to vehicular traffic in both directions, is banned to trucks.Demographics
According to 2009 United States CensusUnited States Census
The United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats , electoral votes, and government program funding. The United States Census Bureau The United States Census...
data, there were about 4,500 people, 1,671 households,
and 1,210 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 67% White, 30% African American, 0.5% Native American, 1% Asian, less than 0.5% were Pacific Islander, 0.5% were from other races
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 0.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8% of the population.
There were 1,671 occupied households, of which about 40.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49% 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, 17.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 4% were non-families. Also, 24% of all households were people living alone and 3.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.7 people.
In the city the population was spread out with 29% under the age of 18, 8% from 18 to 24, 29% from 25 to 44, 26% from 45 to 64, and 8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.5 years. The female sector accounted for about 48.7% of the population, while males accounted for about 51.3%.
The median income for a household in the city was $47,027. 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
city was $22,129. About 19% of families and 23% of the city's population were below the poverty line,
including 43% of those under age 18, and 12% of those age 65 or over.
Major highways
The City of Social Circle lies approximately four miles north of the intersection of Interstate 20Interstate 20
Interstate 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...
and Georgia State Route 11
Georgia State Route 11
State Route 11 runs the entire length of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the longest route in the state. The route begins at the Florida state line south of Statenville. The route travels north cosigned with US 129 through Statenville, Lakeland, Nashville, Ocilla, Fitzgerald, and Abbeville, before...
, in close proximity to U.S. Highway 278, with SR 11
Georgia State Route 11
State Route 11 runs the entire length of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the longest route in the state. The route begins at the Florida state line south of Statenville. The route travels north cosigned with US 129 through Statenville, Lakeland, Nashville, Ocilla, Fitzgerald, and Abbeville, before...
passing through as the city's main street (S. Cherokee Rd.).
Georgia State Route 11Georgia State Route 11State Route 11 runs the entire length of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the longest route in the state. The route begins at the Florida state line south of Statenville. The route travels north cosigned with US 129 through Statenville, Lakeland, Nashville, Ocilla, Fitzgerald, and Abbeville, before...
(downtown)
Georgia State Route 229 (former); (downtown)
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...
(southside; eastside)
Georgia State Route 12Georgia State Route 12State Route 12 begins in Avondale Estates, DeKalb County, Georgia at its intersection with SR 10 and ends at SR 10/US 78 in Thomson, Georgia. State Route 12 overlaps U.S. Route 278 its entire length. It is also concurrent with Interstate 20/SR 402 from Exit 75, which is SR 124 in Lithonia until...
(eastside)
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...
(eastside)
Bypass
The City of Social Circle has completed the northern section of a bypassBypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
alternate route on its eastside. The southern section, in planning, is commissioned to be labeled as, Martin Luther King, Jr.
Social Circle City School District
The Social Circle City School DistrictSocial Circle City School District
The Social Circle City School District is a public school district in Walton County, Georgia, USA, based in Social Circle, Georgia. It serves the city of Social Circle and the surrounding communities of Walton County, Georgia.-Schools:...
holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, that consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 90 full-time teachers and over 1,448 students.
- Social Circle Elementary School
- Social Circle Primary School
- Social Circle Middle School
- Social Circle High SchoolSocial Circle High SchoolSocial Circle High School is a 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade public school facility operating under the Social Circle City School District, within the City of Social Circle, in the extreme southern portion of Walton County, Georgia, USA...