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Georgia Counties
Georgia is divided into one hundred and fifty-nine counties. The original eight counties of the State of Georgia were Burke, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Richmond and Wilkes all created on February 5, 1777. The last new county to be established in Georgia was Peach County, established in 1924.Dougherty County, Georgia
Dougherty County Education, Geography, and History
Dougherty County is a county located in the state of Georgia. Based on the 2010 census, the
population was 94,565. Dougherty County was
created on December 15, 1853 from Baker County. The
county seat and
largest city is Albany. The county is named in honor of
Charles Dougherty (1801-1853), a noted judge from Athens, Georgia.
Dougherty County is included in the Albany, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Etymology - Origin of Dougherty County Name
The county is named for Charles Dougherty of Athens, a judge of the Western Circuit and a popular advocate of state rights.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts
Dougherty County History
Dougherty County was created in 1853 from part of Baker County. Georgia's 102nd county was named for Charles Dougherty of Athens, a judge of the Western Circuit and a popular advocate of state rights.
Albany has several sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Among them are St. Teresa's Catholic Church, built in 1859 and the oldest Catholic Church in continuous use in Georgia, and Heritage Plaza, a collection of historic buildings and educational facilities.
Points of Interest
Radium Springs is located within the county just south of Albany. The springs are the largest in Georgia, discharging 70,000 gallons of 68 degree water each minute. The springs received its current name in 1925 when the spring water tested was found to contain traces of radium isotopes. During
the 1920s a club casino was operated on the banks of the springs.
Dougherty County, which has more pecan trees than any other county in the nation, is a strong contributor to south Georgia's claim as the pecan capital of the world.
Dougherty and Lee counties share Chehaw Wild Animal Park, a 100-acre wildlife preserve where native and exotic animals move about freely in natural habitats.
The Flint RiverQuarium is an amazing 175,0000-gallon 22-foot deep Blue Hole Spring. This interactive museum showcases Southwest Georgia's underwater world with more than 100 kinds of fish, turtles, alligators, snapping turtles, and other river creatures.
Notable Citizens
Some notable Albany natives include naturalist Jim Fowler and former major league baseball player Ray Knight. LPGA great Nancy Lopez also makes her home in Albany.
Dougherty County was also home to Alice Coachman, the first African American woman to win an Olympic gold medal. Coachman, who grew up in Albany, won the high jump competition in 1948.
Geography: Land and Water
As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 335 square miles (870 km2), of which 329 square miles (850 km2) is land and 5.9 square miles (15 km2) (1.8%) is water.
Dougherty county is located in southwest Georgia. The county is in the Flint River basin.
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- Northeast: Lee County
- East: Worth County
- South: Mitchell County
- Southwest: Baker County
- West: Calhoun County
- Northwest: Terrell County
Education
Higher Education
Albany State University, Albany Technical College, and Darton College
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