Alma, Georgia
City in Georgia, United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alma is a city in Bacon County, Georgia, United States, and the county seat.[4] As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 3,433.[5]
Alma, Georgia | |
|---|---|
 Alma City services in Bacon County Courthouse | |
 Logo | |
| Nickname: "Georgia's Blueberry Capital" | |
 Location in Bacon County and the state of Georgia | |
| Coordinates: 31°32′30″N 82°28′0″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Bacon |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Larry Taylor |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.22 sq mi (16.11 km2) |
| • Land | 6.09 sq mi (15.78 km2) |
| • Water | 0.13 sq mi (0.33 km2) |
| Elevation | 200 ft (61 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 3,433 |
| • Density | 563.53/sq mi (217.57/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 31510 |
| Area code | 912 |
| FIPS code | 13-01612[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0310492[3] |
| Website | www |
Alma is known as Georgia's blueberry capital, and hosts a Blueberry Festival each June.
Alma was founded in 1900 as a stop on the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. It was incorporated as a city in 1906 and designated seat of the newly formed Bacon County in 1914.[6] There are two theories about the origin of the name of the town. The first is that it was named for the wife of a traveling salesmen, Alma Sheridan; the other is that it was named for the initial letter of the four state capitals Georgia has had: Augusta, Louisville, Milledgeville, and Atlanta.[7][8]
There are four sites in Alma listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Alma Depot, Bacon County Courthouse, Bacon County School, and the Rabinowitz Building.
Alma is located in southeastern Georgia at 31°32′30″N 82°28′0″W (31.541543, -82.466666).[9]
The city is located along U.S. Routes 1 and 23 (Pierce Street). The two run through the center of the city together before splitting just north of the city. U.S. 1 connects the city with Baxley, 19 mi (31 km) to the north, and U.S. 23 connects the city with Hazlehurst, 25 mi (40 km) to the northwest. U.S. 1/23 also lead south together 29 mi (47 km) to Waycross. Other highways that run through the city include Georgia State Routes 32 (16th Street) and 64 (Market Street).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.2 square miles (16.1 km2), of which 5.5 square miles (14.3 km2) is land and 0.69 square miles (1.8 km2), or 11.27%, is water.[10]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 458 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,061 | 131.7% | |
| 1930 | 1,235 | 16.4% | |
| 1940 | 1,840 | 49.0% | |
| 1950 | 2,588 | 40.7% | |
| 1960 | 3,515 | 35.8% | |
| 1970 | 3,756 | 6.9% | |
| 1980 | 3,819 | 1.7% | |
| 1990 | 3,663 | −4.1% | |
| 2000 | 3,236 | −11.7% | |
| 2010 | 3,466 | 7.1% | |
| 2020 | 3,433 | −1.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1850-1870[12] 1880[13] 1890-1910[14] 1920-1930[15] 1930-1940[16] 1940-1950[17] 1960-1980[18]1980-2000[19] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,599 | 46.58% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 1,455 | 42.38% |
| Native American | 2 | 0.06% |
| Asian | 25 | 0.73% |
| Pacific Islander | 3 | 0.09% |
| Other/Mixed | 105 | 3.06% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 244 | 7.11% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,433 people, 1,005 households, and 620 families residing in the city.
Alma is served by the Bacon County School District.[20] The district has 126 full-time teachers and over 1,900 students,[21] and operates these schools:
- Bacon County Elementary School
- Bacon County Primary School
- Bacon County Middle School
- Bacon County High School
Alma is also served by Coastal Pines Technical College.
 |
- Harry Crews, novelist, playwright, short story writer and essayist
- Braswell Deen, U.S. Representative from Georgia; moved to Alma
- Daniel W. Lee, recipient of Congressional Medal of Honor
- Walter J. Leonard, former president of Fisk University
- William M. Wheeler, U.S. Representative from Georgia
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