Lyons, Georgia

Lyons is a city in Toombs County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,239 in 2020. The city is the county seat of Toombs County.^[4]

Lyons, Georgia
City
Lyons City Hall
Flag Seal
Location in Toombs County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 32°12′15″N 82°19′22″W
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Toombs
Area [1]
• Total	8.20 sq mi (21.24 km2)
• Land	8.01 sq mi (20.75 km2)
• Water	0.19 sq mi (0.49 km2)
Elevation	240 ft (73 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,239
• Density	529.15/sq mi (204.31/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	30436
Area code	912
FIPS code	13-48232[2]
GNIS feature ID	0317505[3]
Website	lyonsga.org

History

Lyons was founded c. 1890 as a depot on the Central of Georgia Railway. The community was named after one Mr. Lyons, a railroad official.^[5] It was incorporated on December 9, 1897.^[6] In 1905, Lyons was designated seat of the newly formed Toombs County.^[7]

Geography

Lyons is located at 32°12′15″N 82°19′22″W (32.204287, -82.322732).^[8]

The city is located at the junction of U.S. Routes 1 and 280. U.S. 1 runs north–south through the center of town, leading north 12 mi (19 km) to Oak Park just south of its junction with Interstate 16 and south 31 mi (50 km) to Baxley. U.S. 280 runs east–west through the city as West Liberty Avenue, leading southeast 15 mi (24 km) to Reidsville and west 6 mi (10 km) to Vidalia. Other highways that run through the city include Georgia State Routes 152, 178, and 292.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.5 square miles (19 km²), of which 7.5 square miles (19 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²) (0.53%) is water.

Demographics

Lyons racial composition as of 2020^[9]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	2,011	47.44%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	1,390	32.79%
Native American	2	0.05%
Asian	22	0.52%
Pacific Islander	2	0.05%
Other/Mixed	144	3.4%
Hispanic or Latino	668	15.76%

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	534		—
1910	927		73.6%
1920	873		−5.8%
1930	1,445		65.5%
1940	1,900		31.5%
1950	2,799		47.3%
1960	3,219		15.0%
1970	3,739		16.2%
1980	4,203		12.4%
1990	4,502		7.1%
2000	4,169		−7.4%
2010	4,367		4.7%
2020	4,239		−2.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,239 people, 1,607 households, and 1,013 families residing in the city.

Education

Toombs County School District

The Toombs County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school.^[11] The district has 177 full-time teachers and over 2,856 students.^[12]

Notable people

• Jeremy Beasley (born 1995), MLB Pitcher
• Mel Blount (born 1948), NFL player who played with the Pittsburgh Steelers
• Craig Campbell (born 1979), country music singer
• Don Collins (1952–2022) former professional baseball player
• John P. Coursey (1914–1992), brigadier general and naval aviator in the Marine Corps
• Nick Eason (born 1980), NFL player currently with the Pittsburgh Steelers
• Mads Krügger (born 1985), professional wrestler
• Robert Mallard (1918–1948), lynching victim
• Travares Tillman (born 1977), professional football player