Mitchell County, Georgia

Not to be confused with Mitchell, Georgia.

Mitchell County is a county in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,755.^[1] The county seat is Camilla.^[2] Mitchell County was created on December 21, 1857.^[3]

Mitchell County
County
Mitchell County Courthouse (Built 1936), Camilla
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 31°13′N 84°11′W
Country	United States
State	Georgia
Founded	1857; 168 years ago (1857)
Seat	Camilla
Largest city	Camilla
Area
• Total	514 sq mi (1,330 km2)
• Land	512 sq mi (1,330 km2)
• Water	1.7 sq mi (4 km2)  0.3%
Population  (2020)
• Total	21,755
• Density	42/sq mi (16/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	2nd
Website	www.mitchellcountyga.net

Etymology

Sources conflict as to whether Mitchell County was named for David Brydie Mitchell, the 27th Governor of Georgia, or for Henry Mitchell, a general in the Revolutionary War.^[4] However, it is most likely that the county was named for General Henry Mitchell, as a marker outside of the Mitchell County Courthouse says, "However, the Georgia Laws of 1857 (pages 38-40), creating Mitchell County, say the county was named in honor of Gen. Henry Mitchell...."^[5]

History

Mitchell County was created out of Baker County on December 21, 1857. It is the state's 123rd county.^[6]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 514 square miles (1,330 km²), of which 512 square miles (1,330 km²) is land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²) (0.3%) is water.^[7]

The bulk of Mitchell County is located in the Lower Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). The county's southeastern corner, bordered by a line from Sale City southwest through Pelham, is located in the Lower Ochlockonee River sub-basin of the same Ochlockonee River basin.^[8]

Major highways

• U.S. Route 19
• State Route 3
• State Route 37
• State Route 37 Connector
• State Route 65
• State Route 93
• State Route 97
• State Route 111
• State Route 112
• State Route 262
• State Route 270
• State Route 300
• State Route 311

Adjacent counties

• Dougherty County (north)
• Worth County (northeast)
• Colquitt County (east)
• Thomas County (southeast)
• Grady County (south)
• Decatur County (southwest)
• Baker County (west)

Communities

Cities

• Baconton
• Camilla
• Meigs (partly in Thomas County)
• Pelham

Towns

• Sale City

Unincorporated communities

• Adelaide
• Branchville
• Cotton
• DeWitt
• Flint
• Greenough
• Greenwood
• Hinsonton
• Hopeful
• Laney
• Lester
• Pebble City
• Petty
• Rogerville
• Saco
• Vada (partly in Decatur County)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	4,308		—
1870	6,633		54.0%
1880	9,392		41.6%
1890	10,906		16.1%
1900	14,767		35.4%
1910	22,114		49.8%
1920	25,588		15.7%
1930	23,620		−7.7%
1940	23,261		−1.5%
1950	22,528		−3.2%
1960	19,652		−12.8%
1970	18,956		−3.5%
1980	21,114		11.4%
1990	20,275		−4.0%
2000	23,932		18.0%
2010	23,498		−1.8%
2020	21,755		−7.4%
2023 (est.)	21,114	[9]	−2.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[10] 1790-1880[11] 1890-1910[12] 1920-1930[13] 1930-1940[14] 1940-1950[15] 1960-1980[16] 1980-2000[17] 2010[18]

Mitchell County, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000[19]	Pop 2010[20]	Pop 2020[21]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	11,746	10,894	10,106	49.08%	46.36%	46.45%
Black or African American alone (NH)	11,423	11,185	10,054	47.73%	47.60%	46.21%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	41	60	37	0.17%	0.26%	0.17%
Asian alone (NH)	61	120	108	0.25%	0.51%	0.50%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	8	4	0	0.03%	0.02%	0.00%
Other race alone (NH)	8	18	41	0.03%	0.08%	0.19%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	154	189	445	0.64%	0.80%	2.05%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	491	1,028	964	2.05%	4.37%	4.43%
Total	23,932	23,498	21,755	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 21,755 people, 7,982 households, and 5,454 families residing in the county.

Education

Mitchell County School District headquarters

The Mitchell County School District operates public schools in the majority of the county, although Pelham City School District includes the city limits of Pelham.^[22]

Andersonville Theological Seminary has its headquarters based in Camilla. The seminary's headquarters consists of two administrative buildings. Most of the seminary's students take online classes to complete their degree programs, but in January 2020 the school started to provide on-site courses at their location in Camilla.^[23]

Politics

United States presidential election results for Mitchell County, Georgia^[24]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	5,150	58.02%	3,701	41.69%	26	0.29%
2020	4,935	55.06%	3,993	44.55%	35	0.39%
2016	4,279	54.30%	3,493	44.33%	108	1.37%
2012	4,155	50.18%	4,081	49.28%	45	0.54%
2008	4,201	51.66%	3,872	47.61%	59	0.73%
2004	3,885	53.42%	3,360	46.20%	27	0.37%
2000	2,790	48.11%	2,971	51.23%	38	0.66%
1996	2,033	36.39%	3,165	56.66%	388	6.95%
1992	1,917	33.08%	3,052	52.67%	826	14.25%
1988	2,590	53.29%	2,260	46.50%	10	0.21%
1984	2,737	49.51%	2,791	50.49%	0	0.00%
1980	2,231	38.10%	3,566	60.89%	59	1.01%
1976	1,572	25.91%	4,495	74.09%	0	0.00%
1972	2,400	68.18%	1,120	31.82%	0	0.00%
1968	731	12.97%	1,256	22.29%	3,647	64.73%
1964	3,265	73.17%	1,197	26.83%	0	0.00%
1960	430	11.64%	3,264	88.36%	0	0.00%
1956	382	12.26%	2,735	87.74%	0	0.00%
1952	601	16.44%	3,054	83.56%	0	0.00%
1948	152	7.35%	1,453	70.30%	462	22.35%
1944	226	9.40%	2,179	90.60%	0	0.00%
1940	155	6.78%	2,131	93.22%	0	0.00%
1936	79	3.32%	2,297	96.47%	5	0.21%
1932	15	0.71%	2,097	99.06%	5	0.24%
1928	143	9.53%	1,358	90.47%	0	0.00%
1924	51	6.09%	736	87.83%	51	6.09%
1920	144	13.41%	930	86.59%	0	0.00%
1916	96	9.07%	921	87.05%	41	3.88%
1912	150	12.54%	1,046	87.46%	0	0.00%

Notable people

• George Thornewell Smith - former Lieutenant Governor of Georgia and state court judge

See also

• State of Georgia portal

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Mitchell County, Georgia
• List of counties in Georgia