Augusta, Georgia
Augusta | |
|---|---|
The University Hall at Augusta University Augusta Canal with Enterprise Mill in the background | |
 Logo | |
| Nickname: "The Garden City" | |
| Motto: | |
   Augusta's location in Georgia | |
| Coordinates: 33°28′12″N 81°58′30″W / 33.47000°N 81.97500°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Georgia |
| County | Richmond |
| Established | 1736[1] |
| Consolidated | 1996[1] |
| Founded by | James Oglethorpe |
| Named after | Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Garnett Johnson (D)[2] |
| Area | |
• City | 306.44 sq mi (797.70 km2) |
| • Land | 302.28 sq mi (782.90 km2) |
| • Water | 4.17 sq mi (10.80 km2) |
| Elevation | 136 ft (45 m) |
| Population | |
• City | 202,081 |
| • Rank | 124th in the United States 3rd in Georgia |
| • Density | 668.52/sq mi (258.12/km2) |
| • Urban | 431,480 (US: 95th) |
| • Urban density | 1,578.8/sq mi (609.6/km2) |
| • Metro | 611,000 (US: 95th) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 30901, 30904, 30906, 30907, 30909, 30912,[7] 30815 |
| Area codes | 706, 762[8][9] |
| Website | augustaga.gov |
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Augusta[a] is a city on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia. The city lies directly across the Savannah River from North Augusta, South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Augusta, the second most populous city in Georgia (following Atlanta), is situated in the Fall Line region of the state.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Augusta had a 2020 population of 202,081,[5] not counting the independent cities of Blythe and Hephzibah located within the boundaries of Augusta-Richmond County.[10] It is the 124th most populous city in the United States and the 92nd-largest metropolitan area. The process of consolidation between the city of Augusta and Richmond County began with a 1995 referendum in the two jurisdictions. The merger was completed on July 1, 1996, but it excluded the municipalities of Blythe and Hephzibah. Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta metropolitan area. In 2020 the metro area had a population of 611,000,[6] making it the second-largest in the state (after Atlanta) and the ninth most populous urban center in the Deep South.
Augusta was established in 1736 and is named in honor of Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha (1719–1772), the bride of Frederick, Prince of Wales and the mother of the British monarch George III.[1] During the American Civil War, Augusta housed the principal Confederate Powderworks.[11] Augusta's warm climate made it a major resort town of the Eastern United States in the early and mid-20th century. Internationally, Augusta is best known for hosting the Masters golf tournament each spring. The Masters brings over 200,000 visitors from around the world to the Augusta National Golf Club.
Augusta lies approximately two hours away from downtown Atlanta by car via I-20. The city is home to Fort Eisenhower, a major U.S. Army base formerly known as Fort Gordon. In 2016, it was announced that the new National Cyber Security Headquarters would be based in Augusta.[12]
History
[edit]Establishment
[edit]
In 1735, two years after James Oglethorpe founded Savannah, he sent a detachment of troops to explore the upper Savannah River. He gave them an order to build a fort at the head of the navigable part of the river. The expedition was led by Noble Jones, who the following year created a settlement as a first line of defense for coastal areas against potential Spanish or French invasion from the interior.[13] Oglethorpe named the town in honor of Princess Augusta, the mother of King George III and the wife of Frederick, Prince of Wales.
Oglethorpe visited Augusta in September 1739 on his return to Savannah from a perilous visit to Coweta Town, near present-day Phenix City, Alabama.[14] There, he had met with a convention of 7,000 Native American warriors and concluded a peace treaty with them in their territories in northern and western Georgia.[15] During the American Revolutionary War, the Siege of Augusta resulted in the retaking the city from the British by the Americans. Augusta was the second state capital of Georgia from 1785 until 1795 (alternating for a period with Savannah, the first).
Development
[edit]Augusta developed rapidly as a market town as the Black Belt in the Piedmont was developed for cotton cultivation. Invention of the cotton gin made processing of short-staple cotton profitable, and this type of cotton was well-suited to the upland areas. Cotton plantations were worked by slave labor, with hundreds of thousands of slaves shipped from the Upper South to the Deep South in the domestic slave trade. Many of the slaves were brought from the Lowcountry, where their Gullah culture had developed on the large Sea Island cotton and rice plantations.
During the American Civil War, Augusta was home to many war industries including powder-works facilities.[16] After the war, Augusta had a booming textile industry leading to the construction of many mills along the Augusta Canal to include Enterprise Mill, Sibley Mill, and King Mill.
The city experienced the Augusta Fire of 1916, which damaged 25 blocks of the town and many buildings of historical significance.
As a major city in the area, Augusta was a center of activities during Reconstruction and after. In the mid-20th century, it was a site of civil rights demonstrations. In 1970, Charles Oatman, a mentally disabled teenager, was killed by his cellmates in an Augusta jail. A protest against his death broke out in a riot involving 500 people, after six black men were killed by police,[17] each found to have been shot in the back.[18] The noted singer and entertainer James Brown was called in to help quell lingering tensions, which he succeeded in doing.[17]
Hyde Park contamination
[edit]In 1993, an area known as Hyde Park in Augusta, Georgia, was investigated by the EPA for contamination. The investigation totaled $1.2 million.[19] Air, groundwater, and soil were all believed to be contaminated, and people living in the area were hoping for government assistance to move away from Hyde Park. Two of five neighborhoods in Hyde Park appeared to have arsenic, chromium, and dioxin, while all five were found to have PCBs and lead.[19] However, residents were told it was not a risk to their health unless they somehow ingested it on a regular basis. At the time the article was written, the citizens still questioned why the EPA and ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Disease Registry) did not consider these chemicals as a threat to them. Hyde Park also has higher rates of certain illnesses (such as cancer, infections, rashes) than the average in America, and the citizens question why that is not considered.[19]
Geography
[edit]
Augusta is located along the Georgia/South Carolina border, about 150 mi (240 km) east of Atlanta and 70 mi (110 km) west of Columbia.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the Augusta–Richmond County balance has a total area of 306.5 sq mi (793.8 km2), of which 302.1 sq mi (782.4 km2) is land and 4.3 sq mi (11.1 km2) (1.42%) is water.
Augusta is located about halfway up the Savannah River on the fall line, which creates a number of small falls on the river. The city marks the end of a navigable waterway for the river and the entry to the Georgia Piedmont area.
The Clarks Hill Dam is built on the fall line near Augusta, forming Clarks Hill Lake. Farther downstream, near the border of Columbia County, is the Stevens Creek Dam, which generates hydroelectric power. Even farther downstream is the Augusta Diversion Dam, which marks the beginning of the Augusta Canal and channels Savannah River waters into the canal.[20]
Climate
[edit]As with the rest of the state, Augusta has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), with short, mild winters, very hot, humid summers, and a wide diurnal temperature variation throughout much of the year, despite its low elevation and humidity. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 45.4 °F (7.4 °C) in January to 81.6 °F (27.6 °C) in July; there are 53 nights with the low reaching the freezing mark, 82 days reaching or exceeding 90 °F (32 °C), and 5.5 days reaching 100 °F (38 °C) annually. Extreme temperatures range from −1 °F (−18 °C) on January 21, 1985 up to 108 °F (42 °C) on August 10, 2007, and August 21, 1983. Snowfall is not nearly as common as in Atlanta, due largely to Augusta's elevation, with downtown Augusta being about 900 ft (270 m) lower than downtown Atlanta. The heaviest recorded snowfall was in February 1973 with 14.0 inches (36 cm)[21] Freezing rain is also a threat in wintertime.
| Climate data for Augusta Regional Airport, Georgia (1991–2020 normals,[b] extremes 1871–present[c]) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 84 (29) |
88 (31) |
93 (34) |
96 (36) |
101 (38) |
106 (41) |
107 (42) |
108 (42) |
106 (41) |
101 (38) |
90 (32) |
84 (29) |
108 (42) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 75.6 (24.2) |
78.8 (26.0) |
84.9 (29.4) |
88.7 (31.5) |
94.3 (34.6) |
98.1 (36.7) |
99.8 (37.7) |
99.1 (37.3) |
95.1 (35.1) |
89.0 (31.7) |
82.1 (27.8) |
76.9 (24.9) |
100.8 (38.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 59.6 (15.3) |
63.5 (17.5) |
71.0 (21.7) |
78.5 (25.8) |
85.9 (29.9) |
91.3 (32.9) |
94.1 (34.5) |
92.6 (33.7) |
87.8 (31.0) |
79.0 (26.1) |
69.1 (20.6) |
61.5 (16.4) |
77.8 (25.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 47.4 (8.6) |
50.8 (10.4) |
57.5 (14.2) |
64.6 (18.1) |
72.7 (22.6) |
79.7 (26.5) |
82.8 (28.2) |
81.8 (27.7) |
76.4 (24.7) |
66.0 (18.9) |
55.6 (13.1) |
49.4 (9.7) |
65.4 (18.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 35.3 (1.8) |
38.1 (3.4) |
44.1 (6.7) |
50.6 (10.3) |
59.6 (15.3) |
68.1 (20.1) |
71.6 (22.0) |
71.0 (21.7) |
65.0 (18.3) |
53.1 (11.7) |
42.2 (5.7) |
37.3 (2.9) |
53.0 (11.7) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 17.9 (−7.8) |
21.0 (−6.1) |
25.8 (−3.4) |
33.7 (0.9) |
44.1 (6.7) |
56.5 (13.6) |
63.1 (17.3) |
61.5 (16.4) |
50.4 (10.2) |
35.1 (1.7) |
25.4 (−3.7) |
20.6 (−6.3) |
15.9 (−8.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −1 (−18) |
3 (−16) |
12 (−11) |
26 (−3) |
35 (2) |
46 (8) |
54 (12) |
52 (11) |
36 (2) |
22 (−6) |
11 (−12) |
5 (−15) |
−1 (−18) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.84 (98) |
3.67 (93) |
4.08 (104) |
2.92 (74) |
3.05 (77) |
4.75 (121) |
4.48 (114) |
4.61 (117) |
3.60 (91) |
2.56 (65) |
2.66 (68) |
3.87 (98) |
44.09 (1,120) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.4 (1.0) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.8 (2.0) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.9 | 9.1 | 8.6 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 11.1 | 11.3 | 11.1 | 7.9 | 6.4 | 7.0 | 9.4 | 107.3 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 69.8 | 65.8 | 65.0 | 64.5 | 69.6 | 71.3 | 73.9 | 76.5 | 76.2 | 73.3 | 71.9 | 71.6 | 70.8 |
| Source: NOAA (relative humidity 1961–1990)[22][23][24] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
[edit]| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 2,215 | — | |
| 1810 | 2,476 | 11.8% | |
| 1830 | 6,710 | — | |
| 1840 | 6,403 | −4.6% | |
| 1850 | 9,448 | 47.6% | |
| 1860 | 12,493 | 32.2% | |
| 1870 | 15,389 | 23.2% | |
| 1880 | 21,891 | 42.3% | |
| 1890 | 33,300 | 52.1% | |
| 1900 | 39,441 | 18.4% | |
| 1910 | 41,040 | 4.1% | |
| 1920 | 52,548 | 28.0% | |
| 1930 | 60,342 | 14.8% | |
| 1940 | 65,919 | 9.2% | |
| 1950 | 71,508 | 8.5% | |
| 1960 | 70,626 | −1.2% | |
| 1970 | 59,864 | −15.2% | |
| 1980 | 47,532 | −20.6% | |
| 1990 | 44,639 | −6.1% | |
| 2000 | 195,182 | 337.2% | |
| 2010 | 195,844 | 0.3% | |
| 2020 | 202,081 | 3.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[25] 1850-1870[26] 1870-1880[27] 1890-1910[28] 1920-1930[29] 1940[30] 1950[31] 1960[32] 1970[33] 1980[34] 1990[35] 2000[36] 2010[37] 2020[38] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[39] | Pop 2010[37] | Pop 2020[38] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 85,340 | 73,277 | 65,721 | 43.72% | 37.42% | 32.52% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 97,517 | 105,921 | 111,535 | 49.96% | 54.08% | 55.19% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 491 | 557 | 480 | 0.25% | 0.28% | 0.24% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 2,925 | 3,259 | 3,898 | 1.50% | 1.66% | 1.93% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 222 | 370 | 386 | 0.11% | 0.19% | 0.19% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 359 | 305 | 880 | 0.18% | 0.16% | 0.44% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 2,881 | 4,102 | 7,910 | 1.48% | 2.09% | 3.91% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5,447 | 8,053 | 11,271 | 2.79% | 4.11% | 5.58% |
| Total | 195,182 | 195,844 | 202,081 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
At the 2020 United States census, there were 202,081 people, 66,838 households, and 41,517 families residing in the city. During the 2010 U.S. census, the city's population was 195,844, up from 195,182 at the 2000 United States census.
In 2000, the city's racial and ethnic composition was 43.72% non-Hispanic white, 49.96% African American, 0.25% Native American, 1.50% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.18% some other race, 1.48% multiracial, and 2.79% Hispanic or Latino of any race. By the 2020 census, its racial and ethnic makeup was 35.52% non-Hispanic white, 55.19% African American, 0.24% Asian, 1.93% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 0.44% some other race, 3.91% multiracial, and 5.58% Hispanic or Latino of any race. This reflected nationwide trends of greater diversification since the beginning of the 21st century.[40][41]
Economy
[edit]
Augusta is a regional center of medicine, biotechnology, and cyber security. Augusta University, the state's only public health sciences graduate university, employs over 7,000 people. Along with Piedmont Augusta, the Medical District of Augusta employs over 25,000 people and has an economic impact of over $1.8 billion.[42]
The city's three largest employers are Augusta University, the Savannah River Site (a Department of Energy nuclear facility) and the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence at Fort Eisenhower, which oversees training for Cyber, Signal Corps, and Electronic Warfare.
With the establishment of the Georgia Cyber Center in Downtown Augusta, the Augusta metro region has become a hub for cyber security based companies looking to locate to the area in part as well to the establishment of the U.S. Army Cyber Command relocating to Fort Eisenhower from Fort Meade.[43][44] Augusta plays host to TechNet on a yearly basis which brings in various military, government, and private sector leaders to the area to showcase new cyber related products as well as discussions on cyber based collaboration efforts between the public and private sectors.
As of February 2025, the metro area unemployment rate is 4.5%, slightly above the national average.[45]
Companies that have facilities, headquarters or distribution centers in the Augusta metro area include CareSouth, NutraSweet, T-Mobile, Covidien, Solo Cup Company, Automatic Data Processing, Clearwater Paper, Solvay S.A., Bridgestone, Teleperformance, Olin Corporation, Sitel, E-Z-GO, Taxslayer, Elanco, KSB Company (Georgia Iron Works), Club Car (Worldwide Headquarters), Halocarbon, MTU Friedrichshafen (subsidiary of Tognum), Kimberly Clark Corporation, Nutrien (formerly PotashCorp), John Deere, Kellogg's and Delta Air Lines' baggage call center.[46]
Top employers
[edit]According to the Augusta Economic Development Authority as of 2013,[47] the top manufacturing employers in the city were:
| # | Employer | # of employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Textron Specialized Vehicles | 1,350 |
| 2 | Graphic Packaging International | 963 |
| 3 | Ferrara USA | 900 |
| 4 | FPL Food | 660 |
| 5 | Thermal Ceramics | 400 |
| 6 | Cardinal Health | 390 |
| 7 | Nutrien | 390 |
| 8 | Augusta Coca-Cola | 300 |
| 9 | Solvay Advanced Partners | 300 |
| 10 | Starbucks | 260 |
The top public sector employers were:
| # | Employer | # of employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort Eisenhower | 29,252 |
| 2 | Augusta University | 6,775 |
| 3 | NSA Georgia | 6,000 |
| 4 | Augusta University Health System | 5,341 |
| 5 | Richmond County School System | 4,418 |
| 6 | Piedmont Augusta | 3,000 |
| 7 | Augusta–Richmond County | 2,840 |
| 8 | Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center | 2,082 |
| 9 | Doctors Hospital | 1,837 |
| 10 | East Central Regional Hospital | 1,400 |
Arts and culture
[edit]Historic districts
[edit]
There are 10 historic districts throughout the city of Augusta. The most prominent, Augusta Downtown Historic District, encompasses most of downtown Augusta and its pre-Civil War area. The Augusta Downtown Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.[48]
Augusta also includes the:
- Bethlehem Historic District
- Broad Street Historic District
- Greene Street Historic District
- Harrisburg–West End Historic District
- Laney–Walker North Historic District
- Paine College Historic District
- Pinched Gut Historic District
- Sand Hills Historic District
- Summerville Historic District
Tallest buildings
[edit]The tallest buidlings in Augusta include the Lamar Building, River Place Condominiums, and Augusta University Building.[49][50][51]
Sports
[edit]Teams
[edit]The Augusta GreenJackets minor league baseball club, formerly located at Lake Olmstead Stadium in Augusta, now play at SRP Park along the Savannah River in North Augusta, South Carolina. The team began to play in 1988 as the Augusta Pirates, affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Later affiliated with the Boston Red Sox and the San Francisco Giants, the GreenJackets are now the Class A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.[52]
The Augusta Lynx were a minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Augusta, Georgia. The Lynx played their home games at the James Brown Arena from 1998 until 2008. The Lynx, who played in the ECHL, had affiliations with the Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL and the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL.
The Augusta RiverHawks were a professional minor league ice hockey team. They played in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) from 2010 to 2013. They played their home games at the James Brown Arena.
The Augusta Stallions were a professional Arena football team founded in 1999. They were one of the 15 original teams to join the inaugural 2000 AF2 season. They started off in the American Conference, before switching to the Southeast Division in 2001, and then the Eastern Division in 2002. The team folded in 2002.
The Augusta Rugby Football Club (ARFC)[53] is a division 2 men's club competing in the Palmetto Rugby Union,[54] part of the USA Rugby South Conference.[55]
Augusta has an all-female flat track roller derby team, the Soul City Sirens. Founded in 2008, this league is all-volunteer, and skater owned.[56]
Augusta is also home to the former Augusta 706ers, a minor league professional basketball team in the American Basketball Association. The team was founded in 2017 and stopped operations in December 2018 because of a lack of funds. The team played all home games at the James Brown Arena.
Tournaments
[edit]
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Augusta National Golf Club hosts the first major golf tournament of each year, The Masters.[57]
The Augusta Top Gun Series is a series of tournaments sanctioned by the Professional Disc Golf Association, held at various venues in Augusta, including Pendleton King Park and Lake Olmstead.[58]
Augusta hosted the Augusta Southern Nationals drag boat Race for 30 consecutive years. Held on the Savannah River until 2016, the race was part of the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series.[citation needed]
Augusta hosts one of the largest Ironman 70.3 competitions, which includes cycling around Augusta, running through Downtown Augusta, and swimming on the Savannah River.[citation needed]
Parks and recreation
[edit]- Riverwalk Augusta – riverfront park along and on top of the city's levee
- Augusta Canal – historic canal with bike/pedestrian path
- Phinizy Swamp Nature Park – wetlands park with pedestrian/bike paths and boardwalks
Government
[edit]In 1995, citizens of Augusta and unincorporated parts of Richmond County voted to consolidate their city and county governments. Citizens of Hephzibah and Blythe, also located in Richmond County, voted against joining in the merger, which took effect January 1, 1996. The unified government consists of a mayor and ten commissioners. Eight commissioners represent single-member districts, while two are elected at-large, each to represent a super district that encompasses half of Augusta-Richmond's population.[59] A May 2024 referendum, giving the mayor full voting powers on the Augusta Commission, was approved by Augusta voters by 74%, with the mayor previously being allowed to vote only in the case of a tie on the commission.[60] The government is a Council–manager government, with the commission appointing a County Administrator to carry out ordinances and directives of the government.
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 67.79% | 31.67% | 0.53% |
| 2020 | 67.89% | 30.75% | 1.36% |
| 2016 | 65.00% | 32.60% | 1.40% |
| 2012 | 66.39% | 32.64% | 0.97% |
| 2008 | 65.60% | 33.80% | 0.60% |
| 2004 | 56.60% | 42.90% | 0.50% |
| 2000 | 54.77% | 44.43% | 0.80% |
| 1996 | 54.05% | 41.62% | 4.33% |
Education
[edit]
Colleges and universities
[edit]Main campuses
[edit]- Augusta Technical College (state technical college)
- Augusta University (public research university)
- Paine College (private, Methodist historically black college)
Satellite campuses
[edit]- East Georgia State College (state four-year college), main campus located in Swainsboro
- Georgia Military College (state funded military college), main campus located in Milledgeville
- Brenau University (private, not-for-profit, undergraduate and graduate-level higher education), main campus located in Gainesville, Georgia
K–12 schools
[edit]
Public K–12 schools in Augusta are managed by the Richmond County School System, which covers all of Richmond County.[63] The school system contains 36 elementary schools, 10 middle schools, and the following eight high schools: Glenn Hills, Butler, Westside, Hephzibah, T. W. Josey, A.R.C. (Academy of Richmond County), Lucy Craft Laney, and Cross Creek. There are four magnet schools: C. T. Walker Traditional Magnet School, A. R. Johnson Health Science and Engineering Magnet High School, Davidson Fine Arts, and the Richmond County Technical Career Magnet School.
Private schools in Augusta include Aquinas High School, Curtis Baptist High School, and Westminster Schools of Augusta.
Media
[edit]The daily newspaper in the city is The Augusta Chronicle. Television stations serving Augusta and its metropolitan market are WJBF, channel 6 (ABC, with The CW Plus on DT2); WRDW, channel 12, (CBS); WCES, channel 20 (PBS); WAGT, channel 26 (NBC); and WFXG, channel 54 (Fox). Augusta's large medical community and patient population is served by the Medical Examiner (www.AugustaRx.com), a twice-monthly newspaper published since 2006.
Infrastructure
[edit]Transportation
[edit]Major roads and expressways
[edit]
I-20 (Carl Sanders Highway)
I-520 (Bobby Jones Expressway / Deputy James D. Paugh Memorial Highway)
US 1 (Deans Bridge Road (from Jefferson County line to Gordon Highway); Gordon Highway (from Deans Bridge Road to South Carolina state line); Fall Line Freeway (from Jefferson County line to I-520))
US 25 (Peach Orchard Road (entire length); Gordon Highway (from Peach Orchard Road to South Carolina state line))
US 25 Bus. (Broad Street / 13th Street)
US 78 / US 278 (Gordon Highway)
SR 4 (follows US 1 from Jefferson County line to Gordon Highway; leaves Georgia at James U. Jackson Memorial Bridge)
SR 28 (various roads, including John C. Calhoun Expressway and Washington Road)
SR 56 (Mike Padgett Highway)
SR 88 in southern Richmond County
SR 104 (Washington Road; Pleasant Home Road; River Watch Parkway)
SR 104 Conn. (Washington Road)
SR 232 (Columbia Road / Bobby Jones Expressway)
SR 383 (Jimmie Dyess Parkway)
SR 540 (Fall Line Freeway (Deans Bridge Road from Jefferson County line to I-520))[64]
SR 555 / SR 565 (Savannah River Parkway (Peach Orchard Road from Burke County line to I-520))
Parts of Augusta are served by city transit service Augusta Public Transit (APT), but the main mode of transportation within the city is by car. Augusta is also served by a number of taxi companies.
Airports
[edit]The city has two airports: Augusta Regional Airport and Daniel Field. Augusta Regional Airport is served by two passenger airlines, including Delta Connection, which offers service to Atlanta, and American Eagle, which offers service to Charlotte, Dallas-Ft. Worth, and Washington D.C.
Rail
[edit]Until the 1960s, the city's Augusta Union Station was a passenger rail hub, with trains arriving from the Atlantic Coast Line (as spur sections from Florence, South Carolina, from trains such as the Champion, Everglades and Palmetto), Georgia Railroad and Southern Railway (for example, the Aiken-Augusta Special from New York City). The last Seaboard Coast Line (the successor to the Atlantic Coast Line) train was a Florence-Augusta section of the Champion; this section ended in 1970.[65][66] The last train to the city was the unnamed daily in-state Georgia Railroad train between Atlanta and Augusta. This latter train, unofficially called the Georgia Cannonball, ran as a mixed train, until May 6, 1983.[67] Most trains went to the Union Station at Barrett Square. The Southern Railway trains went to the Southern Railway depot at Fifth and Reynolds Street. Today, freight service is handled by Norfolk Southern Railway's Georgia Division and Piedmont Division through their Augusta Yard and Nixon Yard located near the city. Norfolk Southern Trains such as the NS 191 and 192 pass through Augusta's downtown as they "street run" at 5 mph (8 km/h) down 6th street. They also cross the old Trestle over the Savannah River entering and leaving South Carolina. CSX Transportation Atlanta Division and Florence Division Trains also serve the Augusta, Georgia, area from the CSX Augusta Yard near Gordon Highway southwest of the city.
Pedestrians and cycling
[edit]Law enforcement
[edit]Law enforcement in Augusta is handled by the Richmond County Sheriff's Office.[citation needed]
Notable people
[edit]Sister cities
[edit]Augusta is twinned with:
- Biarritz, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France[68]
- Takarazuka, Hyōgo, Japan[citation needed]
See also
[edit]
- Arts and culture in Augusta, Georgia
- Media in Augusta, Georgia
- List of U.S. cities with large Black populations
- USS Augusta, 3 ships
Notes
[edit]- ^ /əˈɡʌstə/ ə-GUSS-tə
- ^ Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
- ^ Official records for Augusta were kept at downtown from February 1871 to March 1944, Daniel Field from April 1944 to June 1950, and at Bush Field / Augusta Regional Airport since July 1950. For more information, see Threadex
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "History". Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
- ^ "Vote Smart | Facts for All".
- ^ "2021 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on September 8, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
- ^ "Augusta Facts". Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
- ^ a b "QuickFacts: Augusta-Richmond County consolidated government (balance), Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on November 26, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
- ^ a b "2020 Population and Housing State Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 24, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ "USPS.com® – ZIP Code Lookup". Archived from the original on November 4, 2010.
- ^ "Get your digits straight - chronicle.augusta.com". chronicle.augusta.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2008.
- ^ "762 on way to phone near you". Archived from the original on September 27, 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2008.
- ^ "2017 U.S. Census Estimates–List of Places". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on September 22, 2018. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
- ^ "Augusta", in The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia (New York: Columbia Univ. Press, 1994), p. 56.
- ^ Johnson, Bianca Cain. "Ground broken on new cyber command headquarters at Fort Gordon". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ^ Robertson, Thomas Heard Jr. (2002). "The Colonial Plan of Augusta". Georgia Historical Quarterly. 86 (4): 511.
- ^ "Coweta Town historical marker". KVWE-TV. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
- ^ Memorial History of Augusta, Georgia: from Its Settlement in 1735 to the Close of the Eighteenth Century by Charles Colcock Jones, Salem Dutcher (Augusta, GA: D. Mason, 1890) page 31
- ^ "Civil War History in Augusta | Historic Landmarks & Sites". www.visitaugusta.com. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ^ a b "Freedom On Film: Civil Rights In Georgia". Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
- ^ "Baltimore is Everywhere," New York Magazine, May 18–31, 2015, p. 33.
- ^ a b c Checker, Melissa (2007). ""But I Know It's True" Environmental Risk, Assessment, Justice, and Anthropology". Human Organization. 66 (2): 112–124. doi:10.17730/humo.66.2.1582262175731728.
- ^ "Officials consider relicensing Augusta Canal" Archived October 17, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, Augusta Chronicle, June 29, 2003
- ^ "Is It True that Snow is Rare in Augusta, Georgia?". Augusta Planet.
- ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on July 2, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
- ^ "Station: August Bush Fld AP, GA". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on May 24, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
- ^ "WMO Climate Normals for COLUMBIA/METRO ARPT SC 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on July 16, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
- ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". US Census Bureau.
- ^ "1870 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1870.
- ^ "1880 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1880.
- ^ "1910 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1930.
- ^ "1930 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1930. pp. 251–256.
- ^ "1940 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1940.
- ^ "1950 Census of Population - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1980.
- ^ "1960 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1960.
- ^ "1970 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1970.
- ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1980.
- ^ "1990 Census of Population - Summary Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 1990.
- ^ "2000 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia" (PDF). US Census Bureau. 2000.
- ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Augusta Richmond consolidated government (balance), Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Augusta Richmond consolidated government (balance), Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "P004 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Augusta Richmond consolidated government (balance), Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "Census shows US is diversifying, white population shrinking". AP News. August 13, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ "America is becoming more urban, more diverse and less white, 2020 Census reveals". PBS NewsHour. August 12, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ HOME |augustaTomorrow.com Archived July 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Nick (May 4, 2018). "Georgia's Little Secret Cybersecurity Hub: Enter Augusta..." Cyber Defense Magazine. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ^ Headlee, Celeste (December 19, 2016). "Is Augusta The Future 'Silicon Valley' Of Cyber Security?". Georgia Public Broadcasting. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ^ "Unemployment Rate in Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC (MSA)". fred.stlouisfed.org. April 9, 2025. Retrieved April 15, 2025.
- ^ "Delta closing two U.S. call centers". USA Today. September 8, 2010. Archived from the original on June 22, 2006.
- ^ City of Augusta Largest Employers Archived November 24, 2013, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved November 14, 2013
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "Lamar Building". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018.
- ^ "River Place Condominiums". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020.
- ^ "Wells Fargo Building". Emporis.com. Archived from the original on March 22, 2016.
- ^ "About Greenjackets Baseball". The official site of the Augusta Greenjackets. Archived from the original on November 11, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
- ^ "Augusta Rugby Football Club (ARFC)". Archived from the original on November 10, 2011. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
- ^ Palmetto Rugby Union Archived September 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "USA Rugby South Conference". Archived from the original on April 8, 2008. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
- ^ Fans Vote Augusta River Hawks As Hockey Team's Name Archived March 17, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Thesphl.com (March 13, 2010). Retrieved on August 9, 2013.
- ^ Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals: None say 'class' like the Masters Archived May 26, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Worldgolf.com (February 25, 2008). Retrieved on August 9, 2013.
- ^ Augusta Disc Golf Archived September 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Augusta Disc Golf Association
- ^ "Maps". Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
- ^ Owens, Liz (May 20, 2024). "Augustans decide to give mayor a full vote on commission". WRDW. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
- ^ "Election Results". www.AugustaGA.gov. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
- ^ "2016 Georgia Presidential Election Results". Politico.com. July 26, 2016. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
- ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Richmond County, GA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved October 25, 2024. - Text list
- ^ "Fall Line Freeway" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 4, 2011. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- ^ Seaboard Coast Line timetable, April 26, 1970, Table 3
- ^ Seaboard Coast Line timetable, December 1, 1970, Table 4
- ^ Cox, Jim (2011). Rails across dixie : a history of passenger trains in the American South. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. p. 246. ISBN 9780786445288. OCLC 609716000.
- ^ "Twin towns, Biarritz official website". Biarritz.fr. Archived from the original on July 29, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
Further reading
[edit]- Allen, Carrie. ""I Got That Something That Makes Me Want to Shout": James Brown, Religion, and Gospel Music in Augusta, Georgia." Journal of the Society for American Music 5.4 (2011): 535-555. online
- Allen, Carrie A. " 'When We Send Up the praises': Race, Identity, and Gospel Music in Augusta, Georgia." Black Music Research Journal (2007): 79-95. online; also online at JSTOR
- Bellamy, Donnie D., and Diane E. Walker. "Slaveholding in Antebellum Augusta and Richmond County, Georgia." Phylon 48.2 (1987): 165-177 online; also online in JSTOR.
- Brown, Russell K. "Post-Civil War Violence in Augusta, Georgia." Georgia Historical Quarterly 90.2 (2006): 196-213 online.
- Brown, Russell K. "Augusta's Other Voice: James Gardner and the Constitutionalist." Georgia Historical Quarterly 85.4 (2001): 592-607 online.
- Cashin, Edward J., and Glenn T. Eskew, eds. Paternalism in a Southern City: Race, Religion, and Gender in Augusta, Georgia (U of Georgia Press, 2001).
- Curtis, William S. "Unorthodox British Technology at the Confederate Gunpowder Works, Augusta, Georgia, 1862–1865." in Gunpowder, Explosives and the State (Routledge, 2016) pp. 263–272.
- Fleming, Berry. Autobiography of a Colony: The First Half-century of Augusta, Georgia (U of Georgia Press, 2009).
- Gourley, Bruce T. "A Journey of Faith and Community: The Story of the First Baptist Church of Augusta, Georgia." Baptist History & Heritage 51.3 (2016).
- Griffin, Richard W. "The Augusta (Georgia) Manufacturing Company in Peace, War, and Reconstruction, 1847–1877." Business History Review 32.1 (1958): 60–73.
- Herrington, Philip Mills. "Agricultural and Architectural Reform in the Antebellum South: Fruitland at Augusta, Georgia." Journal of Southern History 78.4 (2012): 855-886 online.
- Hutchinson, Glenn, and Maurice R. Brewster. Population Mobility: A Study of Family Movements Affecting Augusta, Georgia, 1899-1939 (Federal Works Agency, Work Projects Administration of Georgia, 1942) online.
- Jones, Charles Colcock. Memorial History of Augusta, Georgia: From Its Settlement in 1735 to the Close of the Eighteenth Century (D. Mason, 1890) online.
- Joiner, Sean, and Gerald J. Smith. Augusta, Georgia (Arcadia Publishing, 2004); Focus on Blacks; heavily illustrated. online
- McCrary, Peyton. "The dynamics of minority vote dilution: The case of Augusta, Georgia, 1945-1986." Journal of Urban History 25.2 (1999): 199–225.
- Sampson, Curt. The Masters: golf, money, and power in Augusta, Georgia (Villard Books, 1999) online.
- Souther, J. Mark. "Making 'The Garden City of the South': Beautification, Preservation, and Downtown Planning in Augusta, Georgia." Journal of Planning History 20.2 (2021): 87-116 online.
- Werner, Randolph D. "The New South Creed and the Limits of Radicalism: Augusta, Georgia, before the 1890s." Journal of Southern History 67.3 (2001): 573-600 online.
- Whites, LeeAnn. Civil War as a Crisis in Gender: Augusta, Georgia, 1860-1890 (University of Georgia Press, 2000).
- Whites, LeeAnn. The Charitable and the Poor: The Emergence of Domestic Politics in Augusta, Georgia, 1860–1880 (KG Saur, 2012).
- Zecher, Sara Elizabeth. "The economic role of universities in medium-sized cities: a case study of the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Georgia" (Diss. Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005) online.
External links
[edit]
- Official website
- Robert E. Williams Photographic Collection: African-Americans in the Augusta, Ga. Vicinity (Richmond Co.), ca. 1872–1898 from the Digital Library of Georgia
- Picturing Augusta: Historic Postcards from the Collection of the East Central Georgia Regional Library
- . The American Cyclopædia. 1879.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
- Augusta, Georgia
- Populated places established in 1736
- 1736 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Former state capitals in the United States
- Cities in Richmond County, Georgia
- County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Augusta metropolitan area
- Consolidated city-counties
- Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha