Meriwether County is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,613.[2][1] The county seat is Greenville,[3] home of the Meriwether County Courthouse. The county was formed on December 14, 1827, as the 73rd county in Georgia. It was named for David Meriwether, a general in the American Revolutionary War and member of Congress from Georgia.[4]
Meriwether County | |
|---|---|
 Meriwether County Courthouse in Greenville | |
 Seal  Logo | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Georgia | |
 Georgia's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 33°02′N 84°41′W / 33.04°N 84.69°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Georgia |
| Founded | 1827 |
| Named for | David Meriwether |
| Seat | Greenville |
| Largest city | Manchester |
| Area | |
| • Total | 505 sq mi (1,310 km2) |
| • Land | 501 sq mi (1,300 km2) |
| • Water | 4.2 sq mi (11 km2) 0.8% |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 20,613[1] |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Website | meriwethercountyga.gov |
Meriwether County is part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell MSA.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 505 square miles (1,310 km2), of which 501 square miles (1,300 km2) is land and 4.2 square miles (11 km2) (0.8%) is water.[5]
The county is located in the Piedmont region of the state. Portions of the Pine Mountain Range are found in the southern parts of the county near the cities of Warm Springs and Manchester.
The eastern two-thirds of Meriwether County, going east from just west of U.S. Route 27 Alternate, is located in the Upper Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). The western third of the county is located in the Middle Chattahoochee River-Lake Harding sub-basin of the same ACF River Basin.[6]
Major highways
Interstate 85
U.S. Route 27 Alternate
State Route 18
State Route 41
State Route 54
State Route 54 Spur
State Route 74
State Route 85
State Route 85 Alternate
State Route 85 Spur
State Route 100
State Route 109
State Route 109 Spur
State Route 173
State Route 190
State Route 194
State Route 362
State Route 403 (unsigned designation for I-85)
Adjacent counties
- Coweta County (north)
- Spalding County (northeast)
- Pike County (east)
- Upson County (southeast)
- Talbot County (south)
- Harris County (southwest)
- Troup County (west)
Communities
Cities
- Greenville (county seat)
- Luthersville
- Manchester
- Warm Springs
- Woodbury
Towns
Unincorporated community
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830 | 4,422 | — | |
| 1840 | 14,132 | 219.6% | |
| 1850 | 16,476 | 16.6% | |
| 1860 | 15,330 | −7.0% | |
| 1870 | 13,756 | −10.3% | |
| 1880 | 17,651 | 28.3% | |
| 1890 | 20,740 | 17.5% | |
| 1900 | 23,339 | 12.5% | |
| 1910 | 25,180 | 7.9% | |
| 1920 | 26,167 | 3.9% | |
| 1930 | 22,437 | −14.3% | |
| 1940 | 22,055 | −1.7% | |
| 1950 | 21,055 | −4.5% | |
| 1960 | 19,756 | −6.2% | |
| 1970 | 19,461 | −1.5% | |
| 1980 | 21,229 | 9.1% | |
| 1990 | 22,411 | 5.6% | |
| 2000 | 22,534 | 0.5% | |
| 2010 | 21,992 | −2.4% | |
| 2020 | 20,613 | −6.3% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 20,931 | [7] | 1.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790-1880[9] 1890-1910[10] 1920-1930[11] 1930-1940[12] 1940-1950[13] 1960-1980[14] 1980-2000[15] 2010[2] 2020[1] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 12,084 | 58.62% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 7,273 | 35.28% |
| Native American | 64 | 0.31% |
| Asian | 78 | 0.38% |
| Pacific Islander | 6 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed | 633 | 3.07% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 475 | 2.3% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 20,613 people, 8,051 households, and 5,504 families residing in the county.
Politics
Meriwether County is a moderately Republican county. The last Democrat to win the county was Al Gore in 2000.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 6,524 | 59.96% | 4,287 | 39.40% | 69 | 0.63% |
| 2016 | 5,222 | 56.47% | 3,804 | 41.13% | 222 | 2.40% |
| 2012 | 4,856 | 52.36% | 4,331 | 46.70% | 87 | 0.94% |
| 2008 | 4,982 | 52.34% | 4,465 | 46.91% | 71 | 0.75% |
| 2004 | 4,402 | 53.98% | 3,709 | 45.48% | 44 | 0.54% |
| 2000 | 3,162 | 47.13% | 3,441 | 51.29% | 106 | 1.58% |
| 1996 | 2,259 | 36.13% | 3,492 | 55.85% | 502 | 8.03% |
| 1992 | 2,364 | 32.30% | 4,002 | 54.67% | 954 | 13.03% |
| 1988 | 3,101 | 51.31% | 2,934 | 48.54% | 9 | 0.15% |
| 1984 | 3,195 | 52.73% | 2,864 | 47.27% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 1,838 | 31.66% | 3,876 | 66.77% | 91 | 1.57% |
| 1976 | 1,450 | 23.09% | 4,830 | 76.91% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1972 | 3,420 | 73.82% | 1,213 | 26.18% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 1,120 | 20.55% | 1,760 | 32.29% | 2,571 | 47.17% |
| 1964 | 2,250 | 48.14% | 2,423 | 51.84% | 1 | 0.02% |
| 1960 | 706 | 18.55% | 3,100 | 81.45% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 592 | 15.88% | 3,137 | 84.12% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 531 | 13.01% | 3,551 | 86.99% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 204 | 8.47% | 1,967 | 81.65% | 238 | 9.88% |
| 1944 | 189 | 7.95% | 2,187 | 92.05% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 174 | 5.98% | 2,726 | 93.74% | 8 | 0.28% |
| 1936 | 138 | 5.36% | 2,438 | 94.61% | 1 | 0.04% |
| 1932 | 53 | 1.99% | 2,604 | 97.82% | 5 | 0.19% |
| 1928 | 287 | 15.93% | 1,515 | 84.07% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 103 | 7.74% | 886 | 66.57% | 342 | 25.69% |
| 1920 | 186 | 14.94% | 1,059 | 85.06% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1916 | 36 | 2.88% | 1,118 | 89.44% | 96 | 7.68% |
| 1912 | 26 | 2.66% | 862 | 88.05% | 91 | 9.30% |
Media
The county is served by the Meriwether Vindicator newspaper.
