Bibb County, Georgia

Bibb County, Georgia
Bibb County courthouse in Macon, Georgia
Location in the state of Georgia
Georgia's location in the U.S.
Founded	1822
Seat	Macon
Largest city	Macon
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	255.13 sq mi (661 km²) 249.96 sq mi (647 km²) 5.17 sq mi (13 km²), 2.03%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	155,547 616/sq mi (238/km²)
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website	www.co.bibb.ga.us

Bibb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 155,547. The county seat is Macon.

Bibb County is part of the Macon Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Bibb County was created by act of the Georgia Legislature on December 9, 1822, with Macon to be incorporated in December 1823; designated the county seat. It was carved from Jones, Monroe, Houston, and Twiggs counties. The county seat has never been changed, and no other county has ever been created out of land from Bibb County.

The county was named for Dr. William Wyatt Bibb, a physician from Elbert County who went on to serve in the United States Senate and House of Representatives before becoming the first elected Governor of Alabama.

During the Civil War, 10% of the white men in the county died in the service.

The first foreign Consulate in the country was established in Macon in 2006, the Royal Danish Consulate of the Kingdom of Denmark. The first ever Honorary Consul to the Principality of Liechtenstein was established in Macon in 2007..

Government

Bibb County is currently governed by a five-member County Commission, with four commissioners elected from individual districts in the county and a chairman elected countywide. The chairman is the chief executive of the county, though the role was reduced from full-time to part-time beginning in 2005, with a chief administrative officer appointed by the commission to run the daily affairs of the government. The current (2009) county commission chairman is Sam Hart.

Like all other Georgia counties, Bibb has an elected sheriff responsible for maintaining the jail. Bibb's sheriff also manages the county's law enforcement duties, with his deputies acting as the county police force in the unincorporated area; the city of Macon has its own police department. The current (2009) Bibb sheriff is Jerry Modena.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 255.13 square miles (660.8 km²), of which 249.96 square miles (647.4 km²) (or 97.97%) is land and 5.17 square miles (13.4 km²) (or 2.03%) is water.

Major highways

• Interstate 16
• Interstate 75
• Interstate 475
• U.S. Route 23
• U.S. Route 41
• U.S. Route 80
• U.S. Route 129
• State Route 11
• State Route 19
• State Route 22
• State Route 49
• State Route 74
• State Route 247

Adjacent counties

• Jones County, Georgia - northeast
• Twiggs County, Georgia - east
• Houston County, Georgia - south
• Peach County, Georgia - south-southwest
• Crawford County, Georgia - southwest
• Monroe County, Georgia - northwest

National protected areas

• Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Ocmulgee National Monument

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1830	7,154		—
1840	9,802		37.0%
1850	12,699		29.6%
1860	16,291		28.3%
1870	21,255		30.5%
1880	27,147		27.7%
1890	42,370		56.1%
1900	50,473		19.1%
1910	56,646		12.2%
1920	71,304		25.9%
1930	77,042		8.0%
1940	83,783		8.7%
1950	114,079		36.2%
1960	141,249		23.8%
1970	143,418		1.5%
1980	150,256		4.8%
1990	149,967		−0.2%
2000	153,887		2.6%
2010	155,547		1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 153,887 people, 59,667 households, and 39,797 families residing in the county. The population density was 616 people per square mile (238/km²). There were 67,194 housing units at an average density of 269 per square mile (104/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 50.13% White, 47.32% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 1.08% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. 1.31% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 59,667 households out of which 31.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.30% were married couples living together, 20.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.30% were non-families. 28.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the county the population was distributed with 26.60% under the age of 18, 10.10% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 12.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 85.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.20 males.

Economy

Personal income

The median income for a household in the county was $34,532, and the median income for a family was $43,479. Males had a median income of $34,263 versus $25,540 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,058. About 15.50% of families and 19.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.20% of those under age 18 and 13.10% of those age 65 or over.

Tourism

Lake Tobesofkee in the Wintertime

Lake Tobesofkee, about 10 miles (16 km) west of Macon, has three parks. Claystone, Sandy Beach, and Arrowhead Parks, each with a beach, and children's playgrounds. Sandy Beach has lighted tennis courts and a softball field.

Cities and towns

• Macon
• Lizella
• Payne
• Walden
• Sofkee
• Franklinton
• Avondale

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Bibb County, Georgia

External links

• http://www.co.bibb.ga.us/
• Bibb County Historical Marker
• Bibb County Documents at the Digital Library of Georgia