Lovejoy, Georgia
Lovejoy, Georgia | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Seal | |
| Motto(s): A great place to grow and prosper | |
 Location in Clayton County and the state of Georgia | |
| Coordinates: 33°26′39″N 84°18′54″W / 33.44417°N 84.31500°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Clayton |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.94 sq mi (7.61 km2) |
| • Land | 2.91 sq mi (7.54 km2) |
| • Water | 0.027 sq mi (0.07 km2) |
| Elevation | 950 ft (290 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 10,122 |
| • Density | 3,476.7/sq mi (1,342.38/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 30250 |
| Area code | 770 |
| FIPS code | 13-47616[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0317440[3] |
| Website | www |
Lovejoy is a city in Clayton County, Georgia, United States. During the American Civil War, it was the site of the Battle of Lovejoy's Station during the Atlanta campaign of 1864. Lovejoy was incorporated as a town on September 16, 1861.[4] As of 2020, its population was 10,122. It has an African American majority.
Lovejoy is proposed by the Georgia Department of Transportation and MARTA to be the endpoint of metro Atlanta's first commuter rail line.
History
[edit]Around 1850, the location just north of Fosterville, Georgia was positioned along the new railway from Atlanta to Macon. The trainstop there was named for a prosperous local planter, James Lankford Lovejoy. On early maps, the location is called "Lovejoys."[5] It became known as Lovejoy's Station by 1864, where it was the setting of a civil war battle during Sherman's campaign through Georgia. James Lovejoy left the region and died in Clinch County, Georgia in 1877.
The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Lovejoy as a town in 1891.[6]
Lovejoy was the site of a cotton gin until 1932.[7]
In 1979, Betty Talmadge, former first-lady of Georgia, purchased the remnants of the Hollywood set "Tara," the fictional plantation featured in Gone With the Wind, and brought them to Lovejoy.[8] The main road through Lovejoy is named "Tara Blvd." The remnants of Tara are available to be toured at the Lovejoy Plantation.
Geography
[edit]Lovejoy is located in southern Clayton County at 33°26′39″N 84°18′54″W / 33.44417°N 84.31500°W (33.444164, -84.315105).[9] It is bordered by Henry County to the south and the unincorporated community of Bonanza to the north. U.S. Routes 19 and 41 pass through the western part of Lovejoy, leading north 24 miles (39 km) to downtown Atlanta and south 14 miles (23 km) to Griffin.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.6 square miles (6.8 km2), of which 0.02 square miles (0.06 km2), or 0.91%, is water.[10]
Demographics
[edit]| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 198 | — | |
| 1920 | 221 | 11.6% | |
| 1930 | 178 | −19.5% | |
| 1980 | 205 | — | |
| 1990 | 754 | 267.8% | |
| 2000 | 2,495 | 230.9% | |
| 2010 | 6,422 | 157.4% | |
| 2020 | 10,122 | 57.6% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 12,080 | [11]  | 19.3% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] | |||
2020 census
[edit]As of the 2020 census, there were 10,122 people, 3,303 households, and 1,272 families residing in the city. The median age was 32.1 years. 27.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 6.8% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.3 males age 18 and over.[13][14]
99.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.4% lived in rural areas.[15]
Of households in Lovejoy, 44.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 29.2% were married-couple households, 18.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 44.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[13]
There were 3,600 housing units, of which 8.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.8%.[13]
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 932 | 9.21% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 7,709 | 76.16% |
| Native American | 21 | 0.21% |
| Asian | 105 | 1.04% |
| Pacific Islander | 5 | 0.05% |
| Other/Mixed | 334 | 3.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,016 | 10.04% |
Education
[edit]Clayton County Public Schools operates public schools. The schools in this area are: Lovejoy Middle School and Lovejoy High School.
In 1989, professional wrestler Jody Hamilton opened a school and training facility in Lovejoy. It was later moved to Atlanta and operated as the WCW Power Plant until 2001.[17]
Infrastructure
[edit]Transit systems
[edit]MARTA serves the city. A planned commuter rail service is expected to terminate in the city.
Notable people
[edit]- Kokomo Arnold, blues singer and guitarist
- Bub Means, wide receiver in the NFL[18]
- Jocasta Odom, Reality TV show personality and minister
- Preston Williams, NFL wide receiver
References
[edit]- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Lovejoy". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
- ^ "About Us | Lovejoy, GA - Official Website". www.cityoflovejoy.com. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "GeorgiaInfo". Dlg.galileo.usg.edu. Retrieved August 2, 2025.
- ^ Acts Passed by the General Assembly of Georgia. J. Johnston. 1892. p. 806.
- ^ "About Us | Lovejoy, GA - Official Website". www.cityoflovejoy.com. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ Tara from Gone With The Wind Tour and Lovejoy Plantation Archived from the original on 2015-09-09. Retrieved on 2023-02-23.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Lovejoy city, Georgia". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2023". United States Census Bureau. May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
- ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
- ^ Russo, Ric (October 13, 2000). "What ever happened to ... The Assassin". The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
- ^ "High school coach's memories of Pitt wide receiver Bub Means go beyond football". Triblive.com. Retrieved August 2, 2025.
External links
[edit]- City of Lovejoy official website
- Cavalry Action at Lovejoy's Station historical marker
- Georgia Militia at Lovejoy's Station historical marker
Municipalities and communities of Clayton County, Georgia, United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| Authority control databases: Geographic |
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