Bleckley County, Georgia

Bleckley County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,583. The county seat is Cochran.

History
The county was named for Logan Edwin Bleckley, a soldier and Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia. The state constitutional amendment to create the county was proposed by the Georgia General Assembly on July 30, 1912, and ratified November 5, 1912. Bleckley County was formerly home to Middle Georgia College, the oldest two-year public college in the nation. In 2013 it merged with Macon State College to become Middle Georgia State University.

Bleckley County High School made news in March 2010 for allowing a same-sex couple to attend its senior prom, after another same-sex couple in Mississippi were denied attendance at another senior prom.

Government
Bleckley County is one of eight remaining counties in Georgia that operates under a sole commissioner form of government, with a single county commissioner acting as the county executive and legislative branches. The current County Commissioner is Mike Davis, the Sheriff is Daniel Cape, the Fire Chief is Brock Wilcher, the Clerk of Superior Court is Dianne C. Brown, the Tax Commissioner is Paige Baggs, and the Probate Judge is Hon. Jonathan Fordham.

Bleckly County's sole commissioner form of government was discussed in Holder v. Hall, decided by the United States Supreme Court on June 30, 1994.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 219 sqmi, of which 216 sqmi is land and 3.3 sqmi (1.5%) is water. The county is located in the upper Atlantic coastal plain region of the state.

The eastern quarter of Bleckley County, roughly in a line from west of Danville running southeast, is located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The central quarter of the county, between Cochran and the previous line, is located in the Little Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin. The western half of the county, west of Cochran, is located in the Lower Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the same larger Altamaha River basin.

Major highways

 * I-16.svg Interstate 16
 * US 23.svg U.S. Route 23
 * US 23 Business.svg U.S. Route 23 Business
 * US 129 Alternate.svg U.S. Route 129 Alternate
 * Georgia 26.svg State Route 26
 * Georgia 87.svg State Route 87
 * Georgia 87 Business.svg State Route 87 Business
 * Georgia 112.svg State Route 112
 * Georgia 126.svg State Route 126
 * Georgia 257.svg State Route 257
 * Georgia 278.svg State Route 278
 * Georgia 404.svg State Route 404 (unsigned designation of I-16)

Adjacent counties

 * Wilkinson County - north
 * Twiggs County - north
 * Laurens County - east
 * Dodge County - southeast
 * Pulaski County - southwest
 * Houston County - west

Cities

 * Allentown
 * Cochran

Unincorporated communities

 * Cary
 * Empire
 * Baileys Park
 * Brown Hill
 * Coley Station
 * Five Points
 * Fraizer
 * Goldsboro
 * Paulk
 * Porter
 * Powell
 * Rebie
 * Royal

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 12,583 people, 4,176 households, and 2,727 families residing in the county.

Points of interest

 * Cochran-Bleckley Cotton & Peanut Museum
 * Cochran Motor Speedway
 * Greene Acres Farm
 * Gully Branch Tree Farm
 * Mae Chapel
 * Middle Georgia Equestrian Center
 * Ocmulgee Public Fishing Area
 * Ocmulgee Water Trail
 * Ocmulgee Wildlife Management Area
 * Terry L. Coleman Museum and Archives