Covington, Georgia

Covington is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia and the seat of Newton County, and is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, its population was 14,192.

History
Covington was founded by European immigrants to the United States. It was incorporated in 1821 as the seat of the newly organized Newton County. Covington was named for United States Army Brigadier General and United States Congressman Leonard Covington, a hero of the War of 1812. The settlement grew with the advent of the railroad in 1845. Covington incorporated as a city in 1854.

In 1864, General Sherman's troops marched through during their March to the Sea. Although they looted the city, destroying numerous buildings, several antebellum homes were spared.

Historic districts
The Covington Historic District and the North Covington Historic District within the city are both listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The maps and materials describing these two districts are available for review through City Hall. The Covington Historic District contains Floyd Street and the downtown square. The North Covington Historic District contains North Emory Street and Odum Street as its hub. Both districts have an ordinance to preserve their character, regulating changes proposed for properties, and special permits may be required.

The Covington Mill Village is also a vital part of local history. The Starrsville Historic District, site of the historic settlement of Starrsville, is in the exurban area around Covington. The Newton County Courthouse, brick store, and Salem campground are separately NRHP-listed.

Geography
Covington is located in north central Georgia, in the eastern part of Metro Atlanta. Interstate 20 runs to the north of the city, with access from exits 90, 92, and 93. Via I-20, downtown Atlanta is 35 mi west, and Augusta is 112 mi east. U.S. Route 278 also runs through the city, leading east 16 mi to Rutledge and northwest 11 mi to Conyers, concurrent with I-20. Other highways that run through the city include Georgia State Routes 36, 81, and 142. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.9 sqmi, of which 13.8 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi (0.72%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,547 people, 4,261 households, and 2,906 families residing in the city. The population density was 839.2 PD/sqmi. There were 4,542 housing units at an average density of 330.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 51.55% White, 45.54% Black, 0.18% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.94% from other races, and 1.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.87% of the population.

There were 4,261 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.0% were married couples living together, 23.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.5% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,997, and the median income for a family was $36,408. Males had a median income of $29,622 versus $23,339 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,554. About 14.8% of families and 19.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.7% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.

Newton County School District
The Newton County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of fourteen elementary schools, five middle schools, three high schools, an elementary theme school, and a charter school. The district has 853 full-time teachers and 13,681 students.

Private education

 * Grace Christian Academy
 * Montessori School of Covington
 * Providence Classical Christian School
 * Peachtree Academy
 * Covington Academy
 * Point of Grace Christian School
 * First Baptist Academy

Higher education

 * Georgia Piedmont Technical College - Covington Campus
 * Perimeter College at Georgia State University - Newton County Campus
 * Emory University - Oxford Campus

Tourism events

 * Gaither's Plantation hosts a Fall Festival every year.
 * The Satsuki Garden Club conducts tours of historic houses in Covington every other Christmas.
 * The Vampire Diaries, Mystic Falls Tours

Economy
Archer Aviation's Midnight eVTOL air taxi is set to be manufactured in Covington by carmaker Stellantis (merger of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot).

In film and television
Covington has been featured in numerous TV shows and movies since the 1950s.


 * A Man called Peter (1955)
 * False Face (1977)
 * The Dukes of Hazzard (1979, TV series, first 5 episodes)
 * The Prize Fighter (1979)
 * Little Darlings (1980)
 * The Cannonball Run (1981)
 * Coward of the County (1981, TV movie)
 * Door to Door (1985)
 * Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI (1986)
 * Resting Place (1986, TV movie)
 * A Fathers Homecoming (1988)
 * In the Heat of the Night (1988–1995, TV series)
 * Sudie and Simpson (1990)
 * Carolina Skeletons (1991)
 * White Lie (1991)
 * Stay the Night (1992)
 * I'll Fly Away (1991–1992, TV series)
 * Grass Roots (1992)
 * The Secret Passion of Robert Clayton (1992)
 * My Cousin Vinny (1992)
 * Kalifornia (1993)
 * The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (1993 film adaption of 1989 book)
 * A Passion for Justice: The Hazel Brannon Smith Story (1993)
 * Past the Bleachers (1994)
 * A Simple Twist of Fate (1994)
 * Savannah (1996, TV series)
 * Fled (1996)
 * Flash (1997, TV movie)
 * Miss Evers' Boys (1997 TV movie)
 * Remember the Titans (1999)
 * The Price of a Broken Heart (1999, TV movie)
 * Wayward Son (1999)
 * Run Ronnie Run (2000)
 * The Accountant (2001, short film)
 * Boycott (2001 film) (2001, TV movie)
 * TV Road Trip (2002, documentary)
 * Sweet Home Alabama (2002)
 * Autorequiem (2002)
 * The Fighting Temptations (2003)
 * Turbulance! (2004)
 * The Spy/Fancy Dress (2004)
 * Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius (2004)
 * Three Wishes (2005, TV series, episode 3)
 * False River (2005)
 * Boxed In (2005)
 * Madea's Family Reunion (2006)
 * Dangerous Calling (2008)
 * Get Low (2009)
 * Halloween II (2009)
 * The Family That Preys (2009)
 * Fly By (2009)
 * The Vampire Diaries (2009–2017, TV series)
 * Pretty Little Liars (2010–2018, TV series)
 * The Walking Dead (2010, TV series, episode 1)
 * Footloose (2011)
 * American Reunion (2012)
 * The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012)
 * Selma (2014)
 * Taken 3 (2014)
 * Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors (2015, TV movie)
 * Vacation (2015)
 * Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018)
 * Dumplin' (2018)
 * Legacies (2018–2022), TV series)
 * Doctor Sleep (2019)
 * Sweet Magnolias (2020, TV series)
 * Freaky (2020)
 * The American Barbecue Showdown (2020, TV series)
 * Jungle Cruise (film) (2021)
 * Just Beyond (2021, TV series)

Notable people

 * George Adams, jazz tenor saxophonist
 * George T. Anderson - Confederate General during the Civil War
 * Leon Ashley - singer
 * Boondox (David Hutto) - rapper on Majik Ninja Entertainment
 * Dale Carter - professional football player
 * Ellia English - actress best known for her role as Aunt Helen on the Jamie Foxx Show
 * Akeem Hunt- running back for the Ottawa Redblacks of the CFL
 * Andy Offutt Irwin award-winning storyteller and recording artist
 * Ryan Klesko - former Major League Baseball player
 * Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar (II) - politician, Secretary of the Interior for Grover Cleveland - Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
 * David Grier Martin - President of Davidson College
 * Demetrius McCray - football player, cornerback
 * Drew Parker - Grammy nominated country music songwriter and recording artist
 * Ben Morgan - Master Marine Salvage Expert
 * Dinah Watts Pace - educator, operated an orphanage in the area
 * Sheldon Rankins- defensive tackle for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL
 * Jake Reed - former professional football player
 * Steadman Vincent Sanford - Chancellor of the University System of Georgia
 * Eric Stokes - American football cornerback
 * Lizzie Wilkerson - African-American folk artist
 * Curley Weaver - Early piedmont-style country-bluesman
 * Elija Godwin - Olympic Medalist 2021 Olympics
 * Stephon Castle (born 2004), basketball player, picked 4th overall in 2024 NBA draft by San Antonio Spurs