Emanuel County, Georgia

Emanuel County is a county located in the magnolia midlands portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,768. The county seat is Swainsboro.

History
The county was created on December 10, 1812, by an act of the Georgia General Assembly from land originally in parts of Bulloch and Montgomery counties. Emanuel County is named in honor of former Governor of Georgia David Emanuel.

Portions of Johnson (1858), Jenkins (1905), Toombs (1905), Candler (1914), and Treutlen (1918) counties were taken from Emanuel's original borders.

Courthouses
Emanuel County has had seven courthouses in its over 200 years of existence. In the county's early years, the court met at Steven Rich's home. Emanuel County's first courthouse was erected in 1814 and burned in 1841. It wasn't until 1854, the same time that the city of Swainsboro was formally incorporated, that the county was allowed to build a replacement. In a string of bad luck, this new courthouse burned in 1855 and was replaced by another courthouse, which burned in 1857. Emanuel County's fourth courthouse burned in 1919 and was replaced by a three-story brick structure which, characteristically, burned in 1938. The next courthouse, a two-story marble structure, was built in 1940 and was the first courthouse in Emanuel County's history not to be destroyed by fire. However, by the 1990s, the courthouse's cramped and deteriorating condition caused several county offices to vacate the courthouse and move into vacant office space surrounding the courthouse square. The courthouse was demolished in the spring of 2000, leaving only the sheriff's office annex. In the late 1990s, the Emanuel County commissioners purchased the former U.S. Post Office building, which was built in 1936, to serve as an interim courthouse. In 2000, the county commission acquired land adjacent to the old Post Office to build a new courthouse and sheriff's office. Emanuel County's current courthouse, a large, single-story brick structure incorporating the old Post Office building, was completed in 2002, and a city square was built on the former courthouse site with the old sheriff's office renovated to serve as the city's visitors' center as well as the office for Swainsboro-Emanuel County Chamber of Commerce.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 690 sqmi, of which 681 sqmi is land and 9.6 sqmi (1.4%) is water.

The northern portion of Emanuel County, centered on Summertown and defined by a southern border heading from Garfield east-northeast and running north of Modoc, is located in the Upper Ogeechee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin. The eastern portion of the county, east of Swainsboro, is located in the Canoochee River sub-basin of the same Ogeechee River basin. The western and southern portions of Emanuel County are located in the Ohoopee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin.

Major highways
U.S. Route 1 Business
 * I-16.svg Interstate 16
 * US 1.svg U.S. Route 1
 * Business plate.svg
 * US 80.svg U.S. Route 80
 * US 221.svg U.S. Route 221
 * Georgia 4.svg State Route 4
 * Georgia 4 Business.svg State Route 4 Business
 * Georgia 15.svg State Route 15
 * Georgia 23.svg State Route 23
 * Georgia 26.svg State Route 26
 * Georgia 46.svg State Route 46
 * Georgia 56.svg State Route 56
 * Georgia 57.svg State Route 57
 * Georgia 78.svg State Route 78
 * Georgia 86.svg State Route 86
 * Georgia 121.svg State Route 121
 * Georgia 171.svg State Route 171
 * Georgia 192.svg State Route 192
 * Georgia 297.svg State Route 297
 * Georgia 404.svg State Route 404 (unsigned designation for I-16)

Adjacent counties

 * Jefferson County - north
 * Jenkins County - northeast
 * Burke County - northeast
 * Candler County - east
 * Tattnall County - southeast
 * Bulloch County - southeast
 * Toombs County - south
 * Laurens County - southwest
 * Johnson County - west
 * Treutlen County - west

Cities

 * Adrian
 * Garfield
 * Nunez
 * Oak Park
 * Stillmore
 * Summertown
 * Swainsboro
 * Twin City

Census-designated places

 * Canoochee
 * Norristown

Unincorporated communities

 * Five Points, Georgia
 * Stevens Crossing, Georgia

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 22,768 people, 8,387 households, and 5,683 families residing in the county.

Politics
Since 1964, the only times the county has failed to back a Republican candidate in a presidential election were when southern Democrats Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton were on the ballot.