Talbot County, Georgia

Talbot County is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. The 2020 census showed a population of 5,733. The county seat and largest city is Talbotton.

History
Talbot County was created from a portion of Muscogee County by a December 14, 1827, act of the Georgia General Assembly. It was named after the late Georgia governor Matthew Talbot. Taylor County was created from a portion of Talbot County in 1852.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 395 sqmi, of which 391 sqmi is land and 3.4 sqmi (0.9%) is water.

The county straddles the fall line of the Eastern U.S., and thus northern areas of the county are hillier compared to southern areas of the county. The Fall Line Freeway runs across the southern portion of the county, following Georgia State Route 96 from Geneva to Junction City. The far northern portion of the county is part of the Pine Mountain Range, with elevations in this areas exceeding 1,000 ft on the highest peaks of the mountains.

The northeastern three-quarters of Talbot County is located in the Upper Flint River sub-basin of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin. The southwestern quarter, west of Junction City, is located in the Middle Chattahoochee River-Walter F. George Lake sub-basin, while a narrow sliver of the western border, east of Waverly Hall, is located in the Middle Chattahoochee River-Lake Harding sub-basin.

Major highways
U.S. Route 27 Alternate
 * Alternate plate.svg
 * US 80.svg U.S. Route 80
 * Georgia 22.svg State Route 22
 * Georgia 36.svg State Route 36
 * Georgia 41.svg State Route 41
 * Georgia 85.svg State Route 85
 * Georgia 85 Alternate.svg State Route 85 Alternate
 * Georgia 96.svg State Route 96
 * Georgia 116.svg State Route 116
 * Georgia 190.svg State Route 190
 * Georgia 208.svg State Route 208
 * Georgia 240.svg State Route 240
 * Georgia 315.svg State Route 315
 * Georgia 540.svg State Route 540 (Fall Line Freeway)

Adjacent counties

 * Upson County - northeast
 * Taylor County - southeast
 * Marion County - south
 * Chattahoochee County - southwest
 * Muscogee County - west-southwest
 * Harris County - west
 * Meriwether County - north

Railroads

 * CSX Fitzgerald Subdivision
 * Norfolk Southern Columbus District

Cities

 * Talbotton (county seat)
 * Woodland
 * Manchester (part)

Towns

 * Geneva
 * Junction City

Unincorporated communities

 * Box Springs
 * Centerville
 * Po Biddy Crossroads
 * Tax Crossroads

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,733 people, 2,809 households, and 1,849 families residing in the county.

Education
The Talbot County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one building with 48 full-time teachers and 792 students. The district headquarters is in Talbotton.

Politics
Like most majority-African-American counties in Georgia, Talbot is a reliably Democratic county. Between 1880 and 2020, Talbot County has only voted Republican three times, although it also voted for American Independent segregationist George Wallace in 1968.