Upson County, Georgia

Upson County is a county located in the west central Piedmont portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,700. The county seat is Thomaston. The county was created on December 15, 1824.

Upson County comprises the Thomaston, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs CSA.

History
Upson County was formed in 1824 and named after Stephen Upson, a state legislator.

Emancipation Day
On May 29, 1865, following the conclusion of the American Civil War, enslaved African Americans in the county were notified in Thomaston that they had been emancipated. By the following year, celebrations were held on that date, which continue to this day. It is considered one of the largest Emancipation Day celebrations in Georgia and one of the oldest continuously celebrated ones in the United States.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 328 sqmi, of which 323 sqmi is land and 4.1 sqmi (1.3%) is water. Upson County boasts the lowest average summer humidity in the state.

The vast majority of Upson County is located in the Upper Flint River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin), with just a tiny northeastern corner of the county, north of Yatesville, located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin.

Major highways

 * US 19.svg U.S. Route 19
 * US 80.svg U.S. Route 80
 * Georgia 3.svg State Route 3
 * Georgia 22.svg State Route 22
 * Georgia 36.svg State Route 36
 * Georgia 74.svg State Route 74
 * Georgia 74 Alternate.svg State Route 74 Alternate

Adjacent counties

 * Lamar County - north
 * Pike County - north
 * Monroe County - northeast
 * Crawford County - southeast
 * Taylor County - south
 * Talbot County - southwest
 * Meriwether County - northwest

City

 * Thomaston

Town

 * Yatesville

Census-designated places

 * Hannahs Mill
 * Lincoln Park
 * Salem
 * Sunset Village

Unincorporated communities

 * Atwater
 * Crest
 * Dog Crossing
 * The Rock

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 27,700 people, 10,154 households, and 6,100 families residing in the county.

Notable people

 * James L. Bentley
 * C.C. Crews
 * Martha Hudson
 * John Brown Gordon
 * Coy Bowles