Whitfield County, Georgia

Whitfield County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census shows a population of 102,864. The county seat is Dalton. The county was created on December 30, 1851, and named after George Whitefield, Methodist evangelist. The "e" was omitted to reflect the pronunciation of his name.

Whitfield County is part of the Dalton metropolitan area, Georgia, which is also included in the Chattanooga–Cleveland–Dalton combined statistical area.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 291 sqmi, of which 290 sqmi is land and 0.6 sqmi (0.2%) is water. The majority of Whitfield County is located in the Conasauga River sub-basin in the ACT River Basin (Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin), with a part of the western edge of the county is located in the Middle Tennessee-Chickamauga sub-basin of the Middle Tennessee-Hiwassee basin. A very small portion of the southern edge of the county is located in the Oostanaula River sub-basin in the larger ACT River Basin.

Adjacent counties

 * Bradley County, Tennessee (north)
 * Murray County (east)
 * Gordon County (south)
 * Walker County (west-southwest)
 * Catoosa County (west-northwest)
 * Hamilton County, Tennessee (northwest)

National protected area

 * Chattahoochee National Forest (part)

Major highways

 * I-75.svg Interstate 75
 * US 41.svg U.S. Route 41
 * US 76.svg U.S. Route 76
 * Georgia 2.svg State Route 2
 * Georgia 3.svg State Route 3
 * Georgia 3 Connector.svg State Route 3 Connector
 * Georgia 52.svg State Route 52
 * Georgia 71.svg State Route 71
 * Georgia 201.svg State Route 201
 * Georgia 286.svg State Route 286
 * Georgia 401.svg State Route 401 (unsigned designation for I-75)

Pedestrians and cycling

 * Pinhoti Trail

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 102,864 people, 34,518 households, and 25,351 families residing in the county.

2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 102,599 people, 35,180 households, and 26,090 families residing in the county. The population density was 353.2 PD/sqmi. There were 39,899 housing units at an average density of 137.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 76.6% white, 3.7% black or African American, 1.3% Asian, 0.6% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 15.0% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 31.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 12.1% were American, 11.0% were Irish, 8.4% were English, and 7.5% were German.

Of the 35,180 households, 41.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 25.8% were non-families, and 21.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.36. The median age was 34.0 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,345 and the median income for a family was $48,991. Males had a median income of $34,150 versus $27,315 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,780. About 15.6% of families and 19.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.7% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 Census, there were 29,385 households, out of which 36.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.50% were married couples living together, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.60% were non-families. 20.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.30% under the age of 18, 10.00% from 18 to 24, 30.80% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 10.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,377, and the median income for a family was $44,652. Males had a median income of $30,122 versus $23,709 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,515. About 8.60% of families and 11.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.70% of those under age 18 and 11.70% of those age 65 or over.

High schools

 * Northwest Whitfield High School
 * Southeast Whitfield High School
 * Coahulla Creek High School

Middle schools

 * Eastbrook Middle School
 * New Hope Middle School
 * North Whitfield Middle School
 * Valley Point Middle School
 * Westside Middle School

Elementary schools

 * Antioch Elementary School
 * Beaverdale Elementary School
 * Cedar Ridge Elementary School
 * Cohutta Elementary School
 * Dawnville Elementary School
 * Dug Gap Elementary School
 * Eastside Elementary School
 * New Hope Elementary School
 * Pleasant Grove Elementary School
 * Tunnel Hill Elementary School
 * Valley Point Elementary School
 * Varnell Elementary School
 * Westside Elementary School

Alternative schools

 * Crossroads Academy
 * Phoenix High School

High schools

 * Dalton High School
 * Morris Innovative High School

Middle schools

 * Dalton Middle School

Elementary schools

 * Brookwood Elementary
 * Blue Ridge Elementary
 * City Park Elementary
 * Park Creek Elementary
 * Roan Elementary
 * Westwood Elementary

Private schools

 * Cedar Valley Christian Academy
 * Christian Heritage School
 * Learning Tree School

Cities

 * Dalton
 * Tunnel Hill
 * Varnell

Towns

 * Cohutta

Unincorporated community

 * Rocky Face
 * Dawnville
 * Tilton

Politics
Like much of the rest of Georgia, Whitfield County was strongly Democratic in the early 20th century, albeit less so than other parts of the state; it went Republican for William Howard Taft in 1908, Warren G. Harding in 1920 and for Herbert Hoover in 1928. The three Republicans would lose Georgia but win their respective national elections.

Despite being strongly Democratic through Franklin D. Roosevelt's four elections and in the subsequent two, the county only narrowly went for Democrat Adlai Stevenson II in 1956 and flipped Republican for Richard Nixon in 1960. It would flip back to the Democrats and Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, even as Barry Goldwater would become the first Republican to ever carry the state of Georgia in a presidential election. However, it would be one of the last hurrahs for the Democratic Party in Whitfield County; Hubert Humphrey would finish third here in 1968 behind Richard Nixon and third-party candidate George Wallace, and it would give Nixon over 80% of the vote in 1972. It snapped back Democratic for native Georgian Jimmy Carter in 1976 and 1980, but this would be the final time it voted Democratic at the presidential level. It has become a safely Republican area throughout the remainder of the 20th century and into the 21st.