Kingsland, Georgia

Kingsland is a city in Camden County, Georgia, United States. The population was 18,337 at the 2020 census, up from 15,946 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Kingsland, Georgia Micropolitan Statistical Area. As Kingsland is 3 miles from the Florida-Georgia border and 32 miles from Jacksonville, it is also a principal city of the Jacksonville—Kingsland—Palatka, Florida—Georgia Combined Statistical Area. The Kingsland Commercial Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 17, 1994. It includes the area surrounding South Lee Street between King Street and William Street. It hosts an annual Catfish Festival each November and is the location where the fan series Star Trek Continues was filmed. History Kingsland traces its origin to the arrival of the Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad (a predecessor of CSX Transportation) on Christmas Day 1893, which passed through property owned by the King family; the surrounding settlement became known as "Kings Land." Kingsland was platted in 1894 when the railroad was extended to that point, and named after William Henry King, the original owner of the site. The city was incorporated in 1908. The growth of nearby Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, particularly after its 1980 designation as the Atlantic Fleet's homeport for Trident submarines, brought a sustained increase in population to Kingsland; the city established a planning and zoning department around 1985 to manage the resulting growth. Government Kingsland operates under a council–manager government, with an elected mayor and four-member city council that sets policy and appoints a city manager to oversee day-to-day administration. Lee H. Spell has served as city manager since 2014. Mayor Dr. C. Grayson Day, Jr. Mayor Pro Tem Alex Blount Councilman Paul Chamberlin Councilwoman Kristy Chance Councilman Farran Fullilove Economy Kingsland's economy is closely tied to nearby Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, which draws a substantial share of the area's military, civilian, and contractor workforce. The city also functions as a regional retail and service hub for southern Camden County, with a commercial corridor concentrated along U.S. Route 17 and Interstate 95. Local workforce education is provided through the Camden Center, an extension campus of the College of Coastal Georgia, and an instructional site of Coastal Pines Technical College. Geography Kingsland is in southernmost Camden County at 30°47′41″N 81°40′18″W (30.794612, -81.671720), just north of the Florida line. It is bordered by St. Marys to the east. Interstate 95 runs through the eastern part of the city, with access from three exits. U.S. Route 17, an older highway running parallel to I-95, passes through the center of Kingsland. Jacksonville, Florida, is 36 miles (58 km) to the south, and Brunswick is 34 miles (55 km) to the north. According to the United States Census Bureau, Kingsland has a total area of 44.95 square miles (116.43 km2), of which 44.74 square miles (115.87 km2) is land and 0.22 square miles (0.56 km2), or 0.48%, is water. Climate Kingsland experiences a humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and mild winters. Demographics 2020 census As of the 2020 census, Kingsland had a population of 18,337 and 4,546 families residing in the city. The median age was 33.1 years. 27.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 11.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.0 males age 18 and over. 96.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 3.1% lived in rural areas. There were 6,797 households in Kingsland, of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.8% were married-couple households, 15.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 7,302 housing units, of which 6.9% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.4%. Education Kingsland is served by the Camden County School District, which is headquartered in the city. Higher education College of Coastal Georgia (Camden Center) Coastal Pines Technical College (Kingsland instructional site) Secondary Camden County High School Primary Camden Middle School Kingsland Elementary School Matilda Harris Elementary School David L. Rainer Elementary School Private schools Southeast Christian Academy See also Interstate 95 in Georgia Georgia State Route 40 Atlantic, Waycross and Northern Railroad List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state) National Register of Historic Places listings in Georgia WKBX References External links Official website Kingsland Convention & Visitors Bureau Kingsland, Georgia at Ballotpedia