# Upson County, Georgia

Upson County is a county in the West Central region 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 square miles (850 km$^2$), of which 323 square miles (840 km$^2$) is land and 4.1 square miles (11 km$^2$) (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

* U.S. Route 19
* U.S. Route 80
* State Route 3
* State Route 22
* State Route 36
* State Route 74
* 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

## Communities
### City

* Thomaston

### Town

* Yatesville

### Census-designated places

* Hannahs Mill
* Lincoln Park
* Salem
* Sunset Village

### Unincorporated communities

* Atwater
* Crest
* Dog Crossing
* The Rock

## Demographics

Upson County racial composition as of 2020 :
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 18,009 | 65.01% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 7,851 | 28.34% |
| Native American | 63 | 0.23% |
| Asian | 151 | 0.55% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.0% |
| Other/Mixed | 992 | 3.58% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 633 | 2.29% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 27,700 people, 10,154 households, and 6,100 families residing in the county.

## Politics

United States presidential election results for Upson County, Georgia :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 9,528 | 69.74% | 4,098 | 30.00% | 36 | 0.26% |
| 2020 | 8,606 | 66.68% | 4,203 | 32.56% | 98 | 0.76% |
| 2016 | 7,292 | 66.69% | 3,475 | 31.78% | 167 | 1.53% |
| 2012 | 7,230 | 64.10% | 3,959 | 35.10% | 90 | 0.80% |
| 2008 | 7,291 | 63.77% | 4,061 | 35.52% | 82 | 0.72% |
| 2004 | 6,634 | 65.72% | 3,424 | 33.92% | 36 | 0.36% |
| 2000 | 5,019 | 60.60% | 3,158 | 38.13% | 105 | 1.27% |
| 1996 | 3,783 | 47.08% | 3,491 | 43.45% | 761 | 9.47% |
| 1992 | 4,053 | 45.03% | 3,740 | 41.55% | 1,208 | 13.42% |
| 1988 | 4,614 | 63.05% | 2,666 | 36.43% | 38 | 0.52% |
| 1984 | 4,803 | 62.01% | 2,943 | 37.99% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 2,788 | 36.52% | 4,713 | 61.73% | 134 | 1.76% |
| 1976 | 2,897 | 40.71% | 4,219 | 59.29% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1972 | 4,892 | 84.52% | 896 | 15.48% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 1,494 | 22.73% | 1,480 | 22.52% | 3,599 | 54.75% |
| 1964 | 3,103 | 48.61% | 3,275 | 51.30% | 6 | 0.09% |
| 1960 | 1,001 | 23.48% | 3,262 | 76.52% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 712 | 17.22% | 3,422 | 82.78% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 648 | 14.45% | 3,837 | 85.55% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 262 | 8.75% | 2,432 | 81.26% | 299 | 9.99% |
| 1944 | 243 | 9.33% | 2,362 | 90.67% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 159 | 6.64% | 2,235 | 93.36% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 138 | 8.57% | 1,471 | 91.37% | 1 | 0.06% |
| 1932 | 20 | 1.19% | 1,660 | 98.57% | 4 | 0.24% |
| 1928 | 221 | 23.46% | 721 | 76.54% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 37 | 6.37% | 484 | 83.30% | 60 | 10.33% |
| 1920 | 170 | 15.08% | 957 | 84.92% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1916 | 18 | 1.78% | 734 | 72.60% | 259 | 25.62% |
| 1912 | 7 | 1.19% | 445 | 75.42% | 138 | 23.39% |

## Notable people

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