# Johnson County, Georgia

Johnson County is a county located along the Oconee River in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,189. The county seat is Wrightsville. Johnson County is part of the Dublin, Georgia, micropolitan statistical area.

## History

Johnson county was created by the Georgia legislature December 11, 1858, from parts of Emanuel, Laurens, and Washington counties. Johnson County was named for Georgia governor, senator, and U.S. vice-presidential candidate Herschel Vespasian Johnson.
In 1919, a deputy driving Jim Waters, a black prisoner accused of rape, out of the county was stopped by a group of 150 men at a bridge over the Ohoopee River. The men tied Waters to a tree and shot him numerous times. The case was closed without any investigation.

## Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 307 square miles (800 km$^2$), of which 303 square miles (780 km$^2$) is land and 3.6 square miles (9.3 km$^2$) (1.2%) is water.
The vast majority of Johnson County is located in the Ohoopee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. Tiny portions of the northeastern borders of the county are located in the Upper Ogeechee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin, while the western corner of Johnson County is located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin.

### Major highways

* U.S. Route 80
* U.S. Route 221
* U.S. Route 319
* State Route 15
* State Route 26
* State Route 31
* State Route 57
* State Route 78
* State Route 86
* State Route 171

### Adjacent counties

* Washington County - north
* Jefferson County - northeast
* Emanuel County - east
* Treutlen County - south
* Laurens County - southwest
* Wilkinson County - west

## Communities
### Cities

* Adrian (Partly in Emanuel County)
* Kite
* Wrightsville (county seat)

### Unincorporated community

* Meeks
* Donovan
* New Home (Johnson County)
* Tom
* Scott

## Demographics
### 2020 Census

Johnson County, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race. :
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
| White alone (NH) | 5,307 | 6,219 | 5,800 | 62.00% | 62.31% | 63.12% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 3,131 | 3,461 | 3,017 | 36.58% | 34.68% | 32.83% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 11 | 17 | 23 | 0.13% | 0.17% | 0.25% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 10 | 22 | 28 | 0.12% | 0.22% | 0.30% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 1 | 3 | 15 | 0.01% | 0.03% | 0.16% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 1 | 7 | 14 | 0.01% | 0.07% | 0.15% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 21 | 65 | 175 | 0.25% | 0.65% | 1.90% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 78 | 186 | 117 | 0.91% | 1.86% | 1.27% |
| Total | 8,560 | 9,980 | 9,189 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 9,189 people, 3,393 households, and 2,208 families residing in the county.

## Government

The county is governed by a five-member board of commissioners. A county manager handles the daily operation of the county.
The county is part of the Dublin Judicial Circuit along with Twiggs County, Treutlen County, and Laurens County.
Board of commissioners :
| District | Commissioner | Party |
| District 1 | Felice Pullen | Democratic |
| District 2 | James McAfee Jr. [CHAIR] | Republican |
| District 3 | Jerronney Darrisaw | Democratic |
| District 4 | Brian Lindsey | Republican |
| District 5 | Mike Keene | Republican |
United States presidential election results for Johnson County, Georgia :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 2,913 | 73.12% | 1,066 | 26.76% | 5 | 0.13% |
| 2020 | 2,850 | 69.51% | 1,222 | 29.80% | 28 | 0.68% |
| 2016 | 2,519 | 68.34% | 1,136 | 30.82% | 31 | 0.84% |
| 2012 | 2,440 | 64.62% | 1,305 | 34.56% | 31 | 0.82% |
| 2008 | 2,426 | 66.47% | 1,198 | 32.82% | 26 | 0.71% |
| 2004 | 2,279 | 64.11% | 1,263 | 35.53% | 13 | 0.37% |
| 2000 | 1,797 | 62.33% | 1,065 | 36.94% | 21 | 0.73% |
| 1996 | 815 | 36.14% | 1,194 | 52.95% | 246 | 10.91% |
| 1992 | 1,314 | 39.88% | 1,473 | 44.70% | 508 | 15.42% |
| 1988 | 1,567 | 62.83% | 927 | 37.17% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1984 | 1,733 | 59.11% | 1,199 | 40.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 1,123 | 37.07% | 1,854 | 61.21% | 52 | 1.72% |
| 1976 | 698 | 24.00% | 2,210 | 76.00% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1972 | 2,201 | 84.07% | 417 | 15.93% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 381 | 13.28% | 446 | 15.55% | 2,041 | 71.16% |
| 1964 | 1,940 | 73.99% | 682 | 26.01% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 488 | 27.32% | 1,298 | 72.68% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 179 | 10.02% | 1,607 | 89.98% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 344 | 15.99% | 1,808 | 84.01% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 67 | 5.33% | 685 | 54.54% | 504 | 40.13% |
| 1944 | 304 | 23.71% | 978 | 76.29% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 306 | 11.32% | 2,386 | 88.24% | 12 | 0.44% |
| 1936 | 334 | 15.15% | 1,861 | 84.40% | 10 | 0.45% |
| 1932 | 18 | 1.34% | 1,314 | 98.06% | 8 | 0.60% |
| 1928 | 284 | 31.00% | 632 | 69.00% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 194 | 14.18% | 1,058 | 77.34% | 116 | 8.48% |
| 1920 | 74 | 19.47% | 306 | 80.53% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1916 | 150 | 16.95% | 715 | 80.79% | 20 | 2.26% |
| 1912 | 92 | 23.00% | 285 | 71.25% | 23 | 5.75% |

## Education

In 1970, Johnson County schools integrated peacefully due to careful planning by the county's board of education and firm management by superintendent Buren Claxton.
The county's public schools are located in Wrightsville. The school mascot is the Trojan, and the school colors are blue and white. The school fight song is the theme from the movie Hang 'Em High.

## Sports

Herschel Walker, a Johnson County native, played on the county's only state championship football team in 1979. Walker went on to play for the University of Georgia and won the Heisman Trophy. In 2004 Johnson County High School named its football field for Walker.