Monroe, Georgia

Monroe, Georgia
Monroe is a city in Walton County, Georgia, United States, serving as the county seat. It is located both one hour east of Atlanta via US 78 and GA 138 to I-20 and east of Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport and is one of the exurban cities in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The population was 14,928 at the 2020 U.S. census.
History
Monroe was founded in 1818 as seat of the newly formed Walton County. It was incorporated as a town in 1821 and as a city in 1896.
Monroe was a major cotton producer in the state during the 1900s. The two main cotton mills in Monroe used to be the driving economic force in the region. Now the mills no longer produce for the cotton industry, but rather serve as economic engines for the region by housing antique markets, event space, and other unique retail.
In July 1946 the area was the site of the last mass lynching in the United States. A White mob attacked and killed two Black married couples who were driving through the area. The four people were pulled from their car and shot several times.
A Civil War memorial, in the form of a statue of a Confederate soldier, stands adjacent to the county courthouse in downtown Monroe.
Geography
Monroe is in the center of Walton County. U.S. Route 78 (Atlanta/Monroe Bypass) passes north of the city, leading west to Loganville, and west to downtown Atlanta, and east 25 miles to Athens. GA Bus. 10 runs through the city of Monroe. Georgia State Route 11 leads northwest from Monroe 15 miles to Winder, the Barrow County seat, and south 10 miles to Social Circle, and southwest to eastern rural Newton County, east of Covington. State Route 138 leads south to Conyers.
Monroe is located at (33.793295, -83.710790).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (1.05%) is water.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,928 people, 4,709 households, and 3,223 families residing in the city.
Economy
The east end of Monroe contains multiple industries:
Hitachi automotive systems of America
Tucker Door and Trim
Arkansas-headquartered Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.'s southeast Walmart Distribution Center
Leggett & Platt Corporation
Education
Walton County School District
The Walton County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of nine elementary schools, three middle schools, and four high schools. The district has 675 full-time teachers and over 10,368 students.
Public schools
Elementary
Atha Road Elementary School
Bay Creek Elementary School
Harmony Elementary School
Monroe Elementary School
Walker Park Elementary School
Walnut Grove Elementary School
Sharon Elementary School
Loganville Elementary School
Youth Elementary School
Middle
Carver Middle School
Loganville Middle School
Youth Middle School
High
Monroe Area High School
Loganville High School
Walnut Grove High School
Social Circle High School
Private
George Walton Academy
Loganville Christian Academy
Monroe Country Day School
Notable people
Javianne Oliver - 2020 Olympic Silver Medalist
Alfred H. Colquitt - Governor of Georgia and senator who served as Confederate officer
Frances Conroy - Golden Globe- and SAG Award-winning actress
Besse Cooper - suffragette, teacher, and World's Oldest Living Person 2011-2012
Henry Fambrough - baritone singer, The Spinners
Marquis Floyd - NFL player
Michael Gallup - Dallas Cowboys wide receiver
Jake Garcia - NASCAR driver
Lonnie Hillyer - jazz trumpeter
Tyler Hubbard - country music singer/songwriter, member of band Florida Georgia Line
Henry Dickerson McDaniel - Governor of Georgia from 1883 to 1886
Prince Hulon Preston, Jr. - member of US House of Representatives
Patricia Roberts - Olympic silver medalist and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductee
Stephon Tuitt - NFL player for Pittsburgh Steelers
Clifford Walker - Governor of Georgia from 1923 to 1927
Bruce Williamson (born 1954) - Politician. Member of Georgia House of Representatives.
References
Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)
County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)
Cities in Walton County, Georgia