Echols County, Georgia

Echols County (/ˈɛkəlz/) is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,697. The county seat is Statenville.^[1] Since 2008,^[2] Statenville is a disincorporated municipality. Echols and Webster counties are the only two counties in Georgia to currently have no incorporated municipalities. The county was established in 1858 and named in honor of Robert Milner Echols^[3] (1798–1847). Echols County is part of the Valdosta, GA metropolitan statistical area.

Echols County
County
Echols County Courthouse in Statenville
Flag
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 30°43′N 82°54′W
Country	United States
State	Georgia
Founded	December 13, 1858; 166 years ago (1858-12-13)
Named after	Robert Milner Echols
Seat	Statenville
Largest community	Statenville
Area
• Total	421 sq mi (1,090 km2)
• Land	415 sq mi (1,070 km2)
• Water	5.8 sq mi (15 km2)  1.4%
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,697
• Estimate  (2024)	3,698
• Density	8.8/sq mi (3.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	echolscountyga.com

History

On December 13, 1858, the Georgia General Assembly passed a bill establishing Echols County from a south-eastern section of Lowndes County and a south-western section Clinch County. The original borders of the county were a line from the mouth of the Suwanoochee Creek directly south to the state line, then along the state line, then north to the junction of Grand Bay Creek and Mud Swamp, then up the course of Grand Bay Creek to Carter's Ford, then a direct line to where Cow's Creek enters the Alapaha River, then up the creek to Griffins' Mill, then a direct line to Jack's Fort on Suwanoochee Creek, and then down Suwanoochee Creek to its mouth. With the exception of some minor adjustments of the border Echols shares with Lowndes and the loss of a thin strip to Florida following Florida v. Georgia, the borders of Echols County has changed little since its establishment. Statenville was declared the county seat in 1859.

At the time of the 1860 census, Echols County had a white population of 1,177, with 314 slaves, and no free people of color.^[4]

Echols County became notable as it has served as a place of banishment for many of Georgia's criminals. As the Georgia State Constitution forbids banishment beyond the borders of the state, officials instead ban the offender from 158 of Georgia's 159 counties, with Echols remaining as their only option.^[5] Few criminals have been documented as actually moving to Echols.^[6] This is because almost all banished criminals choose to leave the state instead of moving to Echols County.^[7]

Banishment, including 158-county banishment, has repeatedly been upheld by Georgia courts. The first case when banishment was upheld was in the 1974 case State v Collett, when the Georgia Supreme Court upheld the banishment of a drug dealer from seven counties.^[8] The most recent time banishment was upheld, in 2011, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled it was constitutional to banish David Nathan Thompson (a mentally ill man who was convicted of firing a gun into a home, although no one was injured) from all but one county in Georgia.^[9]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 421 square miles (1,090 km²), of which 415 square miles (1,070 km²) is land and 5.8 square miles (15 km²) (1.4%) is water.^[10] The county contains a notable swamp, Whitehead Bay.^[11]

The western half of Echols County is located in the Alapaha River sub-basin of the Suwannee River basin. The eastern half of the county, from well east of Statenville to just west of Fargo, is located in the Upper Suwannee River sub-basin of the same Suwannee River basin.^[12]

Major highways

• U.S. Route 41
• U.S. Route 129
• U.S. Route 441
• State Route 7
• State Route 11
• State Route 89
• State Route 94
• State Route 135
• State Route 187
• State Route 376

Major waterways

• Alapaha River
• Alapahoochee River
• Grand Bay Creek (known in the 1800s as Irwin's River and later as Irwin's Creek)
• Suwannee River
• Suwanoochee Creek

Railways

• Georgia Southern and Florida Railway
• Seaboard Coast Line Railroad
• Plant System (now part of CSX)
• Statenville Railway (Defunct, it was used from 1910 to 1924. It ran from Statenville to Haylow, Georgia)

Adjacent counties

• Clinch County – northeast
• Columbia County, Florida – southeast
• Hamilton County, Florida – south
• Lowndes County – west
• Lanier County – north

Unincorporated communities

• Fruitland
• Howell
• Needmore
• Statenville (county seat)

Extinct town

• Tarver (formerly Statenville Station and Huckleberry)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	1,491		—
1870	1,978		32.7%
1880	2,553		29.1%
1890	3,079		20.6%
1900	3,209		4.2%
1910	3,309		3.1%
1920	3,313		0.1%
1930	2,744		−17.2%
1940	2,964		8.0%
1950	2,494		−15.9%
1960	1,876		−24.8%
1970	1,924		2.6%
1980	2,297		19.4%
1990	2,334		1.6%
2000	3,754		60.8%
2010	4,034		7.5%
2020	3,697		−8.4%
2024 (est.)	3,698	[13]	0.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[14] 1790-1880[15] 1890-1910[16] 1920-1930[17] 1930-1940[18] 1940-1950[19] 1960-1980[20] 1980-2000[21] 2010[22] 2020[23]

Echols 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[24]	Pop 2010[22]	Pop 2020[23]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	2,688	2,555	2,328	71.60%	63.34%	62.97%
Black or African American alone (NH)	252	163	147	6.71%	4.04%	3.98%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	43	55	37	1.15%	1.36%	1.00%
Asian alone (NH)	3	12	8	0.08%	0.30%	0.22%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	0	1	0	0.00%	0.02%	0.00%
Other race alone (NH)	1	9	2	0.03%	0.22%	0.05%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	28	56	84	0.75%	1.39%	2.27%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	739	1,183	1,091	19.69%	29.33%	29.51%
Total	3,754	4,034	3,697	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,697 people, 1,561 households, and 1,097 families residing in the county.

Education

Echols County School District headquarters

Main article: Echols County School District

Echols County School District, the only school district in the county,^[25] operates public schools.

Politics

Echols County is one of the most Republican counties in Georgia, having voted over 90% for Donald Trump in 2024.

United States presidential election results for Echols County, Georgia^[26]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	1,307	90.89%	127	8.83%	4	0.28%
2020	1,256	87.10%	167	11.58%	19	1.32%
2016	1,007	85.19%	156	13.20%	19	1.61%
2012	917	82.99%	173	15.66%	15	1.36%
2008	981	82.58%	201	16.92%	6	0.51%
2004	757	76.39%	231	23.31%	3	0.30%
2000	614	68.37%	272	30.29%	12	1.34%
1996	335	45.09%	308	41.45%	100	13.46%
1992	361	39.63%	312	34.25%	238	26.13%
1988	422	62.99%	245	36.57%	3	0.45%
1984	453	66.62%	227	33.38%	0	0.00%
1980	259	33.08%	515	65.77%	9	1.15%
1976	111	15.95%	585	84.05%	0	0.00%
1972	404	85.59%	68	14.41%	0	0.00%
1968	53	8.26%	56	8.72%	533	83.02%
1964	399	68.44%	184	31.56%	0	0.00%
1960	108	29.59%	257	70.41%	0	0.00%
1956	134	20.24%	528	79.76%	0	0.00%
1952	94	15.02%	532	84.98%	0	0.00%
1948	32	5.14%	332	53.38%	258	41.48%
1944	42	8.27%	466	91.73%	0	0.00%
1940	18	3.91%	441	95.87%	1	0.22%
1936	30	9.06%	300	90.63%	1	0.30%
1932	5	1.19%	414	98.81%	0	0.00%
1928	29	8.45%	314	91.55%	0	0.00%
1924	11	2.22%	482	97.37%	2	0.40%
1916	0	0.00%	173	100.00%	0	0.00%
1912	0	0.00%	144	97.30%	4	2.70%
1908	15	9.68%	140	90.32%	0	0.00%
1904	12	7.02%	159	92.98%	0	0.00%
1900	38	22.62%	130	77.38%	0	0.00%
1896	52	22.91%	174	76.65%	1	0.44%
1892	54	16.07%	270	80.36%	12	3.57%
1888	43	21.72%	150	75.76%	5	2.53%
1884	91	32.85%	186	67.15%	0	0.00%
1880	40	17.78%	185	82.22%	0	0.00%

See also

• State of Georgia portal

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Echols County, Georgia
• State of Georgia v. Allison
• List of counties in Georgia

Notes