The city of Douglasville is the county seat of and largest city in Douglas County, Georgia, United States. , the city had a population of 34,650, up from 30,961 in 2010 and 20,065 in 2000. Douglasville is located approximately 20 mi west of Atlanta and is part of the Atlanta metro area. Highway access can be obtained via three interchanges along Interstate 20.

History

Douglasville was founded in 1874 as the railroad was constructed in the area. That same year, Douglasville was designated as the county seat of the recently formed Douglas County. The community was named for Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois. Georgia General Assembly first incorporated Douglasville in 1875. On September 21, 2009, Douglas County was devastated by the second worst flood in Georgia history (the first being the failure of the Kelly Barnes Dam  in 1977). Over 18 in of rain fell in one night, destroying many roads and homes. The county was later declared a disaster area, and the governor of Georgia declared a state of emergency. The flooding most affected the areas of Douglasville, Villa Rica, Austell, Lithia Springs, and Chapel Hill. The disaster killed more than eight people in the county, most of them in the Douglasville area.

Geography

Douglasville is located in north-central Douglas County at 33.74972°N, -84.72306°W (33.749824, −84.723190). Lithia Springs is 6 mi to the northeast along U.S. Route 78, and Villa Rica is 10 mi to the west. Hiram is 9 mi to the north via SR 92. Interstate 20 passes south of downtown, leading east 22 mi to downtown Atlanta and west 125 mi to Birmingham, Alabama. I-20 provides access to the city from exits 34, 36, and 37. According to the United States Census Bureau, Douglasville has a total area of 58.5 km2, of which 58.2 km2 is land and 0.3 km2, or 0.58%, is water. Douglasville has an elevation of 1209 ft above sea level.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 34,650 people, 12,675 households, and 7,833 families residing in the city.

Economy

The historic Downtown hosts many shops and eateries. A vibrant business area in Douglasville is located south of the city between Chapel Hill Road and Georgia State Route 5, around the Douglas Boulevard Corridor. Arbor Place Mall is located in this area, as are many major retail stores and fast food chains. The Fairburn Road area also hosts many shops, food stores and fast food spots. Some vacated to make way for an expansion of the highway in early 2008. Expansion is aided by the Douglasville Development Authority (described below). In recent years, the historic downtown district and surrounding areas have become favorite backdrops for the film industry. Productions include Netflix's Stranger Things (2016), The Founder (2015), Mocking Jay Part 1 (2014), Catching Fire (2013), Finding Carter (MTV series 2014), and Kill the Messenger (2014).

Top employers

According to Douglasville's 2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city were: The Douglasville ACFR table of principal employers does not show public employees. The Douglas County School System currently employs over 3,550 people, including teachers, administrators, and support staff.

Arts and culture

Points of interest

The Central Business District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district. The buildings' styles include Romanesque, Italianate, and Queen Anne. In the center of town is a small plaza, which was converted from a street block, known as O'Neal Plaza (named after the former O'Neal's department store, now used as the Douglasville City Hall). The plaza features a small performance venue and concrete fountain. It is home to many festivals year round. This is the site of the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Festival.

Parks and recreation

Government

In 2015, the city elected Rochelle Robinson as its first female and first African American mayor. The City Council is elected from single-member districts.

Law enforcement

The Douglasville police chief is Gary Sparks. The Douglasville Police Department is located at 2083 Fairburn Road. The sheriff is Tim Pounds, and the Douglas County Sheriff's Office is located at 8470 Earl D Lee Boulevard in Douglasville.

Education

Education in Douglasville is varied, with a large public school system and many private schools. The Douglas County School District operates 21 elementary schools, eight middle schools, and five high schools, covering grades pre-K to 12th grade. Douglasville hosts a campus ("instructional site") of Georgia Highlands College. Nearby universities and colleges include Strayer College, West Georgia Technical College, and Mercer University. Douglasville has numerous secular and religious private schools, including:

Media

Douglasville is served by the Douglas County Sentinel, a three-day-a-week publication that covers local and state news and by All On Georgia - Douglas, a hyperlocal digital news organization that covers local, state and national news, daily. Chapel Hill News & Views also serves Douglasville as a monthly magazine with 45,000 circulation.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Douglasville is home to the single-runway Pinewood Airport, located 5.7 mi northwest of downtown. Historically, the Southern Railway ran several daily passenger trains, including the Kansas City-Florida Special, the Sunnyland and an Atlanta-Birmingham section of the Piedmont Limited, making flag or signal stops in Douglasville. The last trains made stops in 1967. Today, the nearest passenger service is Amtrak's Crescent in Atlanta, 26.4 miles to the east.

Healthcare

Residents of Douglasville are served by the Wellstar Douglas Hospital located at 8954 Hospital Drive.

Douglasville Development Authority

The primary goals of the City of Douglasville Development Authority (CDDA) are to promote the economic prosperity of the city while simultaneously increasing the existing industry and business sectors in order to raise the quality of life for the city's residents. The City Development Authority also focuses on education in order successfully promote the labor force. In the fall of 2009, an area of interest for the CDDA was the reconstruction and widening of Highway 92, which runs through the heart of the city. This major roadway reconstruction was expected to have a significant impact on the city and its ability to promote economic development.

Notable people