Harlem is a city in Columbia County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Augusta metropolitan area. The population was 2,666 at the 2010 census, up from 1,814 in 2000. This city was named after the neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan. Harlem is the birthplace of comedian Oliver Hardy; the annual Harlem Oliver Hardy Festival is held on the first Saturday each October on Main Street in his honor.

History

From the building of the Georgia Railroad which passes through town until at least the 1860s, Harlem was known as Saw Dust. The town is twinned with Ulverston in England, the birthplace of Stan Laurel, comedy partner of Oliver Hardy.

Geography

Harlem is located in southern Columbia County at 33.41694°N, -82.31389°W (33.416822, -82.313762), with its western boundary following the McDuffie County line. U.S. Routes 78 and 278 pass through the center of town, leading east 23 mi to downtown Augusta and west 12 mi to Thomson. U.S. Route 221 crosses US 78/278 in the center of town, leading north 5 mi to Interstate 20 and 21 mi to the South Carolina border, and south 16 mi to Wrens. According to the United States Census Bureau, Harlem has a total area of 11.7 km2, of which 0.04 sqkm, or 0.36%, is water.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,571 people, 1,021 households, and 645 families residing in the city.