Laurens County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 49,570, up from 48,434 in 2010. The county seat is Dublin. The county was founded on December 10, 1807, and named after Lieutenant Colonel John Laurens, an American soldier and statesman from South Carolina during the American Revolutionary War. Laurens County is part of the Dublin micropolitan statistical area.

History

Laurens County was formed on December 10, 1807, from portions of Wilkinson and Washington Counties. During the Red Summer of 1919, racial tensions increased in the area, leading to the Laurens County, Georgia race riot of 1919.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 818 sqmi, of which 807 sqmi is land and 11 sqmi (1.4%) is water. It is the third-largest county in Georgia by land area and fourth-largest by total area. The majority of Laurens County is located in the Lower Oconee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. The southwestern corner of the county, defined by a line that runs west from Chester through Rentz to U.S. Route 441, and then southeast toward Glenwood, is located in the Little Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin. A small and narrow sliver of the eastern edge of the county, from east of Lovett to northeast of Rockledge, is located in the Ohoopee River sub-basin of the larger Altamaha River basin. The county has several swamps along with Oconee river including Cow Hell Swamp.

Major highways

U.S. Route 441 Bypass (around Dublin)

Adjacent counties

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Ghost Towns

Demographics

2020 Census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 49,570 people, 17,142 households, and 11,549 families residing in the county.

Education

Laurens County School District operates the county's public schools.

Notable people

Politics