Donalsonville, Georgia
City
Donalsonville City Hall
Donalsonville City Hall
Motto: 
The Gateway to Lake Seminole[1]
Location in Seminole County and the state of Georgia
Location in Seminole County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 31°2′27″N 84°52′42″W / 31.04083°N 84.87833°W / 31.04083; -84.87833
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountySeminole
Government
 • TypeCouncil-Manager
 • MayorRonald Johnson
Area
[2]
 • Total3.99 sq mi (10.34 km2)
 • Land3.97 sq mi (10.29 km2)
 • Water0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation
148 ft (45 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total2,833
 • Density713.42/sq mi (275.43/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
39845
Area code229
FIPS code13-23368[3]
GNIS feature ID0331568[4]
WebsiteOfficial website

Donalsonville is a city in and the county seat of Seminole County, Georgia, United States.[5] The population was 2,833 in 2020.

History

Donalsonville was originally part of Decatur County. It is named after John Ernest Donalson (1846–1920), also known as Jonathan or John E. Donalson, a prominent businessman of the area. Donalson built the first lumber mill in Donalsonville, Donalson Lumber Company. He also built homes and a commissary for the workers of the mill. The lumber company paved the way for the town's growth.

Donalsonville was first chartered as a town in Georgia on December 8, 1897.[6] When Seminole County was formed in January 1920, Donalsonville was named as its county seat. By August 1922, the Town of Donalsonville became known as the City of Donalsonville, with the charter passing on August 19, 1922.

The Seminole County Courthouse was erected in 1922 and is still standing today. The Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (Wolfe)

Geography

Donalsonville is located at 31°2′27″N 84°52′42″W / 31.04083°N 84.87833°W / 31.04083; -84.87833.[7]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.0 square miles (10 km2), of which 4.0 square miles (10 km2) is land and 0.25% is water. The city is located 20 minutes north of Lake Seminole, 62 miles (100 km) south of Albany, 36 miles (58 km) east of Dothan, Alabama and 107 miles (172 km) west of Valdosta.

Climate

Climate data for Donalsonville, Georgia, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 2001–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 83
(28) 		86
(30) 		91
(33) 		95
(35) 		101
(38) 		107
(42) 		104
(40) 		105
(41) 		102
(39) 		97
(36) 		91
(33) 		84
(29) 		107
(42)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 77.6
(25.3) 		80.2
(26.8) 		86.2
(30.1) 		90.6
(32.6) 		96.2
(35.7) 		100.2
(37.9) 		99.5
(37.5) 		99.9
(37.7) 		97.5
(36.4) 		92.6
(33.7) 		84.7
(29.3) 		80.2
(26.8) 		101.6
(38.7)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 59.0
(15.0) 		64.5
(18.1) 		71.5
(21.9) 		77.8
(25.4) 		85.4
(29.7) 		89.4
(31.9) 		91.3
(32.9) 		91.0
(32.8) 		87.2
(30.7) 		79.9
(26.6) 		69.8
(21.0) 		62.3
(16.8) 		77.4
(25.2)
Daily mean °F (°C) 49.0
(9.4) 		53.7
(12.1) 		59.7
(15.4) 		66.4
(19.1) 		74.4
(23.6) 		80.1
(26.7) 		82.0
(27.8) 		81.8
(27.7) 		77.4
(25.2) 		68.6
(20.3) 		58.2
(14.6) 		52.1
(11.2) 		67.0
(19.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 38.9
(3.8) 		42.9
(6.1) 		48.0
(8.9) 		55.0
(12.8) 		63.4
(17.4) 		70.9
(21.6) 		72.7
(22.6) 		72.6
(22.6) 		67.6
(19.8) 		57.3
(14.1) 		46.6
(8.1) 		42.0
(5.6) 		56.5
(13.6)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 23.4
(−4.8) 		28.3
(−2.1) 		33.3
(0.7) 		42.1
(5.6) 		52.9
(11.6) 		65.7
(18.7) 		67.4
(19.7) 		67.4
(19.7) 		56.4
(13.6) 		42.3
(5.7) 		30.6
(−0.8) 		28.8
(−1.8) 		22.5
(−5.3)
Record low °F (°C) 18
(−8) 		21
(−6) 		24
(−4) 		34
(1) 		45
(7) 		59
(15) 		60
(16) 		62
(17) 		46
(8) 		34
(1) 		23
(−5) 		19
(−7) 		18
(−8)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 4.79
(122) 		4.84
(123) 		5.26
(134) 		4.48
(114) 		3.15
(80) 		5.81
(148) 		6.13
(156) 		5.69
(145) 		5.37
(136) 		3.10
(79) 		3.61
(92) 		4.70
(119) 		56.93
(1,448)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 7.8 6.9 5.8 5.9 6.8 9.9 11.1 10.9 6.3 5.2 5.4 8.2 90.2
Source 1: NOAA[8]
Source 2: National Weather Service (mean maxima/minima, precip days 2006–2020)[9]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1900519—
191074743.9%
19201,03138.0%
19301,18314.7%
19401,71845.2%
19502,56949.5%
19602,6212.0%
19702,90710.9%
19803,32014.2%
19902,761−16.8%
20002,7961.3%
20102,650−5.2%
20202,8336.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
Donalsonville racial makeup as of 2020[11]
Race Num. Perc.
White 904 31.91%
Black or African American 1,734 61.21%
Native American 1 0.04%
Asian 59 2.08%
Other/Mixed 53 1.87%
Hispanic or Latino 82 2.89%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,833 people, 872 households, and 542 families residing in the city.

Economy

Donalsonville has about a 63% high school graduate rate with about 52% in the work force. The biggest industries are education, health, and social services. (Georgia.gov) The average median income for households according to the U.S. Census report in 2000 was $20,687 and median family income was $25,679, with the average household size around 2 and family size around 3 people.

According to 2012 data from the Donalsonville Chamber of Commerce,[12] the top five employers in the city are as follows:

Employer Employees
Donalsonville Hospital, Inc. 350
Ponder Enterprises Inc. 250
Lewis M. Carter, Inc. 150
American Peanut Growers Group, LLC 80
JH Harvey Company 30

Education

The Seminole County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one elementary school and one middle-high school.[13] The district has 120 full-time teachers and over 1,754 students.[14]

Public library

Donalsonville is home to the Seminole County Public Library.[15] The library serves the citizens of Donalsonville and Seminole County with a collection of print and audiovisual materials. The library is located at 103 W. 4th Street in Donalsonville.

Notable people

References

  1. ^ ""Gateway to Lake Seminole" - Donalsonville, GA - Welcome Signs on Waymarking.com". Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  2. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  3. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  6. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 63. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
  7. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  8. ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Donalsonville, GA". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  9. ^ "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Tallahassee". National Weather Service. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  10. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  11. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  12. ^ "Donalsonville Chamber of Commerce". Retrieved January 4, 2013.
  13. ^ Georgia Board of Education[permanent dead link], Retrieved June 26, 2010.
  14. ^ School Stats, Retrieved June 26, 2010.
  15. ^ "Homepage". Southwest Georgia Regional Library System. Retrieved July 21, 2017.

External links

Municipalities and communities of Seminole County, Georgia, United States
County seats of Georgia
Authority control databases
Categories