Poulan, Georgia
City
Poulan City Hall and Police Station
Poulan City Hall and Police Station
Location in Worth County and the state of Georgia
Location in Worth County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 31°30′49″N 83°47′28″W / 31.51361°N 83.79111°W / 31.51361; -83.79111
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyWorth
Area
[1]
 • Total1.67 sq mi (4.33 km2)
 • Land1.67 sq mi (4.33 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
381 ft (116 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total760
 • Density454.27/sq mi (175.36/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
31781
Area code229
FIPS code13-62496[2]
GNIS feature ID0321100[3]
Websitewww.cityofpoulan.com
Library, on the National Register of Historic Places

Poulan is a city in Worth County, Georgia, United States. The population was 780 in 2020.

Poulan is part of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan statistical area.

Poulan is notable for its police department's speed trap tactics from 2006 to 2012.[4][5][6] In 2009 Poulan's small police force generated nearly $900,000 from fines and fees, a number comparable to a city 30 times its size and due to the charges and fees being more than most cities. The per capita revenue from fines and fees is $1,019.15.[7]

History

The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Poulan as a town in 1889.[8] The city was named for Judge W.A. Poulan.[9]

Geography

Poulan is located at 31°30′49″N 83°47′28″W / 31.51361°N 83.79111°W / 31.51361; -83.79111 (31.513739, -83.791041).[10] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.3 km2), all land.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1900474—
191065237.6%
1920586−10.1%
19306114.3%
19406709.7%
195075011.9%
1960736−1.9%
19707664.1%
19808186.8%
199096217.6%
2000946−1.7%
2010851−10.0%
2020760−10.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 946 people, 365 households, and 273 families residing in the city. By 2020, its population declined to 760.

Notable people

References

  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ Simmons, Andria (October 22, 2014). "Some rural Georgia towns policing for profit". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on January 13, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2020. Take the example of Poulan (pronounced PO-lan), where officials claim to have seen the error of their ways. The town of 833 took in $1.67 million in ticket revenue between 2008 and 2012, but the income has fallen steadily since then....In the case of Poulan, GDOT raised the limit after receiving numerous complaints about it being a speed trap, Dale said.
  5. ^ "'Speed Trap' sign stirs up Poulan area". walb.com. August 5, 2014. Archived from the original on January 13, 2020.
  6. ^ Smith, Romney (July 17, 2013). "FOX 31 investigates: Are there speed traps in Poulan?". WFXL. Archived from the original on January 13, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  7. ^ "Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Office of Research: 2009 Municipal Revenues from Fines, Forfeitures and Court Fees as a Percentage of Own Source Revenues" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 21, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  8. ^ Acts Passed by the General Assembly of Georgia. J. Johnston. 1899. p. 265.
  9. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 180. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
  10. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  11. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.

External links

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