Charlton County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,518. The county seat is Folkston.
History
Charlton County was created from a portion of Camden County, Georgia, by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on February 18, 1854. The original county seat was at Trader's Hill, until 1901. Additional lands from Ware County, Georgia, were added to Charlton's borders by an 1855 act of the General Assembly. In 1856, an additional legislative act redefined the Charlton–Camden borders again with each county ceding land to the other.
The county is named for Robert Milledge Charlton, a U. S. Senator from Georgia.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 782 square miles (2,030 km2), of which 774 square miles (2,000 km2) is land and 8.8 square miles (23 km2) (1.1%) is water. It is the fifth-largest county by area in Georgia. It is the southernmost county in Georgia. A large portion of the county lies within the Okefenokee Swamp and its federally protected areas.
The entire central and southern portion of Charlton County is located in the St. Marys sub-basin of the St. Marys-Satilla basin. The county's northeastern portion, north of Homeland, is located in the Satilla River sub-basin of the St. Marys-Satilla basin. The western portion of Charlton County is located in the Upper Suwannee River sub-basin of the larger Suwannee River basin. The country's southern region is level with the northernmost part of the central and eastern Panhandle of the Florida peninsula.
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Brantley County - north
- Nassau County, Florida - south and east
- Camden County - east
- Baker County, Florida - south
- Ware County - north and west
National protected area
- Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Communities
Cities
- Folkston
- Homeland
Unincorporated communities
- Moniac
- Racepond
- Saint George
- Toledo
- Trader's Hill
- Uptonville
Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 12,518 people, 3,675 households, and 2,685 families residing in the county.
Education
Politics
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Charlton County, Georgia
- List of counties in Georgia
References
External links
Media related to Charlton County, Georgia at Wikimedia Commons
- Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Charlton County historical marker
- Sardis Church historical marker
