Monroe, Georgia

Coordinates: 33°47′36″N 83°42′39″W / 33.79333°N 83.71083°W / 33.79333; -83.71083
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Monroe, Georgia
Walton County courthouse, Monroe GA
Walton County courthouse, Monroe GA
Location in Walton County and the state of Georgia
Location in Walton County and the state of Georgia
Monroe is located in Georgia
Monroe
Monroe
Location of Monroe in Georgia
Coordinates: 33°47′36″N 83°42′39″W / 33.79333°N 83.71083°W / 33.79333; -83.71083
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyWalton
Government
 • MayorJohn Howard[1]
Area
 • Total15.86 sq mi (41.08 km2)
 • Land15.65 sq mi (40.53 km2)
 • Water0.21 sq mi (0.55 km2)
Elevation
909 ft (277 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total14,928
 • Density953.93/sq mi (368.31/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
30655-30656
Area code470/678/770
FIPS code13-52192[3]
GNIS feature ID0356398[4]
Websitehttp://www.monroega.com/

Monroe is a city in Walton County, Georgia, United States, serving as the county seat.[5] It is located both one hour east of Atlanta via US 78 and GA 138 to I-20 and east of Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport and is one of the exurban cities in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The population was 14,928 at the 2020 U.S. census.[6]

History[edit]

Monroe was founded in 1818 as seat of the newly formed Walton County. It was incorporated as a town in 1821 and as a city in 1896.[7]

Monroe was a major cotton producer in the state during the 1900s. The two main cotton mills in Monroe used to be the driving economic force in the region. Now the mills no longer produce for the cotton industry, but rather serve as economic engines for the region by housing antique markets, event space, and other unique retail.[8]

In July 1946, the area was the site of the last mass lynching in the United States. A White mob attacked and killed two Black married couples who were driving through the area. The four people were pulled from their car and shot several times.[9]

A Civil War memorial, in the form of a statue of a Confederate soldier, stands adjacent to the county courthouse in downtown Monroe.[10][11][12]

Geography[edit]

Monroe is in the center of Walton County. U.S. Route 78 (Atlanta/Monroe Bypass) passes north of the city, leading west 5 miles (8.0 km) to Loganville, and west 35 miles (56 km) to downtown Atlanta, and east 25 miles to Athens. GA Bus. 10 runs through the city of Monroe. Georgia State Route 11 leads northwest from Monroe 15 miles to Winder, the Barrow County seat, and south 10 miles to Social Circle, and southwest 15 miles (24 km) to eastern rural Newton County, east of Covington. State Route 138 leads south 18 miles (29 km) to Conyers.

Monroe is located at 33°47′36″N 83°42′39″W / 33.79333°N 83.71083°W / 33.79333; -83.71083 (33.793295, -83.710790).[13]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.5 square miles (27 km2), of which 10.4 square miles (27 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (1.05%) is water.

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1870438
188053021.0%
189098385.5%
19001,84687.8%
19103,02964.1%
19203,2116.0%
19303,70615.4%
19404,16812.5%
19504,5429.0%
19606,82650.3%
19708,07118.2%
19808,8549.7%
19909,75910.2%
200011,40716.9%
201013,23416.0%
202014,92812.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[14]

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,928 people, 4,709 households, and 3,223 families residing in the city.

Monroe racial composition as of 2020[15]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 7,267 48.68%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 6,068 40.65%
Native American 40 0.27%
Asian 156 1.05%
Pacific Islander 5 0.03%
Other/Mixed 688 4.61%
Hispanic or Latino 704 4.72%

Economy[edit]

The east end of Monroe contains multiple industries:

Education[edit]

Walton County School District[edit]

The Walton County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of nine elementary schools, three middle schools, and four high schools.[19] The district has 675 full-time teachers and over 10,368 students.[20]

Public schools[edit]

Elementary[edit]

  • Atha Road Elementary School
  • Bay Creek Elementary School
  • Harmony Elementary School
  • Monroe Elementary School
  • Walker Park Elementary School
  • Walnut Grove Elementary School
  • Sharon Elementary School
  • Loganville Elementary School
  • Youth Elementary School

Middle[edit]

High[edit]

Private[edit]

Notable people[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Mayor's Office". City of Monroe, GA. Archived from the original on March 13, 2018. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
  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. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  6. ^ "Monroe city, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  7. ^ Hellmann, Paul T. (May 13, 2013). Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Routledge. p. 240. ISBN 978-1135948597. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
  8. ^ Schwartz, Robbie (December 31, 2014). "Vintage Revival set to open at The Cotton Mills". Walton Tribune. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  9. ^ Cohen, Noah (February 11, 2019). "Unsolved mass lynching grand jury testimony set for release thanks to N.J. lawyer who took on Trump Justice Department". New Jersey Advance. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  10. ^ Clemons, David. "Clemons: Like old flag, statue's days are numbered". Walton Tribune. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  11. ^ Swanepoel, Sharon (June 30, 2020). "Dueling petitions over Walton County's monuments hit social media". Your Local News. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  12. ^ "Civil War veterans gather in front of the Confederate Monument for this photograph". Georgia Archives. University of Georgia.
  13. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  14. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  15. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  16. ^ "Unisia of Georgia Corp - Monroe, GA - Manufacturing in Monroe, Georgia". Archived from the original on June 4, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  17. ^ "Walton County: Change Is On The Way - Georgia Trend". Georgiatrend.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  18. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 29, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. ^ Georgia Board of Education[permanent dead link], Retrieved June 26, 2010.
  20. ^ School Stats Archived 2014-07-03 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved June 26, 2010.
  21. ^ Steve Almasy (December 5, 2012). "World's oldest person dies at age 116 - CNN". Cnn.com. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  22. ^ "Bruce Williamson III's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved April 21, 2021.