Fort Valley, Georgia
City
Fort Valley City Hall
Fort Valley City Hall
Nickname: 
"Peach Capital of Georgia"[1]
Motto: 
"Where Caring Is A Way Of Life"[2]
Location in Peach County and the state of Georgia
Location in Peach County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 32°33′N 83°53′W / 32.550°N 83.883°W / 32.550; -83.883
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyPeach
Area
[3]
 • Total7.55 sq mi (19.56 km2)
 • Land7.54 sq mi (19.52 km2)
 • Water0.01 sq mi (0.04 km2)
Elevation
518 ft (158 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total8,780
 • Density1,164.77/sq mi (449.73/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
31030
Area code478
FIPS code13-31096[4]
GNIS feature ID0355881[5]
WebsiteFort Valley website

Fort Valley is a city in and the county seat of Peach County, Georgia, United States.[6] As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 8,780.

The city is in the Warner Robins metropolitan area and the Macon–Warner Robins combined statistical area.

History

The town's name is a mystery, as it has never had a fort. Historians believe that the name was mistakenly changed in a transcription error when the post office was named; the area was originally thought to have been called Fox Valley.[1]

Founded in 1836, Fort Valley was incorporated as a town in 1854 and as a city in 1907. In 1924 it was the designated seat of the newly formed Peach County.[7]

Fort Valley was the backdrop for a Life feature story in the March 22, 1943 edition. The World War II-era story focused on the town's sponsoring of the "Ham and Egg Show," a contest held by African-American farmers to highlight ham and poultry production in Peach County, Georgia.[8]

Geography

Police department

The city is located in the central part of the state along U.S. Route 341, which is the main route through the city. Via U.S. 341, Roberta is 15 mi (24 km) northwest, and Perry is 12 mi (19 km) southeast. Georgia State Routes 49, 96, and 540 (Fall Line Freeway) also run through the city. GA-49 leads northeast 11 mi (18 km) to Byron and southwest 8 mi (13 km) to Marshallville. GA-96 leads east 16 mi (26 km) to Warner Robins and west 13 mi (21 km) to Reynolds. The Fall Line Freeway runs north of the city as a four-lane divided highway, leading northeast to Byron with GA-49 and west to Reynolds with GA-96.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.3 square miles (14 km2), all land.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18701,333—
18801,277−4.2%
18901,75237.2%
19002,02215.4%
19102,69733.4%
19203,22319.5%
19304,56041.5%
19404,9538.6%
19506,82037.7%
19608,31021.8%
19709,25111.3%
19809,000−2.7%
19908,198−8.9%
20008,005−2.4%
20109,81522.6%
20208,780−10.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]

2020 census

Fort Valley racial composition[10]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 992 11.3%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 6,825 77.73%
Native American 14 0.16%
Asian 23 0.26%
Pacific Islander 1 0.01%
Other/Mixed 213 2.43%
Hispanic or Latino 712 8.11%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,780 people, 3,040 households, and 1,685 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 8,005 people, 3,050 households, and 1,878 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,519.5 inhabitants per square mile (586.7/km2). There were 3,303 housing units at an average density of 627.0 per square mile (242.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 22.10% White, 74.65% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.85% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.37% of the population.

There were 3,050 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.9% were married couples living together, 30.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 18, 16.9% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $19,646, and the median income for a family was $24,206. Males had a median income of $27,016 versus $20,110 for females. The per capita income for the city was $10,815. About 31.8% of families and 37.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 44.3% of those under the age of 18 and 17.3% of those 65 and older.

Economy

Fort Valley is the corporate headquarters of the Blue Bird Corporation, a large manufacturer of activity buses and school buses, which opened its first Fort Valley facility in 1935.

Athletics

Football

Despite being a city of less than 10,000 people, Fort Valley boasts one of the best football teams in the state. The Peach County High Trojans have played in eight state title games since 1990, and have made the playoffs every year since.

  • 1992 AAA State Runners-Up
  • 1998 AAA State Runners-Up
  • 2003 AAA State Runners-Up
  • 2005 AAA State Champions
  • 2006 AAA State Champions
  • 2009 AAA State Champions
  • 2011 AAA State Runners-Up
  • 2017 AAA State Runners-Up

Track and field

  • 1993 AAA 4x100 Relay State Champions (Greg Streeter, Jacquez Green, Marcus Robinson, Melvin Oats)

Arts and culture

Points of interest

Education

Public schools

The Peach County School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of three elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school.[11] The district has 270 full-time teachers and over 3,927 students.[12]

  • Byron Elementary School
  • Hunt Elementary School
  • Kay Road Elementary School
  • Byron Middle School
  • Fort Valley Middle School
  • Peach County High School

Colleges and universities

The city is home to Fort Valley State University, a historically black college.[13]

Infrastructure

A water tower in Fort Valley

Transportation

Highways

U.S. Route:

State Routes:

Health care

  • The Medical Center of Peach County

Notable people

References

  1. 1 2 "Profile for Fort Valley, Georgia, GA". ePodunk. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Fort Valley, Georgia". Fort Valley, Georgia. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  3. ↑ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  4. 1 2 "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  6. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  7. ↑ Hellmann, Paul T. (May 13, 2013). Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Routledge. p. 230. ISBN 978-1135948597. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
  8. ↑ LIFE Magazine (March 22, 1943). Ham and Egg Show: Negro farmers vie for prizes, learn how to produce more food.
  9. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  11. ↑ Georgia Board of Education, Retrieved June 25, 2010.
  12. ↑ School Stats, Retrieved June 25, 2010.
  13. ↑ Fort Valley State University, Retrieved June 25, 2010.
  14. ↑ Didinger, Ray (April 23, 1991). "Blocking Out Negatives Once Unmotivated, Davis Now Serious Student And Prospect". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Jacquez Green". Pro-Football-Reference.Com. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  16. ↑ "RADM Harold A. Houser '16: Governor of American Samoa". MMI Foundation. September 2010. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Little Giants". Time Inc. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  18. ↑ "Marcus Robinson". Pro-Football-Reference.Com. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  19. ↑ "Tim Watson". NFL Enterprises LLC. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
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