| Effingham County, Georgia | |
 Location in the state of Georgia |
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 Georgia's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1777 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Springfield |
| Largest city | Rincon |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
483 sq mi (1,250 km²) 479 sq mi (1,242 km²) 3 sq mi (9 km²), 0.70% |
| PopulationEst. - (2008) - Density |
52,060 78/sq mi (30/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Website | www.effga.com |
Effingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. In the United States Census of 2000, the population was 37,535. The Census Bureau's 2008 estimate shows that this figure has grown to 52,060[1] The seat of Effingham County is Springfield.[2]
In 2008, Effingham County was ranked as the sixth fastest-growing midsize county in the nation from 2000 to 2007 by the U.S. Census Bureau. The county had a 35.1% growth rate over that period.
Effingham County is one of the three constituent counties of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The three-county Savannah MSA is home to some 334,000 people.
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Contents
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Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 483 square miles (1,250 km²), of which 479 square miles (1,242 km²) is land and 3 square miles (9 km²) (0.70%) is water.
History
Effingham was among the original counties of the state of Georgia, created February 5, 1777 from the colonial parishes of St. Matthew and St. Phillip[3]. Its name honors Lord Effingham, an English champion of colonial rights.
Major highways
Interstate 16
Interstate 95
U.S. Route 80
State Route 17
State Route 21
State Route 26
State Route 30
State Route 119
State Route 275
Adjacent counties
- Hampton County, South Carolina (north)
- Jasper County, South Carolina (northeast)
- Chatham County (southeast)
- Bryan County (south)
- Bulloch County (west)
- Screven County (northwest)
National protected area
Demographics
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 37,535 people, 13,151 households, and 10,494 families residing in the county. The population density was 78 people per square mile (30/km²). There were 14,169 housing units at an average density of 30 per square mile (11/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.66% White, 12.99% Black or African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. 1.41% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 13,151 households out of which 43.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.30% were married couples living together, 11.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.20% were non-families. 16.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the county the population was spread out with 29.90% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 32.10% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 8.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 98.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $46,505, and the median income for a family was $50,351. Males had a median income of $39,238 versus $23,814 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,873. About 7.10% of families and 9.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.80% of those under age 18 and 12.60% of those age 65 or over.
Industry
In the early years of the 1900s, agriculture was the primary industry in Effingham County, Georgia. The chief agricultural products raised in the county, during that time, were Irish Potatoes and Sweet potatoes. The county farmers raised so many Irish Potatoes in the early 1920s, that they were shipping numerous railroad boxcars, full of potatoes, during the summer months of those years.
Small businesses, such as the “Effingham Canning Company” and Potato Barrel manufacturing mills became big businesses. The Effingham Canning Company did not last long. It was established in 1918 at the site of the former Savannah Atlanta Railroad Locomotive Repair Shop in Sringfield. This site today would be loated across the road from Georgia Highway Department Maintenance Building on Georgia Highway 21, south of Springfield. There was a later Canning Company operated in the 1940s at the old Elementary School grounds in Springfield.
Effingham County has recently experienced unprecedented demand for industrial locations. Interest in industrial development opportunities has been spurred by the areas high population growth, tremendous growth at the Georgia Ports and the ever-growing economy of coastal Georgia. Contributors to this growth include the military, aerospace industry and a diversified manufacturing base. The Savannah area is home to Gulfstream Aerospace, Hunter Army Airfield, Fort Stewart Military Reservation, actually located in Liberty County and not affiliated with Savannah. Savannahites like to claim the fame to FSGA, but really have no connections to this outstanding military facility at all. It is home of the 3rd ID and the largest military installation east of the Mississippi River and home to JCB Construction Equipment’s North American headquarters.
The Effingham County Industrial Park has announced several new tenants since 2005. There has been high demand for location in this park. A site in this park was chosen in 2007 as the home of Portuguese-based manufacturer EFACEC Group for their flagship U.S. operations. Other projects such as the Flint River Services refrigerated storage, ValuePart distribution center, as well as expansions of several existing industries in the park have all realized the benefits of ports proximity, interstate accessibility, and economical real estate and construction costs. Existing industries provide a broad spectrum of products and services from interior components of Gulfstream business jets to household brand facial tissue. Coupling these amenities with a highly trained workforce and an immediately adjacent technical college campus make this park a prime choice for businesses in coastal Georgia. The site is ideally located on a four-lane divided highway only 10 miles (16 km) from Interstate 95 and within 15 miles (24 km) of the Georgia Ports, the Savannah International Airport and the historic City of Savannah. It offers all of the amenities required to sufficiently locate any industry seeking value in a site and an available skilled workforce.
On the heels of the success of the Effingham County Industrial Park and an unrelenting demand for industrial sites in the Savannah MSA, the Effingham Industrial Development Authority acquired approximately 4,000 acres (16 km2) for development. The acquisitions include a tract of approximately 200 acres (0.81 km2) adjacent to Interstate 16 and an additional 1,550-acre (6.3 km2) tract on Interstate 16 only seven miles from Interstate 95. These lands were selected by a team of professional economic developers for their locations and suitability for industrial development. Both tracts are within 15 miles (24 km) of the Georgia Ports Authority, and within 10 miles (16 km) of the Chatham County Mega-Site (formerly known as the DaimlerChrysler site) at the strategic intersection of Interstates 95 and 16. The proximity to interstate access, the mega-site, ports, the City of Savannah and an abundant commuter workforce make the location ideal for industrial development.
A potential of 10,000,000 square feet (930,000 m2) of light manufacturing and/or Distribution Center/ Warehousing space exists at this site. Another recent acquisition is the former Research Forest Tract. Approximately 2,300 acres (9.3 km2) in size, this will be a “legacy” development to include commercial, executive office, heavy industrial, light industrial, professional service, research and recreational land uses. The site comprises three separate tracts of land only six rail miles from the Georgia Ports Authority with planned access to the Savannah River Parkway, Norfolk Southern mainline rail and CSX mainline rail.
The property is currently being master planned. It is optimally located for industries that utilize the Georgia Ports and prefer to avail themselves of the growing Savannah, Georgia and access to Interstates 95 and 16.
The development is planned to attract research and development, assembly operations, headquarters and other low impact operations.
Industry in Effingham County includes paper manufacturing- Georgia Pacific (Savannah River Mill), high-precision turbine blade production- Doncasters, aluminum geodesic dome production- Temcor, concrete pipe manufacturing- Hanson, customized business jet interiors- Edward’s Interiors, electrical distribution power transformer production- EFACEC PT, among many others.
Education
Cities and towns
- Guyton
- Rincon
- Springfield
- Clyo
- Meldrim
See also
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External links
- Effingham County Government Official Webpage
- Effingham Now - News and Information
- Effingham Today, the website of Effingham County, Georgia
- Effingham County Chamber of Commerce
- Effingham Industrial Development Authority
- EffinghamTalk - The voice of Effingham County
References
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ http://www.accg.org/content.asp?contentid=1140
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
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Screven County | Hampton County, South Carolina | Jasper County, South Carolina | |
| Bulloch County |  |
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 Effingham County, Georgia  |
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| Bryan County | Chatham County |
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