Baker County is a county in Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state near the Flint River basin. It had a population of 2,876 at the 2020 census and covers 349 square miles (900 km2) centred near 31°20′N 84°27′W.
Newton is the county seat and the only incorporated city; its postal code is 39870. The county otherwise consists of a dozen unincorporated communities and crossroads scattered across farmland and pine woods. Baker County has no other municipalities, sits in the Eastern time zone, and is part of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan statistical area.
Towns & Villages in Baker County
Baker County has one incorporated city and thirteen unincorporated communities and crossroads. None of the unincorporated places are census-designated places, so the Census Bureau does not publish separate population counts for them; all fall within the single 39870 ZIP code centred on Newton.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newton | City · seat | — | 39870 |
| Anna | Unincorp. | — | 39870 |
| Bethany | Unincorp. | — | 39870 |
| Crestview | Unincorp. | — | 39870 |
| Elmodel | Unincorp. | — | 39870 |
| Hawkinstown | Unincorp. | — | 39870 |
| Hoggard Mill | Unincorp. | — | 39870 |
| Iveys Mill | Unincorp. | — | 39870 |
| Jones Spur | Unincorp. | — | 39870 |
| Lamar | Unincorp. | — | 39870 |
| Milford | Unincorp. | — | 39870 |
| Mimsville | Unincorp. | — | 39870 |
| Patmos | Unincorp. | — | 39870 |
| Red Store Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | 39870 |
ZIP Codes
- 39870 — Newton (also serves the whole county, including Bethany, Elmodel, Milford and every other listed community)
Baker County is unusually small for ZIP purposes: every address in the county, incorporated or not, is served by the single Newton post office.
Geography
Baker County lies on Georgia’s coastal plain. The eastern half of the county drains toward the Flint River, while the western half drains through Ichawaynochaway Creek. The terrain is flat to gently rolling, mixing row-crop farmland with longleaf pine woodland; 7.2 square miles (19 km2) of the county’s area is water. Much of the county’s western half is held in large private hunting plantations rather than subdivided farmland.
Baker County borders six other counties: Calhoun County to the northwest, Dougherty County to the northeast, Mitchell County to the east, Decatur County to the south, Early County to the southwest, and Miller County to the west.
Demographics
Baker County had 2,876 residents at the 2020 census, split 53.4% White and 39.3% Black or African American, with a median age of 47.0 years. Newton is by far the largest community; the rest of the population lives on farms and in the small unincorporated communities and crossroads listed above. With 342 square miles of land, the county’s density works out to roughly 8 people per square mile, among the least densely populated counties in Georgia. Household income in Baker County runs well below the Georgia median of $74,632, consistent with a small, agriculture-dependent rural county.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture — row crops such as peanuts, cotton and corn, plus cattle and timber — anchors Baker County’s economy, supplemented by government employment tied to the county seat. The western part of the county is known for large quail-hunting plantations, a legacy of early-20th-century Northern industrialists who bought up cutover farmland for winter shooting estates. The best known is Ichauway, a former Woodruff family plantation near Newton that today houses the Jones Center at Ichauway, a private ecological research station studying longleaf pine and quail habitat. Residents commute to nearby Albany, the county’s nearest larger job market, for retail, healthcare and manufacturing work.
History
Baker County was created on December 12, 1825, by an act of the Georgia General Assembly, carved from the eastern half of Early County. It is named for Colonel John Baker, an officer in the American Revolutionary War. The county’s original boundaries were much larger than today’s; parts were later cut away to help form neighboring counties, including Mitchell County. The Baker County Courthouse in Newton is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Two former settlements, Cheevertown and Dewsville, no longer exist as active communities but are remembered in local histories.
Getting There
Georgia State Route 91 runs north-south through Newton, connecting Baker County to Albany to the north and Bainbridge to the south; State Route 200 provides an additional link toward Blakely. No U.S. highway or interstate passes directly through the county.
- Albany — about 30 miles northeast
- Bainbridge — about 25 miles southwest
- Blakely — about 20 miles west
- Camilla — about 20 miles east
The nearest commercial airport is Southwest Georgia Regional Airport in Albany.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Baker County, Georgia?
It sits in the southwestern part of the state, part of the Albany metropolitan area, bordered by Calhoun, Dougherty, Mitchell, Decatur, Early and Miller counties.
What is the population of Baker County?
Baker County had a population of 2,876 at the 2020 census, making it one of Georgia’s least populous counties.
How large is Baker County?
The county covers 349 square miles (900 km2), of which 342 square miles is land and 7.2 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Baker County?
Newton is the county seat and the only incorporated city in Baker County.
How many towns are in Baker County?
Baker County has one incorporated city, Newton, plus thirteen unincorporated communities and crossroads.
What ZIP codes are in Baker County?
The entire county is served by a single ZIP code, 39870, centred on Newton.
What is Baker County known for?
Its western half holds several large quail-hunting plantations, including Ichauway, now home to the Jones Center’s longleaf pine and wildlife research station.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Georgia.