Bleckley County is a county in Georgia, United States, in the state’s central region. It had a population of 12,583 at the 2020 census and covers 219 square miles (570 km2) centred near 32°26′N 83°20′W.
Cochran is the county seat, and its postal code is 31014. The county has one incorporated city, one incorporated town and eleven unincorporated communities. Bleckley County observes Eastern Time.
Towns & Villages in Bleckley County
Bleckley County has 13 named places on record: one city (Cochran, the seat), one incorporated town (Allentown) and eleven unincorporated communities. Unincorp. below means the place has no city or town government of its own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cochran | City · seat | 5,026 | 31014 |
| Allentown | Town | — | — |
| Baileys Park | Unincorp. | — | 31014 |
| Brown Hill | Unincorp. | — | 31014 |
| Cary | Unincorp. | — | 31014 |
| Coley Station | Unincorp. | — | 31014 |
| Five Points | Unincorp. | — | 31014 |
| Fraizer | Unincorp. | — | 31014 |
| Goldsboro | Unincorp. | — | 31014 |
| Paulk | Unincorp. | — | 31014 |
| Porter | Unincorp. | — | 31014 |
| Powell | Unincorp. | — | 31014 |
| Rebie | Unincorp. | — | 31014 |
| Royal | Unincorp. | — | 31014 |
Allentown, in the county’s northwest corner, is the only other incorporated place besides Cochran; every other place on this list is an unincorporated community with no ZIP code of its own, so mail addressed to them is routed through Cochran’s 31014 exchange.
ZIP Codes
- 31014 — Cochran (also serves nearly every unincorporated community in the county: Baileys Park, Brown Hill, Cary, Coley Station, Five Points, Fraizer, Goldsboro, Paulk, Porter, Powell, Rebie and Royal)
The 31014 ZIP alone accounts for essentially the whole county’s population, since Cochran is Bleckley’s only sizable town. Allentown’s ZIP code was not independently verified and is omitted rather than guessed.
Geography
Bleckley County sits in the upper Atlantic Coastal Plain of central Georgia, a landscape of gently rolling farmland and pine woods drained by the Ocmulgee River, which forms part of the county’s eastern edge. The county covers 219 square miles, of which 216 square miles are land and 3.3 square miles (1.5%) are water.
Bleckley County borders Twiggs County to the north, Wilkinson County to the northeast, Laurens County to the east, Dodge County to the southeast, Pulaski County to the southwest, and Houston County to the west.
Demographics
Bleckley County had 12,583 residents at the 2020 census, at a density of about 58 people per square mile. Cochran, the county seat and only city over 1,000 people, holds roughly 40% of the county’s population at 5,026 residents; every other named place in the county is an unincorporated rural community. Median household income in Bleckley County runs below the Georgia median of $74,632, consistent with its largely agricultural, rural economic base.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture remains central to Bleckley County’s economy, with the county long associated with cotton and peanut production — a history still reflected in the local museum’s name, the Bleckley County Cotton Museum. Cochran’s other major anchor is education: Middle Georgia State University maintains a campus in the city, the successor institution to Middle Georgia College, once the oldest public two-year college in the United States before its 2013 merger into Middle Georgia State University. Cochran High School and the university share the “Royals/Knights” royal-themed mascot tradition that gives Cochran its “Castle City” nickname.
History
Bleckley County was created in 1912, after the Georgia General Assembly proposed a state constitutional amendment on July 30, 1912, ratified by voters on November 5, 1912 — carved from neighboring Pulaski County. It was named for Logan Edwin Bleckley, a Confederate soldier who went on to serve as Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. Cochran, the county seat, began as a railroad settlement called Dykesboro before being renamed in 1869 for Judge Arthur E. Cochran, an official of the Macon and Brunswick Railroad, whose line later became part of Norfolk Southern.
Getting There
Bleckley County is reached via US Route 129 and US Route 341, which cross at Cochran, along with State Route 26.
- Macon — 35 miles northwest
- Dublin — 30 miles east
- Warner Robins — 30 miles west
- Eastman — 20 miles southeast
The nearest commercial air service is Middle Georgia Regional Airport in Macon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Bleckley County, Georgia?
It sits in central Georgia’s upper Atlantic Coastal Plain, about 35 miles southeast of Macon.
What is the population of Bleckley County?
Bleckley County had 12,583 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Bleckley County?
The county covers 219 square miles (570 km2), of which 216 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Bleckley County?
Cochran is the county seat.
How many towns are in Bleckley County?
Bleckley County has one city (Cochran), one incorporated town (Allentown) and eleven unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Bleckley County?
The county’s ZIP code is 31014, centered on Cochran.
Why is it called Bleckley County?
It is named for Logan Edwin Bleckley, a Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice, when the county was created in 1912.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Georgia.