Bryan County, Georgia

Bryan County is a county in Georgia, United States, on the coastal plain between Savannah and the Fort Stewart military reservation. It had a population of 44,738 at the 2020 census and covers 454 square miles (1,180 km2) centred near 32°01′N 81°26′W.

Pembroke is the county seat, and its postal code is 31321. The county has two incorporated cities, one census-designated place, and more than a dozen unincorporated communities. It sits in the Eastern time zone and carries FIPS code 13029.

Towns & Villages in Bryan County

Bryan County’s population centres range from the fast-growing city of Richmond Hill, its largest, to small crossroads communities that predate the county’s 1793 founding. The table below lists both incorporated places and the unincorporated communities carried over from the historic county gazetteer; CDP means census-designated place, Unincorp. means an unincorporated community with no municipal government.

Buckhead, the county’s census-designated place, sits along the Bulloch County line north of Pembroke and is unrelated to the Atlanta neighborhood of the same name. Fort McAllister is both a historic community name and the Confederate earthwork fort preserved at Fort McAllister Historic Park, on the Ogeechee River near Richmond Hill. Several smaller named places from older gazetteers — Brisbon, Daniel, Fancy Hall, Letford, Rabbit Hill, Reka, Southward, and Sweet Hill — are rural locality names still used on local maps and mail routes but have no separate ZIP code or population count on record; they are noted here rather than dropped, since Bryan County’s rural place-naming tradition keeps them in local use.

ZIP Codes

• 31324 — Richmond Hill (also serves Black Creek, Fort McAllister, Keller, Myrtle Grove, Port Royal)
• 31321 — Pembroke (also serves Buckhead, Blitchton, Lanier, Belfast, Groveland, Oak Level)
• 31308 — Ellabell

Richmond Hill’s 31324 ZIP is by far the largest, covering roughly 70% of the county’s population.

Geography

Bryan County lies on Georgia’s coastal plain, split into two halves by the Fort Stewart Army installation, which occupies a large block of the county’s interior. The Ogeechee River forms much of the county’s northeastern boundary and drains into the Atlantic near Fort McAllister, while the Canoochee River crosses the western part of the county. Of the county’s 454 square miles, 436 are land and 18 are water, a legacy of its tidal marsh and river frontage.

Bryan County borders Bulloch County to the northwest and Evans County to the west, both linked at Towns & Villages in Bulloch County and Towns & Villages in Evans County. Liberty County lies to the south and southwest, at Towns & Villages in Liberty County, Georgia. Effingham County lies to the north and Chatham County, home of Savannah, lies to the east; neither has a live Bryan-adjacent profile on this site yet.

Demographics

Bryan County’s 2020 population of 44,738 makes it one of coastal Georgia’s fastest-growing counties, driven largely by Richmond Hill (16,633) and Pembroke (2,513), its two largest communities. Median household income runs above the Georgia median of $74,632, reflecting the county’s commuter-suburb growth into the Savannah metro area. Population density stands at roughly 103 people per square mile of land.

Economy & Local Life

Bryan County’s economy has shifted rapidly since 2024 with the opening of the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA), a large electric-vehicle production plant that is now the county’s largest employer. Fort Stewart, one of the U.S. Army’s largest installations by land area, also drives employment and housing demand across the county. Historically the county’s economy centered on timber, agriculture, and seafood harvesting from its tidal creeks; tourism around Fort McAllister Historic Park and the Ogeechee River adds a smaller but steady local income stream.

History

Bryan County was created on December 19, 1793, from part of Chatham County, and was named for Jonathan Bryan (1708–1788), a planter and American Revolutionary War partisan. During the Civil War, Confederate forces built Fort McAllister on the Ogeechee River to guard the river approach to Savannah; it fell to Union troops under General William T. Sherman in December 1864, an event that helped seal the fall of Savannah at the close of his March to the Sea. The Bryan County Courthouse in Pembroke is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Getting There

U.S. Route 280 runs through Pembroke, connecting east to Interstate 16 and on to Savannah. Interstate 95 crosses the eastern side of the county near Richmond Hill, the county’s main north–south corridor to Savannah and the Georgia coast.

• Savannah — 20 miles northeast
• Hinesville — 20 miles south
• Statesboro — 25 miles northwest
• Springfield — 20 miles north

The nearest commercial airport is Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV), roughly 25 miles from Richmond Hill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Bryan County, Georgia?
It lies on Georgia’s coastal plain between Savannah and Fort Stewart, roughly 20 miles southwest of downtown Savannah.

What is the population of Bryan County?
Bryan County had a population of 44,738 at the 2020 census, with an estimated population above 52,000 by 2025.

How big is Bryan County?
The county covers 454 square miles (1,180 km2), of which 436 square miles are land and 18 square miles are water.

What is the county seat of Bryan County?
Pembroke is the county seat.

How many towns and communities are in Bryan County?
The county has two cities (Richmond Hill and Pembroke), one census-designated place (Buckhead), and more than a dozen unincorporated communities.

What ZIP codes are in Bryan County?
Bryan County uses three ZIP codes: 31324 (Richmond Hill), 31321 (Pembroke), and 31308 (Ellabell).

What is Bryan County’s biggest employer?
The Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, an electric-vehicle production plant that became operational in 2024, is the county’s largest single employer.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Georgia.