Calhoun County is a county in Georgia, United States, on the Alabama border in the southwestern part of the state. It had a population of 5,573 at the 2020 census and covers 284 square miles (740 km2), of which 280 square miles (730 km2) is land and 3.2 square miles (8.3 km2) is water, centred near 31°32′N 84°37′W.
Morgan is the county seat, and its postal code is 39866. The county has three incorporated cities, plus a handful of unincorporated communities scattered through its farmland. Calhoun County sits in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Calhoun County
Calhoun County has three incorporated cities — Arlington, Edison and Morgan (the county seat) — plus Leary, a town, and several small unincorporated communities. In the table below, “Unincorp.” marks a place with no city government of its own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan | City · seat | 1,741 | 39866 |
| Arlington | City | — | 39813 |
| Edison | City | — | 39846 |
| Leary | Town | — | 39862 |
| Dickey | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Williamsburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bermuda | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Commissary Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cordrays Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Holt | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Moye | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Parksville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Turman | Unincorp. | — | — |
Arlington straddles the Calhoun–Early county line, with part of the city lying in each county. Between 1923 and 1929 the county seat was moved to Arlington before returning to Morgan, which was itself established as a compromise site between the rival communities of Concord and Dickey.
ZIP Codes
- 39866 — Morgan (also serves the surrounding rural county seat area)
- 39813 — Arlington (also serves the part of the city in Early County)
- 39846 — Edison
- 39862 — Leary
The small unincorporated communities of Dickey, Williamsburg, Bermuda, Commissary Hill, Cordrays Mill, Holt, Moye, Oak Hill, Parksville and Turman have no standalone ZIP code and are served by the nearest of the four post offices above.
Geography
Calhoun County lies in the Coastal Plain of southwestern Georgia. Most of the county drains through the Ichawaynochaway Creek basin, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture classifies most of its soil as prime farmland, supporting the row-crop agriculture that defines the local landscape. The terrain is flat to gently rolling, typical of the region between the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers.
Calhoun County borders six other Georgia counties: Randolph County to the northwest, Terrell County to the north, Dougherty County to the east, Baker County to the southeast, Early County to the southwest, and Clay County to the west.
Demographics
Calhoun County had a population of 5,573 at the 2020 census, making it one of the smaller counties in Georgia by population. The county was 64.04% Black or African American and 31.69% White. Morgan, the county seat, is the largest community with 1,741 residents, followed by Arlington and Edison. Median household income in the county runs well below the Georgia median of $74,632, consistent with other rural counties in the southwestern part of the state. With 280 square miles of land, the county’s population density works out to under 20 people per square mile, among the lowest in Georgia.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture anchors the local economy: farms across Calhoun County grow corn, oats, sorghum, wheat and other row crops on the county’s prime farmland. Calhoun State Prison, a Georgia Department of Corrections facility near Morgan, is one of the county’s largest employers. Calhoun Memorial Hospital in Arlington served the county for decades before closing in 2013, and residents now rely on facilities in neighboring Dougherty County for hospital care.
History
Calhoun County was created on February 20, 1854, from portions of Early and Baker counties. It is named for John C. Calhoun, the seventh Vice President of the United States. The location of the county seat was contested in its early years between the communities of Concord and Dickey before Morgan was chosen as a compromise site; the seat briefly relocated to Arlington from 1923 to 1929 before returning to Morgan for good.
Getting There
State Routes 37, 41, 45, 55, 62, 216 and 234 cross Calhoun County, connecting its towns to the wider region.
- Albany, Georgia — 20 miles east
- Bainbridge, Georgia — 30 miles southwest
- Blakely, Georgia — 20 miles southwest
- Dothan, Alabama — 45 miles west
The nearest commercial airport is Southwest Georgia Regional Airport in Albany.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Calhoun County, Georgia?
It is in the southwestern part of the state, on the Alabama border, roughly 20 miles west of Albany.
What is the population of Calhoun County?
5,573 people, at the 2020 census.
How big is Calhoun County?
284 square miles (740 km2), of which 280 square miles is land and 3.2 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Calhoun County?
Morgan is the county seat.
How many towns are in Calhoun County?
Three cities (Arlington, Edison and Morgan), one town (Leary), and about ten small unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Calhoun County?
39866 (Morgan), 39813 (Arlington), 39846 (Edison) and 39862 (Leary).
Why is Calhoun County named Calhoun?
It honors John C. Calhoun, the seventh Vice President of the United States, when the county was formed in 1854.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Georgia.