Coffee County is a county in Georgia, United States, in the coastal plain of the state’s southeastern quarter. It had a population of 43,092 at the 2020 census and covers 603 square miles (1,560 km2), of which 575 square miles are land and 28 square miles are water, centred near 31°33′N 82°51′W.
Douglas is the county seat, and its postal code is 31533. The county has four incorporated cities and roughly a dozen unincorporated communities, sits in the Eastern time zone, and carries FIPS code 13069.
Towns & Villages in Coffee County
Coffee County has four incorporated cities and about eighteen named unincorporated communities. Population figures below are 2020 census counts for the incorporated places; unincorporated communities carry no separate census count and are marked Unincorp.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas | City · seat | 13,635 | 31533 |
| Ambrose | City | 293 | 31512 |
| Broxton | City | 1,258 | 31519 |
| Nicholls | City | 1,347 | 31554 |
| West Green | Unincorp. | — | 31567 |
| Bay Meadows | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bethel | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bridgetown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bushnell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chatterton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cherokee Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Huffer | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lehigh | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lotts | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mora | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pridgen | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Saginaw | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sapps Still | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Upton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wilsonville | Unincorp. | — | — |
Douglas anchors the Douglas, Georgia Micropolitan Statistical Area and is by far the county’s largest place; the other three cities and every unincorporated community sit within a dozen miles of it along the U.S. 441 and U.S. 221 corridors.
ZIP Codes
- 31533 — Douglas
- 31535 — Douglas (branch station)
- 31534 — Douglas (PO Box only)
- 31512 — Ambrose
- 31519 — Broxton
- 31554 — Nicholls (also serves Cherokee Hills and Oak Park)
- 31567 — West Green
The smaller unincorporated communities without their own post office — Bay Meadows, Bethel, Bridgetown, Bushnell, Chatterton, Huffer, Lehigh, Lotts, Mora, Pridgen, Saginaw, Sapps Still, Upton and Wilsonville — are served by mail from the nearest of the ZIP codes above.
Geography
Coffee County lies in Georgia’s Coastal Plain, a gently rolling landscape of pine flatwoods and farmland drained by the Satilla River and its tributaries along the county’s eastern edge, with the Seventeen Mile River crossing the southwest. Elevation across the county stays low and flat, typical of the wiregrass region of south Georgia.
Coffee County borders Telfair County to the north, Jeff Davis County to the northeast, Bacon County to the east, Ware County to the southeast, Atkinson County to the south, Berrien County to the southwest, and Irwin County and Ben Hill County to the west.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 43,092 people in Coffee County, up from 37,413 in 2010. Douglas is by far the largest community, followed by Nicholls and Broxton. The county is 59.0% White, 27.8% Black or African American and 12.6% Hispanic or Latino. Median household income in the county runs below the Georgia median of $74,632, reflecting the area’s agricultural and correctional-facility employment base. Population density is roughly 75 people per square mile of land.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture — row crops, timber and poultry — remains central to Coffee County’s economy, alongside food processing tied to Douglas’s role as the trade hub for the Douglas Micropolitan Statistical Area. South Georgia State College, a two-year unit of the University System of Georgia, has its main campus in Douglas. Coffee Correctional Facility in Nicholls, operated by CoreCivic, is one of the county’s larger employers.
History
The Georgia General Assembly created Coffee County on February 9, 1854, from parts of Clinch, Irwin, Telfair and Ware counties, on land ceded by the Creek in the 1814 Treaty of Fort Jackson and the 1818 Treaty of the Creek Agency. The county is named for General John E. Coffee, a Georgia state legislator and U.S. representative. Coffee County itself later gave up land to help form Berrien County (1856), Jeff Davis County (1905) and Atkinson County (1917).
Getting There
- Waycross — 35 miles southeast
- Tifton — 30 miles west
- Valdosta — 45 miles south
- Jacksonville, Florida — 110 miles southeast
U.S. Highways 441 and 221 and State Route 32 cross at Douglas. The nearest commercial airport is Waycross-Ware County Airport for general aviation, with the nearest major hub airport at Jacksonville International, roughly two hours southeast by car.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Coffee County, Georgia?
It sits in the coastal plain of southeastern Georgia, centred on Douglas, roughly midway between Tifton and Waycross.
What is the population of Coffee County?
43,092 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Coffee County?
603 square miles (1,560 km2), of which 575 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Coffee County?
Douglas is the county seat.
How many towns are in Coffee County?
Four incorporated cities — Douglas, Ambrose, Broxton and Nicholls — plus about eighteen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Coffee County?
31512 (Ambrose), 31519 (Broxton), 31533/31534/31535 (Douglas), 31554 (Nicholls) and 31567 (West Green).
What is Coffee County named after?
General John E. Coffee, a Georgia state legislator and U.S. representative.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Georgia.