Early County is a county in Georgia, United States, on the state’s southwest border along the Chattahoochee River. It had a population of 10,854 at the 2020 census and covers 516 square miles (1,340 km2) centred near 31°20′N 84°55′W.
Blakely is the county seat, and its postal code is 39823. The county has four incorporated cities and 14 unincorporated communities, and sits entirely in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Early County
Early County has four incorporated cities, one shared with a neighboring county, plus a scatter of unincorporated crossroads communities across its rural interior. Type key: City · seat = county seat, City = incorporated municipality, Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no independent government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blakely | City · seat | 5,371 | 39823 |
| Arlington | City | — | 39813 |
| Damascus | City | — | 39841 |
| Jakin | City | — | 39861 |
| Colomokee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cuba | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Freeman | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hentown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hilton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jones Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Killarney | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lucile | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Hope | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Old Damascus | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rock Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rowena | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Saffold | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Urquhart | Unincorp. | — | — |
Arlington sits on the Early–Calhoun county line and is shared between both counties. Old Damascus and Damascus are two distinct places, not a duplicate entry — Old Damascus is the original 19th-century settlement site, while present-day Damascus grew up around the railroad a few miles away.
ZIP Codes
- 39823 — Blakely (also serves most of the county’s unincorporated interior)
- 39813 — Arlington
- 39841 — Damascus
- 39861 — Jakin
Smaller communities such as Cuba, Hilton, Rowena and Saffold use the ZIP code of their nearest incorporated city rather than one of their own.
Geography
Early County lies in the lower Chattahoochee Valley of southwest Georgia, a flat-to-gently-rolling coastal plain given over mostly to row-crop farming and pine timberland. The Chattahoochee River forms the county’s entire western edge, doubling as the Alabama state line, and Lake Chattahoochee (Lake George W. Andrews) backs up along that stretch behind the Chattahoochee’s Alabama-side lock and dam.
Early County borders Clay County to the north, Calhoun County to the northeast, Baker County to the east, Miller County to the southeast, Seminole County to the south, and Henry County and Houston County, Alabama, across the Chattahoochee to the west.
Demographics
Early County’s population was 10,854 at the 2020 census, giving a density of about 21 people per square mile. Blakely is by far the largest community at 5,371 residents; Arlington and Damascus are the next-largest incorporated places but each has fewer than 500 people. Median household income in the county runs well below the Georgia median of $74,632, consistent with the mostly agricultural, sparsely populated counties of the lower Chattahoochee Valley.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives Early County’s economy — peanuts, cotton, corn and timber are the leading crops, and Blakely markets itself as the “Peanut Capital of the World.” The Early County School District runs the county’s public schools out of a single elementary, middle and high school, all based in Blakely. Kolomoki Mounds State Historic Park, just north of Blakely, is the county’s best-known visitor site and draws seasonal traffic to an otherwise quiet farming county.
History
Early County was created on December 15, 1818, and named for Peter Early, Georgia’s 28th governor. Blakely was platted in 1825 and named for Johnston Blakeley, a U.S. Navy officer of the War of 1812. Kolomoki Mounds, a major Woodland-period earthwork complex north of Blakely, dates to roughly 350–650 AD and is among the largest and oldest mound sites in the southeastern United States.
Getting There
U.S. Routes 27 and 84 cross at Blakely, along with Georgia Routes 1, 39, 45, 62, 200, 216, 273 and 370.
- Dothan, Alabama — 30 miles west
- Bainbridge, Georgia — 35 miles southeast
- Cuthbert, Georgia — 20 miles north
- Albany, Georgia — 55 miles northeast
The nearest commercial airport is Dothan Regional Airport in Alabama, about 30 miles west of Blakely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Early County?
It’s in the southwest corner of Georgia, on the Alabama line along the Chattahoochee River, between Albany and Dothan, Alabama.
What is the population of Early County?
10,854 at the 2020 census.
How big is Early County?
516 square miles (1,340 km2), of which about 4 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Early County?
Blakely, which is also the county’s largest city.
How many towns are in Early County?
Four incorporated cities — Blakely, Arlington, Damascus and Jakin — plus about 14 unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Early County?
39823 (Blakely), 39813 (Arlington), 39841 (Damascus) and 39861 (Jakin).
What is Early County known for?
Peanut farming — Blakely calls itself the “Peanut Capital of the World” — and Kolomoki Mounds State Historic Park, one of the largest prehistoric earthwork sites in the Southeast.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Georgia.