Laurens County is a county in Georgia, United States, in the central part of the state along the Oconee River. It had a population of 49,570 at the 2020 census and covers 818 square miles (2,120 km2) centred near 32°28′N 82°56′W.
Dublin is the county seat, and its postal code is 31021. Laurens County holds 4 cities, 4 towns and more than two dozen unincorporated communities. Georgia has no civil townships, so the county has no township layer of government. The county sits in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Laurens County
Laurens County has 8 incorporated places — 4 cities and 4 towns — plus a long list of unincorporated crossroads communities and rural place-names, several of which survive only as a store, a church, or a rail siding. The table below marks incorporated places by type; everything else is Unincorp.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin | City · seat | — | 31021 |
| Allentown | City | — | — |
| Dudley | City | — | 31022 |
| East Dublin | City | — | 31027 |
| Cadwell | Town | — | 31009 |
| Dexter | Town | — | 31019 |
| Montrose | Town | — | 31065 |
| Rentz | Town | — | 31075 |
| Alcorns | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Alligood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Batson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brewton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Catlin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cedar Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chappells Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Condor | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Five Points | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Garretta | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Harlow | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Haskins Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Holly Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kewanee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Laurens Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lovett | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lowery | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Midway | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Minter | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Moores | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nameless | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Old Condor | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rockledge | Unincorp. | — | 30454 |
| Shewmake | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Spring Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tuckers Crossroad | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tweed | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vincent | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Whipples Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 31021 — Dublin (also serves the county’s central district)
- 31027 — East Dublin
- 31022 — Dudley
- 31019 — Dexter
- 31075 — Rentz
- 31065 — Montrose
- 31009 — Cadwell
- 30454 — Rockledge (shared with neighboring Washington County)
Allentown and most of the unincorporated communities have no ZIP code of their own and are served by the nearest post office town above.
Geography
Laurens County sits astride the Oconee River in central Georgia, where the river’s fall line and floodplain shape much of the county’s terrain. The county covers 818 square miles in total, of which 807 square miles are land and 11 square miles are water. The Oconee runs roughly north-south through the county, joining the Ocmulgee River further downstream to form the Altamaha.
Laurens County borders Twiggs County to the west, Wilkinson County to the northwest, Johnson County to the north, Treutlen County to the east, Wheeler County to the southeast, Dodge County to the south, and Bleckley County to the southwest.
Demographics
Laurens County had 49,570 residents at the 2020 census, up from 48,434 in 2010. Dublin, the county seat, is by far the largest community, with East Dublin the second-largest incorporated place. The county’s median household income runs below the Georgia median of $74,632, consistent with the rural, agriculture- and manufacturing-based economy of the region. Population density works out to roughly 61 people per square mile of land area.
Economy & Local Life
Dublin anchors the county’s economy as the hub of the Dublin, Georgia Micropolitan Statistical Area, with healthcare, retail, and government employment concentrated there, including the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center. Agriculture and forestry remain major land uses across the county’s rural townships, alongside manufacturing plants located along the I-16 corridor. Dublin hosts the annual St. Patrick’s Festival, one of the region’s larger civic events, reflecting the city’s long-claimed Irish heritage.
History
Laurens County was created on December 10, 1807, from parts of Wilkinson and Washington counties. It was named for Lieutenant Colonel John Laurens, a South Carolina soldier and statesman who served on George Washington’s staff during the American Revolutionary War. The county experienced serious racial violence during the 1919 “Red Summer,” when a mob killed a Black resident near Dublin; the episode is documented in state and national accounts of that summer’s unrest. Dublin grew through the 19th and 20th centuries as a rail and river-trade center on the Oconee, later developing into the county’s dominant commercial hub.
Getting There
Interstate 16 crosses the southern part of the county, with US Routes 80, 319, and 441 and several state routes (19, 26, 29, 31, 46, 86, 117, 126, 199, 257, 278, 338) serving the rest of the county.
- Macon — 45 miles northwest
- Savannah — 100 miles southeast
- Augusta — 90 miles northeast
- Statesboro — 65 miles east
The nearest commercial airport is Middle Georgia Regional Airport in Macon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Laurens County, Georgia?
It sits in central Georgia along the Oconee River, about 45 miles southeast of Macon.
What is the population of Laurens County?
49,570 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Laurens County?
818 square miles (2,120 km2), of which 807 square miles are land.
What is the Laurens County seat?
Dublin is the county seat.
How many towns and cities are in Laurens County?
Eight incorporated places — four cities and four towns — plus dozens of unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Laurens County?
Dublin’s ZIP is 31021, with East Dublin, Dudley, Dexter, Rentz, Montrose, and Cadwell each carrying their own ZIP codes.
Why is the county named Laurens?
It honors Lieutenant Colonel John Laurens, a South Carolina soldier and statesman of the American Revolution.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Georgia.