Lincoln County is a county in Georgia, United States, on the Savannah River in the east-central part of the state. It had a population of 7,690 at the 2020 census and covers 257 square miles (670 km2), of which 210 square miles (540 km2) is land and 47 square miles (120 km2) is water, centred near 33°47′N 82°27′W.
Lincolnton is the county seat, and its postal code is 30817. The county has one incorporated city and several unincorporated communities. It lies in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Lincoln County
Lincoln County has a single incorporated municipality, Lincolnton, and a scatter of unincorporated crossroads communities across its rural land area. Only Lincolnton reports a Census Bureau population figure; the unincorporated places below are traditional community names without their own census counts.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincolnton | City · seat | 1,480 | 30817 |
| Amity | Unincorp. | — | 30817 |
| Beulah | Unincorp. | — | 30817 |
| Bussey | Unincorp. | — | 30817 |
| Chennault | Unincorp. | — | 30817 |
| Clay Hill | Unincorp. | — | 30817 |
| Curry Hill | Unincorp. | — | 30817 |
| Double Branches | Unincorp. | — | 30817 |
| Gill | Unincorp. | — | 30817 |
| Goshen | Unincorp. | — | 30817 |
| Graball | Unincorp. | — | 30817 |
| Honora | Unincorp. | — | 30817 |
| Leathersville | Unincorp. | — | 30817 |
| Leverett | Unincorp. | — | 30817 |
| Lisbon | Unincorp. | — | 30817 |
| Loco | Unincorp. | — | 30817 |
| Lovelace | Unincorp. | — | 30817 |
| Martins Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | 30817 |
| Maxim | Unincorp. | — | 30817 |
| Midway | Unincorp. | — | 30817 |
| New Hope | Unincorp. | — | 30817 |
| Sybert | Unincorp. | — | 30817 |
| Woodlawn | Unincorp. | — | 30817 |
The old county list carried an entry spelled “Loce”; the community’s recorded name is Loco, and it has been corrected here.
ZIP Codes
- 30817 — Lincolnton (also serves the whole county)
Lincoln County is served by a single ZIP code out of the Lincolnton post office, since none of its unincorporated communities has its own delivery office.
Geography
Lincoln County sits in the Piedmont just above the fall line, with the Savannah River and Clarks Hill Lake (impounded behind the J. Strom Thurmond Dam) forming its northeastern edge. Roughly 18 percent of the county’s area is water because of the lake. Elijah Clarke State Park, on the lakeshore, preserves the site of Elijah Clarke’s homestead and hosts an annual bluegrass festival.
Lincoln County borders Elbert County to the north, McCormick County, South Carolina across the river to the northeast, Columbia County to the south, McDuffie County to the southwest, and Wilkes County to the west.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 7,690 residents in Lincoln County, at a density of about 37 people per square mile of land. Lincolnton, with 1,480 residents, is the county’s only incorporated place and by far its largest population center; the rest of the county’s population is dispersed across rural land and the shoreline communities around Clarks Hill Lake. Median household income in Lincoln County runs below the Georgia median of $74,632, consistent with the county’s rural, sparsely populated economic base.
Economy & Local Life
Timber and logging are a major employer, with more than 20 logging-related businesses operating in the county. Row-crop and cattle farming continue on the county’s Piedmont land away from the lake. Tourism and recreation tied to Clarks Hill Lake — fishing, boating and lakeside second homes — are the other pillar of the local economy, along with Elijah Clarke State Park’s campground, cabins, and its annual bluegrass festival, one of the county’s biggest yearly draws. Lincoln County High School and the county government are among Lincolnton’s largest local employers.
History
Lincoln County was created on February 20, 1796, Georgia’s 24th county, carved from Wilkes County, and was named for General Benjamin Lincoln of the Continental Army, who served as George Washington’s second-in-command. It is part of the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) regional development network and, together with Columbia and Richmond counties across the state line, the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metropolitan statistical area. The Revolutionary War’s Battle of Kettle Creek was fought nearby, and Elijah Clarke, the militia leader who won it, later settled on land that is now Elijah Clarke State Park. Clarks Hill Lake, completed in 1954 with the J. Strom Thurmond Dam, reshaped the county’s northeastern edge and its economy, submerging farmland while creating the recreation industry that now anchors the area.
Getting There
U.S. Route 378 and Georgia State Route 43 cross the county through Lincolnton.
- Augusta, Georgia — 30 miles southeast
- Washington, Georgia — 20 miles west
- Elberton, Georgia — 25 miles northwest
- Thomson, Georgia — 20 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Augusta Regional Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Lincoln County, Georgia?
It is in the east-central part of Georgia, on the Savannah River along the South Carolina line.
What is the population of Lincoln County?
7,690 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Lincoln County?
257 square miles (670 km2), including 47 square miles of Clarks Hill Lake.
What is the county seat of Lincoln County?
Lincolnton is the county seat.
How many towns are in Lincoln County?
One incorporated city, Lincolnton, and about 20 unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Lincoln County?
The whole county is covered by ZIP code 30817.
What lake borders Lincoln County?
Clarks Hill Lake, formed by the J. Strom Thurmond Dam on the Savannah River.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Georgia.