Macon County is a county in Georgia, United States, on the upper coastal plain south of the city of Macon. It had a population of 12,082 at the 2020 census and covers 406 square miles (1,050 km2), of which 401 square miles are land and 5.4 square miles are water, centred near 32°21′N 84°02′W.
Oglethorpe is the county seat, and its postal code is 31068. The county has 4 incorporated cities and 6 unincorporated communities. Georgia counties have no civil-township layer, and Macon County observes Eastern time.
Towns & Villages in Macon County
Macon County’s places split into 4 incorporated cities — Montezuma, Oglethorpe, Marshallville and Ideal — plus a scatter of unincorporated crossroads communities recognized by the U.S. Geological Survey. Unincorporated (Unincorp.) places have no municipal government of their own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montezuma | City | 3,376 | 31063 |
| Oglethorpe | City · seat | 1,169 | 31068 |
| Marshallville | City | 1,204 | 31057 |
| Ideal | City | 468 | 31041 |
| Barrons Lane | Unincorp. | — | 31068 |
| Cutoff | Unincorp. | — | 31063 |
| Fountainville | Unincorp. | — | 31068 |
| Spalding | Unincorp. | — | 31068 |
| Travelers Rest | Unincorp. | — | 31068 |
| Winchester | Unincorp. | — | 31063 |
ZIP Codes
- 31068 — Oglethorpe (also serves Barrons Lane, Fountainville, Spalding, Travelers Rest)
- 31063 — Montezuma (also serves Cutoff, Winchester)
- 31057 — Marshallville
- 31041 — Ideal
A few crossroads communities, including Fields, Five Points, Four Points, Garden Valley, Hicks, Saint Louis and Willow Lake, share the postal routes of their nearest incorporated town rather than carrying a ZIP of their own.
Geography
Macon County sits on the upper coastal plain of central Georgia, a gently rolling landscape of pine forest, pecan orchards and farmland drained by the Flint River, which forms much of the county’s western edge. It borders Peach County to the northeast, Houston County to the east, Dooly County to the southeast, Sumter County to the south, Schley County to the southwest and Taylor County to the northwest.
Demographics
Macon County had 12,082 residents at the 2020 census. Montezuma, with 3,376 people, is the county’s largest community, followed by the county seat, Oglethorpe, at 1,169. Median household income in Macon County runs well below the Georgia median of $74,632, reflecting the county’s agricultural economic base. Population density is about 30 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture anchors the county’s economy: pecan orchards, cotton, peanuts and cattle operations cover much of the land outside the towns, alongside timber production from the pine forests that ring the Flint River bottomlands. Montezuma serves as the county’s commercial hub, with a downtown historic district and rail-side warehouses dating to the cotton-shipping era. Macon County High School, in Oglethorpe, is the county’s public school.
History
Macon County was created in 1837 from parts of Houston and Marion counties and named for General Nathaniel Macon of North Carolina, a U.S. senator and Speaker of the House. Andersonville National Historic Site, the Civil War prison camp memorialized as a national cemetery and museum, sits at the county’s southwestern tip, straddling the line with Sumter County. Montezuma grew as a river-and-rail cotton town on the Flint, and its downtown retains much of its late-19th-century commercial architecture.
Getting There
Georgia routes 26, 49, 90, 127, 128, 224, 240 and 329 cross the county; U.S. 19/State Route 3 runs just east through neighboring Sumter County.
- Americus — 20 miles south
- Macon — 35 miles northeast
- Fort Moore (Columbus) — 65 miles west
- Albany — 55 miles southwest
The nearest commercial airport is Middle Georgia Regional Airport in Macon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Macon County, Georgia?
It lies in west-central Georgia, on the upper coastal plain south of the city of Macon.
What is the population of Macon County?
12,082 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Macon County?
406 square miles (1,050 km2), of which 401 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Macon County?
Oglethorpe is the county seat.
How many towns are in Macon County?
Four incorporated cities — Montezuma, Oglethorpe, Marshallville and Ideal — plus several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Macon County?
31068 (Oglethorpe), 31063 (Montezuma), 31057 (Marshallville) and 31041 (Ideal).
Is Andersonville in Macon County?
Andersonville National Historic Site sits at the county’s southwestern tip, on the boundary with Sumter County.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Georgia.