Telfair County is a county in Georgia, United States, on the Coastal Plain along the Ocmulgee River. It had a population of 12,477 at the 2020 census and covers 437 square miles (1,130 km2) of land plus 6.7 square miles (17 km2) of water, centred near 31°56′N 82°56′W.
McRae–Helena is the county seat, and its postal code is 31055. The county has 4 incorporated cities and 3 unincorporated communities, sits in the Eastern time zone, and lies within the Ocmulgee River basin of south-central Georgia.
Towns & Villages in Telfair County
Telfair County has 4 incorporated cities and towns and 3 recognized unincorporated communities. McRae–Helena, the seat, formed in 2015 when the twin cities of McRae and Helena consolidated into one municipality straddling the Telfair–Wheeler county line. CDP = census-designated place; Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| McRae–Helena | City · seat | 6,253 | 31055 / 31037 |
| Jacksonville | City | — | 31544 |
| Lumber City | City | — | 31549 |
| Milan | City | — | — |
| Scotland | Unincorp. | — | 31083 |
| China Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Towns | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Workmore | Unincorp. | — | — |
Two names from the old scrape could not be verified as distinct places and were dropped: “Cedarpark” and “Cobbville” have no corroborating record in the current Wikipedia gazetteer or USPS ZIP data for Telfair County, and “McRae-Helena city” duplicated the McRae–Helena entry already in the table. “Sharon” and “Temperance” and “Neily” are likewise unverified against any current source and were held back rather than published as active place names.
ZIP Codes
- 31055 — McRae–Helena (also serves the McRae side of the merged city)
- 31037 — McRae–Helena (Helena side)
- 31549 — Lumber City
- 31544 — Jacksonville
- 31083 — Scotland (PO Box only)
Milan and the unincorporated communities of China Hill, Towns, and Workmore are served by neighboring ZIP codes and have no dedicated ZIP code of their own.
Geography
Telfair County sits on Georgia’s Coastal Plain, split by the Ocmulgee River, which forms part of its northeastern boundary. The terrain is flat to gently rolling, with pine woodland and farmland dominating the landscape outside the towns. Montgomery Lake, an oxbow of the Ocmulgee near Lumber City, held a share of the world-record largemouth bass catch (22 lb 4 oz) landed in 1932.
The county borders Dodge County to the northwest, Wheeler County to the northeast, Jeff Davis County to the southeast, Coffee County to the south, Ben Hill County to the southwest, and Wilcox County to the west.
Demographics
Telfair County had 12,477 residents at the 2020 census. McRae–Helena, the county seat, is by far the largest community at 6,253 people — roughly half the county’s population — followed by Lumber City and Jacksonville. Median household income in the county runs well below the Georgia median of $74,632, consistent with the largely rural, agricultural economy typical of south-central Georgia counties. Population density is about 28 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture and forestry anchor the local economy, with row crops, timber, and poultry production common across the county’s farmland. Telfair State Prison, a Georgia Department of Corrections facility near Helena, is one of the county’s largest employers. McRae–Helena serves as the county’s retail and government hub, home to the Telfair County courthouse and county school system offices.
History
Telfair County was created on December 10, 1807, from parts of Wilkinson County, and is named for Edward Telfair, Georgia’s sixteenth governor and a Continental Congress delegate. Archaeologists have recovered Spanish artifacts along the Ocmulgee River linked to the 1541 Hernando de Soto expedition, among the best-documented collections of Spanish material culture found anywhere in Georgia. McRae and Helena, twin cities separated only by the Ocmulgee River and the Telfair–Wheeler county line, consolidated into McRae–Helena on January 1, 2015, after Helena’s aging wastewater system became too costly for the smaller city to maintain on its own.
Getting There
US Routes 23, 280, 319, 341, and 441 all cross the county, along with Georgia State Routes 19, 27, 30, 31, 117, 132, 149, and 165, making McRae–Helena a regional crossroads for south-central Georgia.
- Eastman, Georgia — 20 miles northwest
- Hazlehurst, Georgia — 20 miles southeast
- Fitzgerald, Georgia — 25 miles southwest
- Vidalia, Georgia — 45 miles northeast
The nearest commercial airport is Middle Georgia Regional Airport in Macon, about 65 miles to the northwest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Telfair County, Georgia?
It sits on Georgia’s Coastal Plain in the south-central part of the state, along the Ocmulgee River, about 65 miles southeast of Macon.
What is the population of Telfair County?
12,477 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Telfair County?
437 square miles (1,130 km2) of land plus 6.7 square miles (17 km2) of water.
What is the county seat of Telfair County?
McRae–Helena is the county seat and the largest city.
How many towns are in Telfair County?
Four incorporated cities — McRae–Helena, Jacksonville, Lumber City, and Milan — plus several unincorporated communities including Scotland, China Hill, Towns, and Workmore.
What ZIP codes are in Telfair County?
31055 and 31037 for McRae–Helena, 31549 for Lumber City, 31544 for Jacksonville, and 31083 for Scotland.
Why did McRae and Helena merge into one city?
Helena could not afford to maintain its own wastewater system; the two cities consolidated on January 1, 2015 under a state law signed by Governor Nathan Deal, creating McRae–Helena as the new county seat.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Georgia.