Tift County is a county in Georgia, United States, home to the city of Tifton in the south-central part of the state. It had a population of 41,344 at the 2020 census and covers 269 square miles (697 km2) centred near 31°28′N 83°32′W.
Tifton is the county seat, and its postal code is 31794. The county has three incorporated cities and towns plus a handful of unincorporated communities, sits in the Eastern time zone, and forms the core of the Tifton, Georgia Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Towns & Villages in Tift County
Tift County has three incorporated municipalities — Tifton, Omega, and Ty Ty — alongside Census-Designated Places and a number of small unincorporated communities scattered across the county’s farmland. The table below lists every place carried forward from the county’s records; CDP/Unincorp. entries have no municipal government of their own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tifton | City · seat | — | 31793 / 31794 |
| Ty Ty | Town | — | 31795 |
| Omega | Town | — | 31775 |
| Chula | CDP | — | 31733 |
| Brookfield | Unincorp. | — | 31727 |
| Brighton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eldorado | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Excelsior | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ferry Lake | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Harding | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hillsdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kelltown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Linder | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pebblebrook | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Phillipsburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sunsweet | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Unionville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vanceville | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 31793 — Tifton (west side)
- 31794 — Tifton (main, also serves surrounding rural Tift County — the county’s largest ZIP by population)
- 31775 — Omega
- 31795 — Ty Ty
- 31733 — Chula
- 31727 — Brookfield
The smaller unincorporated communities have no ZIP code of their own and are served by the nearest listed post office town.
Geography
Tift County sits on the flat to gently rolling coastal plain of south-central Georgia, drained by branches of the Alapaha and Little rivers. The U.S. Census Bureau puts the county at 259 square miles (670 km2) of land and 9.9 square miles (26 km2) of water, about 3.7% of the total area. Row-crop and pine-plantation farmland surrounds Tifton, the county’s only sizeable city, with smaller farming communities such as Chula, Omega, and Ty Ty spaced along the county’s rural roads and rail lines.
Tift County borders Turner County to the north, Irwin County to the east, Cook County to the south, Colquitt County to the southwest, Worth County to the west, and Berrien County to the southeast.
Demographics
Tift County had 41,344 residents at the 2020 census. Tifton is by far the largest community, followed by Omega. The county’s median household income runs below the Georgia median of $74,632, reflecting its agricultural economic base. Population density is roughly 160 people per square mile of land.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture anchors the county’s economy — peanuts, cotton, and pecans are major row crops, and Tift County is home to the University of Georgia’s Tifton Campus (the UGA Tifton Agricultural Experiment Station), a major center for crop research. Tifton also serves as a regional retail and medical hub for south Georgia, anchored by Tift Regional Medical Center. Agribusiness, food processing, and warehousing/logistics along the I-75 corridor round out the local job base, alongside county and city government and the local school system.
History
Tift County was created on August 17, 1905, from parts of Berrien and Worth counties. It was named for Nelson Tift of Albany, Georgia, whose nephew Henry Harding Tift founded the city of Tifton as a sawmill and rail town in the 1870s.
Getting There
Interstate 75 runs through the county, with US Routes 41, 82, and 319 and Georgia State Routes 7, 35, 125, and 520 also crossing it.
- Valdosta — 40 miles south
- Albany — 45 miles west
- Moultrie — 20 miles southwest
- Fitzgerald — 25 miles northeast
The nearest commercial airport is Valdosta Regional Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Tift County, Georgia?
Tift County is in the south-central part of Georgia, roughly 180 miles south of Atlanta, centred on the city of Tifton.
What is the population of Tift County?
Tift County had a population of 41,344 at the 2020 census.
How big is Tift County?
The county covers 269 square miles (697 km2), including 9.9 square miles of water.
What is the Tift County seat?
Tifton is the county seat.
How many towns and cities are in Tift County?
Tift County has three incorporated municipalities — Tifton, Omega, and Ty Ty — plus several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Tift County?
Tift County’s ZIP codes are 31793 and 31794 (Tifton), 31775 (Omega), 31795 (Ty Ty), 31733 (Chula), and 31727 (Brookfield).
What is Tift County known for?
Tift County is known for the UGA Tifton Agricultural Experiment Station and its role as a regional agricultural and medical center for south Georgia.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Georgia.