| Official Name: | Forsyth, Georgia |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Motto: | "What you need when you need it" |
| Image Blank Emblem: | Logo of Forsyth, Georgia.png |
| Blank Emblem Type: | Logo |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Georgia |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Monroe |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Eric S. Wilson |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 15.30 |
| Area Land Km2: | 15.29 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.01 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 5.91 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 5.91 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.00 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Footnotes: | [2] |
| Population Total: | 4384 |
| Population Density Km2: | 286.65 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 742.42 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Coordinates: | 33.035°N -83.9381°W |
| Elevation M: | 219 |
| Elevation Ft: | 719 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 31029 |
| Area Code: | 478 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 13-30732[3] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 0331748[4] |
Forsyth is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County, Georgia, United States.[5] [6] The population was 4,384 at the 2020 census,[2] up from 3,788 in 2010. Forsyth is part of the Macon metropolitan statistical area.
The Forsyth Commercial Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a tourist attraction. It includes the Monroe County Courthouse and Courthouse Square as well as the surrounding area, including several examples of 19th-century architecture. Forsyth is also home to the Confederate Cemetery, Tift College, and Rum Creek Wildlife Management Area.[6]
Forsyth was established in 1823.[7] That same year, the seat of Monroe County was transferred to Forsyth from Johnstonville. Forsyth was named for John Forsyth, governor of Georgia from 1827 to 1829 and Secretary of State under presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren.[8]
Forsyth is located in central Monroe County at 33.0351°N -83.9381°W.[9] The city is located along Interstate 75 and U.S. Route 41 northwest of Macon. I-75 runs southeast to northwest through the eastern part of town, with access from exits 185 through 188. The interstate leads southeast to downtown Macon and northwest to Atlanta. US 41 runs through the downtown area from east to west, leading southeast to Macon and west to Barnesville. Other highways that run through the city include Georgia State Routes 18, 42, and 83.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Forsyth has a total area of, of which 0.004sqmi, or 0.04%, are water.[1] The city sits atop a ridge which drains southwest to tributaries of Tobesofkee Creek and northeast to tributaries of Rum Creek; both creeks are southeast-flowing tributaries of the Ocmulgee River.
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,914 | 43.66% | |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 2,144 | 48.91% | |
| Native American | 3 | 0.07% | |
| Asian | 50 | 1.14% | |
| Other/Mixed | 157 | 3.58% | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 116 | 2.65% |
The Georgia Department of Corrections has moved into the former Tift College site in 2010.[11] [12] Burruss Correctional Training Center is located in Forsyth next to the Georgia Public Safety Training Center.[13]
Forsyth's first African American mayor, John Howard, served from 2011 to 2015. City Councilman Eric Wilson became mayor in 2015.[14]
The Monroe County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of three elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school.[15] The district has 225 full-time teachers and over 3,872 students.[16]