| Official Name: | Hawkinsville, Georgia |
| Nickname: | The Good Life, Harness Capital of the World |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Motto: | Where Progress Sets Pace |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Georgia |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Pulaski |
| Government Type: | Council-Manager |
| Leader Title: | Council Chairman |
| Leader Name: | Shelly Berryhill |
| Leader Title1: | City Manager |
| Leader Name1: | Sara Myers |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 13.93 |
| Area Land Km2: | 13.91 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.02 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 5.38 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 5.37 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.01 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 3980 |
| Population Density Km2: | 286.14 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 741.15 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Coordinates: | 32.2836°N -83.4767°W |
| Elevation M: | 80 |
| Elevation Ft: | 262 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 31036 |
| Area Code: | 478 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 13-37396[2] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 0331934[3] |
Hawkinsville is a city in and the county seat of Pulaski County, Georgia, United States.[4] The population was 3,980 in 2020.
Hawkinsville is known as the "Harness Horse Capital" of Georgia.[5] The Lawrence Bennett Harness Horse Racing facility is owned by the city and serves as an important training ground during winter months.[6] The Harness Festival takes place every April at the end of training before horses head north for the harness racing season.
Hawkinsville was founded in 1830. In 1837, the seat of Pulaski County was transferred to Hawkinsville from Hartford.[7] The community was named for Benjamin Hawkins, delegate to the Continental Congress, and the United States Indian Agent in the Southeast, appointed by President George Washington.[8]
The city includes Hawkinsville High School and several historical sites, including Hawkinsville City Hall-Auditorium, Hawkinsville Public School, the Merritt-Ragan House, the Pulaski County Courthouse, and Taylor Hall. St. Thomas African Methodist Episcopal Church was organized after the American Civil War as one of hundreds of AME churches planted in the South by missionaries from the first black independent denomination in the United States, founded in the early 19th century in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Hawkinsville Commercial and Industrial Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Hawkinsville is also home to the historic Hawkinsville Opera House.
Many highways converge in the city. U.S. Routes 129 and 341 are the two main highways through town, and run through the downtown area together. Upon leaving the city, U.S. 341 leads northwest 21 mi (34 km) to Perry along Interstate 75 and southeast 20 mi (32 km) to Eastman. U.S. 129 follows the route of U.S. 341 north of the city, but splits off northwest of downtown, leading north 28 mi (45 km) to Warner Robins. South of downtown, U.S. 129 leads south 24 mi (39 km) to Abbeville. In addition, an alternate route of U.S. 129 connects the city to Cochran, 11 mi (18 km) to the northeast. Other highways that run through the city include Georgia State Routes 26, 27, 230, and 257.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.4sqmi, of which 4.4sqmi is land and 0.1sqmi (1.57%) is water.
Hawkinsville has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa), with mild winters and hot, humid summers.
| White | 1,925 | 48.37% | |
| Black or African American | 1,822 | 45.78% | |
| Native American | 6 | 0.15% | |
| Asian | 47 | 1.18% | |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.03% | |
| Other/Mixed | 90 | 2.26% | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 89 | 2.24% |
The Pulaski County School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve. It consists of one elementary school, a middle school, and a high school.[10] The district has 122 full-time teachers and over 1,632 students.[11]
The Georgia Department of Corrections operates the Pulaski State Prison in Hawkinsville.[12]
The United States Postal Service operates the Hawkinsville Post Office.[13]
The United States Air Force operates the Hawkinsville Air Force Space Surveillance System.