| County: | Newton County |
| State: | Georgia |
| Flag: | Flag of Newton County, Georgia.png |
| Seal: | Seal of Newton County, Georgia.png |
| Founded Date: | December 24 |
| Seat Wl: | Covington |
| Largest City Wl: | Covington |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 279 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 272 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 7.0 |
| Area Percentage: | 2.5% |
| Census Yr: | 2020 |
| Pop: | 112483 |
| Time Zone: | Eastern |
| Ex Image: | Newton County Courthouse - Covington.jpg |
| Ex Image Cap: | Newton County Courthouse |
| Ex Image Size: | 200px |
| District: | 4th |
| District2: | 10th |
| Named For: | John Newton |
Newton County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 112,483.[1] The county seat is Covington.[2] Newton County is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell MSA.
Newton county is named after Sgt. John Newton, who served under Gen. Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox", in the American Revolutionary War. It was created on December 24, 1821.[3]
During the American Civil War, the county provided the Lamar Infantry, which was a part of Cobb's Legion. The 1860 census shows the enslaved population was nearly half, 45.2 percent.[4] Newton County adjoins Jasper County: Georgia is one of many states that have a Newton County and a Jasper County that border each other.
In late 1978, the first five episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard were filmed in and around Covington, Georgia. The TV series In The Heat of the Night was filmed in Covington from 1988 to 1995. Also, in Remember the Titans, there were many scenes shot on "The Square" and the final football scene was shot at Homer Sharp Stadium, which is located near downtown Covington. Currently part of the new series The Vampire Diaries is being filmed on "The Square". Additionally, major films including My Cousin Vinny, and Halloween II, Rob Zombie's sequel to his 2007 film Halloween, were also filmed near and around "The Square" in downtown Covington.
Newton County claims to be the birthplace of Georgia 4-H. Actually, the Girls Canning and Boys Corn Clubs in 1904 by G.C. Adams was renamed the 4-H Club in 1906, after the original 4-H Club that opened in Iowa in 1905.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (2.5%) is water.[5] The county is located in the Piedmont region of the state.
The majority of Newton County is located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin. A small eastern portion of the county, from southwest of Social Circle to southwest of Newborn, is located in the Upper Oconee River sub-basin of the same Altamaha River basin.[6]
| White alone (NH) | 46,007 | 51,995 | 46,746 | 74.20% | 52.02% | 41.56% | |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 13,690 | 40,371 | 52,246 | 22.08% | 40.39% | 46.45% | |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 131 | 199 | 175 | 0.21% | 0.20% | 0.16% | |
| Asian alone (NH) | 444 | 881 | 1,044 | 0.72% | 0.88% | 0.93% | |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 9 | 34 | 114 | 0.01% | 0.03% | 0.10% | |
| Other race alone (NH) | 70 | 169 | 734 | 0.11% | 0.17% | 0.65% | |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 493 | 1,674 | 4,260 | 0.80% | 1.67% | 3.79% | |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,157 | 4,635 | 7,164 | 1.87% | 4.64% | 6.37% | |
| Total | 62,001 | 99,958 | 112,483 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Most of Newton County is in the Newton County School System. Portions in Social Circle are in the Social Circle City School District.[10]
For the first half of the 20th century, Newton County followed the regular Solid South pattern of voting Democratic. It would later become a state bellwether from 1968 to 2004—meaning that Newton's voting was an accurate predictor of the overall statewide winner. From 2008 to 2016 Newton had been narrowly won by Democrats thanks to its location within the Atlanta metro and the influx of progressive voters both the region and Newton have experienced in recent years. This margin ballooned to a double digit percentage in 2020 as Joe Biden flipped the state as a whole back into the Democratic column.
| Board of Commissioners | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| District | Commissioner | Party | |
| CHAIR (at-large) | Marcello Banes (chairman) | Democratic | |
| District 1 | Stan Edwards | Republican | |
| District 2 | T. Demond Mason | Democratic | |
| District 3 | Alana Sanders | Democratic | |
| District 4 | J.C. Henderson | Democratic | |
| District 5 | Ronnie Cowan | Republican | |
