| County: | Thomas County |
| State: | Georgia |
| Founded Date: | December 23 |
| Seat Wl: | Thomasville |
| Largest City Wl: | Thomasville |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 552 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 545 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 7.6 |
| Area Percentage: | 1.4% |
| Census Yr: | 2020 |
| Pop: | 45798 |
| Density Sq Mi: | 84 |
| Time Zone: | Eastern |
| Web: | www.thomascountyboc.org |
| Ex Image: | Thomas County Courthouse.jpg |
| Ex Image Cap: | Former Thomas County Courthouse in Thomasville |
| District: | 8th |
Thomas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census the population was 45,798.[1] The county seat is Thomasville.[2] Thomas County comprises the Thomasville, GA micropolitan statistical area.
Thomas County was created by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on December 23, 1825, from portions of Decatur and Irwin Counties.[3] Colquitt (1856), Brooks (1858), and Grady (1905) Counties all were formed partially from lands within Thomas County's original borders.
The county is named for Jett Thomas, an officer in the War of 1812 who is also known for overseeing the construction of the first building at the University of Georgia (originally referred to as Franklin College and known today as Old College) as well as the state capital at Milledgeville.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (1.4%) is water.[4]
The northwestern half of Thomas County, bordered by U.S. Route 319 southwest of Thomasville, and a line that ends up bisecting the distance between Coolidge and Pavo in the northeast, is located in the Upper Ochlockonee River sub-basin of the larger Ochlockonee River basin. The northeastern edge of the county, from north of Pavo to Boston, is located in the Withlacoochee River sub-basin of the Suwannee River basin. The southeastern portion of Thomas County, running southeast from Thomasville, is located in the Aucilla River sub-basin of the larger Aucilla-Waccasassa basin. Almost all of the southwestern portion of the county is located in the Apalachee Bay-St. Marks sub-basin of the Ochlockonee River basin, with the exception of the tiny southwesternmost corner, which is located in the Lower Ochlockonee River sub-basin of the same Ochlockonee River basin.[5]
The Aucilla River rises in Thomas County. The Red Hills Region is centered on Thomas County.
| White | 25,994 | 56.76% | |
| Black or African American | 16,259 | 35.5% | |
| Native American | 150 | 0.33% | |
| Asian | 406 | 0.89% | |
| Pacific Islander | 9 | 0.02% | |
| Other/Mixed | 1,403 | 3.06% | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,577 | 3.44% |
Similar to other Georgia counties on the Florida border, the county is very Republican in presidential elections, having last voted for a Democrat in 1980 when the Democrat was native Georgian Jimmy Carter.