Augusta, Georgia

Augusta is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the third most populous city in Georgia, after Atlanta and Columbus. The city is located on the central eastern border of Georgia and is the county seat of Richmond County. Across the Savannah River lies North Augusta, South Carolina.

Augusta was established in 1736 and named after Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, the mother of British monarch George III. During the American Civil War, the city housed an important Confederate factory. In the early to mid-1900s, Augusta's warm climate made it a popular resort town.

Today, Augusta is best known around the world for hosting the Masters golf tournament each spring at the Augusta National Golf Club. The event draws over 200,000 visitors. The city is also home to Fort Gordon, a major U.S. Army base, and was chosen in 2016 to host the new National Cyber Security Headquarters. Augusta lies about two hours from downtown Atlanta by car via I-20.

History

Main articles: History of Augusta, Georgia and Timeline of Augusta, Georgia

Establishment

In 1735, explorer James Oglethorpe sent soldiers to build a fort on the upper Savannah River. The fort was created to protect coastal areas from possible attacks. The settlement was named after Princess Augusta, the mother of King George III.

Development

Augusta grew quickly as a market town, especially when new machines made cotton processing easier. The city had many factories during the American Civil War. After the war, textile mills were built along the Augusta Canal.

A big fire in 1916 damaged many old buildings in the city's downtown area.

Augusta stayed an important place for business and was part of big changes in rights for all people. Famous singer James Brown was born in Augusta.

Hyde Park contamination

Main article: Hyde Park, Georgia

In 1993, officials checked an area called Hyde Park in Augusta for harmful chemicals. They found some chemicals in the air, water, and soil. People living there wondered why these chemicals were not seen as a danger to their health. Hyde Park also had more illnesses than other places in America, and people were unsure why.

Geography

Augusta is located along the border between Georgia and South Carolina, about 150 miles east of Atlanta and 74 miles west of Columbia.

The city covers a total area of 306.5 square miles, most of which is land with a small portion being water. Augusta sits on the Savannah River at a point called the fall line, where the river has small falls. This location marks where boats can no longer travel up the river and marks the start of the Georgia Piedmont area.

The Clarks Hill Dam is built near Augusta, creating Clarks Hill Lake. Downstream, there are other dams that help produce hydroelectric power and manage the river's water.

Climate

Augusta, like the rest of Georgia, has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has mild winters, very hot and humid summers, and temperatures that can change quite a bit during the day. Temperatures usually range from about 45 °F in January to 82 °F in July. While snowfall is rare, freezing rain can sometimes occur in winter.

Demographics

According to the 2020 United States census, about 202,081 people lived in Augusta. This number grew from 195,844 people in the 2010 U.S. census and from 195,182 people in the 2000 United States census.

The people living in Augusta come from many different backgrounds. In 2000, most people were either non-Hispanic white or African American. By 2020, the city had even more kinds of people, showing that communities in the United States are becoming more mixed together.

Economy

Augusta is an important place for medicine, biotechnology, and cyber security. Augusta University, the only public health sciences graduate university in the state, employs over 7,000 people. Together with Piedmont Augusta, the Medical District of Augusta employs over 25,000 people.

The city's three largest employers are Augusta University, the Savannah River Site (a Department of Energy nuclear facility), and the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence at Fort Gordon. With the Georgia Cyber Center in Downtown Augusta, the area has become a center for cyber security companies. The city also hosts TechNet each year, bringing together leaders from the military, government, and private sector to discuss new cyber products and collaboration efforts. As of February 2025, the metro area unemployment rate is 4.5%, slightly above the national average.

Companies with facilities or headquarters in the Augusta area include CareSouth, NutraSweet, T-Mobile, Covidien, Solo Cup Company, Automatic Data Processing, Clearwater Paper, Solvay S.A., Bridgestone, Teleperformance, Olin Corporation, Sitel, E-Z-GO, Taxslayer, Elanco, KSB Company, Club Car, Halocarbon, MTU Friedrichshafen, Kimberly Clark Corporation, Nutrien, John Deere, Kellogg's, and Delta Air Lines' baggage call center.

Top employers

According to the Augusta Economic Development Authority as of 2013, the top manufacturing employers in the city were:

The top public sector employers were:

Arts and culture

Historic districts

Main article: Augusta Downtown Historic District

Augusta has 10 historic districts. The most famous is the Augusta Downtown Historic District, which covers much of downtown Augusta and includes areas from before the Civil War. This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

Augusta also has other historic districts, including:

• Bethlehem Historic District
• Broad Street Historic District
• Greene Street Historic District
• Harrisburg–West End Historic District
• Laney–Walker North Historic District
• Paine College Historic District
• Pinched Gut Historic District
• Sand Hills Historic District
• Summerville Historic District

Tallest buildings

The tallest buildings in Augusta are the Lamar Building, River Place Condominiums, and Augusta University Building.

Sports

Augusta has many sports teams and events. The Augusta GreenJackets is a minor league baseball team that plays at SRP Park in North Augusta, South Carolina. They started in 1988 and are now connected to the Atlanta Braves.

Augusta is also home to the Augusta Rugby Football Club, a men's rugby team, and the Soul City Sirens, an all-female roller derby team that began in 2008.

Augusta has hosted many important events. The Augusta National Golf Club holds The Masters, the first major golf tournament of the year. The city also has tournaments for disc golf, drag boat racing, and one of the big Ironman 70.3 competitions.

Parks and recreation

Augusta has many places to enjoy the outdoors. The Riverwalk Augusta is a beautiful park along the river where you can walk and relax. The Augusta Canal is an old canal where you can bike or walk on special paths.

Phinizy Swamp Nature Park is a wetland area with paths and boardwalks for exploring nature. The Augusta Municipal Golf Course is a public golf course that was improved by the famous Augusta National Golf Club.

Government

In 1995, the people of Augusta and parts of Richmond County decided to combine their city and county governments. This change started on January 1, 1996. The new government has a mayor and ten commissioners. Eight commissioners come from different areas, and two are chosen to represent the whole city. In May 2024, voters allowed the mayor to have full voting powers on the commission, which was approved by 74% of voters. The government works as a Council-manager system, where the commission chooses a County Administrator to handle their decisions.

Education

Augusta has many places for learning, from colleges to elementary schools.

Augusta University, Augusta Technical College, and Paine College are three main colleges in the city. Other colleges have smaller campuses here too, like East Georgia State College and Brenau University.

Public schools from kindergarten through 12th grade are run by the Richmond County School System. There are 36 elementary schools, 10 middle schools, and eight high schools, including Glenn Hills and Butler. There are also special focus schools, such as the C. T. Walker Traditional Magnet School and the A. R. Johnson Health Science and Engineering Magnet High School.

In 2026, the school system made plans to change some schools. Barton Chapel Elementary will close and merge with Glenn Hills during building work. Other schools like Jenkins-White Elementary and Murphey Middle will also close as part of these changes. T.W. Josey High School will become a special college and career school for older students. There are also private schools, such as Aquinas High School and Curtis Baptist High School.

Media

Augusta has one main daily newspaper called The Augusta Chronicle. Several television stations serve the city, including WJBF on channel 6, which shows ABC and The CW Plus; WRDW on channel 12, which shows CBS; WCES on channel 20, which shows PBS; WAGT on channel 26, which shows NBC; and WFXG on channel 54, which shows Fox. There is also a special newspaper for the medical community called the Medical Examiner, published twice a month since 2006.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in Augusta, Georgia

Augusta has many roads and highways that help people travel around the city. Some important roads include I-20, I-520, US 1, and US 25. There are also smaller roads like SR 4 and SR 28 that connect different parts of the city.

The city has two airports: Augusta Regional Airport and Daniel Field. These airports have flights to places like Atlanta and Charlotte.

In the past, Augusta had many train services, but today, trains mainly carry goods instead of people. There are still some train tracks that go through the city.

Augusta also has trails for walking and biking, such as the Augusta Canal Historic Trail and Riverwalk Augusta.

Law enforcement

The Richmond County Sheriff's Office helps keep Augusta safe.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Augusta, Georgia

Augusta, Georgia, has been home to many famous people throughout history. Some of these individuals have made important contributions in fields like sports, entertainment, and public service. The city continues to be a place where inspiring stories begin.

Sister cities

See also: List of sister cities in the United States

Augusta has special friendships with cities in other countries. These friends are called sister cities. Augusta is friends with:

• Biarritz, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France
• Takarazuka, Hyōgo, Japan