Sumter

Formed December 26, 1831 (79^th county)

Sumter County (29,612), Americus (16,233)

The dark red/brown brick of the Modern style courthouse is sited at Lamar and Dudley streets.  Lamar Street is United States Highway 280.  Rosser International is the building architect.  The structure features a tower.  There were 1959 and 1897 versions of the courthouse all in Americus, the only county seat.  United States Highway 280 is one block to the north.  Revolutionary War General Thomas Sumter is the namesake of the county.  Sumter County was created on December 26, 1831 from Lee County as the 79^th county.  Explorer Amerigo Vespucci is the source for the county seat’s name.  Sumter County was the birthplace of 1 Georgia Governor, James E. Carter, Jr.  The county center is in Americus 2.6 miles Southeast of the city center. 

Sumter County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, a coroner, a clerk, and a tax commissioner (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Sixteen Superior Court Judges serve Sumter, Bibb, Chattahoochee, Crawford, Harris, Houston, Lee, Macon, Marion, Muscogee, Peach, Schley, Stewart, Talbot, Taylor, and Webster counties and a State Judge and Seven County Judges, court clerk, and county attorney serve Sumter County (judicial.) The county is in southwest Georgia southeast of Columbus and north of Albany.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Macon, Dooly, Crisp, Lee, Terrell, Webster, Marion, and Schley counties. 

The area of the county is 485 square miles.  It is 29 out of 159 counties in the state.  It ranks 62 out of 159 in population in the state.  It has a density of 61.1 persons per square mile making it 83 out of 159 in the state.  Sumter County has 59.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 19 goes north-south through the county from Schley County to Lee County.  United States Highway 280 enters from the east, Crisp County, and exits to the west, Webster County.  James E. Carter, the 39^th President, was born in this county.  The Flint River flows through the middle of the county.  The county is shaped like a fat plow.  Americus is located in the northwest quarter of the county.  Americus is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 54.8% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced A-MER-I-CUS.  This county is in the Americus Micropolitan Statistical Area.