Telfair

Formed December 10, 1807 (35^th county)

Telfair County (12,477), McRae-Helena (6,256)

The red/brown brick Colonial Revival design of the courthouse was created in 1934.  There were 1905 and 1873 courthouses earlier.  It is on Oak Street at Telfair Avenue.  Oak Street is United States Highway 341.  Dennis & Dennis are the building architects.  The structure features faux columns.  A Statue of Liberty replica is in the city center.  Telfair County was created on December 10, 1807 from Wilkinson County as the 35^th county.  Governor Edward Telfair inspired the name for the county.  McRae was named for a family of Scottish settlers.  McRae and Helena merged in 2015.  Telfair County was the birthplace of 1 Georgia Governor, Herman E. Talmadge, Sr.  The county center is 5.1 miles South of McRae. 

Telfair County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, a coroner, a clerk, and a tax commissioner (executive).  It has 1 Commissioner (legislative.)  Fifteen Superior Court Judges serve Telfair, Baldwin, Ben Hill, Bleckley, Candler, Crisp, Dodge, Dooly, Emanuel, Greene, Hancock, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Laurens, Montgomery, Morgan, Pulaski, Putnam, Toombs, Treutlen, Twiggs, Washington, Wheeler, Wilcox, and Wilkinson counties and Three County Judges, court clerk, and county attorney serve Telfair County (judicial.) The county is located in south central Georgia to the southeast of Macon, Georgia and northeast of Valdosta, Georgia.  Jacksonville was the first county seat until 1871 when McRae took over.  The Ocmulgee River forms its southern border.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Wheeler, Jeff Davis, Coffee, Ben Hill, Wilcox, and Dodge counties. 

The area of the county is 441 square miles.  It is 45 out of 159 counties in the state.  It ranks 114 out of 159 in population in the state.  It has a density of 28.3 persons per square mile making it 128 out of 159 in the state.  Telfair County has 62.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highways 23/341 cross northwest to southeast through the county from Dodge County to Jeff Davis County.  United States Highway 280 goes northeast to southwest from Wheeler County to Dodge County.  United States Highways 319/441 travel north to south from Laurens County to Coffee County.  The overall shape of the county is triangular.  McRae-Helena is in the north near the border.  McRae-Helena is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 50.1% of the county population.  The county is pronounced TEL-FAER.