Formed March 15, 1821 (52nd county)
Monroe County (27,955), Forsyth (4,511)
The High Victorian Eclectic red brick courthouse for Monroe County was built in 1896. It sits on a square surrounded by Lee, Main, Jackson, and Johnston streets. United States Highway 41 is Main Street. Alexander C. Bruce & Thomas H. Morgan are the building architects. The building was renovated in 1978 and 1990 and restored in 2010. It features a tower with a working clock. Veteran memorials are on the grounds. Monroe County was created on March 15, 1821 from Creek lands as the 52nd county. President James Monroe inspired the county’s name. He also provided his name to the county seat of Walton County. Forsyth has always been the county seat. Governor John Forsyth is the source name for the county seat. He is also the namesake of Forsyth County. Monroe County was the birthplace of 1 Georgia Governor, Eugene Talmadge. The county center is 3.1 miles Northeast of Forsyth.
Monroe County government consists of a manager, a sheriff, an administrator, a coroner, a clerk, and a tax commissioner (executive). It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.) Eighteen Superior Court Judges serve Monroe, Lamar, Butts, Carroll, Clayton, Coweta, Fayette, Heard, Henry, Meriwether, Pike, Spalding, Troup, and Upson counties and Six County Judges, court clerk, and county attorney serve Monroe County (judicial.) Monroe County is in central Georgia between Atlanta, Georgia and Macon, Georgia. The Ocmulgee River forms its eastern border. The county is surrounded clockwise by Butts, Jasper, Jones, Bibb, Crawford, Upson, and Lamar counties.
The area of the county is 396 square miles. It is 57 out of 159 counties in the state. It ranks 67 out of 159 in population in the state. It has a density of 70.6 persons per square mile making it 79 out of 159 in the state. Monroe County has 16.9% of its population in its incorporated areas. Interstate Highway 75 crosses northwest to southeast from Butts County to Bibb County. United States Highway 23 goes north to south through eastern Monroe County from Butts County to Bibb County. United States Highway 41 parallels Interstate Highway 75 from Lamar County to Bibb County. United States Highway 341 crosses the western part of the county from Lamar County to Crawford County. The county’s shape is a very fat capital letter J. Forsyth is located slightly west of center in the county. Forsyth is the county seat and the largest city. It is 16.1% of the county population. This county is in the Macon Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Culloden
Forsyth
