Turner

Formed August 18, 1905 (143^rd county)

Turner County (9,001), Ashburn (4,287)

The Neo-Classical Revival Turner County courthouse was built in 1907.  The building was remodeled in 1984 and 2001.  It is sited on College and McLendon streets.  United States Highway 41 passes one block west of the building.  The dark red brick structure was designed by Alexander Blair and Peter E. Dennis.  It features a tower and columns.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  An Annex has been added.  Turner County was established on August 18, 1905 from parts of Dooly, Irwin, Wilcox, and Worth counties as the 143^rd county.  Ashburn has been the only county seat.  Congressman Henry Gray Turner is the namesake for the county.  Settler W. W. Ashburn provided his name for the county seat.  The county center is in Ashburn 1.8 miles Southeast of the city center.

Turner 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 Turner, Atkinson, Baker, Berrien, Brooks, Calhoun, Clay, Clinch, Colquitt, Cook, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Echols, Grady, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Miller, Mitchell, Quitman, Randolph, Seminole, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Turner, and Worth counties and a State Judge and Three County Judges, court clerk, and county attorney serve Turner County (judicial.) Turner County is in south central Georgia between Macon, Georgia, north, and Albany, Georgia, southwest.  The Alapaha River flows through the county.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Wilcox, Ben Hill, Irwin, Tift, Worth, and Crisp counties.

The area of the county is 286 square miles.  It is 102 out of 159 counties in the state.  It ranks 132 out of 159 in population in the state.  It has a density of 31.5 persons per square mile making it 121 out of 159 in the state.  Turner County has 57.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 75 goes north to south through the county from Crisp to Tift counties.  United States Highway 41 parallels Interstate Highway 75 from Crisp County to Tift County.  The county is shaped like a capital letter L lying on its back.  Ashburn is west of center in the county.  Ashburn is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 47.6% of the county population.