Formed December 12, 1825 (61st county)
Baker County (2,875), Newton (600)
The small red brick School House building was purchased in 1994 and renovated in 2000 to become the courthouse. It was built as a school in 1935 with an unknown architect. It replaced the 1900 courthouse. A bell sits in front of the structure. The county was formed on December 12, 1825 from Early County as the 61st county. The building sits on Baker Place between Broad and Hoke Smith. Georgia State Highway 91 is two blocks west of the courthouse. Byron (1825) and Newton (1831) have both served as the county seat. Revolutionary soldier Colonel John Baker is the namesake of the county. Revolutionary soldier Sergeant John Newton provided the inspiration for the county seat. He is also the namesake of Newton County. The county center is 9.8 miles West-Southwest of Newton nearer Elmodel.
Baker County government consists of a manager, a sheriff, an administrator, a coroner, a clerk, and a tax commissioner (executive). It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.) Sixteen Superior Court Judges serve Baker, Atkinson, 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 three County Judges, court clerk, and county attorney serve Baker County (judicial.) The county is in southwest Georgia. The Flint River is its east to south border. The county is surrounded clockwise by Dougherty, Mitchell, Decatur, Early, Miller, and Calhoun counties.
The area of the county is 343 square miles. The county is 80 of 159 in the state. It ranks 155 out of 159 in population in the state. It has a density of 8.4 persons per square mile making it 157 out of 159 in the state. Baker County has 20.9% of its population in its incorporated areas. There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county. The county is shaped like a pistol facing east. Newton is located on the eastern border. Newton is the county seat and the largest city and the only incorporated city in the county. It is 20.9% of the county population. This county is in the Albany Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Newton
