City Overview
About the City
Augusta is known around the world as the home of the Masters Tournament. Tens of thousands of golf fans visit the city for the prestigious event during the first week of April. But other events and attributes help define the city's character the rest of the year.
Augusta is rich in history. Founded in 1736 by Gen. James Edward Oglethorpe, Augusta is the second-oldest city in Georgia behind Savannah. It is the state's second-largest city behind Atlanta. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the combined population of the six counties in the Augusta area - Richmond, Columbia, McDuffie and Burke counties in Georgia and Aiken and Edgefield counties in South Carolina - is 523,249.
Augusta has several professional sports teams, including the Augusta Lynx, of the East Coast Hockey League, and the Augusta GreenJackets, a minor league (Class A) baseball team owned by Ripken Baseball and affiliated with the San Francisco Giants.
Water recreation is also prominent. Nearby Thurmond Lake is one of the largest man-made lakes east of the Mississippi River.
Augusta has a vibrant arts community that includes a symphony, an opera company and numerous choral and community theater organizations.
Across the Savannah River is North Augusta - a rapidly growing city that works hard to retain its quaint, small-town charm.
The community of more than 19,000 people also is working hard to take full advantage of its place on the Savannah River.
Hammond's Ferry, a pedestrian-friendly community of homes, businesses and a town square on the riverfront, is rapidly growing. Alongside townhouses and single-family homes, multi-use buildings are nearing completion and will house condominiums on the top floors and shops and cafes at the street level.
The city completed a 1 1/2-mile loop of its North Augusta Greeneway, a multipurpose trail system, around Hammond's Ferry in 2005. The Greeneway, which eventually will extend for nearly 18 miles, offers outdoors lovers a place to walk, jog, bike or skate. It meanders through the city and many of its neighborhoods.
A new municipal complex is under construction between Bluff and Georgia avenues. Stately tree-lined streets with rows of restored brick and wood-frame houses surround the heart of downtown North Augusta.
North Augusta's history is further preserved through events at Living History Park, which resembles a colonial-era town. The park's largest event, Colonial Times: A Day to Remember, is usually held in October and features volunteers dressed in period clothing demonstrating daily life in a Colonial village.
Augusta is 140 miles east of Atlanta, on the South Carolina border in east-central Georgia. Downtown Augusta sits beside the Savannah River, making the nearby South Carolina cities of North Augusta and Aiken major parts of the community. The Aiken-Augusta area also includes Columbia County, a growing suburban community west of Augusta.
(From the Saturday, December 29, 2007 edition of the Augusta Chronicle )
Columbia County
Columbia County is considered one of the fastest-growing counties in Georgia, with a 2005 estimated population of nearly 104,000, according to Census figures.
The county, encompassing a 290-square-mile area, is named after Christopher Columbus and was founded December 10, 1790 and has an expansive history.
With growth occurring, Columbia County commissioners plan to oversee the implementation of more than $43 million in capital improvement projects that were approved by voters in November 2007.
In the next year, county officials plan to look into instituting an impact fee - a charge to developers to help offset costs from growth. Officials also will pursue a sports and entertainment arena feasibility study.
A variety of housing is available in the county. The choices range from apartment complexes, affordable ($70,000 to $90,000) homes and gated communities with estate-level properties. There are several golf course communities, including two that opened in 2005, Bartram Trail Golf Course, a public course, and Champions Retreat, which is private.
The county also continues to improve services and add quality-of-life projects for it's growing number of residents. Earlier this year, officials opened a new library and performing arts center that includes an indoor performance theater and outdoor amphitheater. Several productions have occurred at the location since its opening. The county also is working on a headquarters location at Wildwood Park for the Professional Disc Golf Association.
Augusta-Richmond County
Richmond County was created in 1777. Originally including Columbia, Glascock and McDuffie counties, plus parts of Warren and Jefferson counties, Richmond County was named for the Duke of Richmond, a British defender of the colonists' cause. It was first known as the Parish of St. Paul.
Located in Richmond County, Augusta was the capital of Georgia from 1785 to 1795, and is the second oldest city in Georgia. The city was named for the Princess of Wales.
Also in Richmond County, Hephzibah is one of Georgia's oldest settlements and was originally the home of the Uchee Indians.
In 1995, voters in Augusta and Richmond County agreed to consolidate the city and county governments. Augusta, GA is the third consolidated government in the state.
The Augusta Canal, completed in 1846 and still in use, is a rare example of a canal built for industrial power supply purposes. The canal played a critical role in Augusta's growth during the textile era.
Riverwalk Augusta offers pedestrian access to the Savannah River from a public plaza. The Morris Museum of Art, located in Augusta, GA, has the largest collection of Southern Art in the world.
Other attractions include: National Science Center Fort Discovery, Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History, Augusta Golf and Gardens and the Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson.
Augusta is the home of the famed Augusta National Country Club and the Masters Golf Tournament, one of men's golf's four "majors." The Fort Gordon Military Reservation is also located in Augusta, GA.
Annual events include: Boshears Skyfest, River Blast July 4th Celebration, Arts in the Heart of Augusta, Sacred Heart Garden Festival, and Garden City Music Festival.
Aiken County
Aiken County is the only county in the United States named "Aiken." Formed in 1871 by combining portions of Edgefield, Lexington, Orangeburg, and Barnwell counties, Aiken County was named for William Aiken, who was the first president of the South Carolina Railroad and Canal Company. Mr. Aiken reportedly never visited the County.
The 2000 Census counted 142,552 persons living in the County, an increase of about 22,000 from 1990. Aiken is the fourth largest South Carolina county by land area, and its size of 1,073 square miles is 28 square miles larger than the state of Rhode Island.
Clemson Extension's website points out that Aiken County is located midway between the mountains and the coast and is bordered by the Savannah River on the west, Edgefield and Saluda Counties on the north, Barnwell and Orangeburg Counties on the southeast and by Lexington County on the east. Aiken County consists of 704,000 acres, of which 73,000 acres are part of the U. S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site. The city of Aiken is the county seat.
Aiken County's major crops are cotton, corn, bermudagrass, hay, soybeans, timber, and peaches. Other crops include peanuts, small grains, and watermelons. Beef cattle, hogs, chickens, and horses are the most common farm animals. Aiken is a major racehorse training area and is famous for its Triple Crown, which consists of the Aiken Trials, the Steeplechase, and the High Goal Polo Game.
Aiken County enjoys a mild climate with an average winter temperature of 48F. and an average summer temperature of 79F. The average daily maximum temperature is 90F. The annual precipitation averages 48 inches with the majority falling between April and September. Average seasonal snowfall is 2 inches and average relative humidity is 50%.
Several industrial parks, owned by Aiken County, the City of Aiken, or the City of North Augusta, are available for new and expanding companies. The Aiken-Edgefield Economic Development Partnership coordinates industrial recruitment efforts in Aiken County.
