Carrollton

History

Carroll County, of which Carrollton is the county seat, was chartered in 1826, and was governed at the time by the Carroll Inferior Court, which consisted of five elected justices. In 1829, the justices voted to move the county seat from the site it occupied near the present community of Sandhill, to a new site about to the southwest. The original intention was to call the new county seat "Troupville", in honor of former governor George Troup, but Troup was not popular with the state government of the time, so the Georgia General Assembly incorporated the town as Carrollton, in December 1829. The name was in honor of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the last living signer of the Declaration of Independence. In 1830, the town was surveyed and lots were laid out, with the central feature being the town square, Carrollton remained an agricultural and textile manufacturing center throughout the first half of the 20th century, but as the local production of cotton declined and the population became more urban, other industries began to take on a greater prominence. This diversification of industry has continued into the 21st century, aided in part by Carrollton's ready access to Interstate 20 and the Norfolk Southern Railway. The city's major employers presently include companies in the airline, construction, power distribution, poultry, software, home entertainment, and healthcare industries, among others. Carrollton also remains an important market town, with a wide variety of national retail chains and restaurants, serving Carroll County and the surrounding region. Carrollton was mentioned in Margaret Mitchell's 1936 novel Gone with the Wind and in the 1939 movie of the same name. Carrollton featured in the 1983 TV movie Murder in Coweta County, although the…

Geography

Carrollton is located near the center of Carroll County at (33.580912, -85.076704). The Little Tallapoosa River flows through the northwestern part of the city. U.S. Route 27 passes through the city center, leading north to Interstate 20 in Bremen and south to LaGrange. U.S. Route 27 Alternate leads southeast from the city 23 mi (37 km) to Newnan. Other more local roads that pass through the city include Georgia State Routes 16, 113, and 166. According to the United States Census Bureau, Carrollton has a total area of , of which is land and , or 2.37%, is water. Carrollton has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa), with mild winters and hot, humid summers. Severe winter conditions are infrequent. The record for snowfall is 10-11", which fell on December 8 and 9, 2017. The previous record for biggest snow was in March 1993 during the Blizzard of 1993 with of snow. During the storm thundersnow was reported. On Christmas Day 2010 Carrollton had its first white Christmas in 17 years. Thunderstorms, a few of them severe, can occur during the spring and summer months. The main risk from these storms comes from lightning strikes. Any tornadoes produced by these storms tend to be small and highly localized. An EF3 tornado hit an area about west of Carrollton on February 26, 2008. Some of the same areas hit by the February 2008 tornadoes were also hit by the Mother's Day tornadoes on May 11, 2008. The Mother's Day Tornadoes did extensive damage to many homes and businesses. In April 2017, a tornado hit Carrollton, destroying a fire station and damaging numerous homes and vehicles. The tornado also hit on the campus of the University of West Georgia. Possibly the most significant severe weather risk comes from hurricanes that strike…

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,239
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,889
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  2,474
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  2,194
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  2,119
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,103
• Chipping Sparrow

  Spizella passerina (Bechstein, 1798) · Aves
  1,947
• White-breasted Nuthatch

  Sitta carolinensis Latham, 1790 · Aves
  1,818

Most recent

• M 2.72 — 2018-11-23
  3 km N of Plainville, Georgia
• M 2.6 — 2005-10-25
  6 km SSE of Summerville, Georgia
• M 2.5 — 2004-11-13
  3 km E of Rainbow City, Alabama