Grovetown is a city in Columbia County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Augusta metropolitan area as well as the Central Savannah River Area. As of the 2020 census, Grovetown had a population of 15,577. The position of mayor is vacant, with Eric Blair serving as mayor pro tem.
History
From the building of the Georgia Railroad, which travels through the city until at least the 1860s, the community was known as "Belair". The city was chartered by the Georgia Legislature and officially incorporated on January 1, 1881.
The first railroad depot was a small structure built in 1878–79. The last depot was an ornate structure built in 1891 at a cost of $5,041.74. It served the citizens of Grovetown until 1970, when passenger trains no longer traveled on the Augusta–Atlanta line. It was demolished in 1973. up from the 1990 census figure of 3,596. A variety of stores, dining establishments, schools, and churches add to the town's culture. Services include recreational facilities, a public safety department, two fire stations, water and sewer services, a senior center, and museum. This was the third incident involving the railroad crossing since 2002.
Geography
Grovetown is located in southern Columbia County. Downtown Augusta is east. The northern boundary of Fort Gordon is south.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Grovetown has a total area of , of which , or 0.23%, is water.
Climate and weather extremes
Grovetown has yet had some extreme weather. The strongest tornado was an EF2 on October 31, 2019. Hurricane Helene hit the town on September 27, 2024. The highest temperature was 108 °F both on August 10, 2007, and on August 21, 1983. The coldest temperature was −1 °F set on January 21, 1985.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Grovetown had a population of 15,577. The median age was 29.9 years. 30.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 7.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.5 males age 18 and over.
99.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.6% lived in rural areas.
There were 5,417 households in Grovetown, of which 46.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.1% were married-couple households, 17.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|White (non-Hispanic)
|6,309
|40.5%
|-
|Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
|5,492
|35.26%
|-
|Native American
|36
|0.23%
|-
|Asian
|380
|2.44%
|-
|Pacific Islander
|42
|0.27%
|-
|Other/Mixed
|1,133
|7.27%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino
|2,185
|14.03%
|}
Parks and recreation
City parks include the Liberty Park Community Center, and Goodale Park, The city has also added Kiddie Park, as well as Historical Park. Friendship Park is located at the Veterans wall on Robinson Ave and is referred to as Freedom Park. They also have a Wildflower Park at the corner of Robinson Ave. and Johns Street.
Education
It is in the Columbia County School District, which has boundaries paralleling that of Columbia County.
Grovetown Middle School, Grovetown Elementary School, Grovetown High School, and Cedar Ridge Elementary School are located in the city limits of Grovetown. Columbia Middle School, Brookwood Elementary School, Euchee Creek Elementary School, and Baker Place Elementary School are located near the city.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Grovetown is mainly served by Georgia State Route 223 (SR 223), locally known as Robinson Avenue from just northwest of Fort Gordon's Gate 2 to the intersection with Harlem–Grovetown Road and as Wrightsboro Road past this point. It is also served by SR 388 east of this intersection. Here, SR 388 takes on the Wrightsboro Road name until an intersection with Katherine Street. At this intersection, the state highway turns left onto Horizon South Parkway, while Wrightsboro Road continues toward Augusta. Harlem–Grovetown Road connects the city with Harlem.
There are railroad tracks of CSX Transportation that extend through Grovetown, used mostly by freight trains.
Notes
See also
- Central Savannah River Area