Central Georgia refers to the area containing the metropolitan region surrounding the city of Macon, in Bibb County in the U.S. state of Georgia. It abuts the Atlanta metropolitan area, just to the north.
Similar and coextensive names for this region include Middle Georgia and the Heart of Georgia. While no precise definition exists there are several ways to group places as part of the area. A partial list:
Macon-Warner Robins-Fort Valley, GA Combined Statistical Area (population 417,473). Components of the CSA are:
Fayette, Clayton, Union City,
Macon Metropolitan Statistical Area (Bibb, Crawford, Jones, Monroe, and Twiggs counties)
Warner Robins Metropolitan Statistical Area (Houston County) (Pulaski County, Georgia), (Wilcox County, Georgia)
Fort Valley Micropolitan Statistical Area (Peach County)
Counties bordering Bibb are Crawford, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Peach, and Twiggs.
Counties belonging to the Middle Georgia Regional Library System are Bibb, Crawford, Jones, Macon, Twiggs, and Wilkinson
The Macon media market for TV ratings includes Bibb County and all of its neighboring counties, in addition to Baldwin, Bleckley, Dodge, Dooly, Hancock, Johnson, Laurens, Macon, Montgomery, Pulaski, Taylor, Telfair, Treutlen, Washington, Wheeler, Wilkinson, and Wilcox Counties. [1]
Counties belonging to the Middle Georgia Clean Air Coalition: Bibb, Crawford, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Peach, Twiggs.
Other surrounding counties, such as Butts, Crisp, Jasper, Lamar, Pike, Putnam, Schley, Spalding, Sumter, Taylor, and Upson, are also often included in the area though they may also be considered parts of other regions in the state, as well.
Some of the most prominent cities in middle Georgia, each with their a unique history and character, include:
Macon Pop: 155,369, the area's anchor city, largest city and the center of the area. Contains museums, institutions of higher education, and historical buildings. In Bibb County. (Consolidated City-County Government)
Warner Robins Pop: 72,531, a satellite city and major growth center, it grew up around Robins Air Force Base.
Other Suburbs, Cities and Counties
Twiggs County, the actual geographic center of the state.
Cities belonging to the Middle Georgia Clean Air Coalition: Macon, Perry, Forsyth, Danville, Culloden, Fort Valley, Roberta, Centerville, Byron, Gray, Payne City, Jeffersonville
Centerville, Rapidly growing suburban city just south of Macon and west of Warner Robins. The Galleria Mall there is the second largest mall in the Macon metropolitan area after the Macon Mall.
Milledgeville, former state capital. The location of Georgia College and State University. In Baldwin County.
Dublin, a city among the farthest away from Macon that is still considered Middle Georgia. In Laurens County.
Fort Valley, the location of Fort Valley State University and the Lane Peach Packing Factory and Store. One of the 8 Blue Bird Bus factories in the U.S and Canada is located in the city. In Peach County.
Cochran, the location of the former Middle Georgia College. In Bleckley County.
Forsyth. Tift College was once located here. Sited on I-75 just north of Macon, in Monroe County.
Perry, just south of Warner Robins and the location of the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter, Perdue and Frito Lay. In Houston County.
Byron, about halfway between Macon and Warner Robins on I-75. The Peach Factory Outlets are located there, In Peach County.
Eatonton, birthplace of authors Joel Chandler Harris (the "Uncle Remus" stories) and Alice Walker (The Color Purple). In Putnam County.
Twiggs County contains the actual geographic center of the state.
