Founded 1777 Largest city Brunswick Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4 Area 1,515 km² Unemployment rate 6.0% (Apr 2015) Cities Brunswick | Named for John Glynn Congressional district 1st Website www.glynncounty.org Population 81,508 (2013) County seat Brunswick | |
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University College of Coastal Georgia Points of interest Fort Frederica National, Summer Waves, St Simons Island Light, The Georgia Sea Turtl, Neptune Park | ||
Glynn County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 79,626. The county seat is Brunswick. Glynn County is part of the Brunswick, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
- Map of Glynn County GA USA
- History
- Geography
- Adjacent counties
- 2000 census
- 2010 census
- Education
- Superfund sites
- Mass murder in 2009
- City
- Census designated places
- Unincorporated community
- References
Map of Glynn County, GA, USA
History
Glynn County, one of the original eight counties in the state created on February 5, 1777, was named after John Glynn, a member of the British House of Commons who defended the cause of the American Colonies before the American Revolution.The Battle of Bloody Marsh was fought in Glynn County. James Oglethorpe built Fort Frederica which was used a base in the American Revolutionary War. Glynn Academy is the second oldest school in Georgia.
Glynn County includes the most prominent of the Sea Islands of Georgia, including Jekyll Island, St. Simons Island, and Sea Island. The Georgia poet Sidney Lanier immortalized the seacoast there in his poem, "The Marshes of Glynn", which begins:
Glooms of the live-oaks, beautiful-braided and woven With intricate shades of the vines that myriad-cloven Clamber the forks of the multiform boughs,-- Wrought of the leaves to allure to the whisper of vows, When lovers pace timidly down through the green colonnades Of the dim sweet woods, of the dear dark woods, Of the heavenly woods and glades, That run to the radiant marginal sand-beach withinThe former Glynco Naval Air Station, named for the county, was a major base for blimps and anti-submarine warfare during World War II. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) now uses a substantial part of the former NAS as its main campus.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 585 square miles (1,520 km2), of which 420 square miles (1,100 km2) is land and 165 square miles (430 km2) (28.3%) is water.
The majority of Glynn County is located in the Cumberland-St. Simons sub-basin of the St. Marys-Satilla River basin. Most of the county's northern and northwestern border area is located in the Altamaha River sub-basin of the basin by the same name.
Adjacent counties
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 67,568 people, 27,208 households, and 18,392 families residing in the county. The population density was 160 per square mile (62/km2). There were 32,636 housing units at an average density of 77 per square mile (30/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 70.66% White, 26.45% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.88% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. 2.99% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
According to census 2000 the largest European ancestry groups in Glynn county are:
There were 27,208 households out of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.50% were married couples living together, 14.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.40% were non-families. 27.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the county, the population was spread out with 25.30% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 27.60% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,765, and the median income for a family was $46,984. Males had a median income of $34,363 versus $23,558 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,707. About 11.60% of families and 15.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.10% of those under age 18 and 11.90% of those age 65 or over.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 79,626 people, 31,774 households, and 21,259 families residing in the county. The population density was 189.7 inhabitants per square mile (73.2/km2). There were 40,716 housing units at an average density of 97.0 per square mile (37.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 67.6% white, 26.0% black or African American, 1.2% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 3.0% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 11.3% were Irish, 10.9% were English, 8.7% were American, and 8.7% were German.
Of the 31,774 households, 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.1% were non-families, and 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age was 39.4 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $50,337 and the median income for a family was $62,445. Males had a median income of $43,240 versus $32,112 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,040. About 11.7% of families and 15.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.9% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Glynn County's public schools are operated by Glynn County School System.
Superfund sites
Glynn County is home to seventeen identified hazardous waste sites, six actively polluting industries, and four Superfund sites. The Hanlin Group, Inc., which maintained a facility named "LCP Chemicals" in Glynn County just outside the corporate limits of Brunswick, was convicted of dumping 150 tons of mercury into Purvis Creek, a tributary of the Turtle River and surrounding tidal marshes between the mid-1980s and its closure in 1994. Two executives were sentenced to prison time over the incident.
The LCP facility had been declared a Superfund site when it closed in 1994 and was already under scrutiny by the EPA when Service biologists discovered mercury poisoning in endangered wood storks on St. Simons Island. Fish, shellfish, crabs, and shrimps taken in coastal waters as well as other bird species also contained the toxic metal. The Service traced the source of the contamination to the LCP plant and documented the extent of the damage to wildlife resources–an effort that resulted in the addition of Endangered Species Act charges to those that would be brought against Hanlin and its officers. Link to EPA information
Other Superfund sites in the area are
Mass murder in 2009
On August 29, 2009, the county suffered the worst mass murder in Georgia state history, when seven individuals were found dead at a trailer in New Hope Mobile Home Park. Two others were critically injured, one of them dying later in hospital. Guy Heinze, Jr. was later convicted of the murders.