McDonough, Georgia, United States

🇺🇸 McDonough is a city in Henry County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. The city is the county seat of Henry County. The unincorporated communities of Blacksville, Flippen, Kelleytown, and Ola are located near McDonough, and addresses in those communities have McDonough postal codes.

History The town was named for naval officer Commodore Thomas Macdonough and founded in 1823 around a traditional town square design. The buildings surrounding the square are intact, although there are some vacancies. The county courthouse and historic jail building are on the north side near the Welcome Center in a historically maintained Standard Oil service station, built in 1920. The station also houses the Main Street Program Office.

One block east of the square, the town's original cotton warehouse has been replaced with the Henry County Judicial Center. In the same area the Henry County Courthouse Annex has an original oil on canvas "Cotton Gin" (4+1⁄2 by 11 feet) by artist Jean Charlot. He painted this oil in 1942 for the town post office. His works can be found all over the world in everything from children's books to large murals.

The town was a relay station on the New York City to New Orleans stagecoach line and was connected by other stage lines with Fayetteville and Decatur, and with Macon by way of Jackson.

Geography McDonough is in central Henry County, 28 miles (45 km) south-east of downtown Atlanta. U.S. Route 23 passes through the centre of the city, leading north-west 9 miles (14 km) to Stockbridge and south 7 miles (11 km) to Locust Grove. Interstate 75 passes through the south-western arm of the city, with access from Exits 216, 218, and 221. I-75 leads north-west to Atlanta and south-east 56 miles (90 km) to Macon.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.9 square miles (33.4 km²), of which 12.7 square miles (32.9 km²) are land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²), or 1.50%, are water.

Demographics As of the 2020 United States census, there were 29,051 people, 8,543 households, and 5,778 families residing in the city. As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 22,084 people, 8,053 households, and 5,404 families living in the city. The population density was 1,737.4 inhabitants per square mile (670.8/km²). There were 9,063 housing units at an average density of 713.6 per square mile (275.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 34.8% white, 58.2% black or African American, 1.8% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.2% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.1% of the population.

Of the 8,053 households, 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.3% were married couples living together, 23.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.9% were non-families, and 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.25. The median age was 33.1 years.

Economy Snapper Inc. manufacturing residential and professional lawn care and snow removal equipment, was based in McDonough. The company began in 1894 as Southern Saw Works, and claims to have invented the first self-propelled rotary lawn mower. The company was sold to Briggs and Stratton, which operated the plant until its closure in 2015.

Goya Foods has its Atlanta offices in an unincorporated area near McDonough.

Arts and culture Several individual buildings and two historic districts in the city are listed on the National

Register of Historic Places, including the downtown McDonough Historic District.

Events

The city hosts a Geranium Festival each springtime on the third Saturday in May, celebrating the locally grown flowers and community. The one-day festival serves as a showcase of local artistry and talent through the open-air craft markets and live musical performances. The festival is sponsored by the McDonough Lions Club, and held on the McDonough Square and surrounding areas.

Sports

The city's semi-professional soccer team Georgia Revolution FC plays in the National Premier Soccer League at the Warhawk Stadium.

WWE developmental territory Deep South Wrestling was based in McDonough.

Education The Henry County School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve. The district has twenty eight elementary schools, nine middle schools, and ten high schools. The district has 1,543 full-time teachers and over 40,000 students.

Elementary schools • Cotton Indian Elementary School • Dutchtown Elementary School • East Lake Elementary School • Flippen Elementary School • Hickory Flat Elementary School • McDonough Elementary School • New Hope Elementary School • Oakland Elementary School • Ola Elementary School • Pleasant Grove Elementary School • Rock Spring Elementary School • Timber Ridge Elementary School • Tussahaw Elementary School • Unity Grove Elementary School • Walnut Creek Elementary School • Wesley Lakes Elementary School; Middle schools • Eagle's Landing Middle School • Henry County Middle School • Ola Middle School • Woodland Middle School • Union Grove Middle School; High schools • Academy for Advanced Studies • Eagle's Landing High School • Henry County Evening Academy • Henry County High School • Ola High School • Union Grove High School • Luella High School; Private schools • Eagle's Landing Christian Academy • New Creation Christian Academy • Creekside Christian Academy • Living Word Christian • McDonough Christian Academy • Sunbrook Academy at Luella • The Sharon School • Peoples Baptist Academy.

Education: University • Gordon State College has a satellite centre in McDonough. • Mercer University opened a campus in McDonough in 2003, and offers teacher education, criminal justice, and general studies. • Grace Biblical Seminary opened in 2004, and offers theological and ministries degrees. • Atlanta Bible College is located in McDonough.

Media WKKP is the local radio station, broadcasting on 100.9 FM and 1410 AM; it has a classic country format.

The Henry Herald is the local county news print media.

Transport Xpress GA provides local bus service.

McDonough is served by the following highways: • Interstate 75 • U.S. Highway 23 • Georgia State Route 20 • Georgia State Route 42 • Georgia State Route 81 • Georgia State Route 155 • Georgia State Route 351 • Georgia State Route 401 • Georgia State Route 920 (unsigned designation for Jonesboro Rd)

Until the mid-1960s the Southern Railway operated the Cincinnati to Miami Ponce de Leon, which made stops in McDonough.