Liberty County is a county in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population is 65,256.^[1] The county seat is Hinesville.^[2]

Quick Facts Country, State ...

Liberty County
County
Liberty County Courthouse in Hinesville
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 31°48′N 81°28′W
Country	United States
State	Georgia
Founded	February 5, 1777; 247 years ago (1777-02-05)
Named for	Liberty
Seat	Hinesville
Largest city	Hinesville
Area
• Total	603 sq mi (1,560 km2)
• Land	490 sq mi (1,300 km2)
• Water	113 sq mi (290 km2)  18.7%
Population  (2020)
• Total	65,256
• Density	133/sq mi (51/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	www.libertycountyga.com

Close

Liberty County is part of the Hinesville, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Savannah-Hinesville-Statesboro, Georgia Combined Statistical Area.

The area that was to become Liberty County was originally occupied by the Guale Indians. In the early 16th century, the Spanish placed a Catholic mission called Santa Catalina de Guale on today's St. Catherine's Island to minister to the Guale. During the 18th century, the Guale became part of the Muscogee confederation. In 1733, Gen. James Oglethorpe negotiated with the local Muskogean Indian tribes for this land that became part of the new colony of Georgia. Settlement of the area by European settlers was sparse until 1752. In that year, a group of Congregationalists from Dorchester, South Carolina petitioned the royal government of Georgia for grants of land in an area known as the Midway District, located between the Ogeechee and South Newport Rivers. The land was granted to them, and they moved as a community with their families and Negro slaves into the area. They immediately began clearing the swamps and marshes and establishing rice fields.

On 15 Mar 1758, the royal government of Georgia created Saint John's Parish, which included this area between the Ogeechee River and South Newport River. The town of Sunbury was established on 19 Jun 1758 on the Medway River and quickly became the 2nd busiest port in Georgia, behind Savannah.

The Congregationalists who settled the Midway District were able to establish a flourishing rice culture with the use of Negro slaves to tend to the rice fields. These Congregationalists were 2nd and 3rd generations of people born in British America and had become more independent-minded and distinct in their political views from the other citizens of the colony. In 1774, they were among the first in the colony of Georgia to join the movement for the repeal of the Intolerable Acts. In 1775, unable to persuade the rest of the colony of Georgia to join with the other 12 colonies to send a representative to the 2nd Continental Congress, they sent their own representative from Saint John's Parish, Dr. Lyman Hall.

The royal government of Georgia came to an end in January 1776 when the patriotic Georgia Council of Safety arrested the governor, James Wright and took over the government of the colony. The new government, composed of many of the leading citizens of Saint John's parish, organized a convention and established the first Constitution for the State of Georgia.

On 5 Feb 1777, under the new constitution, the parishes of Saint John's, Saint Andrew's and Saint James' were consolidated and named Liberty County to honor the efforts of the citizens of Saint John's parish in pursing the American ideal of liberty.^[3]

Sunbury was first designated the county seat in 1784. In 1797, the seat was transferred to Riceboro, and in 1837 it was transferred again to Hinesville.^[4]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 603 square miles (1,560 km²), of which 490 square miles (1,300 km²) is land and 113 square miles (290 km²) (18.7%) is water.^[6]

The eastern and southern portion of Liberty County is located in the Ogeechee Coastal sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin. The northern and western portion of the county is located in the Canoochee River sub-basin of the Ogeechee River basin.^[7]

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 65,256 people, 23,485 households, and 16,657 families residing in the county.

Liberty County School District is the designated school district for grades K-12 for the county, except parts in Fort Stewart. Fort Stewart has the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) as its local school district,^[19] for the elementary level.^[20] Students at the secondary level on Fort Stewart attend public schools operated by county school districts.^[21]

The Liberty district operates public schools, including the comprehensive high school Liberty County High School and the Bradwell Institute, as well as its educative middle schools Midway Middle School, Lewis Frasier Middle School, and Snelson-Golden Middle School.

They also provide a career academy, Liberty College & Career Academy (LCCA), for extra academics where students study for a profession they could seek out in the future.

The 2014 independent film, A Promise, was filmed in Liberty County.^[22][23]

• Liberty County Justice Center
• Liberty County Courthouse Annex
• Liberty County Recreation Department

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Liberty County, Georgia
• List of counties in Georgia