Counties of Georgia

May 20, 1733: The original Creek land cession to Georgia founder James Edward Oglethorpe formally recognized English colonial proprietorship of lands extending up the west side of the Savannah River (the border of South Carolina) to the Fall Line region and into the Piedmont.

1758: Original Georgia lands were reorganized to form a series of parishes, including St Paul Parish in the lower Piedmont region west of the Savannah River around present-day Augusta.

1777: Richmond County created from the old St. Paul Parish; Wilkes County also created just to the north along the Savannah River from Cherokee/Creek land cession of 1 June 1773.

1784: Franklin and Washington Counties created on Georgia's northern and western frontier from Cherokee land cession of 31 May 1783 and Creek land cession of 1 November 1783; Georgia then extended from the Savannah River on the east to the Oconee River on the west.

1786: Greene County created from the northern Piedmont portion of Washington County.

1790: Columbia County created from part of Richmond County; Elbert County created from part of Wilkes County.

1793: Hancock County created from portions of Greene and Washington Counties; Warren County created from portions of Columbia, Hancock, Richmond, and Wilkes Counties; Oglethorpe County created from part of Wilkes County.

1796: Jackson County created from part of Franklin County; Lincoln County created from part of Wilkes County.

1801: Clarke County created from part of Jackson County.

11 May 1803-26 June 1806: Baldwin and Wilkinson Counties created from Creek land cessions of 16 June 1802 and 14 November 1805; with the distribution of this land in the 1807 Land Lottery, Georgia now extends west to the Ocmulgee River.

1807: Jones, Morgan, Putnam, and original Randolph (later Jasper) Counties created from portions of original Baldwin County.

1811: Madison County created from portions of Clarke, Elbert, Franklin, Jackson, and Oglethorpe Counties.

1812: Jasper County created from old Randolph County (renamed).

1818: Gwinnett and Walton Counties created from Cherokee land cession of 8 July 1817 and Creek cession of 22 January 1818.

15 May 1821: Fayette, Henry, Houston, and Monroe Counties created from Creek land cession of 8 January 1821; with the distribution of this land in the 1821 Land Lottery, Georgia then extended west to the Flint River.

24 December 1821: Newton County created from portions of Henry, Jasper, and Walton Counties.

1822: Bibb County created from portions of Houston, Jones, Monroe, and Twiggs Counties; Crawford County created from part of Houston County; DEKALB County created from portions of Fayette, Gwinnett, and Henry Counties; Pike County created from part of Monroe County.

1824: Upson County created from portions of Crawford and Pike Counties.

1825: Butts County created from portions of Henry and Monroe Counties; Taliaferro County created from portions of Greene, Hancock, Oglethorpe, Warren, and Wilkes Counties.

1826-1827: Carroll, Coweta, Muscogee, and Troup Counties were created from Creek land cessions of 24 January 1826, 31 March 1826, and 15 November 1827; with the distribution of this land in the 1827 Land Lottery, Georgia then extended west to its present Piedmont boundary at the Chattahoochee River and beyond.

14 December 1827: Harris County created from portions of Muscogee and Troup Counties; Marion County created from portions of Lee and Muscogee Counties; Meriwether and Talbot Counties created from part of Troup County.

1828: Campbell County created from portions of Coweta, Carroll, DeKalb, and Fayette Counties.

1830: Heard County created from portions of Carroll, Coweta, and Troup Counties.

1832: Lumpkin County was created on December 3, 1832. The county was named for former governor of Georgia Wilson Lumpkin. Lumpkin's daughter, Martha Atalanta Lumpkin Compton, was the source for the city name of Marthasville (which was the previous name for Atlanta).

1837: Macon County created from portions of Houston and Marion Counties; White County was formed from Habersham and Hall.

1851: Spalding County created from portions of Fayette, Henry, and Pike Counties.

1852: Taylor County created from portions of Macon, Marion, and Talbot Counties.

1853: Fulton County created from part of DeKalb County.

1854: Chattahoochee County created from portions of Marion and Muscogee Counties.

1856: Haralson County created from portions of Carroll and Polk Counties.

1857: Glascock County created from part of Warren County.

1858: Clayton County created from portions of Fayette and Henry Counties; Banks County created from portions of Franklin and Habersham Counties.

1870: Douglas County created from portions of Campbell and Carroll Counties; McDuffie County created from portions of Columbia and Warren Counties; Rockdale County created from portions of Henry and Newton Counties.

1875: OconeeCounty created from part of Clarke County.

1905: Stephens County created from portions of Franklin and Habersham Counties.

1914: Barrow County created from portions of Gwinnett, Jackson, and Walton Counties.

1920: Lamar County created from portions of Monroe and Pike Counties.

1924: Peach County created from portions of Houston and Macon Counties.

1932: Fulton County absorbed old Campbell and Milton Counties.