NORTH GA vs SOUTH GA (Atlanta, Columbus: crimes, live, airport)

[Scraper Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by matt8325

Not much culture in North Georgia unless you count Atlanta as being in North Georgia. I consider areas near I-20 and south to be Central Georgia so that would include Atlanta.

Looking at a map, it is readily apparent that anything from roughly Henry County northward represents the northern third of the state. Thus, anything near I-20 in and around Atlanta would be in the northern third. When you get close to Madison or toward Augusta, I-20 does dip a bit to the south into what I consider the very northern areas of the middle third of the state.

North:

Atlanta
Athens
Rome
Dalton

Middle:

Macon
Columbus
Augusta

South:

Savannah (very northern part of south Georgia)
Brunswick
Valdosta
Albany

[Scraper Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by TakeAhike

There is also 'Central GA'--between Atlanta and Macon.

Macon is right in the heart of Middle/Central Georgia. Middle/Central Georgia, in my opinion, based on geographic reasoning, begins around Butts County or Spalding County heading south on I-75, and it ends near Unadilla, about forty five minutes south of Macon. Middle/Central Georgia includes places like Macon, Warner Robins, Forsyth, Columbus, LaGrange, Perry, Dublin, and Augusta.

[Scraper Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by matt8325

Central GA includes much of the southern Atlanta metro. Basically anywhere south of I-20 and north of Columbus and Macon is considered Central Georgia. South of Columbus and Macon is South Georgia.

Central Georgia does not include much of the southern Atlanta metro. I'll give you, Spalding County, portions of southern Carroll County, and areas of Coweta County are the very northern edges of middle Georgia. Other than that, it's the very southern edge of the northern third of the state.

[TakeAhike]

Originally Posted by Scraper Enthusiast

Macon is right in the heart of Middle/Central Georgia. Middle/Central Georgia, in my opinion, based on geographic reasoning, begins around Butts County or Spalding County heading south on I-75, and it ends near Unadilla, about forty five minutes south of Macon. Middle/Central Georgia includes places like Macon, Warner Robins, Forsyth, Columbus, LaGrange, Perry, Dublin, and Augusta.

That's pretty much what I've always thought was 'Central GA'. I would have to locate Unadilla on a map.

[matt8325]

Originally Posted by Scraper Enthusiast

Looking at a map, it is readily apparent that anything from roughly Henry County northward represents the northern third of the state. Thus, anything near I-20 in and around Atlanta would be in the northern third. When you get close to Madison or toward Augusta, I-20 does dip a bit to the south into what I consider the very northern areas of the middle third of the state.

North:

Atlanta
Athens
Rome
Dalton

Middle:

Macon
Columbus
Augusta

South:

Savannah (very northern part of south Georgia)
Brunswick
Valdosta
Albany

That's funny, you say Henry County northward is in the northern third of the state yet you say Augusta is in the middle part of the state when Augusta is just as far north as Henry County. Augusta is at 33.5 N, Peachtree City is at 33.4 N, and McDonough is at 33.5N. Therefore, Augusta is further north than Peachtree City and if you consider Augusta middle Georgia then you also have to consider Peachtree City, Fayetteville, Newnan and McDonough middle Georgia. Peachtree City is actually in the middle third of the state, since they are at 33.4 N latitude and anything from 33.57 N to 35.0N is the northern third of the state which also means that Fayetteville, Newnan, McDonough, Augusta are very close to if not in the middle third of Georgia.

[Scraper Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by matt8325

That's funny, you say Henry County northward is in the northern third of the state yet you say Augusta is in the middle part of the state when Augusta is just as far north as Henry County. Augusta is at 33.5 N, Peachtree City is at 33.4 N, and McDonough is at 33.5N. Therefore, Augusta is further north than Peachtree City and if you consider Augusta middle Georgia then you also have to consider Peachtree City, Fayetteville, Newnan and McDonough middle Georgia. Peachtree City is actually in the middle third of the state, since they are at 33.4 N latitude and anything from 33.57 N to 35.0N is the northern third of the state which also means that Fayetteville, Newnan, McDonough, Augusta are very close to if not in the middle third of Georgia.

Note, I stated that Augusta is the far northern part of middle Georgia. Looking at a map, given the topography, as well as the slant of the eastern border of Georgia, down to the ocean, Augusta does appear to be in middle Georgia, only barely. However, the same cannot be said for McDonough. It appears to be in the far southern areas of the northern third of the state. Why? The area is hillier. It doesn't have the coastal plain influence, which has a lot more of an effect on Augusta's lower elevation. The western border of the state also goes down to Florida, unlike the eastern border, of which Augusta is a part of, which ends at the Atlantic Ocean. This gives areas further west a greater visual evidence of being farther north than points eastward, even though it is only slightly the case.

Look, I'll agree with you about Spalding and Butts Counties. They are geographically at the northern edge of middle Georgia. Just above Columbia County (Lincoln County), you're in northern Georgia, so you're not that far away.

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by Scraper Enthusiast

Note, I stated that Augusta is the far northern part of middle Georgia. Looking at a map, given the topography, as well as the slant of the eastern border of Georgia, down to the ocean, Augusta does appear to be in middle Georgia, only barely. However, the same cannot be said for McDonough. It appears to be in the far southern areas of the northern third of the state. Why? The area is hillier. It doesn't have the coastal plain influence, which has a lot more of an effect on Augusta's lower elevation. The western border of the state also goes down to Florida, unlike the eastern border, of which Augusta is a part of, which ends at the Atlantic Ocean. This gives areas further west a greater visual evidence of being farther north than points eastward, even though it is only slightly the case.

Look, I'll agree with you about Spalding and Butts Counties. They are geographically at the northern edge of middle Georgia. Just above Columbia County (Lincoln County), you're in northern Georgia, so you're not that far away.

I agree with Scraper about Augusta being middle GA...you can't really bisect the regions with a E-W line, but along the 'fall line' IMO. Atlanta and Athens loosely form the transition from N to Central GA, Columbus, Warner Robins, I-16 and Savannah from Central to South.

[Saintmarks]

Let me give a viewpoint on Georgia and the way its regions are divided geographically and thus culturally. Did anybody take Georgia History in the eighth grade like I did?

Georgia geographically is divided NOT into equal thirds, north, central and south, but three distinct regions: Coastal Plain, Piedmont and Mountain. These areas stretch from Alabama thru the Carolinas and into Virginia. They swing at a diagonal somewhat, so the lines don't follow a nice east/west or north/south line.

The Coastal Plain is everything south of the Fall Line (Augusta, Macon and Columbus all grew on the fall line, where the rivers fell from the piedmont to the coastal plain and thus powered the mills that helped these cities develop). It is probably more than half of the total land area.

The Piedmont is the rolling hill country between the coastal plain and the appalachian mountains. The Mountains represent the smallest amount of land and would begin around Dawson county and stretch north in a somewhat of a horseshoe shape toward the northeast and northwest corners of the state.

The Atlanta area is solidly in the Piedmont, but its sprawl has somewhat changed the culture and landscape. However, I would say that some of the towns in the piedmont area are more akin to N & S Carolina piedmont towns than the coastal plain towns. Same can be said of the mountain towns. I grew up near LaGrange and feel it is more akin to Gainesville or even Anderson, SC or Hickory, NC than it is to Valdosta or Statesboro. Yet LaGrange being south of Atlanta is often referred to as in South Georgia. It is solidly Piedmont and not South Georgia to me at all. South Georgia is the Coastal Plain.

The Carolinas are similar to Georgia in this 3 way divide. South Carolina has only a small corner in the mountains, there the majority is either piedmont or coastal plain. They call it up country and low country. North Carolina is much like Georgia, but the shape of the state and curve of the fall line and mountains divide it on more of an east/west division, where in Ga it is more of a north to south division.

Deciding what is central Georgia vs. north and south is ambiguous. These geographical divisions are not.

[Scraper Enthusiast]

Originally Posted by Saintmarks

Let me give a viewpoint on Georgia and the way its regions are divided geographically and thus culturally. Did anybody take Georgia History in the eighth grade like I did?

Georgia geographically is divided NOT into equal thirds, north, central and south, but three distinct regions: Coastal Plain, Piedmont and Mountain. These areas stretch from Alabama thru the Carolinas and into Virginia. They swing at a diagonal somewhat, so the lines don't follow a nice east/west or north/south line.

The Coastal Plain is everything south of the Fall Line (Augusta, Macon and Columbus all grew on the fall line, where the rivers fell from the piedmont to the coastal plain and thus powered the mills that helped these cities develop). It is probably more than half of the total land area.

The Piedmont is the rolling hill country between the coastal plain and the appalachian mountains. The Mountains represent the smallest amount of land and would begin around Dawson county and stretch north in a somewhat of a horseshoe shape toward the northeast and northwest corners of the state.

The Atlanta area is solidly in the Piedmont, but its sprawl has somewhat changed the culture and landscape. However, I would say that some of the towns in the piedmont area are more akin to N & S Carolina piedmont towns than the coastal plain towns. Same can be said of the mountain towns. I grew up near LaGrange and feel it is more akin to Gainesville or even Anderson, SC or Hickory, NC than it is to Valdosta or Statesboro. Yet LaGrange being south of Atlanta is often referred to as in South Georgia. It is solidly Piedmont and not South Georgia to me at all. South Georgia is the Coastal Plain.

The Carolinas are similar to Georgia in this 3 way divide. South Carolina has only a small corner in the mountains, there the majority is either piedmont or coastal plain. They call it up country and low country. North Carolina is much like Georgia, but the shape of the state and curve of the fall line and mountains divide it on more of an east/west division, where in Ga it is more of a north to south division.

Deciding what is central Georgia vs. north and south is ambiguous. These geographical divisions are not.

You're correct about LaGrange not being south Georgia. However, even without the physiological regional boundaries, it's still in middle/central Georgia.

There are actually five physiological regions. They are Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Blue Ridge Mountains, Ridge & Valley, and Plateau.

While the physiological distinction, along with the fall line, plays a small role in Augusta being included as middle/central Georgia, while McDonough is in the southern edges of northern Georgia, the physiological regions aren't as major a factor in what makes something northern, middle/central, or south Georgia. Look at a map, you can divide it, and clearly see what fits into the three areas.

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by Scraper Enthusiast

You're correct about LaGrange not being south Georgia. However, even without the physiological regional boundaries, it's still in middle/central Georgia.

There are actually five physiological regions. They are Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Blue Ridge Mountains, Ridge & Valley, and Plateau.

While the physiological distinction, along with the fall line, plays a small role in Augusta being included as middle/central Georgia, while McDonough is in the southern edges of northern Georgia, the physiological regions aren't as major a factor in what makes something northern, middle/central, or south Georgia. Look at a map, you can divide it, and clearly see what fits into the three areas.

You basically got more technical and divided my mountain region into three distinct types of mountain groupings. Typically when someone divides GA into North, Central and South, it lines up nicely with Mountain, Piedmont and Coastal Plain, unless someone is wanting to do a distance thing and divide the state into three equal sections based on distances or land area. My three part divide works well on most fronts except for the northwest corner of the state where you get the ridge and valley and plateau section. Dalton and Rome are like the piedmont in many ways culturally and really can't be classified as true mountain.

The Mountain, Piedmont and Coastal Plain term is a good guide to divide the state culturally as well. Historically, the economics of the regions have defined them, thus the cultural differences. Coastal Plain the strongest agricultual area, the Piedmont, while still an agricultural area had a lot of growth from cotton mills and other industry. The mountains have been the most rural, some growth by logging, but small farms defined by lack of large tracts of suitable land. The growth there has only been recent in the form of tourism and retirees (again, Dalton and northwest corner are kind of a hybrid).

My main point is that people in Atlanta, especially transplants from other areas that don't know Georgia as a whole, treat Atlanta as if it were in the geographic center of the state. While it might be the economic and cultural center of the state, it is very much in the northwestern quadrant (uhoh, have gone from three divisions to four). Only an hour drive (without traffic of course if that ever happens anymore) to the Alabama line and a little more to the Tennessee line.

Just had the thought that nobody speaks of an east - west distinction in the state. It's always a north - south thing. Shows the regional differences of the South as a whole rather than distinctions within Georgia itself, thus my reference in my earlier post to piedmont areas in GA more akin to piedmont areas of NC than to Coastal plain areas within the same state.