Adel, Georgia

8 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 1988. It stands in the Adel-Sparks census division. It lies in ZIP code area 31620. It stands on Giddens Mill Creek. The Survey maps it on the Adel quadrangle. 5,571 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 240 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Adel within Cook County

On record in Adel

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 3 records

Cook County Courthouselisted 1995
SOWEGA Buildinglisted 1990
United States Post Office-Adel, Georgialisted 2009

Population over time

2 figures

Adel grew from 5,334 to 5,571 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

Year	People	Change
2010	5,334
2020	5,571	+237 (+4%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

5 surveys from 8 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

1953 USGS Waycross quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
1958 USGS Waycross quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
1973 USGS Adel quadrangle1:24000
1979 USGS Moultrie quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
1988 USGS Waycross quadrangle1:250000

Photographs

8 of 10 photographs shown, 1977

Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.

Commercial district, Lenox, Georgia; John R. Griffin house, Lenox, Georgia; Sparks United Methodist Church, Sparks, Georgia; Cook County Courthouse, Adel, Georgia
Adler, Thomas A, 1977. Library of Congress

Cook County Courthouse and environs, Adel, Georgia; Reedy Creek Baptist Church and Norman Grove Baptist Church, Colquitt County, Georgia, buildings and grounds;
Adler, Thomas A, 1977. Library of Congress

Antiques and front porch decorations at the Johnson and Geer homes, Adel, Georgia
Robinson, Beverly J. (Collector), 1977. Library of Congress

Lucy Whitaker, quiltmaker; Ora P, Watkins, quiltmaker; and Corine Sinclair, quiltmaker and crocheter, Adel, Georgia
Robinson, Beverly J. (Collector), 1977. Library of Congress

Fiddle-player Red Lindsey at Lindsey's Fix-It, Adel, Georgia; Rural scenes, Cook County, Georgia, including Forest Hill Freewill Baptist Church
Adler, Thomas A, 1977. Library of Congress

Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel Greer, Adel, Georgia, family and friends Sunday visit
Robinson, Beverly J, 1977. Library of Congress

Fiddle-player Red Lindsey at Lindsey's Fix-It, Adel, Georgia; Musician John Guthrie, Ray City, Georgia
Adler, Thomas A, 1977. Library of Congress

Sirmans Farm, Berrien County, Georgia; Godwin's store, Lenox, Georgia; Lindsey's Fix-It Plus shop, Adel, Georgia
Adler, Thomas A. (Collector), 1977. Library of Congress

Every photograph of Cook County

Fires near this place

721 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 721 fires within 5 miles of Adel between 1992 and 2020, burning about 3,130 acres in total. 19 started naturally. 54 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Debris and open burning	506
Equipment and vehicle use	79
Arson/incendiarism	54
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	22
Natural	19
Misuse of fire by a minor	14
Railroad operations and maintenance	10
Smoking	10
Recreation and ceremony	7

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
9 September 1998	Debris and open burning	2.1 acres	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
9 September 1998	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	1.5 acres	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
9 September 1997	Equipment and vehicle use	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
9 September 1995	Debris and open burning	6.5 acres	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
7 September 1999	Natural	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
6 September 1999	Recreation and ceremony	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
30 September 2003	Debris and open burning	2.8 acres	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
30 September 2003	Debris and open burning	7.3 acres	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Cook County

Mines and quarries near this place

1 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Adel: 1 unknown. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Phosphorus-Phosphates. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where	Site	Commodity	Status	Recorded
	Adel Milling Co/ Adel, Ga.	Phosphorus-Phosphates	Unknown

Every working recorded in Cook County

Storms near this place

32 since 1993

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Adel in 32 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 18 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 5 flash flood, 4 lightning. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
June 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Adel	1 hurt, $30,000	A restaurant in downtown Adele at the intersection of Highway 37 and Highway 41 had its roof peeled back by downburst winds. Three homes were also damage by falling trees with one injury reported in one home due to a fallen tree. The monetary damage figure provided is a rough estimate.
March 1993	Thunderstorm Wind	Adel	$500,000	Thunderstorm winds severely damaged a manufacturing plant in Adel. Approximately 35,000 square feet of the building was destroyed while another 20,000 square feet was heavily damaged. In a trailer park in Adel, one trailer was flipped over and another had its roof removed.
June 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Adel	$175,000	Severe thunderstorm winds raked the Cook County Airport in Adel, damaging four planes and two hangars. The winds knocked out power to 1,000 Sparks residents. A few billboards near Interstate 75 were damaged.
January 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Adel	$50,000	The Colquitt Electric Membership Corporation reported numerous power poles and power lines down through portions of Berrien, Brooks, Colquitt, Cook, and Lowndes counties.
June 2009	Lightning	Adel	$50,000	Numerous lightning strikes damaged fuses in the City of Adel's electrical system. About 350 electric customers were without power for a few hours.
May 1998	Hail	Adel	$50,000	Golfball to baseball sized hail damaged numerous vehicles and residences in and around Adel.
May 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Adel	$30,000	no account filed
August 2008	Lightning	Adel	$15,000	Lightning struck a communications tower in Adel and burned some components. The damage caused 200 customers to lose Internet service.
June 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Adel	$15,000	Numerous trees were down across the southwest portion of the county. There was minor damage to a few homes.
March 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Adel	$10,000	There were a couple of downed power lines as well as one tree that fell on a vehicle. In addition, a couple of tree tops broke off and landed on roofs.
June 2011	Lightning	Adel	$10,000	Lightning caused a house fire in Adel. The monetary damage figure provided is a rough estimate.
June 2022	Lightning	Adel	$5,000	A lightning strike to a gas line near 816 S Gordon Ave resulted in a fire.
February 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Adel	$5,000	The Cook county 911 call center reported trees down and power outages around Adel. Monetary damage was estimated.
May 2004	Flash Flood	Adel	$5,000	Several county roads surrounding Adel were flooded. Two to four inches of rain fell in two hours, which caused a half-foot rise in the Little River basin. Reported by the Cook County EMA.
May 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Adel	$2,000	A power line was blown down in Adel.
July 2012	Thunderstorm Wind	Adel	$1,000	The Cook county 911 dispatch reported a tree down on Caulie Harris Road. Monetary damage was estimated.
December 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Adel	$1,000	Numerous trees were down. Reported by the Cook County Sheriff.
June 1994	Thunderstorm Wind	Adel	$500	A few large trees were blown down across U.S. Highway 41.
May 2025	Flash Flood	Adel	-	There were a few roads flooded in the Adel and Sparks areas.
May 2024	Flash Flood	Adel	-	Flooding was reported on Highway 37 in both directions at Pine Street.
June 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Adel	-	There were a couple reports of trees down in Cook county.
July 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Adel	-	Several large trees were blown down near the area of Highway 37 and Indian Creek Road and were blocking the highway.
July 2022	Flash Flood	Adel	-	A motorist reported water over the roadway on Coxstill Road.
December 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Adel	-	Trees were blown down with some debris in roadways in the Adel area.
April 2018	Thunderstorm Wind	Adel	-	A tree was blown down in Adel.
January 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Adel	-	Trees were blown down on Livingston Road.
April 2015	Hail	Adel	-	Nickel size hail was reported in Adel for 5 minutes with little to no wind.
July 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Adel	-	A few trees were blown down in Adel.
July 2015	Flash Flood	Adel	-	A stationary thunderstorm over Adel resulted in very heavy rainfall in a short period of time. Some streets had water up to a foot deep and were briefly closed.
March 2013	Hail	Adel	-	Golf ball size hail was reported via WALB's facebook page.
March 2013	Hail	Adel	-	Golf ball size hail was confirmed via a photograph about 5 miles east of Adel.
June 2023	Hail	Adel	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Cook County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Place	Distance	Sheets
Sparks	2.2 miles	8
Heartpine (historical)	2.6 miles	8
Pine Valley	4.3 miles	8
Barnesdale	4.3 miles	8
Berrien (historical)	4.5 miles	8
Massee	5.1 miles	8
Nola (historical)	5.1 miles	8
Laconte	5.4 miles	8

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on Adel	An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q353662	The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 354262. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.