BlockAmericus, Georgia
8 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1955 and the latest in 1981. It stands in the Americus census division. It lies in ZIP code area 31709. It stands on Town Creek. The Survey maps it on the Americus quadrangle. 16,230 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 479 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Americus
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 12 records
Americus Historic Districtlisted 1976
Americus Historic District (Boundary Increase)listed 1979
Campbell Chapel AME Churchlisted 1997
Liberty Halllisted 1980- Ashby Street Shotgun Row Historic Districtlisted 1997
- Dismuke Storehouselisted 1996
- Guerry-Mitchell Houselisted 1983
- Lustron House at 547 Oak Avenuelisted 1996
- Newman McBain Houselisted 1980
- New Corinth Baptist Churchlisted 1998
- Teel-Crawford-Gaston Plantationlisted 2004
- Third District A & M School-Georgia Southwestern College Historic Districtlisted 2007
Surveyed buildings and structures 12 of 14 shown
- 121 Academy Street (House), Americusfederal building survey, 7 photographs
- 123 Heads Avenue (House), Americusfederal building survey, 8 photographs
- 129 Academy Street (House), Americusfederal building survey, 7 photographs
- 207 McCoy Street (House), Americusfederal building survey, 8 photographs
- 304 East Jefferson Street (House), Americusfederal building survey, 8 photographs
- 413 Winn Street (House), Americusfederal building survey, 8 photographs
- 513 Lindsey Lane (House), Americusfederal building survey, 7 photographs
- 514 Lindsey Lane (House), Americusfederal building survey, 8 photographs
- Drane's Rental House A, 413 North Jackson Street, Americusfederal building survey, 9 photographs
- Drane's Rental House B, 109 Hudson Lane, Americusfederal building survey, 6 photographs
- Drane's Rental House C, 111 Hudson Lane, Americusfederal building survey, 5 photographs
- Drane's Rental House D, 115 Hudson Lane, Americusfederal building survey, 5 photographs
Population over time
2 figuresAmericus fell from 17,041 to 16,230 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 | 17,041 | |
| 2020 | 16,230 | -811 (-5%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
5 surveys from 8 printed sheetsMatched 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.
- 1955 USGS Phenix City quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1957 USGS Phenix City quadrangle1:250000
- 1958 USGS Phenix City quadrangle1:250000
- 1973 USGS Americus quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1981 USGS Americus quadrangle1:100000
Photographs
6 photographs, 1937Taken 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.
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1937. Library of Congress
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Fires near this place
397 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 397 fires within 5 miles of Americus between 1992 and 2020, burning about 869 acres in total. 14 started naturally. 31 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 | 226 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 43 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 31 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 31 |
| Smoking | 18 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 16 |
| Natural | 14 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 10 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 8 |
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 2013 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2014-SUMTER-002 |
| 9 September 2011 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2012-SUMTER-018 |
| 9 September 2010 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2011-SUMTER-010 |
| 7 September 2019 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2020SUMTER013 |
| 6 September 1995 | Debris and open burning | 2.7 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 5 September 2002 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2003-SUMTER-009 |
| 4 September 2010 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2011-SUMTER-008 |
| 4 September 1999 | Debris and open burning | 5.3 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
2 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Americus: 1 occurrence, 1 past producer. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Dairy Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Occurrence | ||
| Reeves Sand Mine | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 77 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Americus in 77 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 52 thunderstorm wind, 10 hail, 7 lightning, 2 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2000 | Tornado (F2) | Americus | $310,000 | A National Weather Service disaster survey team reported that an F2 tornado first touched down at 9:30 pm EST 6 miles southeast of Americus, Georgia, on Henry Hart Road, midway between Georgia Highway 377 and U. S. Highway 280. The tornado then moved northeast at approximately 45 mph lifting 1 mile east of the Flint river at Georgia Highway 27 and Joe Stewart Road around 9:42 pm EST. The tornado cut a path up to 100 yards wide and traveled on the ground about 10 miles or 12 minutes. Although the tornado traveled through mainly rural areas, significant damage was reported. A wooden frame house was completely destroyed near the tornado's touchdown point on Henry Hart Road, while another home was damaged nearby. As the tornado continued along its northeastward path, five outbuildings were destroyed, three barns were destroyed, two cattle were killed, one large camper was overturned, one high tension power line tower was severely damaged, and a few temporary construction trailers were damaged. Finally, just before the tornado lifted, several chicken houses were destroyed on Joe Stewart Road. As a result, nearly 400 chickens were killed. In addition, numerous trees and power lines were blown down all across the county. There were no injuries or deaths reported with the tornado. |
| August 2021 | Tornado (EF1) | Americus | $200,000 | A National Weather Service survey found that an EF1 tornado with maximum wind Speeds of 95 mph and a maximum path width of 325 yards touched down in a residential area on the northeast side of Americus. Damage began along Pineview Drive, just south of Fire Station #3, where a few smaller trees were snapped or uprooted and a few shingles were pulled off of a house. The tornado rapidly strengthened as it moved north northwest crossing Crawford Street (Highway 49) and moved along Wanda Way and Sharon Drive with numerous medium-sized trees either uprooted or snapped. As the tornado continued northwest, significant damage to trees occurred between Sharon Circle and Pine Avenue. In this area, several homes sustained damage, with several severely damaged by large falling trees. This is where maximum wind speeds were estimated at 95 MPH. Several additional trees were snapped or uprooted along Railroad Street before the tornado dissipated. In all, more than 40 residences sustained some visible damage. No injuries were reported. [8/17/21: Tornado #1, County #1/1, EF-1, Sumter, 2021:015]. |
| March 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $200,000 | The Sumter County Emergency Management Director considerable damage near the Americus Wal Mart at the corner of U.S. Highway 280 and Feldar Street. In addition to many trees and power lines down in the area, considerable damage was noted to several buildings and property in the general area. A Goodwill drop off box was turned over as well as several truck bed covers which were blown over and about. To the southeast of Americus, several trees and power lines were down along Brady Road. Part of the roof was blown of the Textron building and a wall of the same building collapsed. Another building at Caravel Boats also sustained roof damage. The liners of three trucks at a nearby Ford Dealership were blown near 1500 feet to the east and landed on Sherwood Road. The emergency manager indicated that the wind was caused by strong straight line winds and not a tornado. |
| August 2002 | Lightning | Americus | $150,000 | The Americus Times-Recorder reported that at least four homes were struck by lightning. Two of the homes sustained minor to moderate damage because of fire, while the other two received only minimal damage to appliances. One home on Wildwood Circle sustained moderate damage as all of the roof rafters were burned and another on Wild Azalea Drive in the Rockhill Subdivision sustained minor damage. On Mayo Street an air conditioning unit was set on fire and a ceiling fan was set on fire at a fourth house on Forsyth St. |
| June 2001 | Flash Flood | Americus | $100,000 | The Americus Times-Recorder reported that very heavy rain from a thunderstorm in a short period of time, one hour or less, resulted in flooding of roads. A 30 foot section of Railroad Street was completely washed out when the culvert pipe, running under the street, could not handle the volume of water. The water also snapped a PVC pipe nearly one foot in diameter that carried sewage. Several other roads were flooded but not damaged, including North Jackson Street, East Furlow Street, and Second Street. |
| March 1998 | Lightning | Americus | $100,000 | A maintenance building at the Americus Country Club was destroyed when lightning ignited nearby trees and the fire spread to the building. The building, tools and equipment, and an automobile that were destroyed were easily valued at $100,000. |
| September 2015 | Flash Flood | Americus | $80,000 | The Sumter County Emergency Manager reported a few duplex homes in a low lying area off the 900 block of East Furlow Street in Americus were flooded when a nearby drainage ditch overflowed. Several people were evacuated from their homes. Around a dozen cars were inundated by the flood waters up to their door handles. The flood waters covered a portion of East Furlow Street. Another home at Matt Drive and Montgomery Street had four inches of water inside the house due to nearby storm drains unable to handle the rapid runoff. |
| April 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $50,000 | Multiple trees reported down in Americus with one tree down on a house at the 1000 block of Westside Drive. Another tree was reported down on a house at the 600 block of Walter Way. |
| March 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $50,000 | The Sumter County Emergency Management Director reported that one home and a barn, approximately five miles east of Americus along Georgia Highway 27, sustained at least moderate damage from strong thunderstorm winds gusts. Dozens of trees were also down in the vicinity. |
| August 2007 | Lightning | Americus | $50,000 | The Sumter County Emergency Management Director reported that a home was struck by lightning in the city. Exact damage amounts were not determinable. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $50,000 | Thunderstorm winds knocked many trees down and damaged 3 houses. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $50,000 | Thunderstorm winds knocked down 20 Pecan trees in the Country Club Estates area. Nearly 40 Pine trees were also knocked down on the golf course. |
| December 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $25,000 | The Sutmer County Sheriff reported that a large tree fell on a home on Oglethorpe Street in Americus causing damage to the home and trapping the three residents inside. The occupants were rescued without injury. |
| June 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $25,000 | The Sumter County Emergency Management Director reported that straight-line thunderstorm winds blew approximately half the roof off a school. |
| August 2006 | Lightning | Americus | $25,000 | The Americus Times Recorder reported that lightning strikes caused considerable damage in the Americus area. Computer and phone systems at the county courthouse were damaged when lightning struck nearby. |
| August 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $25,000 | The Americus Times-Recorder and the county 911 center reported that thunderstorm winds blew down trees and power lines in the city. In addition, a small private airplane was flipped over by winds at Souther Field. Trees were also blown down in Plains. The Sumter county Emergency Manager also reported that a barn was blown down. |
| July 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $20,000 | The Americus Times Recorder reported that two buildings at Powell Farms Dairy on Hooks Mill Road were demolished by thunderstorm winds. Damage to the buildings and farm machinery stored inside was estimated at $20,000. In addition, a cow inside the structure was injured by the debris. Other tree limbs were reported down by the Sheriff on Georgia Highway 27 near Lake Blackshear. |
| May 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $15,000 | Sumter County EMA reported trees and powerlines down near the intersection of Harrold Ave and West Furlow Street. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $15,000 | The Americus Times Recorder reported that thunderstorm wind gusts blew over two scoreboard signs at the county recreational complex on U.S. Highway 19. Wind also damaged the roof of the public works building on McMath Mill Road. |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $15,000 | The Americus sheriff and a newspaper report indicated thunderstorm winds damaged an irrigation pivot. The winds picked up over 800 feet of a 1200 foot length, and threw it 30 to 40 feet across a field onto a fence. Trees were uprooted and a power line was torn down by a tree limb. There was an unconfirmed report of a tornado. |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $15,000 | Thunderstorm winds knocked down several one to two foot diameter trees. A one and one-half-foot diameter tree was snapped in half, and a metal shed was peeled back over a cyclone fence. |
| November 2006 | Lightning | Americus | $10,000 | The Sumter County Emergency Management Director reported that lightning struck a tree adjacent to a home, causing the tree to fall on the house. The tree damaged and put a hole in the roof of the house. Minor street flooding from heavy rain was also reported in the city. |
| June 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $8,000 | The Sumter County 911 center reported trees and power lines blown down around Americus including along Forrest Street, Norris Street, Ohara Road and Patton Drive. |
| August 2007 | Lightning | Americus | $6,000 | The Americus Times Recorder reported that lightning struck and killed four horses that were grazing in a pasture off Georgia Highway 377 in the central part of the county, south of Americus. The horses were huddled under a pecan tree when they were struck. |
| January 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $5,000 | The Sumter County Emergency Manager reported that multiple trees and power lines were blown down in Americus. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $5,000 | The Sumter County Emergency Management Director reported that four pecan trees were down in a pecan orchard. Several large tree branches were also down in the orchard as well on other trees. One nearby building had damaged shingles. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $5,000 | The Sumter County Emergency Management Director reported that five to six trees were down on power lines in the Americus area. Two more trees were reported down by the county 911 Center on U.S. Highway 19 near the Schley county line. |
| May 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $5,000 | The Americus Times/Recorder reported that thunderstorm wind gusts blew over a large tree onto a historic windmill built in 1930. The windmill was destroyed. |
| April 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $5,000 | The Americus Times Recorder reported that a relatively large tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds and caused minor damage to the corner of an adjacent building and slight damage to the roof. |
| March 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $5,000 | The Sumter county Sheriff's office reported that trees and power lines were blown down in Americus. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $5,000 | Numerous trees and power lines were downed six miles southeast of Americus along United States Highway 280. |
| June 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $3,000 | The Sumter County 911 Center reported that a two to three trees and a couple of power lines were blown down near U.S. Highway 19 and Washington Street in Americus. |
| February 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $3,000 | The Sumter county 911 center reported that power lines were down on Georgia Highway 49 at Southland Road and also on Pine Point Road. A few trees were also down in this same general area. |
| March 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $3,000 | no account filed |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $2,000 | Trees down at intersection of US-280 and GA-49. |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $2,000 | The Sumter County 911 center reported power lines blown down on Sylvan Road. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $2,000 | The Sumter County 911 Center reported that two trees were down on power lines in the north part of the county, north of Americus near the Schley county border. U.S. Highway 27 was temporarily blocked from a downed tree. |
| March 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $2,000 | The Sumter county 911 center reported that three trees and a power line were blown down in Americus. |
| April 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $2,000 | no account filed |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $1,500 | The Sumter County Emergency Manager reported that several trees were blown down in Americus, especially along Lee Street (Highway 377). |
| February 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $1,000 | Ham operator reports tree down on house on peppermint way in americus. |
| April 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $1,000 | The Sumter County 911 center reported power lines down in the 1800 block of highway 30 west. |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $1,000 | The Sumter County 911 Center reported that a few power lines were blown down in the Americus area as a line of thunderstorms moved through. |
| June 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $1,000 | The Sumter County 911 Center reported that a power line was down about one mile west of Americus on U.S. Highway 280. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $1,000 | The Sumter Electric Membership Cooperative reported that one tree and one power line had been blown down. |
| May 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $1,000 | The public reported that some trees were blown down. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $1,000 | The Americus Times-Recorder reported that trees were knocked down by thunderstorm winds on Armory Drive, Barlow Street, and between Tabby Lane and Walnut. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $1,000 | Sumter county 911 reported trees blown down. |
| August 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $1,000 | The Sumter county sheriff's office reported several trees down. |
| May 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $1,000 | Sumter county 911 and the police reported several trees were blown down. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $1,000 | Thunderstorm winds knocked trees down. |
| April 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $1,000 | Several trees were knocked down. One large tree fell across power lines which caused several power poles to fall. |
| June 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $1,000 | no account filed |
| July 2007 | Lightning | Americus | $500 | The Sumter County 911 Center reported that two trees were down as a result of lightning strikes. The trees were down on Hathaway and Bradley Roads near U.S. Highway 280. |
| January 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $500 | The Americus Times Recorder reported that strong winds, associated with an area of showers and thunderstorms, caused considerable damage around the county. Several large pine trees were blown down, several causing damage to homes. Another tree fell on a vehicle while being driven down Packinghouse Road. Another road was blocked by a large fallen pine tree, which caused workers in an emergency vehicle to go into the ditch when they attempted to go around it. A number of trees and power lines were down in the eastern portion of the county. Approximately 200-300 people were left without power during the evening hours. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $500 | The Sumter County 911 center reported that two trees were blown down. |
| August 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $500 | The Americus sheriff's office reported dime size hail and several trees blown down. |
| August 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $500 | Sumter county 911 reported trees blown down on highway 19. |
| June 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $250 | The Sumter county 911 center reported that one tree had been blown down across a road. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Americus | $250 | The Americus Times-Recorder reported that one tree was blown down on Lee Street, blocking the road for a brief period until crews could remove it. |
Newspapers printed here
45,624 digitised pages1 paper published in this town, digitised by the Library of Congress and free to read: 7,277 issues, 45,624 pages. Every page is searchable, so a name or a street can be looked for directly in what the town printed about itself at the time.
| Newspaper | Published |
|---|---|
| Americus Times-Recorder | 1891 to Current |
What the paper printed
21,560 wordsFront pages of the local paper, read from the Library of Congress scans: 4 issues all from 1900, 21,560 words in total. Each is reproduced on its own page, exactly as the recogniser returned it.
These pages read less well than anything else here, and the number is worth stating: about three words in four come through cleanly, against nine in ten for the building records. An 1896 broadsheet sets eight-point type in seven columns on microfilm, which is the hardest thing in this archive to read by machine. We tested our own recognisers against the Library's and they were not better, so the Library's text is what appears, with the wholly unreadable columns removed. Read it as a guide to what the paper covered, and follow the link to the scan before quoting anything.
| Issue | Paper | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1900-08-09 | Americus Times-Recorder | 5,689 words |
| 1900-09-13 | Americus Times-Recorder | 6,333 words |
| 1900-10-19 | Americus Times-Recorder | 4,456 words |
| 1900-11-23 | Americus Times-Recorder | 5,082 words |
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.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter Homes | 0.9 miles | 8 | |
| Northside Homes | 1.2 miles | 8 | |
| Arles | 3.7 miles | 8 | |
| New Point | 3.9 miles | 8 | |
| Gatewood | 4.5 miles | 8 | |
| Thalean | 4.9 miles | 8 | |
| Maddox | 5.2 miles | 10 | |
| Myrtle Springs (historical) | 5.5 miles | 7 |
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 Americus | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q123067 | 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 331037. 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.