County Government

Columbia County is one of Georgia's fastest growing and most progressive counties. Created in 1790 from part of neighboring Richmond County, it became the 12th county in the state of Georgia.


The population grew rapidly from 9,525 in 1950 to more than 106,000 in 2006. This rapid growth has transformed the county from a rural neighbor of Augusta to a major suburban county in the 2nd largest metropolitan area in Georgia.


There are many reasons for the rapid growth - a growing and diversified job market, a premier school system, affordable land, open spaces lending an air of the countryside, and a stable county government. Columbia County is predominantly residential and includes a highly-skilled workforce. Household income levels rank 3rd among Georgia's 159 counties.

Columbia County Courthouse

County Commissioners

Columbia County is governed by a 5-member Board of Commissioners. One commissioner is elected from each of the county's four districts, and the chairman is elected county-wide. Each commissioner chairs one service committee and is vice chairman of another. The service committees are Public Works, Planning and Engineering, Community and Emergency, and Management and Financial.

Commissioner Meeting

The commissioners meet on the first and third Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the auditorium of Building A at the Evans Government Center, with the exception of the first meeting of each quarter, which is held at the Courthouse in Appling.

Cities in the County

There are only two incorporated cities in the county: Grovetown and Harlem, with Grovetown being the largest. Appling, the county seat, was one of 187 inactive municipalities which lost their charters in 1995 as a result of a 1993 Act of the General Assembly.