COLUMBIA COUNTY
County Offices
630 Ronald Reagan Drive
Evans 706-868-3375
https://www.columbiacountyga.gov
Chamber of Commerce
1000 Business Boulevard
Evans 706-651-0018
https://www.columbiacountychamber.com
Beautiful Columbia County is one of the fastest growing in the nation, increasing its population nearly 60 percent since 2000. Serving as a vital part of the Augusta-Richmond metropolitan region, the county is situated along the scenic Savannah River and served by the major transportation arteries of Interstate 20 and U.S. Routes 78 and 221. Augusta Regional Airport in nearby Augusta provides commercial airline service. Economic drivers include manufacturing, business headquarters, military and government contractors, research and development, logistics and warehouse, and retail.
Services
Nearby Augusta ensures access to a premier healthcare network that combines nationally recognized hospitals and state-of-the-art resources. Doctors Hospital is a 350-bed facility that provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services but also houses the nationally acclaimed Joseph M. Still Burn Center, the Clyde A. Burgamy Center for Women, and the Human Motion Institute-Joint & Spine Center. To better serve the rapidly growing Columbia County region, Doctors Hospital opened a day surgery center in the community of Evans. The world-class network encompassed within the Health Augusta University system includes the 478-bed Augusta University Medical Center at Augusta University, the 154-bed Children’s Hospital of Georgia with the region’s only Level IV NICU, and a Critical Care Center with a Level I trauma center. The 581-bed teaching facility of University Hospital is the cornerstone of Augusta’s University Health Care System, an expansive network with Columbia County campuses in Evans and Martinez for easy access to a number of routine and specialty services.
Educational opportunities in and near Columbia County are equally impressive, underlined by a public-school system that ranks among the state’s Top 10 and one of Georgia’s largest. Keeping pace with the county’s continual expansion, Columbia County Schools has added nearly one new school each year since 2000. Nearby Augusta offers a number of quality choices for higher education, crowned by Augusta University, formed by a merger of Georgia Health Sciences University and Augusta State University. Maintaining a medical campus in the heart of Augusta and a liberal arts and sciences campus in the city’s Summerville district, AU offers an unusually rich curriculum for liberal arts, medical, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) disciplines. The private institution of Paine College draws a diverse student population to a liberal arts education. Those seeking out a technical education can take advantage of Augusta Technical College, the only school of its kind in Georgia to win the U.S. Secretary of Education’s Award of Excellence. Augusta is also home to auxiliary campuses for several private colleges including Georgia Military College (with a local academic center in Martinez), Brenau University, Virginia College, and Miller-Motte Technical College.
Lifestyle
Boasting spectacular scenery and sweeping views, Columbia County is ideally situated at the head gates of Augusta Canal and the Savannah Rapids. Today, the Augusta Canal National Heritage Area offers a park with opportunities to fish, paddle, or hike on miles of paths including the heritage-rich Bartram Trail. Other outdoor recreational highlights include Clarks Hill Lake—the largest man-made lake east of the Mississippi with 71,000 acres of water surface. Wildwood Park expands lakefront amenities with boat ramps, RV campsites, multi-purpose trails, and championship disc golf courses. Mistletoe State Park offers similar opportunities for boating, swimming, hiking, and mountain biking but adds campsites and cabin rentals. Other highlights include the nation’s largest tropical parrot rescue center, Reed Creek Wetlands Interpretive Center, and an expansive indoor/outdoor recreational center with laser tag, go-kart tracks, Midway rides, batting cages, and miniature golf courses. Area golf courses are crowned by Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Golf Tournament. When shopping is the sport, you can “shop til’ you drop” in unique boutiques, antique shops, and major retailers.
Steeped in history, Columbia County preserves its proud history in venues and sites like Laurel & Hardy Museum, Appling Courthouse, Grovetown Museum, and the International Disc Golf Center with the Disc Golf Hall of Fame and the Ed Headrick Memorial Museum. Lovers of the arts can enjoy a calendar filled with music, dance, theatre, and fine-art exhibits and events including performances by Columbia Symphony Orchestra and Columbia County Choral Society. Wonderful venues like Lady Antebellum Pavilion and the Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center serve the entire metro region, while colorful festivals and celebrations bring friends and families together throughout the year. The Oliver Hardy Festival in Harlem draws as many as 40,000 visitors to an extravaganza of arts and crafts, family activities, and entertainment including Laurel and Hardy impersonators. Newcomers will be pleased with the county’s exceptional housing selection, dominated by newer construction on spacious lots. Little wonder that Columbia County is attracting attention as one of the best places in the nation to live, work, retire, and raise a family.
COMMUNITY PROFILES
Martinez
County Offices
706-868-3375
https://www.columbiacountyga.gov
Chamber of Commerce
706-651-0018
https://www.columbiacountychamber.com
The unincorporated community of Martinez offers a friendly, growing town in close proximity to all that metropolitan Augusta has to offer. This northwestern Augusta suburb combines first-rate recreational attractions with tree-lined residential neighborhoods that showcase a variety of home styles, sizes, and prices. The local attraction of Savannah Rapids Pavilion attracts regional crowds to Martinez for concerts and special events. The community is probably best known as the location of the 1845 Augusta Canal, a site that preserves several historic jewels including a renovated lockkeeper’s cottage that now serves as the Columbia County Visitor’s Center. Abundant opportunities for outdoor enjoyment include paddling, fishing, and hiking along miles of trails that lead as far as Augusta. Naturalists and families can look forward to year-round programs close to home at Reed Creek Wetlands and Interpretative Center.
Evans, Appling
County Offices
706-868-3375
https://www.columbiacountyga.gov
Chamber of Commerce
706-651-0018
https://www.columbiacountychamber.com
The small unincorporated community of Appling is the official Columbia County seat, but nearby Evans houses the governmental offices. Appling still preserves the original 1812 courthouse and Georgia’s oldest Baptist church. Garnering national accolades as a family friendly hometown, Evans welcomes new residents to attractive, affordable housing graced by abundant greenspace and first-rate amenities, from quality schools to easy access to world-class healthcare. The city also provides a convenient lifestyle that includes a medley of unique restaurants, basic services, and locally owned shops. Another local highlight is the Columbia County Amphitheater, a popular venue for colorful festivals, special events, and concerts. Outdoor attractions include the picturesque golf courses of Jones Creek and Bartram Trail, although water-sport and outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate nearby Clarks Hill Lake and Wildwood Park, brimming over with recreational amenities and attractions.
Grovetown
City Offices
706-863-4576
https://www.columbiacountyga.gov
Chamber of Commerce
706-651-0018
https://www.columbiacountychamber.com
Excelling in a family friendly atmosphere, Grovetown is a popular choice with newcomers but also serves as a welcoming community for Fort Gordon military personnel and their families as well as and retirees. Formerly a site for summer homes of wealthy Augusta residents, Grovetown has evolved into a desirable hometown marked by rapid residential and commercial growth. This charming city welcomes regional and even national tourists to celebrations like the dazzling Lights of the South holiday show and the Fourth of July Barbeque. The development of Grovetown’s Gateway area enables the city to host a number of special events that are too large for Savannah Rapids Pavilion in Martinez. Those who want to learn more about local history will find artifacts and documents dating back to the founding of the town’s namesake, the circa 1808 Grove Baptist Church, at Grovetown Museum. Residents enjoy a well-balanced community with local shopping, a medley of dining options, and first-rate recreational facilities and amenities.
Harlem
City Offices
706-556-3448
http://harlemga.org
Chamber of Commerce
706-651-0018
https://www.columbiacountychamber.com
Harlem draws newcomers to a wonderful quality of life highlighted by a charming historic downtown district and long-established, tree-lined neighborhoods. Preparing for increased growth, the city is investing in revitalization and beautification projects like the $60,000 landmark of a downtown clock. Often referred to as Columbia County’s hidden jewel, Harlem excels in Southern charm and a rare quality of life including unique features like the encouragement of golf carts along the network of city streets. The proud birthplace of Oliver Hardy, Harlem hosts the Laurel & Hardy Museum and draws as many as 40,000 visitors to Oliver Hardy Festival. The Masters Golf Tournament and Augusta National Golf Club are just 20 minutes away, highlighting an exhaustive list of recreational and natural attractions.
