Houston County | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 32°28′N 83°40′W / 32.46°N 83.67°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Georgia |
Founded | May 15, 1821 |
Named for | John Houstoun |
Seat | Perry |
Largest city | Warner Robins |
Area | |
• Total | 380 sq mi (1,000 km2) |
• Land | 376 sq mi (970 km2) |
• Water | 4.4 sq mi (11 km2) 1.2% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 163,633 |
• Density | 373/sq mi (144/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
Congressional district | 8th |
Website | www |
Houston County (/ˈhaʊstən/ HOW-stən) is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 163,633 at the 2020 census.[1] Its county seat is Perry; the city of Warner Robins is substantially larger in both area and population.[2]
The county was created on May 15, 1821, along with 4 other counties in the state, and later reduced in size with the formation of Bibb, Crawford, Pulaski, Macon, and Peach counties.[3] It was named after Georgia governor John Houstoun, with the spelling being a common 19th-century variation that later evolved to "Houston".[4] The pronunciation, however, remains to this day "howston."[5] The geographic center of the county was given the name Wattsville, which was later changed to Perry.[5]
Houston County is included in the Warner Robins, GA metropolitan statistical area, which in turn is included in the Macon-Warner Robins-Fort Valley combined statistical area. Flat Creek Public Fishing Area is in Houston County, south west of Perry.