Houston County, Georgia
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. Its county seat is Perry; the city of Warner Robins is substantially larger in both area and population.
Houston County | |
|---|---|
Houston County courthouse in Perry | |
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia | |
Georgia's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 32°28′N 83°40′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 |
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. It was named after Georgia governor John Houstoun, with the spelling being a common 19th-century variation that later evolved to "Houston". The pronunciation, however, remains to this day "howston." The geographic center of the county was given the name Wattsville, which was later changed to Perry.
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.