AUGUSTA-RICHMOND COUNTY
City-County Offices
535 Telfair Street
Augusta 706-821-2400
https://www.augustaga.gov
Chamber of Commerce
One 10th Street
Augusta 706-821-1300
https://www.augustametrochamber.com
The governments of Augusta and Richmond County consolidated in 1995, forming the jurisdiction known today as Augusta-Richmond or simply Augusta. As the urban core of a metropolitan region with a population of more than 200,000 and a market area of one-half million, Augusta boasts a strong economic base that mixes manufacturing, defense, higher education, science and discovery, and healthcare sectors. Transportation amenities include Augusta Regional Airport and Interstates 20 and 520 along with U.S. Routes 1, 25, 78, 278 and a network of state routes.
Services
Newcomers to Augusta will discover award-winning schools and first-rate educational opportunities from preschool through post-graduate studies. Along with private and parochial schools, this area boasts one of the state’s finest public school systems including nationally ranked magnet schools and International Baccalaureate (IB) Programs. The Technical Career Magnet School allows secondary students to earn a high school diploma along with credits toward an associate degree or certifications and diplomas in high-demand fields. Opportunities for higher education are no less impressive. Augusta University maintains a medical campus in the heart of Augusta and a liberal arts and sciences campus in the Summerville district, providing an unusually rich curriculum for liberal arts, medical, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) disciplines. The Summerville campus also offers a collaborative program with East Georgia State College, where students can earn the GPA needed to transfer to a four-year program at Augusta University. A first-rate technical education is available at Augusta Technical College, the only school of its kind in Georgia to win the U.S. Secretary of Education’s Award of Excellence. In addition to the private liberal arts institution of Paine College, Augusta hosts auxiliary campuses for several private colleges including Georgia Military College, Brenau University, Virginia College, and Miller-Motte Technical College.
The fact that Augusta boasts the largest number of physicians per capita of any American city is a testament to the exceptional level of quality healthcare. The world-class network of Augusta University Health leads the way in comprehensive primary, specialty, and subspecialty care. The 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, a Critical Care Center with a Level I trauma center, and more than 80 outpatient practice sites at one location. The number of staff physicians on “America’s Top Doctors” list has kept Augusta University Health in the top one percent nationally for the past 15 years. Serving Augusta since 1818, the University Health Care System has grown through two centuries into one of Georgia’s most respected, comprehensive, and largest healthcare providers. The cornerstone of UHCS is the 581-bed University Hospital. Another leading institution is Doctors Hospital of Augusta, with a primary stroke center, accredited chest pain center, the Clyde A. Burgamy Center for Women, the Human Motion Institute-Joint & Spine Center, and the Joseph M. Still Burn Center—the largest inpatient burn center in the nation. Trinity Hospital of Augusta is proud of its status as the community’s only faith-based hospital, providing a 231-bed facility for combines inpatient, outpatient, diagnostic, surgical, and emergency care.
Lifestyle
Graced by natural beauty including the rolling Savannah River, Georgia’s “Garden City” harmonizes Southern charm with an array of attractions and amenities. Augusta attracts newcomers to a year-round temperate climate, lush greenery, and four-seasonal recreational opportunities. Augusta supports a lively arts community and showcases regional and national talent in venues from intimate to expansive that host performances for symphony, ballet and dance, theatre, opera, and big-name musical talent. Colorful events and seasonal celebrations dot the calendar with reasons to celebrate, crowned by the Westobou and Arts in the Heart of Augusta festivals. The Morris Museum of Art on the Riverwalk in downtown Augusta showcases more than 5,000 holdings and hosts the first museum dedicated to the art and artists of the American South. Housed in a magnificent 1818 mansion, the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art combines a visual arts school and gallery displaying exhibits by regional, national and international artists. Landmarks and historic attractions include Artists Row, Augusta Museum of History, Woodrow Wilson Boyhood Home, National Science Center’s Fort Discovery, Springfield Church, Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History, George Golf Hall of Fame, Augusta Canal, Savannah Rapids Park, and Augusta Riverwalk—praised as a model for riverfront cities around the world.
The region’s natural beauty and assets make it a paradise for outdoor enjoyment, sports, and activities of all types. The name Augusta is nearly synonymous with world-class golf, thanks to the world-famous Masters Golf Tournament held at Augusta National Golf Club. Throughout the area, first-rate facilities are available for golf, tennis, swimming, league sports, ice-skating—and, of course, watersports. The Savannah River, Augusta Canal, Lake Olmstead, and Clarks Hill Lake are all within easy reach, while nearby Langley Pond is the fastest-growing rowing regatta venue in the Southeast. Residents enjoy activities from hiking, camping, biking, and horseback riding to fishing, boating, and hunting amid breathtaking scenery. Nature lovers will want to explore Phinizy Swamp Nature Park and Columbia County’s Reed Creek Wetlands Park and Interpretive Center. Even Fort Gordon invites the public to a wide range of recreational attractions. Shopping and dining opportunities are available in major malls, small retail centers, commercial districts, and national chain stores. The Augusta-Richmond area also offers an unusually rich selection of home styles from contemporary to quaint, including nine historic neighborhoods brimming over with architectural treasures. For a truly livable “big city” that excels in Southern friendliness, grace and charm, few places can rival Augusta.
COMMUNITY PROFILES
Hephzibah, Blythe
Hephzibah Offices
706-821-2400
https://www.augustaga.gov
Blythewood Offices
803-754-0501
https://www.townofblythewoodsc.gov
Chamber of Commerce
803-279-2323
https://www.northaugustachamber.org
Two municipalities in Richmond County maintained their independence during the 1995 city-county government consolidation: Blythe and Hephzibah. Located southwest of Augusta, both offer an intimate hometown atmosphere just a short commute from the bright lights of Augusta. Hephzibah claims a population of approximately 4,500 but Blythe is significantly smaller with less than 800 residents. Newcomers who are looking for sprawling home sites in a country setting or handsome contemporary homes will want to explore this growing corner of Richmond County. Residents enjoy all the pleasures of rural living in close proximity to world-class golf amenities, weekend coastal getaways, stellar attractions, and nationally recognized healthcare and educational advantages. The proximity to Fort Gordon makes Hephzibah an especially attractive choice in a “hometown community” for military personnel assigned to Fort Gordon.
Fort Gordon
General Information
706-791-3579
https://home.army.mil/gordon/index.php
Relocation Information
706-791-4181
https://home.army.mil/gordon/index.php
Home to the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence, Fort Gordon is an expansive, multi-mission, multi-service installation southwest of Augusta. It supports Army and Department of Defense organizations and activities that include worldwide missions, communications training and operations, military intelligence, cyber operations, force integration, and mobilization. Those assigned to Fort Gordon can live on base or settle into nearby communities. Children of personnel usually attend public schools in either Richmond or Columbia counties, although middle and high schools are also available on the base. Fort Gordon’s Education Center and Multi-Use Learning Facility offers adult education for active-duty military, retirees, civilians, and adult family members. World-class healthcare is available at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center, a 300-bed teaching facility for residents in surgical and primary care. The base offers an extensive range of programs and resources including leisure activities and recreational facilities—some of which are accessible to the public.
