Adel, Georgia
History
The original name of the city was Puddleville. The city's first postmaster, Joel "Uncle Jack" Parrish, wanted to change the name of the city. It is believed that he saw the name "Philadelphia" on a croaker sack and struck out the first and last four letters to create the present name of Adel.
The Georgia Southern and Florida Railway arrived in Adel in the 1880s. Adel was incorporated as a town in 1889.
Tornadoes
On January 22, 2017, a low-end EF3 tornado struck the extreme southern portion of Adel. Sunshine Acres, a local mobile home park, experienced severe damage, with over 20 homes destroyed and others damaged; seven residents were killed and an indeterminate number were injured or displaced. The tornado ultimately killed 14 people. An EF1 tornado also moved through the city on April 23, 2020 On January 22, 2023, a low-end EF2 tornado caused major damage on the north side of town.
Geography
Adel is located just south of the center of Cook County at 31°8′18″N 83°25′33″W / 31.13833°N 83.42583°W (31.138466, -83.425944). It is bordered to the north by Sparks. U.S. Route 41 passes through the center of town as Hutchinson Avenue, and Interstate 75 passes through the western side of the city, with access from Exit 39. Valdosta is 26 miles (42 km) to the south, and Tifton is 23 miles (37 km) to the north.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Adel has a total area of 8.2 square miles (21.3 km), of which 8.1 square miles (20.9 km) is land and 0.19 square miles (0.5 km), or 2.21%, is water.
The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Adel has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 527 | — | |
| 1900 | 721 | 36.8% | |
| 1910 | 1,902 | 163.8% | |
| 1920 | 1,720 | −9.6% | |
| 1930 | 1,796 | 4.4% | |
| 1940 | 2,134 | 18.8% | |
| 1950 | 2,776 | 30.1% | |
| 1960 | 4,321 | 55.7% | |
| 1970 | 4,972 | 15.1% | |
| 1980 | 5,592 | 12.5% | |
| 1990 | 5,093 | −8.9% | |
| 2000 | 5,307 | 4.2% | |
| 2010 | 5,334 | 0.5% | |
| 2020 | 5,571 | 4.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850-1870 1880 1890-1910 1920-1930 1930-1940 1940-1950 1960-19801980-2000 | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 2,485 | 44.61% |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 2,385 | 42.81% |
| Native American | 9 | 0.16% |
| Asian | 61 | 1.09% |
| Pacific Islander | 2 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 181 | 3.25% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 448 | 8.04% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,571 people, 2,111 households, and 1,108 families residing in the city.
Education
Cook County School District
The Cook County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 188 full-time teachers and over 3,215 students.
- Cook Primary School
- Cook Elementary School
- Cook Middle School
- Cook High School
Library
Adel is served by the Cook County Public Library.
Notable people
- Ray McKinnon – actor and producer
- Kaleb Cowart – baseball player (LA Angels 2015–2019)
- Eugene Patterson