Discover the Smallest Town in Georgia – Everyone Could Fit In a Passenger Van

Imagine living in a town with only 13 other people! That’s the reality for one small town in Georgia that could fit its entire population into a passenger van. The state of Georgia generally has a pretty high population, sitting at the 8th-highest in the nation. But the main reason for that is because Georgia includes one of the country’s largest cities — Atlanta. As of 2021, around 60% of the entire state’s population lived in one of the 29 counties including or surrounding Atlanta. That being said, it makes sense why the rural parts of Georgia often have such low population stats. Even though there are only a few people in Georgia’s smallest town, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great place to live!

The smallest town in Georgia by population is Eagle Grove with just 14 residents. The entire town could gather in a one-room apartment or fit in a passenger van! Interested in what it’s like to live in Georgia’s smallest town? Keep reading to learn more about life in Eagle Grove. 

History of Eagle Grove

Eagle Grove is technically considered a census-designated place and an unincorporated community. It’s located in Hart County in the northeast corner of the state. The town is situated along U.S. Route 29. The area it takes up is comprised of 1.73 square miles of land area and 0.02 square miles of water area. That’s not very much, but it doesn’t take too much land for only 14 people to live on!

The population statistics of Eagle Grove can help define what the community looks like. Of the 14 citizens, all of them are white males. They also share an education level as high school graduates. They are all widowed, living in one-person households. Moreover, all 14 citizens were born in the state of Georgia and speak English. Census data states that they are not in the labor force. While there are 64 housing units in the town, only 14 of them are occupied, so there is still plenty of growing for Eagle Grove.

History of Hart County

Hart County also includes the city of Hartwell, the town of Bowersville, another census-designated place called Reed Creek, and an unincorporated community called Air Line.

Hart County has around 25,000 residents. It’s in the northeast corner of the state and is close to South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Almost the entire county is also located in the Savannah River basin. The Savannah River borders South Carolina and Georgia and the basin is the area that is drained by the river. 

Hart County is a pretty comfortable place to live in terms of climate. It stays around 50-60 degrees on average during the winter and around 85-95 degrees during the summer. It’s pretty close to Atlanta, only about an hour and a half from the major city. There is plenty to do in and around Hart County and it has a small-town feel with big cities nearby.

Things To Do Near Eagle Grove

While Eagle Grove itself is small and doesn’t offer too much recreation, the surrounding areas are full of fun things to do. First, there’s Lake Hartwell. It’s located between Georgia and South Carolina and is named after the city of Hartwell. It’s a man-made reservoir that was authorized to be built in 1950 and completed in 1962. Since its completion, the lake has been a place of recreation and has attracted tourists to Hart County. It offers camping and trails to explore, and it’s also a great area to practice water sports. The lake is safe for swimming and offers over 30 boat ramps for boaters. You can expect to catch a variety of fish species including bass, bream, catfish, and walleye. 

Also around Eagle Grove is Cateechee, one of Georgia’s nicest golf courses. It’s located in Hartwell within the Blue Ridge Mountains and along Lake Hartwell. The lodge is used for events like weddings, and the natural scenery makes Cateechee a perfect place to get away to and hold special events. Cateechee also participates in the Operation Pollinator initiative. This means that the company provides wildflowers and a landscape that helps provide food for pollinators!

The last attraction to Eagle Grove and Hart County is an annual event that takes place in Hartwell. It’s called the Scarecrow Festival, and it occurs every year in October. During this time, the downtown area is invaded by homemade scarecrows, which residents place outside homes and local businesses. 

The photo featured at the top of this post is © BOB WESTON/iStock via Getty Images