Introduction to Augusta

Augusta is Georgia’s second-largest city behind Atlanta, and it’s the second-oldest city behind Savannah.

It was founded in 1736 by Gen. James Edward Oglethorpe and was named in honor of Princess Augusta, the wife of Fredrick, Prince of Wales.

From its temperate climate to the year-round beauty of its parks and gardens, there’s a lot to draw newcomers to Augusta – the Garden City.

With nearly half a million residents, Augusta has a variety of amenities including a vibrant arts community and many fine restaurants.

And unlike other growing cities in the Southeast, the area has fewer of the traffic snarls and air pollution restrictions plaguing so many metropolitan areas.

The magazine Where to Retire has ranked Augusta No. 4 among the nation’s low-cost cities for retirement.

This is partially based on the area’s low cost of living and proximity to the respected health community and its many physicians and top hospitals.

In addition to the low cost of living and affordable housing, Augusta offers its residents a beautiful historic city with a diverse culture, active arts community and mild climate.

These are only some of the reasons that more than 16,000 retiree family members from Fort Gordon call Augusta home.

Augusta also has several professional sports teams, including the Augusta Lynx, an East Coast Hockey League team affiliated with the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes, and the Augusta GreenJackets, a minor league (Single A) baseball team affiliated with the Boston Red Sox

Augusta is also proud host each spring to the Masters Golf Tournament, the sport’s most prestigious event.

When it comes to golf courses, Augusta and the surrounding area boast 21 private and 15 public courses.

Water recreation is also prominent. Several state parks dot the area, including Elijah Clark and Mistletoe state parks. Thurmond Lake is the one of the largest man-made lakes east of the Mississippi River, with a 1,200-mile shoreline that is longer than the entire U.S. eastern seaboard.

Government, the health care industry and manufacturers are the largest employers in Richmond County.

The U.S. Army’s Fort Gordon military post has the most employees with 11,500 workers.

Companies such as the Medical College of Georgia, University Hospital, Avondale Mills and E-Z-Go Textron employ the largest percentage of Augusta’s work force, as do International Paper Co., Thermal Ceramics and the city and local school system.

Services, followed by retail trades, are the county’s largest employment sectors, according to the Georgia Department of Labor.

The area’s work force stands at 81,694. Per capita income was $24,408 in 2001.

The unemployment rate in 2002 was 6.1 percent.

IT’S A FACT: Augusta is 140 miles east of Atlanta, on the South Carolina border in east central Georgia. Downtown Augusta sits beside the Savannah River, making the nearby South Carolina cities of North Augusta and Aiken a major part of the community even though they are in another state. The Aiken-Augusta metropolitan area also includes Columbia County, a booming suburban community west of Augusta.

PROFESSIONAL SPORTS

HOCKEY
The Augusta Lynx – East Coast Hockey League – Affiliated with NHL’s New Jersey Devils & Vancouver Canucks.

BASEBALL
The Augusta Green Jackets – Minor league (Single A) baseball team – Affiliated with the Boston Red Sox

FOOTBALL
Augusta Stallions (Arenafootball2), a regionally based minor-league version of Arena Football.

GOLF
Augusta is also proud host each spring to the Masters® golf tournament, the sport’s most prestigious event. Since 1934, the golf course designed by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts has awed spectators for one week each April with its lush lawns and brilliant foliage.

GOLF COURSES

*9 private

*14 public

RECREATION
Clarks Hill Lake, also known as Lake Thurmond, is the largest man-made lake east of the Mississippi with a 1200 mile shoreline that is longer than the entire U.S. eastern seaboard.

State Parks
Elijah Clark & Mistletoe

County Park
Wildwood Park

Local Parks 57
Public swimming Pools 8
Health clubs 14
Tennis courts 60

AMUSEMENT PLACES
Funsville
Krystal River Water Park
Putt-Putt Golf & Games
Red Wing Rollerway (Rollerskating)
Ice Palace (Ice Skating)
Northside Lanes (Bowling)

ARTISTIC VENUES
Augusta Symphony (Ranked #1 in the state, by the GA Arts Council)
Augusta Ballet
Augusta Opera
Augusta Mini Theatre
Augusta Choral Society
Ft. Gordon Dinner Theatre
Augusta Collegium Museum
Augusta Theatre Company
Storyland Theatre
Augusta Children’s Choral
Augusta Jazz Project
Augusta State University – Fine Arts Department
Paine College Evening of Jazz
Paine College Fine Arts Department
Augusta Players
Stage III Productions

PERFORMING CENTERS
Grover C. Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre
Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center
F. Gordon Dinner Theatre
William B. Bell Memorial Auditorium
Jessye Norman Amphitheater
Sacred Heart Cultural Center
Imperial Theatre
Augusta Technical Institute Theatre

MUSEUMS
Morris Museum of Art
National Science Center’s Fort Discovery
Augusta Museum of History
Cotton Exchange Welcome Center Museum
Lucy Craft Laney Museum
Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art

CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS
Augusta Genealogical Society
Authors Club of Augusta
Barbershop Chorus
Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art
Greater Augusta Arts Council
Harry Jacobs Chamber Music Society
Historic Augusta Incorporated
Richmond County Historical Society
Sand Hills Writers Conference
Sweet Adelines