Douglas is the seat of Coffee County, in south-central Georgia's wiregrass region, roughly 92 miles west of Brunswick and 120 miles northwest of Jacksonville, Florida. The city sits at the junction of U.S. 441, U.S. 221, and Georgia 32, making it a crossroads for the surrounding farm country. The 2020 census counted 11,722 residents in the city, with the broader Douglas micropolitan area drawing on a much larger regional population. The city was founded in 1855 as the seat of the newly created Coffee County and named for Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglas. It was chartered as a town in 1895 and as a city in 1897, and the arrival of the railroad in 1895 set off a period of growth. Douglas' downtown, with its early-20th-century commercial buildings, and the Gaskin Avenue residential area are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, along with the site of the World War II 63rd Army Air Forces Contract Pilot Training School. Agriculture and agribusiness anchor the local economy. The area long grew tobacco and, more recently, peanuts and other row crops, with food processing and logistics adding to the employment base. The Douglas-Coffee County Economic Development Authority cites a labor pool of more than 580,000 people within a 60-mile radius, reflecting the city's role as a regional hub for south Georgia. Life in Douglas blends small-town rhythm with regional institutions. The Martin Centre serves as a performing-arts venue, and annual events such as the Gopher Tortoise Festival and Taste of Douglas bring the community together. General Coffee State Park, just outside town, protects cypress swamps along the Seventeen Mile River, while Broxton Rocks Preserve is considered one of Georgia's natural wonders. For families and workers in agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, and education, Douglas offers an affordable, established small city with a historic center and access to the outdoors. Its school-age children attend the Coffee County School District, a state-recognized charter system based in Douglas.