Dawson, Georgia
Dawson is a city of 4,247 people in Terrell County, Georgia, founded in 1856.
Why visit Dawson
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 1 park or trail, 1 place to eat and 2 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Terrell County Courthouse.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 92°F; January lows average 37°F.
Weather in Dawson
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Dawson
Dawson is a city in and the county seat of Terrell County, Georgia, United States.
From the Wikipedia article Dawson, Georgia (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks1
Terrell County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
County courthouse Dawson, Georgia
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes1
McDonald's
Fast food · Burger
460 Roundtree Drive Southwest
Mo-We 05:30-23:00; Th-Sa 05:30-04:00; Su 05:30-23:00
Where to stay2
Country Hearth Inn & Suites Dawson
Motel and hotel · 0.8 mi
938 Forrester Drive Southeast, Dawson
History
Dawson was founded in 1856 as seat of the newly formed Terrell County. It was incorporated as a town in 1857 and as a city in 1872. Terrell was an important site in the 1960s, when the county in which it is located was labeled "Terrible Terrell" by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Jackie Robinson helped raise money to rebuild three black churches that were burned in the area.
In 1976, five African-American youths were charged with the murder of a white customer in a roadside convenience store. The crime and pretrial proceedings garnered national attention. The five young men, one of whom was a juvenile, charged in the case were known as the "Dawson Five". The court dropped the charges against the group of five, Roosevelt Watson, Henderson Watson, J.D. Davenport, Johnnie B. Jackson, and George Poor, when it found evidence of police misconduct, including coerced confessions, intimidation, and improper identification procedures.
From the History section of Dawson, Georgia on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship14
Schools, colleges and libraries10
Map of Dawson
29 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59°F | 37°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 63°F | 40°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 70°F | 46°F | 5.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 77°F | 53°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 85°F | 62°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 89°F | 69°F | 5.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 92°F | 72°F | 6.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 72°F | 5.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 87°F | 67°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 79°F | 55°F | 2.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 69°F | 45°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 61°F | 40°F | 6.1 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Leesburg 2 (15 mi away), rain and snow from Dawson, NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Terrell County has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-10-09: Hurricane Isaias (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-09-26: Hurricane Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2020-03-29: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-10-14: Hurricane Michael (Hurricane)
- 2018-10-10: Hurricane Michael (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Southwest Georgia Regional Airport (ABY) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 22 miles away.
- Leesburg 16 mi east, about 26 min by car
- Webster County unified government 20 mi north, about 32 min by car
- Albany 21 mi southeast, about 33 min by car
- Cuthbert 21 mi west, about 33 min by car
- Americus 25 mi northeast, about 40 min by car
- Richland 25 mi northwest, about 41 min by car
- Lumpkin 28 mi northwest, about 45 min by car
- Putney 29 mi southeast, about 46 min by car
- Georgetown-Quitman County unified government 34 mi west, about 54 min by car
- Blakely 39 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Dawson City Hall NE corner, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Old Maloof's Department Store, Dawson, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dawson Post Office corner stone, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Geodetic Survey Bench Mark, Dawson Post Office, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Georgia Community Bank, Dawson, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dawson Post Office, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bank of Terrell, Dawson, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 3 story building corner of Lee and NE Jefferson St, Dawson, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Goodyear tire store, Dawson, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First State Bank building, Dawson, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dawson Woman's Clubhouse, Dawson, GA, US, Jud McCranie, CC BY-SA 4.0
- State Bank tile, Dawson, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dawson City Hall, East face, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Former Badcock Furniture Store, Dawson, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dawson City Hall, Baldwin Block, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2 story building corner of Lee and S Main St, Dawson, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dawson City Hall, North face, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- True Value, Dawson, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Theatre, N Main St., Dawson, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Dawson News, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Woman's Club, Dawson 1, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Dawson News 2019, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Woman's Club, Dawson 2, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dairy Queen, Dawson, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- GA45 SB, US 82 WB, Dawson, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Woman's Club plaque, Dawson, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Woman's Club, Dawson 3, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- United Methodist Church, Dawson, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Terrell County Courthouse, Blastoids, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Terrell County Courthouse SE corner, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- World War Veterans monument, Terrell County, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Terrell County Courthouse NE corner, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Griggs Monument plaque, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Griggs Monument 2019, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- World War II Veterans monument, Terrell County, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Confederate Gun Shop plaque in front of Terrell County Courthouse, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Terrell County Courthouse plaque, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Terrell County Courthouse text on building, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Terrell County historical marker 2019, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Terrell County Courthouse, Georgia, Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 3.0
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