Why visit Thunderbolt
Townapedia lists 12 museums and landmarks, 10 parks and trails, 16 places to eat and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Savannah State University, Savannah State University College of Business Administration, Ardsley Park-Chatham Crescent Historic District and Bonaventure Cemetery.
Weather in Thunderbolt
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt is a town located in Chatham County, Georgia, United States, approximately five miles southeast of downtown Savannah. As of the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 2,556. It is part of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area. Thunderbolt runs along the western shore of the Wilmington River (a tidal river that is part of the U.S.
From the Wikipedia article Thunderbolt, Georgia (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Savannah State University
School · 1.1 mi
Historically-black public university in Savannah, Georgia, United States
Savannah State University College of Business Administration
School · 1.3 mi
Museums and landmarks12
Ardsley Park-Chatham Crescent Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Park in the United States of America
Bonaventure Cemetery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic cemetery in Savannah, Georgia, United States
CSS Georgia
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
American Civil War Confederate ironclad warship
Fort James Jackson
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic fort
Savannah Victorian Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Savannah, Georgia, listed on the NRHP in Georgia
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Hill Hall at Savannah State College
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Confederate Monument
Monument and historic site · 3.4 mi
War memorial in Savannah, Georgia, US.
Massie Heritage Center
Museum · 3.4 mi
Museum in Savannah, Georgia, USA
Parks, trails and playgrounds10
Susie King Taylor Square
Park · 3.4 mi
Park in the United States of America
Restaurants and cafes16
Tortuga's Island Grill
Restaurant · 0.4 mi
2815 River Drive, Thunderbolt
Su 10:00-15:00; Mo-Tu closed; We-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr 11:00-21:30;...
Cook Out
Fast food · American · 1.0 mi
3009 Skidaway Road, Savannah
Su-Th 10:30-27:00, Fr-Sa 10:30-28:00
Papa John's
Fast food · Pizza · 0.9 mi
2119 East Victory Drive, Savannah
Mo-Th 09:30-24:00; Fr-Sa 09:30-01:00; Su 09:30-24:00
4 more on the map.
History
An early variant name was "Warsaw". The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the town as "Warsaw" in 1856. Coincidentally, Casimir Pulaski, who was born in Warsaw, Poland, died in Thunderbolt. An act of legislature officially changed the town's name to "Thunderbolt" in 1921.
According to tradition, Thunderbolt was named from an incident when lightning strike caused a spring to open up.
Fort Thunderbolt, colloquially referred to as the Thunderbolt Battery, was built to protect the city of Savannah from invading Union forces advancing from Whitemarsh Island.
From the History section of Thunderbolt, Georgia on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship20
Shopping4
Bonaventure Cemetery Tours Welcome Center & Gift Shop
Shop · 0.6 mi
415 Bonaventure Road
Gas and EV charging8
Schools, colleges and libraries43
Healthcare3
Map of Thunderbolt
118 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
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
Chatham County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2024-09-30: Hurricane Helene (Hurricane)
- 2024-09-26: Hurricane Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-09-24: Tropical Storm Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-08-05: Hurricane Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2020-03-29: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Hunter Army Airfield (SVN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.
- Dutch Island 3 mi southeast, about 4 min by car
- Isle of Hope 4 mi south, about 6 min by car
- Wilmington Island 5 mi southeast, about 8 min by car
- Skidaway Island 7 mi south, about 11 min by car
- Montgomery 7 mi southwest, about 11 min by car
- Garden City 8 mi northwest, about 13 min by car
- Savannah 9 mi west, about 14 min by car
- Georgetown 11 mi west, about 18 min by car
- Pooler 13 mi west, about 21 min by car
- Bluffton 14 mi northeast, about 23 min 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
- 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
- CSS Georgia ironclad, Unknown author, Public domain
- Gingerbread House in Savannah, Photoartel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- GA Savannah Ardsley-Chatham HD01, Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Glowna brama., MArcin K., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hill Hall (Savannah State U) from SSW 2, Ammodramus, CC0
- Hill Hall (Savannah State U) from SE 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Universalist Unitarian Church, JeffersonLH, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Christ Church Anglican Savannah 02, Dclemens1971, CC BY 4.0
- Asbury Methodist Church, Savannah, GA, US, Jud McCranie, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Many Tributes, jjmusgrove, CC BY 2.0
- MIA Memorial, jjmusgrove, CC BY 2.0
- Minor Tributes, jjmusgrove, CC BY 2.0
- Henry Glisson, jjmusgrove, CC BY 2.0
- Live Oaks with Moss, jjmusgrove, CC BY 2.0
- Space Available, jjmusgrove, CC BY 2.0
- Savannah - Bonaventure Cemetery - Holocaust Memorial, Will.i.am, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Savannah - Bonaventure Cemetery - Overview, Will.i.am, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Savannah - Bonaventure Cemetery - Confederate Brigadier-General Alexander R. Lawton's Monument, Will.i.am, CC BY-SA 4.0
- MajRobertHAndersonGraveFront, Kevinakling, CC BY-SA 3.0
- MajorRobertHAndersongrave, Kevinakling, CC BY-SA 3.0
- BoneventureCemetry26, Minipaula, CC BY-SA 3.0
- BoneventureCemetry36, Minipaula, CC BY-SA 3.0
- BoneventureCemetry12, Minipaula, CC BY-SA 3.0
- BoneventureCemetry16, Minipaula, CC BY-SA 3.0
- BoneventureCemetry24, Minipaula, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bonaventure cemetery - mongin 7363, Slowking4, CC BY-SA 3.0
- BoneventureCemetry38, Minipaula, CC BY-SA 3.0
- BoneventureCemetry41, Minipaula, CC BY-SA 3.0
- BoneventureCemetry32, Minipaula, CC BY-SA 3.0
- BoneventureCemetry15, Minipaula, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bonaventure cemetery - theus7353, Slowking4, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bonaventure cemetery - baldwin 7356, Slowking4, CC BY-SA 3.0
- BoneventureCemetry5, Minipaula, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bonaventure cemetery - johnny mercer7357, Slowking4, CC BY-SA 3.0
- BoneventureCemetry20, Minipaula, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bonaventure cemetery - robert anderson 7360, Slowking4, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bonaventure cemetery - hartridge 7362, Slowking4, CC BY-SA 3.0
- BoneventureCemetry14, Minipaula, CC BY-SA 3.0
- BoneventureCemetry29, Minipaula, CC BY-SA 3.0
- BoneventureCemetry3, Minipaula, CC BY-SA 3.0
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