Zebulon, GA

Zebulon is the Pike County seat in west-central Georgia, about 40 miles south of Atlanta. The 2020 census counted 1,225 residents. It was incorporated in 1825 and named for explorer Zebulon Pike, and the courthouse square has been the town's center from the start. That county-seat role gives this small city a larger civic footprint than its head count suggests: courts, county offices, schools, churches, and local businesses all radiate from the same compact center. Georgia Military College's extension center sits near City Hall, giving the square a newer educational presence alongside the courthouse.

ATTRMichael Rivera / CC BY-SA 4.0

The old courthouse has appeared on screen, but the everyday story is more local: people come into Zebulon for county business, school activities, and the county's agricultural landscape. The Pike County Courthouse was enlarged and renovated in 2013, keeping the civic center in active use rather than turning it into a museum piece. Zebulon's local scoop is a Georgia county seat where an explorer's name, a courthouse square, and a small college campus all share the same few blocks.