South Georgia Spotlight: MOULTRIE, Georgia

Moultrie was incorporated in 1859 and established as the seat of Colquitt County, named for General William Moultrie, a hero of the American Revolution. Prosperity arrived in the 1890s with the Georgia Northern Railway, and the city has been a commercial hub for southwest Georgia ever since.

Today, Moultrie is one of South Georgia’s most agriculturally rich cities. Peanuts, cotton, pecans, vegetables, and poultry anchor an agricultural economy that defines the region, and every October that economy takes center stage. The Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition draws more than 200,000 visitors to Moultrie each year, with more than 1,000 exhibitors making it the premier farm show in North America. The Expo’s unique site features a 100-acre exhibit area adjoining a 600-acre working research farm. There’s nothing else quite like it in the country. Each spring and holiday season, the same grounds host the Calico Arts & Crafts Show, two of the region’s most popular seasonal events.

Beyond the Expo, Moultrie has plenty going on year-round. The Arts Center of Moultrie, housed in a historic railroad depot, offers visual and performing arts exhibits and classes. Downtown Moultrie’s Second Saturday brings local businesses, sidewalk sales, and food trucks together on the second Saturday of every month. The Museum of Colquitt County History traces the area’s story from its Native American roots through its agricultural development, and Reed Bingham State Park — 1,620 acres with a 375-acre lake, nature trails, camping, and paddling — sits just west of the city for those who want to spend time outdoors.

Moultrie is also home to PCOM South Georgia, one of the region’s medical schools, and the Colquitt Regional Medical Center, both anchors that make it a healthcare destination for a wide stretch of southwest Georgia.

The City of Southern Living, as Moultrie calls itself, has definitely earned the title.