Hephzibah, Georgia

Hephzibah, Georgia
City
Location in Richmond County and the state of Georgia
Hephzibah Location within the state of Georgia Show map of Georgia Hephzibah Hephzibah (the United States) Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 33°18′15″N 82°5′53″W / 33.30417°N 82.09806°W / 33.30417; -82.09806
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Richmond
Area [1]
• Total	19.56 sq mi (50.65 km2)
• Land	19.49 sq mi (50.47 km2)
• Water	0.07 sq mi (0.18 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,830
• Density	196.54/sq mi (75.89/km2)
ZIP code	30815
FIPS code	13-38040

Hephzibah (/ˈhɛpzɪbə/) is a city in southern Richmond County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is part of the Augusta metropolitan area. The population was 4,011 at the 2010 census,^[2] and 3,830 in 2020. Hephzibah is a poetic name used in the Book of Isaiah (62:4) to refer to Jerusalem, meaning "My delight is in Her."

Hephzibah was originally named Brothersville, in honor of three brothers who settled near one another. In October 1860, a Baptist seminary was established in Brothersville by a group of Appling residents.^{[citation needed]} They established the Hephzibah Baptist Church in 1862. The prominence of these new religious institutions in the area swayed the state of Georgia to rename the town Hephzibah in 1870.^[3] In 1909, Walter A. Clark published a book of local history, named A Lost Arcadia - The Story of My Old Community, detailing the earliest days of Hephzibah.^[4]

In 1996 the governments of the city of Augusta and Richmond County combined to form a consolidated government. The residents of Hephzibah and nearby Blythe voted to maintain their separate city governments prior to this action. Some municipal services in Hephzibah are provided by the consolidated Augusta-Richmond County, while water, fire, and police services are maintained by the city.

Hephzibah is located at 33°18′15″N 82°5′53″W / 33.30417°N 82.09806°W / 33.30417; -82.09806 (33.304126, -82.097923).^[5] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.4 square miles (50.2 km²), of which 0.07 square miles (0.17 km²), or 0.34%, is water.^[6]

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,830 people, 1,424 households, and 1,022 families residing in the city.

Richmond County School System, which covers all of Richmond County,^[9] operates public schools, including Hephzibah Elementary School,^[10] McBean Elementary, Hephzibah Middle School, Pine Hill Middle School, and Hephzibah High School.

There is also a charter school, Georgia School of Innovation and the Classics (GSIC).^[11]

• US 25 / SR 121
• SR 88

This list includes people who were born in Hephzibah or who spent a significant amount of time living in the town.

• Hephzibah High School

• Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Hephzibah