Looking to move? Want a vacation spot that isn’t too far from home? Just want to travel? Chatham County is the way to go. Formed in 1777, Chatham is the fifth oldest county in Georgia and with that it holds rich historical accounts of some of the earliest days of Georgia history. As a coastal county, visitors get to see it all, from small towns to the sea side in Savannah, Georgia. Chatham County is most commonly known for the major city of Savannah. As a visitor myself, I can definitely agree that Savannah has earned its well-known reputation.
Savannah, a popular tourist location with a seaside street, city markets, and a military base, this salt winded city attracts 6 million people per year! Tourists in total spent 1.52 BILLION dollars there in 2003. This makes tourism one of the largest industries in Chatham county. One of the most popular attractions, River Street, offers many shops with a variety of items, tasty salt water taffy, beautiful trinkets, jewelry vendors, you name it! Savannah is also a major Georgian Historical district and the oldest city in Georgia! Established in 1733, James Oglethorpe, the founder of Georgia, landed his ship “Anne” along the Savannah River.
The county manager is Lee Smith and the President of the Chamber of Commerce is William W. Hubbard. The economy in Chatham is booming with new industries and businesses and leaders expect further growth in upcoming years. According to the U.S consensus, there are over 7,559 employer establishments in the county and the largest being the Savannah-Chatham County Board of Education with a grand total of 5654 employees! Currently, manufacturing is the largest industry with tourism at a close second. The county may already sound great, but get this- Visitors and newcomers can expect new developments such as some mixed-use constructions for a development at 56 acres along the Savannah river! The county expects that this will be creating new business and keeping the already low unemployment rates, even lower!
If you don’t want to visit on my words alone, think about the population of 289,082 people who live in the county and enjoy daily life there!
For more information on Chatham county, visit Chathamcounty.org!
