Royston is a city in Franklin, Hart, and Madison counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 2,649 at the 2020 census.
History
A post office called Royston has been in operation since 1878. The community was named after W.A. Royston, a local merchant. The Georgia General Assembly first incorporated Royston in 1879.
Geography
Royston is located in the southeast corner of Franklin County and the southwest corner of Hart County, with a small portion extending south into Madison County. Its coordinates are 34°17′8″N 83°6′35″W. U.S. Route 29 passes through the center of town, leading northeast 12 miles (19 km) to Hartwell and southwest 30 miles (48 km) to Athens. Georgia State Route 17 leads north from Royston 11 miles (18 km) to Lavonia and southeast 19 miles (31 km) to Elberton.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Royston has a total area of 3.4 square miles (8.8 km²), of which 0.02 square miles (0.05 km²), or 0.51%, is water.
Demographics
As of the 2020 census, Royston had a population of 2,649. The median age was 40.3 years. 24.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.3% were 65 years of age or older. The racial composition was 68.1% White, 24.4% Black or African American, 1.0% Asian, 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9% from some other race, and 4.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race made up 3.4% of the population.
There were 1,118 households, of which 30.1% were married-couple households. Approximately 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
Culture
- Ty Cobb Museum – A museum dedicated to the Baseball Hall of Fame player who was a native of Royston.
- Royston Public Library – A branch of the Athens Regional Library System.
Notable People
- Ty Cobb – Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
- Spud Chandler – Professional baseball pitcher and American League Most Valuable Player in 1943.
- Orville Vernon Burton – Scholar.
- Dee Dowis – Air Force Academy quarterback.
- Clete Donald Johnson, Jr. – Member of the U.S. House of Representatives and United States Trade Representative.
- Tony Jones – Professional football player.
- Terry Kay – Author.
- Gary Walker – Professional football player.
- FPSRussia – YouTuber.
- D. W. Brooks – Farmer and businessman.
- Keyland Rutledge – Former offensive lineman for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and current NFL player.
