Adel is a small town with far-reaching industrial impact
Incorporated in 1889, Adel is a city in the Coastal Plains region of southern Georgia that maintains a small-town atmosphere while also adopting modern amenities. With a population of just over 5,500 residents according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Adel provides residents a strong sense of community. “The hometown feel is what really draws people to Adel,” says Jim Long, an experienced Realtor with Jim Long Real Estate and longtime resident of Adel. “Everybody knows everybody; people will wave at you while you drive down the road or come up to you while you’re out at the store. It’s one big, close-knit community.” The town of Sparks is less than a mile from Adel, and this closeness prompted a local catchphrase: “The saying around here is ‘Adel is so close to Hell, you can see Sparks,’” Long says. Southern Georgia’s humid weather and persistent heat help back up the slogan.
Adel put its name on the map when it became a stop on the Georgia Southern & Florida Railroad around the turn of the 19th century. And even though the rail line is still in operation, today the city’s name remains on the map because of its prominence in the steel building industry. “Adel is probably the steel building capital of the South, and if not first, then we’re second only to Birmingham in Alabama,” Long says. Bordering Adel, the South Cook Industrial District is a vast area full of steel manufacturing facilities, distribution centers and warehouses. Another driving industry in this area is agriculture, showcased by a patchwork of farms outside the city. Steel products and agricultural goods are distributed via Interstate 75, a major thoroughfare that runs through Adel and north across the eastern United States.
Affordable housing options attract new residents to southern Georgia
Adel has a mix of housing options, with listed properties spending an average of 81 days on the market. “Older homes from the 80s and 90s are mostly ranch-styles, but stuff being built now is more traditional,” Long says. “Adel is growing a bit; there are a lot of people coming up from Florida because it’s more affordable here in South Georgia. We’ve got a lot of apartment buildings under construction, and if I had to guess, I’d say there are 8 to 10 houses being built at the moment.” Adel has a median home price of approximately $240,000, lower than both the state and national medians. Manufactured homes range from roughly $50,000 to $150,000, while red-brick ranch-style houses, Craftsman-style homes and new builds typically cost between $150,000 and $450,000. Most of Adel’s new construction built post-2020 starts at around $300,000 and is part of newer subdivisions on the city’s outskirts.
Cook County Schools offer B-rated education options
Adel is zoned for the Cook County Schools district, which receives an overall B rating from Niche. Cook Primary School is a B-plus-rated early education institution for prekindergarten through second grade. Students in grades three through five can attend Cook Elementary School, which has a B-minus rating. Cook Middle and Cook High School are both rated B. High school students can enroll in Career, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE) courses or apply for the school’s Work-Based Learning program, which allows part-time jobs and unpaid internships to count toward school credit. Adel's only private school option is Community Christian Academy, a B-plus-rated institution with a full prekindergarten through 12th-grade pipeline. For higher education opportunities, the public Valdosta State University is 24 miles south and offers almost 200 programs of study across all degree levels.
City and state parks offer outdoor recreation
When it comes to outdoor recreation, Long says that Adel residents will often head to Reed Bingham State Park, less than 8 miles from downtown. Covering more than 1,600 acres, the park’s main attraction is a 375-acre lake. “People go to Reed Bingham for camping, mini golfing, and things like fishing, boating and water skiing on the lake,” Long says. “There are also some really beautiful nature trails.” Adel is home to several neighborhood parks and sports complexes, including a little league complex maintained by Adel and Cook County’s recreation departments. Circlestone Country Club has a public 18-hole golf course that hosts annual tournaments. For a weekend trip to the ocean, Long says it takes about two and a half hours to drive to beaches on the Gulf of Mexico.
Commercial businesses between Adel, Sparks and Valdosta
Adel has a small commercial presence that is made up of a mix of local and chain businesses. “We’ve got a little bit of shopping and a little dining, but not a lot of either,” Long says. He adds that if people want to go out to bars and enjoy the nightlife scene, they can drive 30 minutes south of Valdosta, which is more urban and has a larger downtown area. “Our downtown only has really three or four restaurants and a few shops, but we are one of the few towns around here that still has a real jeweler,” Long says. In the heart of downtown Adel, eclectic storefronts and brick buildings line a couple of blocks along U.S. Route 41, also known as Georgia Grown Trail 41. National chains in Adel include convenience stores at gas stations, various fast-food eateries, a Tractor Supply Co. and Walmart Supercenter. Sparks is home to Horse Creek Winery, a popular 40-acre event venue and vineyard with wine-tasting hours four days a week.
Downtown events include the Adel Daylily Festival
The annual Adel Daylily Festival is the city’s premier event, which takes place over a weekend every May. “The festival is held downtown, and it always draws in tons of folks from the area and out of town,” Long says. In past years, the festival has welcomed more than 5,000 attendees. Some of the festival's main events include the Adel Daylily Show and Sale, the Daylily City 5K Run and the Adel Daylily Street Stomp. Other downtown events throughout the year include holiday celebrations, Cars and Coffee meetups and seasonal parades. In Adel’s far south end is the South Georgia Motorsports Park, a car racing track where spectators can watch professional competitions.
Convenience to Interstate 75
There is no public transportation in Adel or within the city’s vicinity, so residents rely primarily on their cars. Parts of Route 41 in the downtown area are walkable, but sidewalks are inconsistent throughout the area. Interstate 75 is the city’s main artery and takes residents directly south to Valdosta, approximately 24 miles away. The Valdosta Regional Airport offers passenger flight services to and from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Adel has a Southwell healthcare system campus that includes Southwell Medical, a non-emergency hospital and a surgical center. The nearest emergency room is at the SGMC Health – Berrien Campus general hospital, 13 miles away in Nashville. SGMC Health’s main hospital campus is located in Valdosta.
