Ideal is a city in Macon County, Georgia, United States. The population was 407 at the 2020 census, down from 499 in 2010.

History

The town was originally named "Joetown", but when two railroad executives stopped in the town, one proclaimed it an "ideal" place for a railroad station, and the other declared he'd just named it.

The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Ideal as a town in 1906.

Geography

Ideal is located in western Macon County at 32°22′23″N 84°11′20″W/32.37306°N 84.18889°W/ 32.37306; -84.18889 (32.372918, -84.188822). Georgia State Route 90 passes through the center of town, leading southeast 10 miles (16 km) to Oglethorpe, the county seat, and northwest 8 miles (13 km) to Rupert.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.16 square miles (3.0 km2), of which 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2), or 0.95%, are water. It resides at the confluence of Whitewater and Cedar creeks, two spring-fed tributaries of the Flint River.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1910186
192030463.4%
1930285−6.2%
1940238−16.5%
195031833.6%
196043235.8%
197054325.7%
198061914.0%
1990554−10.5%
2000518−6.5%
2010499−3.7%
2020407−18.4%
U.S. Decennial Census 1850-1870 1880 1890-1910 1920-1930 1930-1940 1940-1950 1960-1980 1990
Ideal racial composition as of 2020
RaceNum.Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)11327.76%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)27066.34%
Asian10.25%
Other/Mixed215.16%
Hispanic or Latino20.49%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 407 people, 124 households, and 64 families residing in the city.