Tifton - 'the Friendly City' is located in south-eastern United States. With a population of about 15,000 it has a small town vibe, but a business district worth millions of US dollars.

Where did it come from?

Founded in the 1872 as a saw mill, Tifton quickly became 'The Gateway to Florida' as the main railroad from Georgia to Florida passed through the town. It remained a small town until the motorway Interstate 75 was built, and realising that Tifton was the only suitable town directly in between Atlanta and Orlando, businesses moved in like wildfire. Suddenly the small farming town became a bustling, congested, small farming town. In a desperate attempt to protect local small business, the town created 'Historic Downtown Tifton' where no buildings could be torn down or altered. This part of town quickly became what locals called 'Ghosttown' after Wal-Mart moved in, and remained that until the downtown revitalisation began in the year 2000.

And what's there to see?

Tifton is strategically placed on Interstate 75 (Atlanta to Orlando), but also Highway 82 (Brunswick to Columbus), and Highway 319 (Talahassee to Atlanta). Due to a huge influx of travellers, most of the town's business are centered around the intersection of these three. Many people either run out of fuel, feel hungry, or get sleepy just close enough to make it to a gas station, restaurant or hotel in Tifton. It has been theorised that the city council constructed some paranormal device situated outside of town to make this happen, but as of yet no such device has been found.

The town's major tourist trap is The Agrirama. Also conveniently situated on I-75 this 'Living History Museum' is full of buildings from the 1890s, vehicles from the 1890s, and miraculously, people from the 1890s¹. Every year the museum holds an Independence Day Celebration, with one of the largest firework displays in the region, bringing out thousands of Tiftonians and pulling people off the interstate in droves.

Along with the Agrirama, many poor unsuspecting tourists visit 'The Great Magnolia', the world's second largest Magnolia tree. Surprisingly, it is one of Tifton's most urban objects as the trunk is covered in grafitti, and also surrounded by a large industrial park which found its way (perplexingly) into the small town.

Although it doesn't really draw people off the road, Tifton does have a fairly nice 'Historic Downtown' featuring actual buildings from the 1920s, old style sidewalks and large murals. There are some very nice 'Mom & Pop' operations and trip-back-in-time fashion stores. If you're interested in guns, hunting and that sort of thing, Tifton is heaven. There are many gun stores and an army surplus depot that sells what an animal rights activist would consider strange and horrific objects.

If you're a tourist, avoid all areas south of Highway 82 and east of I-75. This is a crime plagued area that includes up to 25 gangs, an astounding amount for such a small town. It also contains one of the largest middle schools in town. This was one of the 'Black Schools', as Tifton remained segregated until the late 1970s.

But the big cash-cow, the reason the roads are clogged for miles and the town has millions of dollars it can throw around on a whim, is the Wal-Mart. Tifton has the second largest and most successful Wal-Mart in the area and it's rumored to make a million US$ a week². People from all over South Georgia come to the Wal-Mart to stock up their food stores for the ensuing Japanese invasion (yes, there still are some older locals who believe that an invasion is imminent).

Eat at Joes?

Most restaurants in Tifton are in fact fast food places, but since they are the towns main eateries they are considered restaurants by the locals. The most classy establishment in Tifton is a contested title, but the front runners are New China Buffet, Red Lobster, Longhorn Steakhouse and Chicago's Italian Food. Of course all the usual fast food outlets are present including 5 Subways, 3 Waffle Houses, 2 McDonalds, 2 Burger Kings and an extremely oversized Wendy's.

Staying Overnight?

Realising its potential, many hotel's have fought bitterly over land in Tifton. Though there are many estimates as to how many hotels are actually in Tifton, most range between 40 and 50,000³. There are plenty of nice hotels for people to stay at, the finest of course is the Marriot⁴, conveniently next to a Applebees, however the Days Inn does feature a very fine Country Style restaurant and a Starbucks.

As far as living in Tifton goes, it's only half recommended. The crime rate in most of the city is fairly low, there are plenty of nice services for the wealthy and an unfashionable amount of services for the very un-wealthy. Tifton features an Agricultural College, ABAC, but generally has a poor education system. Traffic is horrendous for such a small town, but certainly better than any town with a population over 100,000.

Tifton also has a surprisingly large high-wealth population considering its area. Most of these people are doctors or pre I-75 land owners who got rich selling their property. Tifton has a large medical center that serves the immediate surrounding area, which, luckily for the doctors, is filled with ageing locals who refuse to move to 'Northern-ised' Florida.

Tifton After Dark

Nightlife in Tifton consists of the young people driving around the mall yelling obscenities at each other. This happens on Friday and Saturday nights and is best avoided.

Further Information

For more about the 'the Friendly City' try Tifton or the Official Tifton Tourism website.