Glennville lies within the coastal plain of Georgia, surrounded by farmland and forest. The Altamaha River is 10 miles (16 km) to the southwest. Less than 2 miles to the east of Glennville, Beards Creek forms the border with Long County; just east of the creek is the edge of Fort Stewart. The nearest major city is Savannah, approximately 50 miles (80 km) east of Glennville. Baxley, Georgia, is 29 miles (47 km) southwest of Glennville.
According to the United States Census Bureau, as of 2020 the city had a total area of 7.13 square miles (18.5 km2), of which 7.05 square miles (18.3 km2) was land and 0.08 square miles (0.21 km2) was water.
Major highways
There are multiple partial concurrencies among route numbers; descriptions are omitted here for simplicity:
US 25 / US 301 (Main Street); travels north–south through downtown.
SR 23 / SR 57 (Barnard Street from downtown to northwest; South Main Street from downtown southward)
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,834 people residing in the city; these included 1,477 households and 1,071 families.
Economy
The Georgia Department of Corrections provides jobs for hundreds of people within Tattnall County and surrounding counties. Smith State Prison, a close-security facility, is located 2 miles north of Glennville. The facility can house 1000+ inmates at any given time.
The city is known for farming crickets to use as animal feed, as well as for pecans.[9]
Media
The Journal Sentinel of Tattnall County, with offices in the county seat of Reidsville as well as in Glennville, has been published since 1879.[10]
In popular culture
Glennville is the principal setting of Eternal Fire, a novel by Georgia-born author Calder Willingham.
Sterling Sharpe, former collegiate and professional football player with the University of South Carolina and the Green Bay Packers. 2014 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee, brother of Shannon Sharpe
Cole Swindell, American country music singer–songwriter
Drew Tarver, actor and comedian; brother of Katelyn Tarver
Katelyn Tarver, singer, actress, and model; sister of Drew Tarver