The World War II-era story focused on the town's sponsoring of the "Ham and Egg Show," a contest held by African-American farmers to highlight ham and poultry production in Peach County, Georgia.

Georgia State Routes 49, 96, and 540 (Fall Line Freeway) also run through the city.

The Fall Line Freeway runs north of the city as a four-lane divided highway, leading northeast to Byron with GA-49 and west to Reynolds with GA-96.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.3 square miles (14 km2), all land.

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,780 people, 3,040 households, and 1,685 families residing in the city.

Despite being a city of less than 10,000 people, Fort Valley boasts one of the best football teams in the state.

The Peach County High Trojans have played in eight state title games since 1990, and have made the playoffs every year since.

[24] The city is home to Fort Valley State University, a historically black college.