On November 25, 1815, the Georgia General Assembly declared that the new county seat be named Jacksonville after the hero of the recent Battle of New Orleans, Andrew Jackson.

The results are unknown, but the county seat remained at Jacksonville until after the American Civil War.

In 1871, the seat was transferred from Jacksonville to McRae, which had been established as a station on the Macon and Brunswick Railroad a year before.

[5] The world record largemouth bass was caught near Jacksonville on June 2, 1932, by George Perry.

[6] According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2), all land.