Adel, Georgia, incorporated on October 3, 1889, was originally named Puddleville. Its first postmaster, Joel Parrish, was said to have noticed the word Philadelphia on a croker sack, struck through the first and last four letters of the city of brotherly love, thus giving birth to the new name for which he’d been searching.

Adel is located about 30 miles north of Valdosta. Traffic from nearby Interstate 75 contributes reliably to its economic growth. The local hospital and school systems, including a satellite school of Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, are the area’s largest employers.

A point of interest in downtown Adel is the Jim Paulk-SOWEGA building, dubbed the "Watermelon Building" because of its exterior motif of watermelons. The building used to be the headquarters for the Southwest Georgia Watermelon Association, but now houses the Chamber of Commerce.

Just south of Adel, motor sports enthusiasts can enjoy speedway, drag and stock car racing at the South Georgia Motorsports Park. The facility features a quarter-mile, allconcrete dragstrip & a half-mile, paved, oval racetrack. For info, visit www.racesgmp.com.

Adel is also home to Reed Bingham State Park, a 1,600+ acre park surrounding a 375-acre lake, attracting South Georgians for boating, fishing, swimming and water skiing. Land lovers enjoy miles of hiking trails through a cypress swamp and opportunities to observe indigenous wildlife including thousands of black vultures and turkey vultures that make their home along the Little River. With a population of a little over 5,300, Adel proudly retains the atmosphere of a friendly small town. Visit www.cityofadel.us for more information.

Click to View City Map of Adel