The switch for the stop light was located in the barber shop. The traffic light was at an intersection that was bypassed by a shortcut (Main Street – see a local map) so that local residents would not even come to the light when making the turn at the light. Thus, all the tickets went to nonresidents without the police having to be selective since no locals would be at the light. A song was also written about the town. Then-Governor Lester Maddox posted billboards warning tourists to avoid the town because ticket-related corruption was so bad. Word of mouth and media exposure caused many motorists to detour around Ludowici. A 1970 TIME article said that Ludowici was "one of the last remaining speed traps in the country." Reason reported that it wasn't the activity of Governor Maddox that ultimately ended the speed trap activities of the town, but rather that, "In the end, Ludowici was brought down not by Maddox, but by Interstate 95. Tourists no longer had to run a gauntlet of cops and flim-flam men to reach Florida's sunnier climes, and the town faded into well-deserved obscurity." Geography Ludowici, in southeast Georgia, is located from the Atlantic coast. Nearby communities include Jesup to the southwest via US Routes 301, 84, and 25; Darien to the southeast via State Route 57; Hinesville/Fort Stewart to the northeast via US 84; and Glennville to the northwest via US 301 and 25. According to the United States Census Bureau, Ludowici has a total area of , of which , or 0.54%, are water. The city drains west to Jones Creek and east to Doctors Creek, both tributaries of the Altamaha River. Demographics 2020 census As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,590 people, 763 households, and 573 families residing in the city. 2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 1,440 people, 526 households, and 370 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 636 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 72.78% White, 23.82% African American, 1.18% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 1.25% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.9% of the population. There were 526 households, out of which 41.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them,