Quitman is a city in and the county seat of Brooks County, Georgia, United States. The population was 3,850 at the 2010 census. The Quitman Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Quitman was a home of James Pierpont, author of the song "Jingle Bells" (1857), and uncle of American financier J.P. Morgan. Pierpont was organist for the First Presbyterian Church. A local Quitman ordinance prohibits chickens from crossing the road. It is called the "Camellia City", as the tree grows in profusion around the area. History Quitman was designated county seat of newly formed Brooks County in 1858. It was incorporated as a town in 1859 and as a city in 1904. As the county seat, it was the center of trading in the county, which was devoted to cotton plantations before and after the American Civil War. The community was named for John A. Quitman, a hero of the Mexican–American War. Geography Quitman is located in southern Georgia at . U.S. Routes 84 and 221 pass through the center of the city. US 84 leads west 121 miles to Dothan, Alabama, while US 221 leads south to Greenville, Florida, and to Interstate 10. US 84 and US 221 together lead east to Interstate 75 and to Valdosta. According to the United States Census Bureau, Quitman has a total area of , of which , or .50%, is water. Demographics 2020 census As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 4,064 people, 1,476 households, and 836 families residing in the city. 2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 4,638 people, 1,707 households, and 1,131 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,034 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 30.98% White, 66.36% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 1.06% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.18% of the population. There were 1,707 households, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.9% were married couples living together, 30.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and