Darien is a small coastal city and the county seat of McIntosh County, Georgia, set amid the tidal marshes and rivers of the state's central coast, roughly midway between Savannah to the north and Brunswick to the south. The city sits near the mouth of the Altamaha River, one of the largest river systems on the Atlantic coast of the United States. At the 2020 census, Darien reported a population of about 1,720, though the city serves as a hub for a broader rural county of roughly 11,000 people. Darien holds a distinctive place in Georgia history as the state's second-oldest city, after Savannah. It was founded in 1736 by Scottish Highlanders who named the settlement New Inverness; General James Oglethorpe brought the settlers to the site, and the community later became known as Darien. The nearby Fort King George Historic Site, established as the earliest British outpost on Georgia's coast, preserves the region's colonial military history, and the area's story also includes a preserved Gullah-Geechee heritage and ties to Sapelo Island. The local economy has long been tied to the water. Timber dominated early commerce, carried down the Altamaha, and by the 20th century Darien had become homeport to a large commercial shrimp fleet, making seafood a defining part of the city's identity. Today, Darien remains a working coastal community, with fishing, shrimping, and tourism rooted in its maritime and historic character. Darien appeals to residents and buyers seeking authentic small-town coastal living, historic architecture, and access to the marshes, rivers, and barrier islands of the Georgia coast, within reach of Brunswick's regional services and employment.