Hephzibah is a city in southern Richmond County, Georgia, located about 14 to 15 miles southwest of downtown Augusta. It is part of the Augusta metropolitan area and the broader Central Savannah River Area, a bi-state region that straddles the Georgia-South Carolina line along the Savannah River. Its roughly 3,800 residents live in a community that balances rural heritage with suburban convenience. The area was settled during the colonial era and later became known as Brothersville. Its modern name dates to 1860, when the Hephzibah Association of Baptist churches established Hephzibah High School at the community, and the state formally renamed the town Hephzibah in 1870. Local writer Walter A. Clark chronicled the community's early days in his 1909 book "A Lost Arcadia." For generations, agriculture and small-scale trade formed the backbone of the local economy, and farms and homesteads continue to shape the surrounding countryside. In 1996, the governments of Augusta and Richmond County consolidated, though Hephzibah retains its own municipal identity within the county. Today Hephzibah is a largely residential community with a suburban-rural mix and a high rate of homeownership. It sits near the Fort Eisenhower military installation, formerly Fort Gordon, which influences the local economy and population. Public schools are part of the Richmond County School System, with Hephzibah Elementary and Hephzibah High School serving the area, the latter the largest high school by attendance in the county. Residents enjoy outdoor amenities led by the 286-acre Diamond Lakes Regional Park, and Augusta Transit extends service into the Hephzibah area. For homebuyers, the city offers space, a quieter pace, and a short commute to Augusta's employment, healthcare, and cultural centers.