Explore the Region

The region around Oxford College is more rural but arguably no less interesting than Atlanta, especially for students who love to explore. 

Oxford College is so named for the small city in which it is nestled.  The City of Oxford is two square miles in area with about 1,600 residents, quite a few of whom have current or past ties to the college and not uncommonly invite students into their homes for gatherings.  Students are able to stroll, jog, or cycle safely along a woodland multi-use trail system and through the neighborhoods.  For lovers of history, the vestiges of Emory's beginning and early decades are still apparent and well-marked, including several 19^th century homes, institutional buildings, and cemeteries in which are interred the founders of Emory, casualties from both armies of the Civil War, and slaves who supported college and town families. Multiple histories have been written and published that tell the stories.

Immediately adjacent to Oxford is the City of Covington, often called the "Hollywood of the South" for the many movies and television series filmed there (In the Heat of the Night, The Dukes of Hazzard, Remember the Titans, and more than two dozen others).  Covington offers all the amenities of a moderately sized suburban city.  Of particular popularity among Oxford College students is the Historic Downtown Covington Square, less than two miles away, with its boutiques, restaurants, salons, bakery, and ice cream/candy/coffee shops. 

Newton County, in which Oxford and Covington are located, is one of the fastest growing counties in the nation.  The result is a place in transition with one foot still firmly set in farmland, rivers, and forests and the other in Metropolitan Atlanta.  For the county residents and leaders, the ongoing transition presents both challenges and opportunities.  For Oxford students, it means access to a bit of both worlds. 

A student at Oxford College can take a day trip to enjoy the out of doors at nearby Hard Labor Creek State Park, the Arabia Mountain Heritage Area, the Georgia Wildlife Federation, the Charlie Elliot Wildlife Center, or one of the county's numerous parks.  Or, if the great outdoors does not appeal, a short trip to Madison, Monticello, Eatonton, Milledgeville or any of dozens of smaller villages and hamlets will offer distinct and memorable experiences.  The same student traveling west on I-20, however, can access all major retailers, restaurants, and theaters in ten minutes, in fifteen minutes one of the most successful malls in the Southeast, and in forty minutes downtown Atlanta.

Two years at Oxford passes quickly, so enjoy it all, and again -- explore!  The potential adventures are too numerous to count, and the experiences range from the curious and quaint to the sublime and beautiful - assuredly anything but boring.