Baldwin County is located in the central part of the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat and largest city is Milledgeville, which lies along the Oconee River. The county covers a total area of about 267 square miles (690 km²), with 258 square miles of land and 9.6 square miles of water. It is situated along the fall line between the Piedmont region to the north and the Atlantic coastal plain to the south. Baldwin County is bordered by Putnam County to the north, Hancock County to the northeast, Washington County to the east, Wilkinson County to the south, and Jones County to the west

. Milledgeville, the county seat, was historically significant as Georgia's state capital from 1807 to 1868 and remains an important cultural and educational center, hosting Georgia College and State University and Georgia Military College