The city of Valdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Valdosta, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 43,724. The Census 2005 estimate showed a population of 124,838 in the Valdosta metropolitan area.

It is located in the coastal plain of Georgia and thus has a virtually flat landscape. Highways stretch for miles with hardly a curve, rise, or fall. The 60 miles (97km) of railway between Valdosta and Waycross was once the longest straight stretch of railroad in the world. As of the census of 2000, there were 43,724 people, 16,692 households, and 10,232 families residing in the city. The population density was 563.9/km² (1,460.3/mi²). There were 18,907 housing units at an average density of 243.8/km² (631.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 47.71% White, 48.49% African American, 0.23% Native American, 1.40% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.90% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.18% of the population.