Dodge County was created in 1870 from parts of Montgomery, Pulaski, and Telfair counties. Georgia’s 134th county was named for William E. Dodge, a New York businessman who owned large tracts of forest land in Georgia. Dodge helped persuade Congress to remove taxation from timber and built the first county courthouse in 1908 as a gift. The current courthouse was recently renovated by the county.

Eastman, the largest city and the county seat, was named for W. P. Eastman, a friend of Dodge.