Folkston, the county seat of Charlton County, was founded on August 19, 1911. The city was named for a predominant family in the Charlton County area.

For a number of years, the city of Folkston was the self-proclaimed “Marriage Capital of the World”. The city embraced this nickname because Floridans who could not endure their state’s waiting period before tying the knot would cross the state line to wed.