The county was created from parts of Bulloch, Emanuel, and Tattnall counties. Georgia’s 48th county was named for former Governor Allen D. Candler who spent a great deal of his retirement years compiling the state’s Colonial, Revolutionary, and Confederate records.

The Candler County Courthouse, built in 1921, and the South Metter Residential Historic District, comprised of 75 late 19th and early 20th century homes on landscaped boulevards, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.