Augusta (also known as Augusta–Richmond County) is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. The city of Augusta and Richmond County governments merged operations in 1996; as of 2010, the Augusta-Richmond County estimated population was 200,590 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.

Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County Metropolitan Statistical Area, which as of 2009 had an estimated population of 539,154. Augusta is thus the second-largest city in Georgia and the second-largest metro area in the state after Atlanta, as well as the 114th-largest city in the U.S. Internationally, Augusta is best known for hosting The Masters golf tournament each spring, and for being the hometown of funk/soul singer James Brown.