Jesup is located in Wayne County, of which it is the county seat, southwest of Savannah between Ludowicki and Nahunta along Highway 341 on the banks of the Altamaha River in the Historic South Region of the state. The population estimate for July 1, 1998 was 9,584, an increase of 626 since 1990.
Jesup was named after Gen. Thomas Sidney Jesup.