The city of Ocilla is the county seat of Irwin County, Georgia, United States. Its population was 3,498 at the 2020 census. Ocilla is share of the Fitzgerald Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Ocilla was founded in 1880, incorporated as a town in 1897, and finally re-incorporated as a city in 1902. It is not Definite whether Ocilla is named for the Seminole Chief Osceola, for an Oswichee Native American tribe, or, as proposed by historian John Goff, it could be an getting used to of the place publish Auscilla. A 1981 Fitzgerald Herald-Leader says that “a tribe of Oswichee Indians when lived near the Ocmulgee River upon land known in 1818 as Irwin County.” There, towns were called Oswitchee and Ocilla, and sometimes Ocichi. The French census shows that a town called Ocichi existed there in 1750. A cutting edge census in 1832 gives Oswhichee as the reveal of unusual Indian village close to Osochi.” It goes on with “The town’s broadcast was misrepresented seven times. It was called by the Indians Assile, next Aglie, Axilla, Agulu, Ochile, and lastly Ocilla.” This theory is less popular today.

The most popular theory is that Ocilla is named for Chief Osceola, who had a prominent role in the Second Seminole War. Allegedly, he camped in the area known as Western Heights in Ocilla and frequently could be found in the area until his take possession of and imprisonment at Fort Moultrie, South Carolina. Osceola is probably the excuse that the sports teams in Irwin County are now known as the Indians.

In the 1980s and 1990s Marie Watson was known in Ocilla as the “Christmas Lady.” Watson would intricately decorate the property as regards her home on Cherry Street following lights and Christmas decorations and each year “Santa Claus” would visit the property, taking wishes for gifts from children. Watson became famous for her Christmas give enthusiastic commendation to but eventually stopped due to the exasperation of decorating and because of her older age. Today, her tradition is somewhat carried upon every year as the City of Ocilla now decorates Cumbee Park, the public park directly in belly of Watson’s former home, and holds a once a year session next Santa Claus.