Americus is the county seat of Sumter County and was founded in 1832. The city was incorporated as a town and established as the county seat December 22, 1832. Americus, the masculine version of America, was named for the western continents, which in turn were named for Amerigo Vespucci.

The international headquarters for Habitat for Humanity is located in Americus. This non-profit organization is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing around the world. It is now one of the top ten homebuilders in the country.