Thunderbolt is a small town located in Chatham County about 5 miles southeast of downtown Savannah. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 2,668. It is part of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area. Thunderbolt runs along the western shore of the Wilmington River (a tidal creek that is part of the U.S. Intracoastal Waterway). The town is important to Georgia's shrimping industry, with scores of docks for shrimping trawlers. The town's picturesque atmosphere and seafood restaurants draw many local visitors.
Thunderbolt is located at 32°1'56" North, 81°3'6" West (32.032111, -81.051733).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.8 km²), of which, 1.3 square miles (3.3 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it is water. The total area is 12.41% water.