From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[edit]

This article may be too long. Please discuss this issue on the talk page and help summarize or split the content into subarticles of an article series.

City of Atlanta
Flag
Nickname: Hotlanta,[1] The A-T-L[2]
Location in Fulton and DeKalb counties and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 33°45′18″N 84°23′24″W / 33.755, -84.39
Country	United States
State	Georgia
Counties	Fulton, DeKalb
Terminus	1837
Marthasville	1843
City of Atlanta	1847[3]
Government
- Mayor	Shirley Franklin (D)
Area
- City	132.4 sq mi (343.0 km²)
- Land	131.8 sq mi (341.2 km²)
- Water	0.7 sq mi (1.8 km²)
Elevation	738-1,050 ft (225-320 m)
Population (2006)
- City	486,411
- Density	3,690.5/sq mi (1,220.5/km²)
- Urban	3,499,840
- Metro	5,138,233
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Area code(s)	404, 678, 770
FIPS code	13-04000GR2
GNIS feature ID	0351615GR3
Major Airport	Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport- ATL (Major/International)
Website: http://www.atlantaga.gov/

Atlanta (pronounced /ætˈlæntə/) is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Georgia, and the core city of the ninth most populous metropolitan area in the United States. It is the county seat of Fulton County, although portions of the city extend into DeKalb County. As of July 2006, the city of Atlanta had a population of 486,411^[4] and a metropolitan population of 5,138,223,^[5] making it the nation's ninth-largest metro area. Residents of the city are known as Atlantans.

Atlanta has in recent years undergone a transition from a city of regional commerce to a city of international influence.^[6] Between 2000 and 2006, the Atlanta metropolitan area grew 20.5%, making it the fastest growing metropolitan area in the nation.^[7] Atlanta is often considered a poster child for cities worldwide experiencing rapid growth and urban sprawl.^[8][9]

During the Civil Rights Movement, Atlanta stood apart from southern cities that supported segregation, touting itself as "The City Too Busy to Hate." The city's progressive civil rights record and existing population of blacks made it increasingly popular as a relocation destination for black Americans. Blacks soon became the dominant social and political force in the city, though today some measure of demographic diversification has taken place.^[10] Along with St. Louis and Los Angeles, Atlanta is one of three cities in the United States to have hosted the Summer Olympic Games.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 2.1 Topography 2.2 Climate 3 Cityscape 4 Culture 4.1 Tourism 4.2 Entertainment and performing arts 4.3 Sports 4.3.1 Major League Sports 4.3.2 Other Sports Organizations 4.4 Media 4.5 Religion 5 Economy 6 Demographics 7 Law and government 7.1 Crime 7.2 Surrounding cities 8 Education 8.1 Colleges and universities 8.2 Public schools 8.3 Private schools 9 Transportation 10 Sister cities 11 See also 12 References 13 External links

Main article: History of Atlanta

See also: Atlanta in the Civil War

On December 21, 1836 the Georgia General Assembly voted to build the Western and Atlantic Railroad to provide a trade route to the Midwest.^[11] The area around the eastern terminus to the line began to develop. By 1842, the settlement had six buildings and 30 residents and the town was renamed "Marthasville".^[12] After a few renames, the Chief Engineer of the Georgia Railroad, J. Edgar Thomson, suggested that the area be renamed "Atlantica-Pacifica", which was quickly shortened to "Atlanta".^[12] The residents approved, and the town was incorporated as "Atlanta" on December 29, 1847.^[13]

As more railroads were constructed, the town experienced a small boom, reaching 2,500 in population. In 1848, the first mayor was elected, the first homicide occurred and the first jail was built. Sidewalks were constructed and a town marshal appointed. By 1854 another railroad connected Atlanta to LaGrange, and the town grew to 7,741 by 1860.^[14][15]

During the American Civil War, Atlanta served as an important railroad and military supply hub. In 1864, the city became the target of a major Union invasion. The area now covered by Atlanta was the scene of several battles, including the Battle of Peachtree Creek, the Battle of Atlanta, and the Battle of Ezra Church. On September 1, 1864, Confederate General John Bell Hood evacuated Atlanta after a four-month siege mounted by Union General William T. Sherman and ordered all public buildings and possible Confederate assets destroyed. The next day, Mayor James Calhoun surrendered the city, and on September 7 Sherman ordered the civilian population to evacuate. He then ordered Atlanta burned to the ground on November 11 in preparation for his punitive march south, though spared the city's churches and hospitals.^[16]

The rebuilding of the city—immortalized in the city's symbol, the phoenix—was gradual. From 1867 until 1888, U.S. Army soldiers occupied McPherson Barracks in southwest Atlanta to ensure Reconstruction era reforms. To help the newly freed slaves, the Federal Government set up a Freedmen's Bureau, which helped establish what is now Clark Atlanta University, one of several historically black colleges in Atlanta.

In 1868, Atlanta became the fifth city to serve as the state capital.^[17] Henry W. Grady, the editor of the Atlanta Constitution, promoted the city to investors as a city of the "New South", one built on a modern economy, less reliant on agriculture. In the 1880s Georgia School of Technology and Atlanta Hospital were founded.^[18]

As Atlanta grew, ethnic and racial tensions mounted. The Atlanta Race Riot of 1906 left at least 27 dead^[19] and over seventy injured. In 1913, Leo Frank, a Jewish supervisor at a factory in Atlanta was put on trial for raping and murdering a thirteen-year old white employee from a suburb of Atlanta, ultimately resulting in Frank's lynching.

With the entry of the United States into World War II, soldiers from around the Southeastern United States went through Atlanta to train and later be discharged at Fort McPherson. War-related manufacturing such as the Bell Aircraft factory in the suburb of Marietta helped boost the city's population and economy. Shortly after the war, the Communicable Disease Center (CDC) was founded in Atlanta.

In the wake of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education, which helped usher in the Civil Rights Movement, racial tensions in Atlanta began to express themselves in acts of violence. On October 12, 1958, a Reform Jewish temple on Peachtree Street was bombed. The "Confederate Underground" claimed responsibility. Many believed that Jews, especially those from the northeast, were advocates of the Civil Rights Movement.

In the 1960s, Atlanta was a major organizing center of the US Civil Rights Movement, with Dr. Martin Luther King and students from Atlanta's historically black colleges and universities playing major roles in the movement's leadership. On October 19, 1960, a sit-in at the lunch counters of several Atlanta department stores led to the arrest of Dr. King and several students, drawing attention from the national media and from presidential candidate John F. Kennedy.^{[citation needed]} Despite this incident, Atlanta's political and business leaders fostered Atlanta's image as "the city too busy to hate". In 1961, Mayor Ivan Allen Jr. became one of the few Southern white mayors to support desegregation of Atlanta's public schools.^{[citation needed]} While the city mostly avoided confrontation, minor race riots did occur in 1965 and in 1968.^{[citation needed]}

In 1990, Atlanta was selected as the site for the Centennial Olympic Games 1996 Summer Olympics. Following the announcement, Atlanta undertook several major construction projects to improve the city's parks, sports facilities, and transportation. Former Mayor Bill Campbell allowed many "tent cities" to be built. Atlanta became the third American city to host the Summer Olympics, after St. Louis and Los Angeles. The games themselves were marred by numerous organizational inefficiencies as well as the Centennial Olympic Park bombing.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 343.0 km² (132 sq mi). 341.2 km² (132 sq mi) of it is land and 1.8 km² (1 sq mi) of it is water. The total area is 0.51% water. At about 1,050 feet (320 m) above mean sea level (the airport is 1,010 feet (308 m)), Atlanta sits atop a ridge south of the Chattahoochee River. Atlanta has the highest elevation of any major city east of Denver.

The Eastern Continental Divide line enters Atlanta from the south, proceeding to downtown. From downtown, the divide line runs eastward along DeKalb Avenue and the CSX rail lines through Decatur.^[20] Rainwater that falls on the south and east side runs eventually into the Atlantic Ocean while rainwater on the north and west side of the divide runs into the Gulf of Mexico.^[20]

The latter is via the Chattahoochee River, part of the ACF River Basin, and from which Atlanta and many of its neighbors draw most of their water. Being at the far northwestern edge of the city, much of the river's natural habitat is still preserved, in part by the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Downstream however, excessive water use during droughts and pollution during floods has been a source of contention and legal battles with neighboring states Alabama and Florida.^[21][22]

Atlanta has a humid subtropical climate, (Cfa) according to the Köppen classification, with hot, humid summers and mild to chilly winters by the standards of the United States. July highs average 90 °F (32 °C) or above, and low average 67 °F (19 °C). Infrequently, temperatures can even exceed 100 °F (38 °C). The highest temperature recorded in the city is 107 °F (42 °C), reached on July 13 and July 17, 2007. January is the coldest month, with an average high of 50 °F (10 °C), and low of 29 °F (−2 °C). Warm fronts can bring springlike temperatures in the 60s and 70s in winter, and Arctic air masses can drop temperatures into the teens as well. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −9 °F (−23 °C) on 13 February 1899. A close second was −8 °F (−22 °C), reached on 21 January 1985.

Like the rest of the southeastern U.S., Atlanta receives abundant rainfall, which is relatively evenly distributed throughout the year. Average annual rainfall is 50.2 inches (1,275 mm).^[23] An average year sees frost on 36 days; snowfall averages about 2 inches (5 cm) annually. The heaviest single storm brought 10 inches (25 cm) on January 23, 1940.^[24] Frequent ice storms can cause more problems than snow; the most severe such storm may have occurred on January 7, 1973.^[25]

In 2007, the American Lung Association ranked Atlanta as having the 13th highest level of particle pollution in the country^[26] The combination of pollution and pollen levels, and uninsured citizens caused the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America to name Atlanta as the worst American city for asthma sufferers to live in.^[27]

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures for Atlanta, GA (30328)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rec High °F	75	80	85	91	95	101	107	102	98	88	84	76
Norm High °F	50	55	63	71	78	84	90	86	81	72	62	53
Norm Low °F	29	32	38	45	54	62	67	66	60	47	39	32
Rec Low °F	-8	-9	6	24	31	40	48	50	28	25	10	-1
Precip (in)	5.34	4.28	5.52	4.04	4.63	3.66	4.17	4.32	3.87	3.58	3.73	4.18
Source: The Weather Channel[28]

See also: Architecture of Atlanta and List of Atlanta neighborhoods

Atlanta's skyline is punctuated with highrise and midrise buildings of modern and postmodern vintage. Its tallest landmark – the Bank of America Plaza – is the 26th-tallest building in the world at 1,023 feet (312 m), and was one of the ten tallest buildings on Earth when built.^{[citation needed]} It is also the tallest building in the United States outside of Chicago and New York City.^[29]

The city's highrises are clustered in three districts in the city—Downtown, Midtown, and Buckhead.^[30] (there are two more major suburban clusters, Perimeter Center to the north and Cumberland/Vinings to the northwest). The central business district, clustered around the Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel – the tallest building in Atlanta at the time of its completion in 1976 – also includes the newer 191 Peachtree Tower, SunTrust Plaza, Georgia-Pacific Tower, and the buildings of Peachtree Center. Midtown Atlanta, farther north, developed rapidly after the completion of One Atlantic Center in 1987.

The influx of business to Midtown has continued^{[original research?]} – the district's newest tower, 1180 Peachtree, opened in 2006 at a height of 645 feet (197 m), and won a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Award that year from the U.S. Green Building Council. Atlanta has been in the midst of a construction and retail boom, with over 60 new highrise or midrise buildings either proposed or under construction as of April 19, 2006.^[2] October 2005 marked the opening of Atlantic Station, a former brownfield steel plant site redeveloped into a mixed-use urban district. In early 2006, Mayor Franklin set in motion a plan to make the 14-block stretch of Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta (nicknamed "Midtown Mile") a street-level shopping destination envisioned to rival Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive or Chicago's Magnificent Mile.^[31][32]

In spite of civic efforts such as the opening of Centennial Olympic Park in downtown in 1996, Atlanta ranks near last in area of park land per capita among cities of similar population density, with 8.9 acres per thousand residents (36 m²/resident) in 2005.^[33] The city has a reputation, however, as a "city of trees" or a "city in a forest";^[34][35] beyond the central Atlanta and Buckhead business districts, the skyline gives way to a sometimes dense canopy of woods that spreads into the suburbs. Founded in 1985, Trees Atlanta has planted and distributed over 68,000 shade trees.^[36]

The city's northern section, Buckhead, is consistently ranked by the Robb Report as one of the most affluent communities in the United States.^{[citation needed]} Since the opening of the intown segment of the Georgia 400 tollway, which linked the district to the city superhighway system in the early 1990s, Buckhead has developed a dense commercial district, clustered around the high-end retail centers at Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza and including a growing number of office buildings and residential highrises, some in the 40+ story range. The Mansion on Peachtree, a 42 Story Luxury Hotel and Condominium tower will open in Early 2008 and the 50 story 3344 Peachtree/Sovereign, planned to reach 660 feet (201 m), is due for completion in late 2007.^[37]

The edge cities clustered around Perimeter Mall and Cumberland Mall have distinct skylines of their own. The Concourse at Landmark Center, located near Perimeter Mall in Sandy Springs, includes a pair of buildings called the King and Queen that each measure 570 feet (174 m) in total height.

Main article: Culture of Atlanta, Georgia

See also: Atlanta attractions

See also: Popular music artists from Atlanta

Atlanta hosts a variety of museums on subjects ranging from history to fine arts, natural history, and beverages. Prominent among them are sites honoring Atlanta's participation in the civil rights movement, including the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. Other history museums and attractions include the Atlanta History Center; the Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum (a huge painting and diorama in-the-round, with a rotating central audience platform, that depicts the Battle of Atlanta in the Civil War); the Carter Center and Presidential Library; historic house museum Rhodes Hall; and the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum.

The arts are represented by several theaters and museums, including the Fox Theatre. The Woodruff Arts Center is home to the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony, and High Museum of Art. The Atlanta Contemporary Art Center is the city's home for challenging contemporary art and education geared toward working artists and collectors of art. Museums geared specifically towards children include the Fernbank Science Center and Imagine It! Atlanta's Children's Museum. The Atlanta Opera, which was founded in 1979 by members of two struggling local companies, is now one of the fastest growing opera companies in the nation and garners attention from audiences around the world.^[38]

Atlanta features the world's largest aquarium,^{[citation needed]} the Georgia Aquarium, which officially opened to the public on November 23, 2005. Adjacent is the new World of Coca-Cola which opened in May 2007, featuring the history of the world famous soft drink brand. Underground Atlanta, a historic shopping and entertainment complex is situated under the streets of downtown Atlanta. Atlantic Station, a huge new urban renewal project on the northwestern edge of Midtown Atlanta, officially opened in October 2005. The Varsity, featured as the world's largest drive-in restaurant,^[39] is located in Midtown Atlanta.

Piedmont Park hosts many of Atlanta's festivals and cultural events.^[40] Next to the park is the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Zoo Atlanta, with a panda exhibit, is in Grant Park. Just east of the city, Stone Mountain is the largest piece of exposed granite in the world.^[41] A few miles west of Atlanta on I-20 is the Six Flags Over Georgia Theme Park.

Atlanta's classical music scene includes well-renowned ensembles such as the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Opera, Atlanta Ballet, period-instrument ensemble New Trinity Baroque, Atlanta Boy Choir, and many others. Classical musicians include renowned conductors such as the late Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony's Robert Spano.

The city has a well-known and active live music scene, though recently rapid gentrification and early venue closing times have hurt small clubs and other music venues. In the early 1980s, Atlanta was the home of a thriving new wave music scene featuring such bands as The Brains and The Producers, closely linked to the new wave scenes in Athens, Georgia and other college towns in the southeast.

Historically there have been a variety of live music traditions going back to Cabbagetown country music pioneer Fiddlin' John Carson, also including a thriving scene in the 90's, also in Cabbagetown, centered around a bar called Dotties, now known as Lenny's and relocated a few blocks away. Video Concert Hall, precursor to MTV, was founded in Atlanta.

This section's length may adversely affect readability. Please discuss this issue on the talk page and help summarize or split the content into subarticles of an article series.

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (December 2007)

Atlanta has a rich sports history, including the oldest on-campus Division I football stadium, Bobby Dodd Stadium, built in 1913 by the students of Georgia Tech. Atlanta also played host to the second intercollegiate football game in the South, played between the A&M College of Alabama and the University of Georgia in Piedmont Park in 1892; this game is now called the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. The city hosts college football's annual Chick-fil-A Bowl (Formerly known as The Peach Bowl) and the Peachtree Road Race, the world’s largest 10 km race.^{[citation needed]} Atlanta was the host city for the Centennial 1996 Summer Olympics. Centennial Olympic Park, built for 1996 Summer Olympics, sits adjacent to CNN Center and Philips Arena. It is now operated by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. Atlanta hosted the NCAA Final Four Men's Basketball Championship most recently in April 2007.

The city is also host to four different major league sports, The Atlanta Braves, Falcons, Hawks, and Thrashers.

Main article: Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves baseball team has been the Major League Baseball franchise of Atlanta since 1966. The team was founded in 1871 in Boston, Massachusetts as a National Association club, making it the oldest continuously operating sports franchise in North American sports. The Braves won the World Series in 1995 and had a recently ended unprecedented run of 14 straight divisional championships from 1991 to 2005.

Main article: Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons American football team plays at the Georgia Dome. They have been Atlanta's National Football League franchise since 1966. They have won the division title three times, and a conference championship once, going on to lose to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII. Super Bowl XXVIII and XXXIV were held in the city.

Main article: Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks basketball team has been the National Basketball Association franchise of Atlanta since 1969. The team's sole NBA championship was in 1958, when they were the St. Louis Hawks.

Main article: Atlanta Thrashers

In 1999 the Atlanta Thrashers hockey team became Atlanta's National Hockey League franchise. They replaced the Atlanta Flames which had departed for Calgary, Alberta in 1980, becoming the Calgary Flames. The Thrashers made it to their first playoffs in 2007.

Club	Sport	League	Venue
Atlanta Falcons	American Football	National Football League	Georgia Dome
Atlanta Braves	Baseball	Major League Baseball, NL	Turner Field
Atlanta Hawks	Basketball	National Basketball Association	Philips Arena
Atlanta WNBA franchise	Basketball	Women's National Basketball Association	Philips Arena
Atlanta Thrashers	Ice Hockey	National Hockey League	Philips Arena
Atlanta Rollergirls	Roller Derby	Women's Flat Track Derby Association	All American Skating Center
Atlanta Silverbacks	Soccer (Football)	USL First Division	Silverbacks Park
Georgia Force	Arena Football	Arena Football League	Arena at Gwinnett Center
Gwinnett Gladiators	Ice Hockey	ECHL	Arena at Gwinnett Center
Atlanta Vision	Basketball	ABA:Blue Conference	The Sampson's Center
Atlanta Xplosion	Women's Football	Independent Women's Football League	Ray Manus Stadium, Roswell High School

In October of 2007 the WNBA announced Atlanta would receive an expansion franchise to begin league play in May 2008. They will play in Philips Arena but will not be affiliated with the Atlanta Hawks [1].

Atlanta is the home of the Atlanta Silverbacks of the United Soccer Leagues First Division (Men) and W-League (Women).

In golf, the final event of the PGA Tour season, THE TOUR Championship, is played annually at East Lake Golf Club. This golf course is used because of its connection to the great amateur golfer Bobby Jones, an Atlanta native.

Atlanta is on the short list for a potential expansion team in MLS Soccer^[42]

See also: List of newspapers in Atlanta and List of broadcast stations in Atlanta

Atlanta's only major daily paper is The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Weekly papers include Creative Loafing, The Sunday Paper and Atlanta Nation. A monthly newsprint publication Stomp And Stammer features local music news, indie rock record reviews, and cultural commentary. International medical, law, and business publisher NewsRx is headquartered in the Atlanta suburb of Vinings. The Atlanta Arts community is connected through the ARTNEWS (list serve).

The Atlanta metro area is served by a wide variety of local television stations, and is the eighth largest designated market area (DMA) in the U.S. with 2,310,490 households, which is just over 2% of the national total.^[43] All of the major networks have stations in the market, along with two PBS stations and some independent ones. Several cable television networks also operate from Atlanta, including TBS, CNN, Cartoon Network, Court TV, Boomerang, and TNT. These stations are owned by Turner Broadcasting System (now a subsidiary of Time Warner). The Weather Channel (owned by Landmark Communications) also broadcasts from the Atlanta area. According to Billboard, the first nationwide music video programming on cable television, Video Concert Hall was created in Atlanta.

There are also numerous local radio stations serving every genre of music, sports, and talk. The nationally syndicated Neal Boortz and Clark Howard shows are broadcast from Atlanta radio station AM 750 WSB.

Cox Enterprises, which owns the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, WSB-TV, and WSB-AM-FM, is headquartered in Atlanta. Cumulus Media, Inc. engages in the acquisition, operation, and development of commercial radio stations in mid-size radio markets in the United States and is also headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. As of December 31, 2005, it owned and operated 307 radio stations in 61 mid-sized U.S. media markets; and a multimarket network of 5 radio stations in the English-speaking Caribbean; as well as provided sales and marketing services for 2 radio stations under local marketing agreement. Nintendo's American Division has its distribution center based in Atlanta, the primary location from where imported games and products arrive to United States and are often inspected and shipped to stores nationwide.

There are over 1,000 places of worship within the city of Atlanta.^[3] A large majority of Atlantans profess to following a Protestant Christian faith, the city being a major Southern Baptist center. A number of black megachurches are located in the Atlanta area, including New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, World Changers Ministries, and Greenforest Baptist Church.

Metropolitan Atlanta is also home to a large, vibrant Jewish community estimated to include 120,000 individuals in 61,300 households.^[44] This study places Atlanta's Jewish population as the 11th largest in the United States, up from 17th largest in 1996.^[44]

As the see of the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta, Atlanta serves as the metropolitan see for the Province of Atlanta. The archdiocesan cathedral is the Cathedral of Christ the King and the current archbishop is the Most Rev. Wilton D. Gregory. The Catholic population of metropolitan Atlanta and North Georgia grew to 650,000 in 2006, boosted in recent years by foreign immigrants and migration from the Northeast.^[45] As of 2007 the Archdiocese of Atlanta included 84 parishes.^[46] Atlanta is also the see of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. This Diocese is headquartered at Cathedral of St Philip and is led by the Right Reverend J. Neil Alexander.^[47]

The city is the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta, with Annunciation Cathedral and Metropolitan Alexios presiding. In total, there are eleven Orthodox parishes in Atlanta, including Greek, Orthodox Church in America, Antiochian, Serbian, Ukrainian and Romanian.

The Southeast Conference, United Church of Christ, is also headquartered in Atlanta and serves the states of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and central and eastern Tennessee. There are eight United Church of Christ congregations in the Atlanta metro area.

The headquarters for The Salvation Army's United States Southern Territory is also located in Atlanta.^[48] There are eight churches, numerous social service centers, and youth clubs located throughout the Atlanta area.

See also: List of major companies in Atlanta

One of seven American cities classified as Gamma world cities, Atlanta ranks third in the number of Fortune 500 companies headquartered within city boundaries, behind New York City and Houston.^[49] Several major national and international companies are headquartered in Atlanta or its nearby suburbs, including four Fortune 100 companies: The Coca-Cola Company, Home Depot, and United Parcel Service in adjacent Sandy Springs. The headquarters of AT&T Mobility (formerly Cingular Wireless), the largest mobile phone service provider in the United States,^[50] can be found a short distance inside the Perimeter beside Georgia State Route 400.^[51] Newell Rubbermaid is one of the most recent companies to relocate to the metro area; in October 2006, it announced plans to move its headquarters to Sandy Springs.^[52] Other headquarters for some major companies in Atlanta and around the metro area include Arby's, Chick-Fil-A, Earthlink, Equifax, Georgia-Pacific, Oxford Industries, Southern Company, SunTrust Banks, and Waffle House. Over 75% of the Fortune 1000 companies have a presence in the Atlanta area, and the region hosts offices of about 1,250 multinational corporations.

Delta Air Lines is the city's largest employer and the metro area's third largest.^[53] Delta operates the world's largest airline hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and, together with the hub of competing carrier AirTran Airways, has helped make Hartsfield-Jackson the world's busiest airport, both in terms of passenger traffic and aircraft operations. The airport, since its construction in the 1950s, has served as a key engine of Atlanta's economic growth.^[54]

Atlanta has a sizable financial sector. SunTrust Banks, the seventh largest bank by asset holdings in the United States,^[55] has its home office on Peachtree Street in downtown.^[56] The Federal Reserve System has a district headquarters in Atlanta; the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, which oversees much of the deep South, relocated from downtown to midtown in 2001.^[57] Wachovia announced plans in August 2006 to place its new credit-card division in Atlanta,^[58] and city, state and civic leaders harbor long-term hopes of having the city serve as the home of the secretariat of a future Free Trade Area of the Americas.^[59]

The auto manufacturing sector in metropolitan Atlanta has suffered setbacks recently, including the planned closure of the General Motors Doraville Assembly plant in 2008, and the shutdown of Ford Motor Company's Atlanta Assembly plant in Hapeville in 2006.^{[citation needed]} Together the closures mean the loss of 6,000 to 8,000 jobs in the Atlanta region.^{[citation needed]} Kia, however, has broken ground on a new assembly plant near West Point, Georgia.^[60]

The city is a major cable television programming center. Ted Turner began the Turner Broadcasting System media empire in Atlanta, where he bought a UHF station that eventually became WTBS. Turner established the headquarters of the Cable News Network at CNN Center, adjacent today to Centennial Olympic Park. As his company grew, its other channels – the Cartoon Network, Boomerang, TNT, Turner South, CNN International, CNN en Español, CNN Headline News, and CNN Airport Network – centered their operations in Atlanta as well (Turner South has since been sold). The Weather Channel, owned by Landmark Communications, has its offices in the nearby suburb of Marietta.

Cox Enterprises, a privately held company controlled by siblings Barbara Cox Anthony and Anne Cox Chambers, has substantial media holdings in and beyond Atlanta. Its Cox Communications division is the nation's third-largest cable television service provider;^[61] the company also publishes over a dozen daily newspapers in the United States, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. WSB – the flagship station of Cox Radio – was the first AM radio station in the South.

See also: Population of Atlanta

Atlanta population
Year	City proper[62]	Metro area
1850	2,572	N/A
1860	9,554	N/A
1870	21,789	N/A
1880	37,409	N/A
1890	65,533	N/A
1900	89,872	419,375
1910	154,839	522,442
1920	200,616	622,283
1930	270,366	715,391
1940	302,288	820,579
1950	331,314	997,666
1960	487,455	1,312,474
1970	496,973	1,763,626
1980	425,022	2,233,324
1990	394,017	2,959,950
2000	416,474	4,112,198
2006	486,411[4]	5,138,223

According to the 2000 census, there were 416,474 people (486,411 in the July 2006 estimate),^[4] 168,147 households, and 83,232 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,161 people per square mile (1,221/km²). There were 186,925 housing units at an average density of 1,419/sq mi (548/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 59.39% Black, 33.22% White, 2.93% Asian, 0.18% Native American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.99% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. 6.49% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.^[63] The city also has one of the largest gay populations in the nation; according to 2006 UCLA survey estimate, Atlanta had the third highest percentage (12.8%) of gay, lesbian, and bisexual couples among the fifty largest cities in the United States.^[64]

There were 168,147 households out of which 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.5% were married couples living together, 20.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.5% were non-families. 38.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 35.2% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $51,482 and the median income for a family was $55,939. Males had a median income of $36,162 compared to $30,178 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,772, and 24.4% of the population and 21.3% of families were below the poverty line,including 38.8% of those under the age of 18 and 20.7% of those 65 and older.

According to a 2000 daytime population estimate by the Census Bureau,^[65] over 250,000 more people commuted to Atlanta on any given workday, boosting the city's estimated daytime population to 676,431. This is an increase of 62.4% over Atlanta's resident population, making it the largest gain in daytime population in the country among cities with fewer than 500,000 residents.

The Atlanta metropolitan area had an estimated July 2006 population of 5,138,223.^[5] Atlanta is also the central city of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Gainesville, Ga.-Ala. combined statistical area, which consists of the metropolitan area, Hall, Polk, Troup, and Upson counties in Georgia, and Chambers County, Alabama. The combined statistical area, according to the Census Bureau, had an estimated July 2006 population of 5,478,667.^[66]

According to census estimates, the city of Atlanta is the 20th fastest growing city in the nation by numerical increase.^{[citation needed]}

Atlanta is also home to the fastest growing millionaire population in the United States. The number of households in Atlanta with $1 million or more in investable assets (not including primary residence and consumable goods) will increase 68.8% through 2011, to more than 102,000 households.^{[citation needed]}

Atlanta is governed by a mayor and a city council. The city council consists of 15 representatives—one from each of the city's twelve districts and three at-large positions. The mayor may veto a bill passed by the council, but the council can override the veto with a two-thirds majority. The mayor of Atlanta is Shirley Franklin.

Possibly owing to the city's black majority, each mayor elected since 1973 has been black.^{[citation needed]} The uninterrupted string of black mayors in excess of thirty years is a first for any metropolitan area in the country. Maynard Jackson served two terms and was succeeded by Andrew Young in 1982. Jackson returned for a third term in 1990 and was succeeded by Bill Campbell. In 2001, Shirley Franklin became the first woman to be elected Mayor of Atlanta. She was re-elected for a second term in 2005, winning 90% of the vote. Atlanta city politics during the Campbell administration suffered from a notorious reputation for corruption, and in 2006 a federal jury convicted former mayor Bill Campbell on three counts of tax evasion in connection with gambling income he received while Mayor during trips he took with city contractors.^{[citation needed]}

As the state capital, Atlanta is the site of most of Georgia's state government. The Georgia State Capitol building, located downtown, houses the offices of the governor, lieutenant governor and secretary of state, as well as the General Assembly. The Governor's Mansion is located on West Paces Ferry Road, in a residential section of Buckhead. Atlanta is also home to Georgia Public Broadcasting headquarters and Peachnet, and is the county seat of Fulton County, with which it shares responsibility for the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's annual Uniform Crime Report, Atlanta recorded 90 homicides in 2005, down from 151 in 2004. Violent crime in 2005 was the lowest since 1969.^[67] However, in 2005 Atlanta received media attention for the high-profile Brian Nichols manhunt, who became internationally known as the "Courthouse Killer". In addition, broadcast media focused attention on a standoff involving a murder suspect (not an Atlanta resident) who perched himself on top of a construction crane for several days in the upscale Buckhead district. Murders peaked at 271 in 1973, for a murder rate of 58 per 100,000.

Atlanta's Mayor Franklin is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition,^[68] an organization formed in 2006 and co-chaired by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston mayor Thomas Menino.

Atlanta's police department has been regularly under investigation due to allegations of police brutality.^[69][70]

Main article: Atlanta metropolitan area

The population of the Atlanta region spreads across a metropolitan area of 8,376 square miles (21,694 km²) – a land area larger than that of Massachusetts.^[71] Because Georgia contains more counties than any other state east of the Mississippi River (an accident of history explained by the now-defunct county unit system of weighing votes in primary elections),^[72] area residents live under a heavily decentralized collection of governments. As of the 2000 census, fewer than one in ten residents of the metropolitan area lived inside Atlanta city proper.^[73]

A 2006 survey by the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce counted 140 cities and towns in the 28-county metropolitan statistical area in mid-2005.^[71] Three cities – Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, and Milton – have incorporated or won legislative approval for incorporation since then.^[74][75][76]

Atlanta's environs include the following suburbs, listed in order of population:

Roswell: Pop. 87,802 Sandy Springs: Pop. 85,771 (2000 census) Marietta: Pop. 63,152 Johns Creek: Pop. 62,049 (est.) Smyrna: Pop. 48,632 Alpharetta: Pop. 43,424 East Point: Pop. 42,204 Peachtree City: Pop. 34,947 Kennesaw: Pop. 30,936 Douglasville: Pop. 27,870 Lawrenceville: Pop. 28,851

Newnan: Pop. 27,097