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Atlanta

Capital city of Georgia, United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Atlanta (/ætˈlæntə/ at-LAN-tə, or /ætˈlænə/ at-LAN) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, although a portion of the city extends into neighboring DeKalb County. With a population of 498,715 living within the city limits, it is the eighth most populous city in the Southeast and 38th most populous city in the United States according to the 2020 U.S. census.[9] It is the core of the much larger Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to nearly 7 million people, making it the eighth-largest metropolitan area in the United States.[11] Situated among the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains at an elevation of just over 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea level, it features unique topography that includes rolling hills, lush greenery, and the most dense urban tree coverage of any major city in the United States.[13]

Quick facts: Atlanta, Country, State, Counties, Terminus...
Atlanta
Flag of Atlanta
Official seal of Atlanta
Nicknames: 
The City in a Forest,[1] ATL,[2] The A,[3] Hotlanta,[4] The Gate City,[5] Hollywood of the South[6]
(See also Nicknames of Atlanta)
Motto(s): 
Resurgens (Latin for Rising again, alluding to the myth of the phoenix bird)
osm-intl,4,a,a,285x200.png
Interactive map of Atlanta
Coordinates: 33°44′56″N 84°23′24″W
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountiesFulton, DeKalb
Terminus1837; 186 years ago (1837)
Marthasville1843; 180 years ago (1843)
City of AtlantaDecember 29, 1847; 175 years ago (1847-12-29)
Government
  TypeStrong–mayor council
  MayorAndre Dickens (D)
  BodyAtlanta City Council
Area
  State capital136.31 sq mi (353.04 km2)
  Land135.32 sq mi (350.48 km2)
  Water0.99 sq mi (2.57 km2)
Elevation1,050 ft (320 m)
Population
  State capital498,715
  Estimate 
(2022)[9]
499,127
  Rank38th in the United States
1st in Georgia
  Density3,685.45/sq mi (1,422.96/km2)
  Urban5,100,112 (US: 9th)
  Urban density1,997.7/sq mi (771.3/km2)
  Metro6,144,050 (US: 8th)
DemonymAtlantan
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
  Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
30301–30322, 30324–30329, 30331–30334, 30336-30346, 30348-30350, 30353-30364, 30366, 30368-30371, 30374-30375, 30377-30378, 30380, 30384-30385, 30388, 30392, 30394, 30396, 30398, 31106-31107, 31119, 31126, 31131, 31136, 31139, 31141, 31145-31146, 31150, 31156, 31192-31193, 31195-31196, 39901
Area codes404/678/470/943/770
FIPS code13-04000[12]
GNIS feature ID351615[8]
Websiteatlantaga.gov
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Atlanta was originally founded as the terminus of a major state-sponsored railroad, but it soon became the convergence point among several railroads, spurring its rapid growth. The largest was the Western and Atlantic Railroad, from which the name "Atlanta" is derived, signifying the city's growing reputation as a major hub of transportation.[14] During the American Civil War, it served a strategically important role for the Confederacy until it was captured in 1864. The city was almost entirely burned to the ground during General William T. Sherman's March to the Sea. However, the city rebounded dramatically in the post-war period and quickly became a national industrial center and the unofficial capital of the "New South". After World War II, it also became a manufacturing and technology hub.[15] During the 1950s and 1960s, it became a major organizing center of the American Civil Rights Movement, with Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph David Abernathy, and many other locals becoming prominent figures in the movement's leadership.[16] In the modern era, Atlanta has remained a major center of transportation, with Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport becoming the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic in 1998 (a position it has held every year since, except for 2020), with an estimated 93.7 million passengers in 2022.[17][18][19][20]

With a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of $473 billion in 2021, Atlanta has the eleventh largest economy of cities in the U.S. and the 22nd largest in the world.[21] Its economy is considered diverse, with dominant sectors in industries including transportation, aerospace, logistics, healthcare, news and media operations, film and television production, information technology, finance, and biomedical research and public policy.[22] The gentrification of some of its neighborhoods, initially spurred by the 1996 Summer Olympics, has intensified in the 21st century with the growth of the Atlanta Beltline. This has altered its demographics, politics, aesthetics, and culture.[23][24][25]