77 Facts About Atlanta

1.

Atlanta is the capital and most populous city of the U S state of Georgia.

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2.

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.

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3.

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.

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4.

The region surrounding Atlanta was the location of several major army battles, culminating with the Battle of Atlanta and a four-month-long siege of the city by the Union Army under the command of General William Tecumseh Sherman.

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5.

In 1895, Atlanta hosted the Cotton States and International Exposition, which attracted nearly 800, 000 attendees and successfully promoted the New South's development to the world.

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6.

In three decades' time, Atlanta's population tripled as the city limits expanded to include nearby streetcar suburbs.

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7.

Atlanta was sentenced to death but the governor commuted his sentence to life.

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8.

On May 21, 1917, the Great Atlanta Fire destroyed 1, 938 buildings in what is the Old Fourth Ward, resulting in one fatality and the displacement of 10, 000 people.

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9.

On December 15, 1939, Atlanta hosted the premiere of Gone with the Wind, the epic film based on the best-selling novel by Atlanta's Margaret Mitchell.

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10.

Atlanta played a vital role in the Allied effort during World War II due to the city's war-related manufacturing companies, railroad network and military bases.

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11.

Atlanta was selected as the site for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.

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12.

From 2000 to 2010, Atlanta gained 22, 763 white residents, 5, 142 Asian residents, and 3, 095 Hispanic residents, while the city's black population decreased by 31, 678.

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13.

The city of Atlanta was the subject of a massive cyberattack which began in March 2018.

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14.

On June 16, 2022, Atlanta was selected as a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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15.

At 1, 050 feet above mean sea level, Atlanta has the highest elevation among major cities east of the Mississippi River.

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16.

Atlanta developed on a ridge south of the Chattahoochee River, which is part of the ACF River Basin.

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17.

Atlanta is sometimes called "City of Trees" or "city in a forest", despite having lost approximately 560, 000 acres of trees between 1973 and 1999.

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18.

Yet architecturally, the city had never been traditionally "southern" because Atlanta originated as a railroad town, rather than a southern seaport dominated by the planter class, such as Savannah or Charleston.

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19.

Downtown Atlanta contains the most office space in the metro area, much of it occupied by government entities.

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20.

Midtown Atlanta is the city's second-largest business district, containing the offices of many of the region's law firms.

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21.

Northwest Atlanta contains the areas of the city to west of Marietta Boulevard and to the north of Martin Luther King, Jr.

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22.

The gentrification of Atlanta has its origins in the 1970s, after many of Atlanta's neighborhoods had declined and suffered the urban decay that affected other major American cities in the mid-20th century.

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23.

Under the Koppen classification, Atlanta has a humid subtropical climate with four distinct seasons and generous precipitation year-round, typical for the Upland South; the city is situated in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 8a, with the northern and western suburbs, as well as part of Midtown transitioning to 7b.

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24.

Typical of the southeastern U S, Atlanta receives abundant rainfall that is evenly distributed throughout the year, though late spring and early fall are somewhat drier.

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25.

Some middle and upper class African-American residents of Atlanta followed an influx of whites to newer housing and public schools in the suburbs in the early 21st century.

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26.

Since 2010, the Atlanta area has seen very notable growth with immigrants from India, China, South Korea, and Jamaica.

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27.

Atlanta's dialect has traditionally been a variation of Southern American English.

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28.

Atlanta has a thriving and diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.

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29.

Metro Atlanta has numerous ethnic or national Christian congregations, including Korean and Indian churches.

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30.

Atlanta started as a railroad town, and logistics has been a major component of the city's economy to this day.

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31.

Atlanta serves as an important rail junction and contains major classification yards for Norfolk Southern and CSX.

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32.

Partly due to the airport, Atlanta has been a hub for diplomatic missions; as of 2017, the city contains 26 consulates general, the seventh-highest concentration of diplomatic missions in the US.

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33.

Atlanta has emerged as the all-time most popular destination for film production in the United States and one of the 10 most popular destinations globally.

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34.

Atlanta has become one of the USA's best cities for street art in recent years.

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35.

Atlanta has played a major or contributing role in the development of various genres of American music at different points in the city's history.

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36.

Also in the 2000s, Atlanta was recognized by the Brooklyn-based Vice magazine for its indie rock scene, which revolves around the various live music venues found on the city's alternative eastside.

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37.

Trap music became popular in Atlanta, and has since become a hub for popular trap artists and producers due to the success of Lil Baby, T I, Young Jeezy, 21 Savage, Gucci Mane, Future, Migos, Lil Yachty, Playboi Carti, 2 Chainz and Young Thug.

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38.

Atlanta is considered a hub for filmmakers of color and houses Tyler Perry Studios and Areu Bros.

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39.

Atlanta has more festivals than any city in the southeastern United States.

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40.

Atlanta contains a notable number of historical museums and sites, including the Martin Luther King Jr.

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41.

Visitors seeking to sample international Atlanta are directed to Buford Highway, the city's international corridor, and suburban Gwinnett County.

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42.

Atlanta is best known for its barbecue, hamburgers, Southern fried chicken, and lemon pepper chicken wings.

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43.

Atlanta Falcons have played in Atlanta since their inception in 1966.

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44.

In 2019, Atlanta briefly hosted an Alliance of American Football team, the Atlanta Legends, but the league was suspended during its first season and the team folded.

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45.

Atlanta Hawks were founded in 1946 as the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, playing in Moline, Illinois.

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46.

In 1998 the Atlanta Silverbacks were formed, playing the new North American Soccer League.

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47.

In 2017, Atlanta United FC began play as Atlanta's first premier-division professional soccer club since the Chiefs.

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48.

In ice hockey, Atlanta has had two National Hockey League franchises, both of which relocated to a city in Canada after playing in Atlanta for fewer than 15 years.

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49.

The Atlanta Flames played from 1972 to 1980, and the Atlanta Thrashers (now the Winnipeg Jets) played from 1999 to 2011.

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50.

In Rugby union, on September 21, 2018, Major League Rugby announced that Atlanta was one of the expansion teams joining the league for the 2020 season named Rugby ATL.

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51.

Atlanta has long been known as the "capital" of college football in America.

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52.

Also, Atlanta is within a few hours driving distance of many of the universities that make up the Southeastern Conference, college football's most profitable and popular conference, and annually hosts the SEC Championship Game.

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53.

Atlanta additionally hosted the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship.

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54.

In 2001 and 2011, Atlanta hosted the PGA Championship, one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, at the Atlanta Athletic Club.

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55.

In soccer, Atlanta has hosted numerous international friendlies and CONCACAF Gold Cup matches.

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56.

Atlanta will serve as one of the eleven US host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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57.

Atlanta offers resources and opportunities for amateur and participatory sports and recreation.

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58.

The mayor of Atlanta is Andre Dickens, a Democrat elected on a nonpartisan ballot whose first term in office began on January 3, 2022.

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59.

Atlanta serves as the regional hub for many arms of the federal bureaucracy, including the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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60.

The City of Atlanta annexed the CDC into its territory effective January 1, 2018.

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61.

Atlanta plays an important role in the federal judiciary system, containing the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

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62.

Much of southern Atlanta is in the 13th district, represented by Democrat David Scott.

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63.

Georgia State University is a major public research university in Downtown Atlanta; it is the largest in student population of the 29 public colleges and universities in the University System of Georgia and is a significant contributor to the revitalization of the city's central business district.

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64.

Atlanta is home to nationally renowned private colleges and universities, most notably Emory University, a leading liberal arts and research institution that operates Emory Healthcare, the largest health care system in Georgia.

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65.

The City of Atlanta annexed Emory into its territory effective January 1, 2018.

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66.

Atlanta contains a campus of the Savannah College of Art and Design, a private art and design university that has proven to be a major factor in the recent growth of Atlanta's visual art community.

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67.

In 2018 the City of Atlanta annexed a portion of DeKalb County containing the Centers for Disease Control and Emory University; this portion will be zoned to the DeKalb County School District until 2024, when it will transition into APS.

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68.

Primary network-affiliated television stations in Atlanta are WXIA-TV 11, WANF 46 (CBS), WSB-TV 2 (ABC), and WAGA-TV 5 (Fox).

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69.

Atlanta is served by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, its only major daily newspaper with wide distribution.

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70.

Atlanta magazine is a monthly general-interest magazine based in and covering Atlanta.

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71.

Atlanta has a network of freeways that radiate out from the city, and automobiles are the dominant means of transportation in the region.

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72.

Atlanta is mostly encircled by Interstate 285, a beltway locally known as "the Perimeter" that has come to mark the boundary between "Inside the Perimeter", the city and close-in suburbs, and "Outside the Perimeter" (OTP), the outer suburbs and exurbs.

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73.

The heavy reliance on automobiles for transportation in Atlanta has resulted in traffic, commute, and air pollution rates that rank among the worst in the country.

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74.

The City of Atlanta has a higher than average percentage of households without a car.

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75.

Crime is down across the country, but Atlanta's improvement has occurred at more than twice the national rate.

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76.

Atlanta in January 2017 declared the city was a "welcoming city" and "will remain open and welcoming to all".

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77.

Atlanta has a reputation as a "city in a forest" due to an abundance of trees that is rare among major cities.

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