Founded in 1847, Atlanta is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. 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. It is the core of the much larger Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 6,144,050 people, making it the eighth-largest metropolitan area in the United States.
Atlanta began as a railroad terminus and remains a transportation hub, but with a 21st-century, global approach. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest airport in the world, and 80 percent of the U.S. population lives within a two-hour flight.
The recently refreshed Centennial Olympic Park is Downtown’s centerpiece and is anchored by the Fountain of Rings, an everlasting reminder of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. Next door, attractions surround Pemberton Place such as Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola and The National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Atlanta Streetcar is the city’s modern-day trolley, carrying passengers from the convention and entertainment district to the eastside of the city.
Sports fans have much to enjoy with a multitude of major league teams to see in action. At the state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons “Rise Up” and MLS Atlanta United FC, compete on the soccer pitch. At State Farm Arena, the NBA Hawks take the court. For more football action, collegiate fans congregate at Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame. Just north of Downtown, the Atlanta Braves step up to bat at Truist Park.
With a GDP of $385 billion, the Atlanta metropolitan area’s economy is the 10th-largest in the country and among the 20-largest in the world. Corporate operations play a major role in Atlanta’s economy, as the city claims the nation’s third-largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies. It also hosts the global headquarters of several corporations such as The Coca-Cola Company, The Home Depot, Delta Air Lines, AT&T Mobility, Georgia-Pacific, Chick-fil-A, Norfolk Southern Railway, Newell Brands, and UPS.