Atlanta

Table of Contents

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Confederate fort on Peach Tree Street in Atlanta, Georgia

Union troops attacking Atlanta during the American Civil War

Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s childhood home in Atlanta

1973 election of Maynard Jackson as mayor of Atlanta

Planes at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

For Students

Atlanta summary

Read Next

Close up of a hand placing a ballot in a ballot box. Election vote voter voting

Have Any U.S. Presidents Decided Not to Run For a Second Term?

What State Is Washington, D.C. In?

The United States Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C.

14 Questions About Government in the United States Answered

Bar graph of the United States Death Toll during major events. Infogram chart.

U.S. Death Toll During Major Events

The Battle of New Orleans, by E. Percy Moran, c. 1910. Andrew Jackson, War of 1812.

26 Decade-Defining Events in U.S. History

Discover

Andrew Jackson delivering a speech while on his way to Washington, D.C., for his inauguration in 1829. From Harper's Weekly, 1881.

5 Remarkably Close U.S. Presidential Elections

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addresses marchers during his "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. August 28th 1963

Was Martin Luther King, Jr., a Republican or a Democrat?

9 Animals That Look Like Leaves

Why We Celebrate MLK Day

Secret Service Agent Listens To Earpiece

Secret Service Code Names of 11 U.S. Presidents

Aphrodite. Greek mythology. Sculpture. Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.

12 Greek Gods and Goddesses

Alcoholic beverages bottles at Host 2013, international exhibition of the hospitality industry on OCTOBER 18, 2013 in Milan.

Why Is Alcohol Measured by Proof?

Atlanta

Georgia, United States

Also known as: Marthasville, Terminus

Written by J.E. Luebering

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Jan 22, 2025 • Article History

News •

Winter storm spreads across the Deep South, creating icy danger and snowy fun • Jan. 22, 2025, 4:20 PM ET (AP)

MLK Day at King's Atlanta congregation features daughter's warning about anti-woke rhetoric • Jan. 20, 2025, 3:00 PM ET (AP)

On eve of CFP title game, some college players ask, What would it look like to be employees? • Jan. 19, 2025, 2:28 PM ET (AP)

Notre Dame and Ohio State arrive in Atlanta and it's the 2nd visit of the season for Fighting Irish • Jan. 17, 2025, 7:39 PM ET (AP)

Sealy Mattress company is sued after Georgia man was found dead inside a locked trailer • Jan. 17, 2025, 3:06 PM ET (AP)

Atlanta, city, capital (1868) of Georgia, U.S., and seat (1853) of Fulton county (but also partly in DeKalb county). It lies in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the northwestern part of the state, just southeast of the Chattahoochee River. Atlanta is Georgia’s largest city and the principal trade and transportation center of the southeastern United States. It is the core of an extensive metropolitan area that includes 20 counties and cities such as Decatur, East Point, and Marietta. Pop. (2010) 420,003; Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Marietta Metro Area, 5,268,860; (2020) 498,715; Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Alpharetta Metro Area, 6,089,815. Atlanta owes its existence ...(100 of 1587 words)

Access the full article

Help support true facts by becoming a member.