Metro Atlanta
As you consider relocating to the Roswell, Georgia, area, you’ll want to know something about the city of Atlanta, which continues to influence all of the 28 counties that surround it. Here’s a brief profile of Atlanta and the links below will give you even more information.
About Atlanta
Atlanta is the capital of and the most populous city in the state of Georgia, with an estimated 2013 population of 447,841. It’s also the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, home to 5,522,942 people and the ninth largest metropolitan area in the United States.
The city of Atlanta is an eclectic mix of tree-lined neighborhoods and high-rise condos and skyscrapers. It’s governed by a mayor and a 15-member city council that’s managed by the council president. The 28 counties that make up metro Atlanta are individually governed by boards of commissioners, city councils and mayors.
The world’s most-traveled airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), has five runways that serve more than 92 million passengers a year. Interstate 285 (I-285) is a highway loop encircling Atlanta for 63.98 miles, and is known locally as the “Perimeter.” Suburban sprawl has made it one of the most heavily traveled roadways in the U.S.
Encompassing $304 billion, the Atlanta metro area is the 8th-largest economy in the country and 17th-largest in the world. Corporate operations comprise a large portion of the Atlanta’s economy, with the city serving as the regional, national, or global headquarters for many corporations. Atlanta contains the country’s third largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies. Over 75 percent of Fortune 1000 companies conduct business operations in the Atlanta metropolitan area, and the region hosts offices of about 1,250 multinational corporations. Many corporations are drawn to Atlanta on account of the city’s educated workforce; as of 2010, nearly 43% of adults in the city had college degrees, compared to 27% in the nation as a whole.
There’s plenty to do in Atlanta and surrounding areas, with an abundance of rich cultural amenities and nightlife. Sports fans follow eight professional sports franchises. And cultural outings include visits to the Atlanta Opera, Atlanta Ballet, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and Alliance Theatre. The city’s High Museum of Art is one of the most visited museums in the world according to The Art Newspaper. Atlanta has some of the country’s best restaurants, and eateries in general are plentiful and reasonably priced.
Metro Atlanta provides access to one of the most qualified, affordable, and efficient healthcare systems in the country. The healthcare community includes more than 80 hospital locations and over 100,000 healthcare practitioners and technicians.
Physically, Atlanta is located in a transition zone between forested hills to the north and more level agricultural areas to the south. Nearby mountains and distant water moderate the climate somewhat, resulting in a mix of subtropical and continental types. Summer temperatures are warm but moderated by elevation. There may be prolonged periods of late summer heat. Winters are mild with short cold spells. Active precipitation occurs during spring with thunderstorms, some severe, lasting into July, with frequent dry periods into late summer and fall. Most winter precipitation is rain with occasional snowfall. Ice storms and freezing rain with newsworthy damage and travel disruption occur 2 out of every 3 years. First freeze is mid-November, and the last one is usually late March.
More about Atlanta
Atlanta History:
http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/atlanta
Atlanta Today:
http://www.metroatlantachamber.com/docs/resources/metro-atlanta-an-executive-profile-.pdf?sfvrsn=0