Cobb County, Georgia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cobb County
County
From top: Blackjack Mountain
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
Georgia's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Georgia
Founded	December 2, 1832; 193 years ago (1832)
Named for	Thomas W. Cobb
Seat	Marietta
Largest city	Mableton
Area
• Total	345 sq mi (890 km2)
• Land	340 sq mi (900 km2)
• Water	5.0 sq mi (13 km2)  1.4%
Population  (2020)
• Total	766,149
• Estimate  (2023)	776,743
• Density	2,221/sq mi (857.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	6th, 11th, 13th, 14th

Cobb County is a county in the state of Georgia. It's part of the larger Atlanta metropolitan area in the north-central part of the state. In 2020, about 766,149 people lived here. This makes it Georgia's third most populated county. The main city, or county seat, is Marietta. The biggest city in the county is Mableton.

Cobb County was created on December 3, 1832. It was formed from a large area that used to belong to the Cherokee Nation. This land was then given to settlers. The county was named after Thomas W. Cobb, who was a U.S. representative and senator from Georgia. Many believe that Marietta, the county seat, was named after his wife, Mary. Cobb County is located just northwest of Atlanta. A busy area called the Cumberland District has many offices. The Major League Baseball team, the Atlanta Braves, have played their home games at Truist Park in Cumberland since 2017.

In 2003, the U.S. Census Bureau said Cobb County was the most educated county in Georgia. It was also ranked 12th in the entire United States. It has often been among the top 100 counties with the highest incomes in the U.S. In 2017, Cobb was named the "Least Obese County in Georgia." The 2020 U.S. Census showed that Cobb County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Georgia.

History of Cobb County

Cobb County was one of nine counties created from the Cherokee Nation territory in 1832. It was the 81st county in Georgia. It was named after Judge Thomas Willis Cobb, who was a U.S. Senator and judge. It is thought that Marietta, the county seat, was named after his wife, Mary.

The state began building a railroad in 1836. A train started running between Marietta and Marthasville (now Atlanta) in 1845. Before the Civil War, Marietta was a popular summer spot. People from Savannah and Charleston came to escape Yellow Fever.

Painting of the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain

During the American Civil War, some Confederate soldiers trained in Kennesaw. Important battles took place here. These included the Battle of New Hope Church (May 25), Battle of Pickett's Mill (May 27), and Battle of Dallas (May 28). The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain on June 27, 1864, was a major Confederate victory. However, Union forces led by General William Tecumseh Sherman still managed to move around the Confederates.

Cotton farming was very important in the area from the 1890s to the 1920s. But during the Great Depression, cotton prices dropped very low. This caused cotton farming to stop in Cobb County. To help the economy, work began on a new road in 1922. This road later became US 41.

F-47 Thunderbolt at Marietta Army Airfield, 1946

In 1942, Bell Aircraft opened a factory in Marietta. They built B-29 bombers there. Marietta Army Airfield was also started. Both closed after World War II. But they reopened during the Korean War. The air field became Dobbins AFB, and the plant was taken over by Lockheed. During the Korean and Vietnam Wars, Lockheed Marietta was a top maker of military transport planes. These included the C-130 Hercules and the C-5 Galaxy.

In the early 1960s, Cobb County began to change. Ernest W. Barrett became the first chairman of the new county commission. The old county courthouse, built in 1888, was taken down.

Kennesaw State University

During the 1960s and 1970s, Cobb changed from a rural area to a suburban one. Many people moved from Atlanta to Cobb County. This led to a real estate boom. In 1990, Newt Gingrich became a Republican Congressman for a district centered in Cobb County. In 1994, he became Speaker of the House. This brought Cobb County into the national spotlight.

Glover Park Bell, on the square in Marietta

In the 1990s and 2000s, Cobb's population became more diverse. Many middle-class African-Americans and immigrants from various countries moved to older suburbs in South and West Cobb. In 2010, David Scott, an African-American Democrat, was elected to Congress.

Geography and Nature

Union Trenches at Kennesaw Mountain, 1864

Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

Cobb County covers about 345 square miles. Most of this is land (340 square miles), and about 5 square miles (1.4%) is water.

The county has two main basins. Most of the water flows into the Chattahoochee River. This happens through smaller creeks like Willeo Creek, Sope Creek, and Nickajack Creek.

There are several high points in Cobb County:

• Sweat Mountain: In the far northeast, it's a major place for antennas.
• Blackjack Mountain: A lower ridge between central and east Cobb.
• Kennesaw Mountain: This is the highest point in the county. It's located in the north-northwest.
• Little Kennesaw Mountain: A smaller part of Kennesaw Mountain.
• Lost Mountain: Found in western Cobb.
• Pine Mountain: West-northwest of Kennesaw Mountain.
• Brushy Mountain: Near Kennesaw Mountain.
• Vinings Mountain or Mount Wilkinson: It overlooks the town of Vinings.

Neighboring Counties

Metro Atlanta

Cobb County shares borders with these counties:

• Cherokee County – to the north
• Fulton County – to the southeast
• Douglas County – to the southwest
• Paulding County – to the west
• Bartow County – to the northwest

Street Addresses

Even though there isn't a grid of city blocks, all street addresses in Cobb County start their numbering from the southwest corner of the town square in Marietta.

Phone and Weather Information

Cobb County is part of a very large toll-free calling area. It uses several telephone area codes, including 404, 770, and 678. The county's WRSAME code for weather warnings is 013067. You can get weather warnings from NOAA Weather Radio on 162.550 MHz.

Population and People

2020 Census Information

In 2020, there were 766,149 people living in Cobb County. There were 286,952 households and 191,533 families.

2010 Census Information

In 2010, Cobb County had 688,078 people. The population density was about 2026 people per square mile. The county had 260,056 households. About 36.7% of households had children under 18. About 50.2% were married couples. The average household had 2.61 people. The average family had 3.17 people. The median age was 35.4 years.

The median income for a household was $65,522. For a family, it was $78,920. The income per person was $33,110. About 10.6% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 14.5% of those under 18.

Education in Cobb County

Cobb County has many schools and colleges.

Public Schools

There are two main public school districts:

• Cobb County School District: This serves most of the county.
• Marietta City Schools: This serves the city of Marietta.

Private Schools

Some private schools in the county include:

• Cumberland Christian Academy, Austell (K–12)
• Dominion Christian School, Marietta (middle school–12)
• Midway Covenant Christian School, Powder Springs (preK–12)
• Mount Paran Christian School, Kennesaw (preK–12)
• North Cobb Christian School, Kennesaw (K–12)
• The Walker School, Marietta (preK–12)
• Whitefield Academy, Mableton (preK–12)
• East Cobb Christian School, Marietta (K–8)

Colleges and Universities

Higher education options in Cobb County are:

• Chattahoochee Technical College
• Kennesaw State University
• Life University

Libraries

The Cobb County Public Library System has many libraries. They offer books, videos, internet, and computer classes.

The Smyrna Public Library is a city library in Smyrna. It is not part of the county system.

Economy and Jobs

The Cobb County School District is the largest employer in Cobb County. It employs over 15,000 people.

Many private companies have offices or headquarters here:

• The Home Depot Atlanta Store Support Center (world headquarters)
• The Weather Channel headquarters
• InTown Suites headquarters
• Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Plant (near Dobbins Air Reserve Base)
• Kool Smiles (Marietta)
• GE Power headquarters
• Papa Johns "additional" headquarters

Shopping Centers

You can find many places to shop in Cobb County, including:

• Cobb Center
• Cobb Place
• Cumberland Mall
• Town Center at Cobb

Transportation in Cobb County

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

Major Roads

Many important highways run through Cobb County:

Airports

• Cobb County International Airport at McCollum Field
• Dobbins Air Reserve Base (often used by the U.S. president when visiting Atlanta)

Railroads

• Norfolk Southern trains run through Mableton, Austell, and Powder Springs.
• CSX Transportation trains run through Acworth, Kennesaw, Marietta, Smyrna, and Vinings.
• Georgia Northeastern Railroad is a smaller line that goes north from Marietta.

Cobb County is not part of the MARTA Rail network. Voters decided against it in 1965.

Public Transit

• Xpress GA/RTA commuter buses and CobbLinc (Marietta/Cobb Counties Transit System) serve the county.
• MARTA also has a bus service that connects to the Cumberland, Georgia business district.

Fun Things to Do

Sope Creek Ruins

Silver Comet Trail and bike path

Cobb County has many places for recreation and fun:

• American Adventures (Marietta)
• Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
• Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park (Kennesaw to Marietta)
• Lake Acworth/Acworth Beach (Acworth)
• Lake Allatoona (near Acworth)
• Mable House (Mableton)
• Marietta Confederate Cemetery (Marietta)
• Marietta Museum of History (Marietta)
• Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art (Marietta)
• Marietta National Cemetery (Marietta)
• Silver Comet Trail (Smyrna, Mableton, Powder Springs)
• Six Flags Over Georgia (Austell)
• Six Flags White Water (Marietta)
• Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History (Kennesaw)

Event Venues

• Cobb County Civic Center
• Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center
• Coca-Cola Roxy
• Mable House Amphitheater
• Truist Park

Communities in Cobb County

Cobb County landmark "The Big Chicken"

Historic Downtown Marietta

Cities

• Acworth
• Austell
• Kennesaw
• Marietta
• Powder Springs
• Smyrna

Census-Designated Places

These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated as cities:

• Fair Oaks
• Mableton
• Vinings

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller communities that are not part of any city:

Famous People from Cobb County

• Roy Barnes – Governor of Georgia (1999–2003). He was born and worked in Cobb County.
• Bob Barr – A politician who was a U.S. Representative.
• Big Boss Man (Ray Traylor) – A professional wrestler.
• James V. Carmichael – A member of the Georgia General Assembly.
• Louie Giglio – A pastor, author, and founder of the Passion Conferences.
• Carter Kieboom - A professional baseball player for the Washington Nationals.
• Lil Yachty – A famous rapper.
• Dansby Swanson - A professional baseball player for the Chicago Cubs.

Sister County

• Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Images for kids

• 

  Blackjack Mountain

• 

  Seal of Cobb County

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Cobb para niños