Fulton County, Georgia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fulton County
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| County of Fulton | |
Atlanta's Fulton County Courthouse in 2011
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Location within the U.S. state of Georgia
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 Georgia's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Georgia |
| Founded | December 20, 1853 |
| Named for | Robert Fulton |
| Seat | Atlanta |
| Largest city | Atlanta |
| Area | |
| • Total | 534 sq mi (1,380 km2) |
| • Land | 527 sq mi (1,360 km2) |
| • Water | 7.7 sq mi (20 km2) 1.4%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,066,710 |
| • Density | 1,997.6/sq mi (771.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional districts | 5th, 6th, 11th, 13th |
Fulton County is located in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,066,710, making it the state's most-populous county and its only one with over one million inhabitants. Its county seat and largest city is Atlanta, the state capital. Approximately 90% of the City of Atlanta is within Fulton County; the other 10% lies within DeKalb County. Fulton County is part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
History
Fulton County was created in 1853 from the western half of DeKalb County. It was named in honor of Hamilton Fulton, a surveyor for the Western and Atlantic Railroad; some sources had previously incorrectly claimed it was named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat. Organized as settlement increased in the Piedmont section of upland Georgia, Fulton County grew rapidly after the American Civil War as Atlanta was rebuilt, becoming a center of railroad shipping, industry and business.
At the beginning of 1932, as an austerity measure to save money during the Great Depression, Milton County to the north and Campbell County to the southwest were annexed by Fulton County. This gave the county its current long shape along 80 miles (130 km) of the Chattahoochee River. On May 9 of that year, neighboring Cobb County ceded to Fulton County the city of Roswell and lands lying east of Willeo Creek, in order that the latter county be more contiguous with the lands ceded from Milton County.
In the later 20th century, Atlanta and Fulton county became the location of numerous national and international headquarters for leading companies, attracting workers from around the country. As a result, the city and county became more cosmopolitan and diverse.
Services
Fulton County's budget of $1.2 billion funds an array of resident services. With 34 branches, the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System is one of the largest library systems in Georgia.
Human services programs include one of the strongest senior center networks in metro Atlanta, including four multi-purpose senior facilities. The county also provides funding to nonprofits with FRESH and Human Services grants.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 534 square miles (1,380 km2), of which 527 square miles (1,360 km2) is land and 7.7 square miles (20 km2) (1.4%) is water. The shape of the county resembles a sword with its handle at the northeastern part, and the tip at the southwestern portion.
Going from north to south, the northernmost portion of Fulton County, encompassing Milton and northern Alpharetta, is located in the Etowah River sub-basin of the ACT River Basin (Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin). The rest of north and central Fulton, to downtown Atlanta, is located in the Upper Chattahoochee River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). The bulk of south Fulton County, from Atlanta to Palmetto, is located in the Middle Chattahoochee River-Lake Harding sub-basin of the larger ACF River Basin, with just the eastern edges of south Fulton, from Palmetto northeast through Union Hill to Hapeville, in the Upper Flint River sub-basin of the same larger ACF River Basin.
Adjacent counties
- Cherokee County – northwest
- Forsyth County – northeast
- Gwinnett County – east
- DeKalb County – east
- Clayton County – south
- Fayette County – south
- Coweta County – southwest
- Carroll County – west
- Douglas County – west
- Cobb County – west
National protected areas
Transportation
Almost every major highway, and every major Interstate highway, in metro Atlanta passes through Fulton County. Outside Atlanta proper, Georgia 400 is the major highway through north Fulton, and Interstate 85 to the southwest.
Major highways
Interstate highways
Interstate 20
Interstate 75
Interstate 85
Interstate 285
U.S. highways
U.S. Route 19
U.S. Route 23
U.S. Route 29
U.S. Route 29 Alternate
U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 78
U.S. Route 278
State routes
State Route 3
State Route 3 Connector
State Route 6
State Route 8
State Route 9
State Route 10
State Route 13
State Route 14
State Route 14 Alternate
State Route 14 Connector
State Route 42
State Route 42 Connector
State Route 42 Spur
State Route 54
State Route 54 Connector
State Route 70
State Route 74
State Route 92
State Route 120
State Route 138
State Route 139
State Route 140
State Route 141
State Route 154
State Route 154 Connector
State Route 166
State Route 236
State Route 237
State Route 279
State Route 280
State Route 372
State Route 400
State Route 401 (unsigned designation for I-75)
State Route 402 (unsigned designation for I-20)
State Route 403 (unsigned designation for I-85)
State Route 407 (unsigned designation for I-285)
Secondary highways
- Abernathy Road
- East Wesley Road
- Freedom Parkway (Georgia 10)
- Glenridge Drive
- Hammond Drive
- Johnson Ferry Road
- Lindbergh Drive (Georgia 236)
- Memorial Drive (Georgia 154)
- Moreland Avenue (U.S. 23/Georgia 42)
- Mount Vernon Highway
- Peachtree Road (Georgia 141)
- Peachtree-Dunwoody Road
- Piedmont Road (Georgia 237)
- Ponce de Leon Avenue (U.S. 23/29/78/278/Georgia 8/10)
- Powers Ferry Road
- Roswell Road (U.S. 19/Georgia 9)
- Windsor Parkway
Mass transit
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MARTA serves most of the county, and along with Clayton and Dekalb County, Fulton pays a 1% sales tax to fund it. MARTA train service in Fulton is currently limited to the cities of Atlanta, Sandy Springs, East Point, and College Park, as well as the airport. Bus service covers most of the remainder, except the rural areas in the far southwest. North Fulton residents have been asking for service, to extend the North Line ten miles (16 km) up the Georgia 400 corridor, from Perimeter Center to the fellow edge city of Alpharetta. However, as the only major transit system in the country that its state government will not fund, there is no money to expand the system. Sales taxes now go entirely to operating, maintaining, and refurbishing the system. Xpress GA/ RTA provides commuter bus service from the outer suburbs of Fulton County, the city of Sandy Springs to Midtown and Downtown Atlanta.
Recreational trails
- BeltLine (under construction)
- Big Creek Greenway (under construction)
- PATH400 (under construction)
- Peachtree Creek Greenway (under construction)
Airports
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport straddles the border with Clayton County to the south and is the busiest airport in the world. The Fulton County Airport, often called Charlie Brown Field after politician Charles M. Brown, is located just west-southwest of Atlanta's city limit. It is run by the county as a municipal or general aviation airport, serving business jets and private aircraft.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 14,427 | — | |
| 1870 | 33,446 | 131.8% | |
| 1880 | 49,137 | 46.9% | |
| 1890 | 84,655 | 72.3% | |
| 1900 | 117,363 | 38.6% | |
| 1910 | 177,733 | 51.4% | |
| 1920 | 232,606 | 30.9% | |
| 1930 | 318,587 | 37.0% | |
| 1940 | 392,886 | 23.3% | |
| 1950 | 473,572 | 20.5% | |
| 1960 | 556,326 | 17.5% | |
| 1970 | 607,592 | 9.2% | |
| 1980 | 589,904 | −2.9% | |
| 1990 | 648,951 | 10.0% | |
| 2000 | 816,006 | 25.7% | |
| 2010 | 920,581 | 12.8% | |
| 2020 | 1,066,710 | 15.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2014 |
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2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
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| White (non-Hispanic) | 404,793 | 37.95% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 448,803 | 42.07% |
| Native American | 1,558 | 0.15% |
| Asian | 80,632 | 7.56% |
| Pacific Islander | 381 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 44,241 | 4.15% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 86,302 | 8.09% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,066,710 people, 439,578 households, and 238,444 families residing in the county.
2019 ACS Estimates
| Population | ||
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| Group | Estimate | Percent |
| Total Population | 1,063,937 | |
| Population by Sex | ||
| Group | Estimate | Percent |
| Male | 514,901 | 48.4% |
| Female | 549,036 | 51.6% |
| Sex ratio (males per 100 females) | 93.8 | |
| Population by Age | ||
| Group | Estimate | Percent |
| Under 5 years | 61,084 | 5.7% |
| 5 to 9 years | 60,180 | 5.7% |
| 10 to 14 years | 67,278 | 6.3% |
| 15 to 19 years | 72,060 | 6.8% |
| 20 to 24 years | 74,294 | 7.0% |
| 25 to 29 years | 96,369 | 9.1% |
| 30 to 34 years | 87,402 | 8.2% |
| 35 to 39 years | 79,641 | 7.5% |
| 40 to 44 years | 70,973 | 6.7% |
| 45 to 49 years | 76,114 | 7.2% |
| 50 to 54 years | 69,491 | 6.5% |
| 55 to 59 years | 67,289 | 6.3% |
| 60 to 64 years | 54,006 | 5.1% |
| 65 to 69 years | 46,168 | 4.3% |
| 70 to 74 years | 32,696 | 3.1% |
| 75 to 79 years | 20,164 | 1.9% |
| 80 to 84 years | 13,160 | 1.2% |
| 85 years and over | 15,568 | 1.5% |
| Median age (years) | 35.9 | |
| Population by Race and Ethnicity | ||
| Group | Estimate | Percent |
| Black or African American | 472,625 | 44.4% |
| White | 469,465 | 44.1% |
| --- White, not Hispanic or Latino | 418,482 | 39.3% |
| Asian | 76,786 | 7.2% |
| --- Asian Indian | 43,438 | 4.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 76,773 | 7.2% |
| --- Mexican | 28,037 | 2.6% |
| Two or more races | 25,072 | 2.4% |
| Some other race | 17,248 | 1.6% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 2,068 | 0.2% |
| Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander | 673 | 0.1% |
| Population by Nativity and Citizenship Status | ||
| Group | Estimate | Percent |
| Native (born in the United States) | 927,795 | 87.2% |
| --- Born in Georgia | 472,774 | 44.4% |
| --- Born in other U.S. state | 437,881 | 41.2% |
| ------ Southern state | 199,155 | 18.7% |
| ------ Northeastern state | 105,811 | 9.9% |
| ------ Midwestern state | 92,026 | 8.6% |
| ------ Western state | 40,889 | 3.8% |
| --- Native born outside U.S. states | 17,140 | 1.6% |
| Foreign Born | 136,142 | 12.8% |
| --- Not a U.S. citizen | 69,083 | 6.5% |
| --- Naturalized U.S. citizen | 67,059 | 6.3% |
2010 Census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 920,581 people, 376,377 households, and 209,215 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,748.0 inhabitants per square mile (674.9/km2). There were 437,105 housing units at an average density of 830.0 per square mile (320.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 46.4% white, 44.3% black or African American, 6.9% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 3.4% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 7.7% were English, 7.2% were German, 6.3% were Irish, and 5.4% were "American".
Of the 376,377 households, 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.7% were married couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 44.4% were non-families, and 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.15. The median age was 34.2 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $56,709 and the median income for a family was $75,579. Males had a median income of $56,439 versus $42,697 for females. The per capita income for the county was $37,211. About 12.0% of families and 15.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.0% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
- Alpharetta
- Atlanta
- Chattahoochee Hills
- College Park
- East Point
- Fairburn
- Hapeville
- Johns Creek
- Milton
- Mountain Park
- Palmetto
- Roswell
- Sandy Springs
- South Fulton
- Union City
Unincorporated communities
- Birmingham (now within Milton)
- Campbellton (now within South Fulton)
- Ocee (now within Johns Creek)
- Red Oak (now within South Fulton)
- Rico (now within Chattahoochee Hills)
- Sandtown (now within South Fulton)
- Serenbe (village within Chattahoochee Hills)
- Shakerag (within Johns Creek)
- Warsaw (now within Johns Creek)
Economy
Companies headquartered in Fulton County include AFC Enterprises (Popeyes Chicken/Cinnabon), AT&T Mobility, Chick-fil-A, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Church's Chicken, The Coca-Cola Company, Cox Enterprises, Delta Air Lines, Earthlink, Equifax, First Data, Georgia-Pacific, Global Payments, Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group, IBM Internet Security Systems, Mirant Corp., Newell Rubbermaid, Northside Hospital, Piedmont Healthcare, Porsche Cars North America, Saint Joseph's Hospital, Southern Company, Spectrum Brands, SunTrust Banks, United Parcel Service, and Wendy's/Arby's Group are based in various cities throughout Fulton County.
MaggieMoo's and Marble Slab Creamery had their headquarters in an unincorporated area in the county, however, now those companies are located in neighboring Gwinnett County in Norcross.
Education
All portions of Fulton County outside of the city limits of Atlanta are served by the Fulton County School System.
All portions within Atlanta are served by Atlanta Public Schools.
Libraries
History
The Atlanta-Fulton County Library system began in 1902 as the Carnegie Library of Atlanta, one of the first public libraries in the United States. In 1935, the city of Atlanta and the Fulton County Board of Commissioners signed a contract under which library service was extended to all of Fulton County. Then in 1982, Georgia voters passed a constitutional Amendment authorizing the transfer of responsibility for the Library system from the city of Atlanta to the county. On July 1, 1983, the transfer finally became official, and the system was renamed the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System.
Under the leadership of Ella Gaines Yates, who was the first African American director of the Library System, a new Central library was opened to the public in May 1988. The building was designed by Marcel Breuer, a participant in the innovative Bauhaus movement, working side by side with his associate Hamilton Smith. The Central Library was dedicated on May 25, 1980, and Breuer would die a year later on July, 1981 at the age of 81.
In 2002 after a hundred years of library service to the public, a major renovation of the Central Library was completed.
Images for kids
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A map of all the cities within Fulton County, Georgia
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Fulton (Georgia) para niños
