Mableton, Georgia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mableton, Georgia
City
From top to bottom, left to right: a residential street in Mableton, Robert Mable's home built in 1843, the Mableton Post Office, the Atlanta skyline from Mt. Harmony Memorial Gardens in Mableton
Location in Cobb County and the state of Georgia
Mableton, Georgia Location in Metro Atlanta
State	Georgia
County	Cobb
Settled	September 11, 1843
Incorporated (town)	August 19, 1912
Disincorporated	August 17, 1916
Incorporated (city)	May 11, 2023
Founded by	Robert Mable
Area
• Total	36.56 sq mi (94.7 km2)
• Land	36.46 sq mi (94.43 km2)
• Water	0.10 sq mi (0.27 km2)
Elevation	978 ft (298 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	37,115
• Density	2,133.48/sq mi (823.65/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	30126
Area code(s)	770 678, 470, and 943
FIPS code	13-48288
GNIS feature ID	0332295

Mableton is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. For a long time, Mableton was a large area without its own city government. But in November 2022, people living there voted to make it an official city.

After the vote, six council members were chosen in March 2023. Michael Owens was elected as the first mayor of Mableton. The city of Mableton is now the largest city in Cobb County by population. It includes the historic Mableton area, the Six Flags Over Georgia amusement park area, and parts of nearby unincorporated Smyrna and South Cobb.

History

Early Days of Mableton (1843–1912)

For many years, the land where Mableton is now was home to Native American tribes like the Cherokee and Creek. Two villages, Sweet Water Town and Nickajack, were located nearby. These tribes lived together peacefully.

Robert Mable

The town of Mableton is named after Robert Mable. He was an immigrant from Scotland who bought 300 acres of land here in 1843. Robert Mable was a farmer who grew crops like cotton and corn. His historic home, the Robert Mable House and Cemetery, is still standing today. It even has an outdoor theater for public events.

More settlers moved to the northern part of Mableton in the mid-1800s, near Nickajack Creek. This area was first called Mill Grove, then Nickajack. The creek was important because it powered mills for grinding grain and making cloth. A covered bridge built around 1848–1850 crosses the creek. It's one of the few covered bridges left in Georgia and is still used by cars today.

During the American Civil War in 1864, Union soldiers passed through Mableton. They rested and got supplies at Robert Mable's house. Luckily, his house was not destroyed during the war.

The Mableton train depot, constructed 1881

A railroad station opened in Mableton in December 1881. The engineers named it 'Mableton' to honor Robert Mable. The first train arrived just before Christmas. Soon after, a post office was built. The railroad helped Mableton become a busy center for trade in Cobb County. Farmers could easily send their cotton and other goods to other places.

Mableton's First City Status (1912–1916)

Mableton officially became a town on August 19, 1912. However, it stopped being a town just four years later, on August 17, 1916. This happened because of a big flood that damaged the sewer system. The town's residents faced high taxes to pay for repairs. They asked for the whole county to share the cost, and as a result, Mableton's city status was removed. Dr. Homer A. Glore was the first mayor during this time.

Becoming a City Again (2023–)

In 2020, people in Mableton started talking about becoming a city again. Studies showed that a new city government could bring in more money than it would cost to run.

After the 2022 Georgia state elections, people in Mableton voted on whether to become a city. More than 13,000 people voted yes, and about 11,000 voted no. So, Mableton officially became a city on May 11, 2023. It is now the largest city in Cobb County by population.

Mableton was the only one of four proposed new cities in the Metro Atlanta area to be approved. The others, East Cobb, Lost Mountain, and Vinings, did not become cities.

2023 Mayoral Election

The first election for mayor of Mableton happened on March 21, 2023. If no candidate received more than 50% of the votes, a second election, called a runoff, would be held.

In the first round, Aaron Carman received the most votes, followed by Michael Owens. Since no one got over 50%, a runoff election was held on April 18, 2023.

In the runoff, Michael Owens won the election. He became the first mayor of Mableton, Georgia in over 100 years. Even though it was a historic election, only about 6,100 people voted.

Geography

Mableton is located in Cobb County, Georgia. The Chattahoochee River forms its southeastern border. This river separates Cobb County from Fulton County, Georgia.

Mableton is bordered by two other suburban cities: Austell to the west and Smyrna to the north. The community of Lithia Springs is to the southwest. Mableton is about 15 miles west of Atlanta and about 20 miles from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Population Changes

Mableton has grown a lot over the years. In 1960, about 7,000 people lived here. By 2020, the population had grown to over 40,000 people. This shows how Mableton has become a much larger and more populated area.

Transportation

The Fulton County Airport (Brown Field) is right next to Mableton's southeastern border. This airport is used for general aviation, meaning it handles private planes and smaller aircraft. It has two runways and sees about 65,000 flights each year.

Fun Things to Do

Trails

The Silver Comet Trail intersecting Floyd Road in Mableton

The Silver Comet Trail is a popular paved path that goes through Mableton. It's 61.5 miles long and is great for biking, walking, and running. It starts in Smyrna and goes all the way to the Georgia-Alabama state line.

One of the Silver Comet Trail's connectors, located at South Hurt Road in Mableton and Smyrna

Heritage Park has a smaller trail that runs along Nickajack Creek. This trail connects to the Silver Comet Trail. At Heritage Park, you can see the ruins of an old woolen mill from the 1860s.

Heritage Park in Mableton

Parks

Mableton has several parks where you can play and relax:

• Lions Park
• Thompson Park
• Riverline Park
• Wallace Park

Community Garden

The Historic Mableton Community Garden is a place where people can grow their own plants and vegetables together. It's located at 5178 Floyd Road.

Amphitheater

The Mable House Barnes Amphitheater is a large outdoor theater that can seat 2,500 people. It was built with state and local money and cost $7 million. Many famous performers come to play concerts here.

Amusement Park

Six Flags Over Georgia is an exciting amusement park located near Mableton. It has 11 roller coasters, including the world's first "floorless" freefall tower ride. There's also a historic carousel from 1908 that is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Education

The Cobb County School District runs several public schools in the Mableton area.

Elementary Schools

• Mableton Elementary School
• Clay-Harmony Leland Elementary School
• Bryant Elementary School
• Riverside Elementary School
• H.A.V.E.N. Academy at Skyview
• Russell Elementary School
• City View Elementary School

Middle Schools

• Floyd Middle School
• Garrett Middle School
• Lindley Middle School
• Betty Gray Middle School

High Schools

• Pebblebrook High School – Some famous people who went here include actress Becca Tobin, basketball player Collin Sexton, and rapper Lil Yachty.
• South Cobb High School

Private Schools

There are also several private schools in or near Mableton:

• The Georgia Japanese Language School (GJLS) holds classes at Betty Gray Middle School. It's a part-time school for Japanese children to learn their language.
• Whitefield Academy is a Christian school in Smyrna, close to Mableton.
• The SAE School is a private school in Mableton that uses a "project-based learning" style for students from preschool to 8th grade.
• Primrose Schools is a private preschool located in the Providence neighborhood of Mableton.

Public Library

• South Cobb Regional Library

New Developments

A rendering of the proposed mixed-use development along Mableton Parkway

In recent years, there have been plans to update and improve downtown Mableton. In 2013, a plan was approved to create a new Mableton Town Center.

Developers are working on building new places for people to live and shop. For example, a new project is planned for Mableton Parkway and Old Powder Springs Road. It will include homes, townhouses, and spaces for shops and restaurants. Another company is also redeveloping an old shopping center on Floyd Road into a new area with luxury apartments and townhomes. These projects aim to bring new life and modern spaces to Mableton.

Famous People from Mableton

Many talented people have come from Mableton:

• Chloe Bailey, actress and singer
• Halle Bailey, actress and singer
• Roy Barnes, former governor of Georgia
• Ronnie DeVoe, member of the music group New Edition
• AR Fox, a professional wrestler
• T. J. Holmes, a news anchor
• Michael King, a television producer and reporter
• Kenny McKinley, former wide receiver for the Denver Broncos
• Kenny Selmon, a track and field athlete who competed in the Olympics
• Collin Sexton, a basketball player for the Utah Jazz
• Erica Thomas, a Georgia state representative
• Lil Yachty, a rapper and singer

Images for kids

• 

  A residential street in Mableton

• 

  Robert Mable's home built in 1843

• 

  The Mableton Post Office

• 

  The Atlanta skyline seen from Mableton

• 

  Mableton's location in Cobb County, Georgia

• Metro Atlanta.svg

  Mableton's location within the Atlanta Metropolitan Area

See also

In Spanish: Mableton para niños