ATLANTA BY THE NUMBERS

Atlanta is the ninth largest metropolitan area in the United States by population. The metro area has more than 4.5 million residents.

By square miles, it is the third largest at 8,376 square miles. Twenty-eight Georgia counties make up metropolitan Atlanta.

Among college students, Atlanta is consistently ranked as one of the best college towns in the U.S. and in a recent Harris Interactive poll, Atlanta ranked fifth when Americans were asked their favorite places to live or to visit.

Of metro areas with more than two million residents, Atlanta is the second fastest growing city in the country.

The city’s popularity is a mixed blessing. The growth is exciting, but like many large cities, the Atlanta region also has to address serious transportation problems and air- and water-quality issues. Growth is not always a good thing, especially if it is at the cost of green space and rural areas. For many years Southerners feared kudzu would eat the South, but these days, Atlanta’s sprawl may win that dubious honor.

ATLANTA STATS

4.5 million residence
9th largest metro
Largest city in S.E.
established 1837
"a city too busy to hate" —William Hartsfield