City North America
Atlanta
Atlanta is a big city in the United States. It began where a railroad ended. Martin Luther King Jr. was born there.
Atlanta is the capital of the state of Georgia, in the southeastern United States. It began in 1837 as Terminus, the end point of a planned railroad, and grew into a center for trains, then for highways and airplanes. Martin Luther King Jr. was born here, and about 529,000 people lived in the city in 2025.
Atlanta, capital of Georgia and seat of Fulton County, grew from Terminus, the zero milepost staked out by the Western and Atlantic Railroad in 1837. Burned during the Civil War in 1864, it rebuilt around its railroads, became the state capital in 1868, and later saw civil rights sit-ins in the 1960s and hosted the 1996 Olympic Games. The Census Bureau estimated 529,110 residents on 1 July 2025.
Photo: AtlChampion, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discover Atlanta
Atlanta is a big city in the United States. It is in the state of Georgia.
It has tall towers, wide roads and lots of green trees.
Atlanta is the capital of Georgia, a state in the southeastern United States, and the state's largest city. It began on a ridge in the upper Piedmont region of Georgia, about 7 miles (11 kilometers) east of the Chattahoochee River.
The 2020 census counted 498,715 people in the city. The U.S. Census Bureau's newest estimate, for 1 July 2025, is 529,110. Millions more live in the towns and suburbs around it.
Atlanta is Georgia's capital, its largest city and the seat of Fulton County. The New Georgia Encyclopedia notes that the city itself is fairly small, with a land area of just over 131 square miles, and that it has spread out in a dispersed, "horizontal" way, with few natural barriers to stop it and the car shaping its growth.
The 2020 census counted 498,715 residents. The Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 estimates show steady growth since a dip in 2021, reaching 529,110 on 1 July 2025. The city's population had peaked at 496,973 in 1970 and then fell for two decades before growing again.
- Country
- United States (capital of Georgia)
- People in the city (2025 estimate)
- 529,110
- People in the city (2020 census)
- 498,715
- Founded
- 1837, as Terminus
A birth home, an Olympic park and a giant aquarium
In Atlanta, you can visit the house where Martin Luther King Jr. was born. He worked for equal rights for everyone.
The city also has a big park from the Olympic Games and a huge aquarium full of fish.
On Auburn Avenue, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park keeps the house where King was born and the neighborhood where he played as a child. In the park's church, visitors can hear his voice, and his father and grandfather were preachers at nearby Ebenezer Baptist Church.
Downtown, the 21-acre Centennial Olympic Park was built as part of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. Nearby, the Georgia Aquarium opened in 2005, followed by the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in 2014.
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park and Preservation District, run by the National Park Service, includes King's birth home on Auburn Avenue, where he grew up in a time of segregation, and the church where his voice can still be heard. The New Georgia Encyclopedia notes that his father and grandfather preached at nearby Ebenezer Baptist Church, and that Auburn Avenue was also a product of rigid segregation.
The 1996 Games left downtown the Olympic Stadium, later Turner Field, and the 21-acre Centennial Olympic Park. Around it grew an entertainment and convention district: the Children's Museum of Atlanta (2003), the Georgia Aquarium (November 2005), an enlarged World of Coca-Cola museum (2007), and in 2014 the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and the College Football Hall of Fame. The State Capitol stands on a hill south of Five Points, on the site of the old city hall.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park
- his birth home, childhood neighborhood and a church where his voice can be heard
- Centennial Olympic Park
- 21 acres, built for the 1996 Olympic Games
- Georgia Aquarium
- opened November 2005
From the end of the line to a capital
Long ago, workers planned a railroad. The spot where it ended became a little town.
The town grew and grew. A fire and a war hurt it, but people built it again.
In 1837, engineers for the Western and Atlantic Railroad marked a spot on a ridge as the southern end of a line they planned to build. The town that grew there was called Terminus, which means "end of the line." In 1843 it was renamed Marthasville, and two years later it became Atlanta.
During the Civil War, Union troops captured Atlanta in 1864, and much of the city burned. People came back and rebuilt it quickly around the railroads, and in 1868 Atlanta became Georgia's capital. In 1961, during the civil rights movement, Black college students began sit-ins to end segregation in downtown restaurants, and in 1973 Maynard Jackson became the city's first African American mayor.
The New Georgia Encyclopedia traces Atlanta's origins to two developments of the 1830s: the forced removal of Native Americans, chiefly Muscogee (Creek) and Cherokee people, from northwest Georgia, and the railroad. In 1837 Western and Atlantic engineers staked out a point about 7 miles east of the Chattahoochee River as the southern end of a line from Chattanooga; the settlement at this zero milepost was called Terminus, renamed Marthasville in 1843 and Atlanta two years later.
A strategic rail center for the Confederacy, Atlanta was captured by General William T. Sherman's troops on 2 September 1864; railroad buildings and much of the city were destroyed. By fall 1865 its five rail lines were running again. Atlanta replaced Milledgeville as Georgia's capital in 1868, and hosted the Cotton States and International Exposition in 1895. In 1961 Black college students began a sit-in movement to desegregate downtown restaurants and other public places; in 1973 Maynard Jackson became its first African American mayor, and in 1996 it hosted the centennial Summer Olympic Games.
- Terminus staked out by railroad engineers
- 1837
- Renamed Marthasville; then Atlanta
- 1843; 1845
- Becomes Georgia's state capital
- 1868
Railroads, MARTA trains and a very busy airport
Atlanta has trains called MARTA. Some of them run under the city.
Atlanta's airport is one of the busiest in the world. Planes fly in and out all day.
Railroads made Atlanta, and by around 1900 fifteen rail lines passed through the city. Later came highways: three interstate highways meet in Atlanta.
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, or MARTA, was created by law in 1965. Its first rail line opened on 30 June 1979, and in 1988 a rail line reached the airport. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, owned by the City of Atlanta, calls itself one of the world's busiest airports.
By the turn of the 20th century, fifteen rail lines and more than 150 trains a day served Atlanta; later the city linked early to three interstate highways, anchoring regional trucking. The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Act passed in 1965, and MARTA bought the Atlanta Transit System bus network in 1972.
According to UrbanRail.net, the first rail section ran from Georgia State downtown to Avondale on 30 June 1979, the North-South Line followed from 1981 and reached the airport on 18 June 1988; extensions in the 1990s reached Doraville, Dunwoody and Indian Creek, and Dunwoody to North Springs opened on 16 December 2000. MARTA describes its system as 48 miles of rail. The airport, renamed for Mayor William Hartsfield in 1971 and later also for Maynard Jackson, is run by the City of Atlanta's Department of Aviation.
- MARTA created by law
- 1965
- First MARTA rail line opened
- 30 June 1979, Georgia State to Avondale
- Airport
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, owned by the City of Atlanta
Mild winters and hot, humid summers
Atlanta has hot summers. Winters are cool, not very cold.
Rain falls in every month. July is the wettest month.
Atlanta has mild winters and hot summers. The World Meteorological Organization's averages for 1981 to 2010 give January days of about 11 °C and nights of about 1 °C. July is the warmest month, with days of about 32 °C and nights of about 22 °C.
Rain falls all year, about 1,260 millimeters in an average year. July is the wettest month, with about 134 millimeters.
WMO normals for Atlanta (1981–2010) give average highs and lows of 11.3 °C and 1.3 °C in January and 31.7 °C and 21.8 °C in July, the warmest month, with August close behind at 31.2 °C and 21.5 °C. Average lows stay above freezing in every month.
The monthly rainfall averages add up to about 1,263 mm, spread across the year: from 85.3 mm in April and 86.6 mm in October to 133.9 mm in July, with a second high in March (122.2 mm). Each month has roughly 7 to 12 days with rain.
- January, average daily high and low (WMO, 1981–2010)
- 11.3 °C and 1.3 °C
- July, average daily high and low (same period)
- 31.7 °C and 21.8 °C
- Rain in a year (sum of the monthly averages)
- about 1,260 mm
Parks, trails, colleges and teams
Atlanta has big parks, a zoo and paths for walking and biking.
People cheer for baseball, football, basketball and soccer teams.
Piedmont Park is Atlanta's largest public park. The Atlanta BeltLine, a corridor for people on foot with plans for light rail, opened its first part in 2008, and greenway trails wind through many neighborhoods. Zoo Atlanta is in Grant Park, south of downtown.
West of downtown, the Atlanta University Center brings together historically Black colleges such as Spelman College and Morehouse College. Fans cheer for the Braves (baseball), the Falcons (football), the Hawks (basketball) and Atlanta United (soccer).
Piedmont Park, the city's largest public park, was the site of the 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition; Zoo Atlanta lies in Grant Park, and the PATH Foundation has built more than 60 miles of multi-use greenway trails. The Atlanta BeltLine, a pedestrian and light-rail corridor planned to circle the city, opened its first segment in the West End in 2008.
West of Five Points, the Atlanta University Center groups Spelman College, Morehouse College, Morris Brown College, Clark Atlanta University and the Morehouse School of Medicine; the New Georgia Encyclopedia calls it the largest consortium of Black colleges and universities in the nation. Atlanta is also home to the headquarters of companies including Coca-Cola, UPS, the Home Depot and Delta Air Lines, and to the national headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Piedmont Park
- the city's largest public park, site of the 1895 exposition
- Atlanta BeltLine
- first segment opened in 2008, in the West End
- Atlanta University Center
- Spelman, Morehouse, Clark Atlanta and more
Atlanta on the map
Find Atlanta on the globe.
It is in the United States, in North America. Look in the southeast, away from the ocean.
Atlanta is in the southeastern United States, in the state of Georgia, far inland from the Atlantic coast. It began on a ridge about 7 miles (11 kilometers) east of the Chattahoochee River.
The tallest buildings cluster at Five Points, the city's original center, and along Peachtree Street to the north, through Midtown and on to Buckhead.
Atlanta lies at about 33.8° N and 84.4° W in the upper Piedmont of Georgia, on a ridge about 7 miles east of the Chattahoochee River. Five Points, the original and geographic center, holds the tallest and most closely grouped buildings, which continue north along Peachtree Street toward Midtown and Buckhead.
East of Five Points are Georgia State University and Auburn Avenue; south are the State Capitol, City Hall and Grant Park; west is the Atlanta University Center. MARTA rail runs north and south from downtown to the airport on the south side of the region.
- Latitude
- about 33.8° north
- Longitude
- about 84.4° west
- Setting
- on a ridge about 7 miles east of the Chattahoochee River
Amazing facts
-
Atlanta's first name was Terminus. It means "end of the line."
Before it was Atlanta, the town was called Terminus, meaning "end of the line," and then Marthasville.
Terminus (1837) became Marthasville in 1843, after the daughter of former governor Wilson Lumpkin, and Atlanta in 1845; the New Georgia Encyclopedia says the name was first used by railroad engineer John Edgar Thomson for his depot.
-
Atlanta hosted the Olympic Games in 1996.
The 1996 Summer Olympic Games left Atlanta a 21-acre park downtown, Centennial Olympic Park.
The 1996 centennial Olympic Games left Atlanta the Olympic Stadium, later Turner Field, and the 21-acre Centennial Olympic Park; the athletes' village became student housing.
-
Martin Luther King Jr. grew up on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta.
The National Park Service looks after the house on Auburn Avenue where Martin Luther King Jr. was born and grew up.
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park and Preservation District protects King's birth home and childhood neighborhood on Auburn Avenue and a church where visitors can hear his voice.
-
Atlanta's first trains under the city started running in 1979.
MARTA's first rail line opened on 30 June 1979, running from Georgia State downtown out to Avondale.
MARTA's East-West Line opened from Georgia State to Avondale on 30 June 1979; MARTA says it built the rail system with more than $800 million in federal grants.
Words to know
- terminus
- the end point of a railroad or bus line
- railroad
- a track of steel rails for trains, and the company that runs them
- civil rights
- the rights every person should have to be treated equally under the law
- segregation
- keeping groups of people apart by law or custom, especially by race
- state capital
- the city where a state's government meets
- humid
- having a lot of water vapor in the air, so it feels sticky
Discovery challenge
-
Atlanta is the capital of which state?
Atlanta is the capital of which U.S. state?
Since 1868, Atlanta has been the capital of which U.S. state?
- Georgia
- Florida
- Texas
Show the answer
Georgia
Georgia! Atlanta is its capital.
Georgia, in the southeastern United States.
Georgia; Atlanta replaced Milledgeville as capital in 1868.
-
What was Atlanta's first name?
What was Atlanta first called, meaning "end of the line"?
What was the settlement at the Western and Atlantic's zero milepost first called?
- Peachtree
- Terminus
- Savannah
Show the answer
Terminus
Terminus! It means the end of the line.
Terminus, because a railroad line was planned to end there.
Terminus (1837), later Marthasville (1843) and Atlanta (1845).
-
Which famous leader was born in Atlanta?
Which civil rights leader was born on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta?
Whose birth home is protected by a National Historical Park on Auburn Avenue?
- Abraham Lincoln
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- George Washington
Show the answer
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr.! You can visit his home.
Martin Luther King Jr., who led the civil rights movement.
Martin Luther King Jr.; his father and grandfather preached at nearby Ebenezer Baptist Church.
-
What did Atlanta host in 1996?
Which big sports event did Atlanta host in 1996?
Which event in 1996 left Atlanta the 21-acre Centennial Olympic Park?
- The Summer Olympic Games
- The World Cup final
- The Winter Olympic Games
Show the answer
The Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games!
The Summer Olympic Games, called the centennial Games.
The centennial Summer Olympic Games of 1996.
-
What are Atlanta's trains called?
What is the name of Atlanta's train and bus system?
Which authority, created by law in 1965, opened Atlanta's first rail line in 1979?
- The Tube
- MARTA
- The El
Show the answer
MARTA
MARTA! Its trains run under and over the city.
MARTA, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.
MARTA, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.
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For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Locate Atlanta in Georgia and name it as the state's capital.
- Explain how a railroad led to the founding and growth of a city.
- Describe Atlanta's place in the civil rights movement and the life of Martin Luther King Jr.
- Read monthly temperature and rainfall averages to describe a city's climate.
Recommended ages: 3 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- Atlanta began because a railroad was planned to end there. What makes people choose a place to build a town?
- Martin Luther King Jr. grew up in Atlanta at a time of segregation. What does it mean to treat everyone fairly?
- Atlanta grew outward with cars and highways. What are good and hard things about a city that spreads out?
Try at home or in class
- Railroad town: lay a string across the floor as a railroad, put a block at the end as Terminus, and add houses and shops around it as the town grows.
- Kind-words wall: write a sentence about treating people fairly on a sticky note, and put everyone's notes together on a wall or door.
- Rain gauge: put a straight-sided jar outside for a week and measure the rain. Compare it with Atlanta's 134 millimeters in an average July.
Key vocabulary: terminus, railroad, civil rights, segregation, state capital, humid
Where these facts come from
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Natural Earth vector data , Natural Earth (NACIS) (Public domain)
- City and town population totals: 2020-2025 (Georgia, sub-est2025_13) , U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program
- Atlanta , New Georgia Encyclopedia (Georgia Humanities)
- Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park , U.S. National Park Service
- MARTA history and vision , Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
- Atlanta rapid transit , UrbanRail.Net
- About ATL , Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
- Atlanta, Georgia: climatological information , World Meteorological Organization, World Weather Information Service
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); see each media record)
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated November 1, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.