Fulton County, Georgia

Fulton County Education, Geography, and History

Fulton County is a county located in the Piedmont section of the state of Georgia. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 920,581, making it the most populous county in Georgia. Fulton County was created on December 20, 1853. The county seat is Atlanta, the state capital since 1868. Fulton county is named after Robert Fulton.

Fulton County is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Etymology - Origin of Fulton County Name

The county is named after Robert Fulton who built the Clermont, a boat that revolutionized river travel and played an important role in the development of the South.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Fulton County History

Fulton County was formed from DeKalb County in 1853. In 1932, Milton and Campbell counties were consolidated with Fulton County, resulting in its current elongated shape.

The county was the 144th county created in the state and was named after Robert Fulton who built the Clermont, a boat that revolutionized river travel and played an important role in the development of the South.

Atlanta, the county seat and state capital, was named Terminus in 1842. Its name was later changed to Marthasville, in honor of Governor Wilson Lumpkin's daughter, and then to Atlanta in 1848.  Ninety percent of the City of Atlanta is within Fulton County (the other 10% lies within DeKalb County).  Fulton County is the principal county of the Atlanta metropolitan area.

Points of Interest

Several of the state's top attractions are located in the county, including Underground Atlanta, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center, the World of Coca Cola Museum, and Zoo Atlanta.

The State Capitol and the Governor's Mansion are both located in Atlanta. The Georgia Capitol is a gilded dome which resembles a small -scale version of the Capital in Washington, D.C. The Governor's Mansion is a Greek Revival Mansion with a fine collection of Federal Period furnishings.

The High Museum of Art, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and the Atlanta Ballet all contribute towards the city's claim as the cultural capital of the South.

The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, the annual college football post-season game which matches competitors from the Atlantic Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference in a regional grudge match in the Georgia Dome.

The newly renovated CNN Center is the global headquarters of Turner Broadcasting System and home to CNN's international news networks.

Notable Citizens

Famous individuals from Fulton County have included golfer Bobby Jones, civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., and Gone With the Wind author Margaret Mitchell. Other Atlanta natives include comedian Nipsey Russell, singer Gladys Knight and singer/songwriter Tommy Roe.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the 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.

 Fulton county is located in northwest Georgia. The shape of the county resembles a sword with its handle at the northeastern part, and the tip at the southwestern portion.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• North: Cherokee County
• Northeast: Forsyth County; Gwinnett County
• East: DeKalb County
• Southeast: Clayton County
• South: Fayette County
• Southwest: Coweta County; Carroll County; Douglas County
• Northwest: Cobb County

Education

Higher Education

The Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University, Oglethorpe University, Atlanta Christian College, and Mercer University.

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