User:Floridian/sandboxAthens
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Athens, officially Athens–Clarke County, is a consolidated city–county in the U.S. state of Georgia. Located approximately 60 miles (97 km) east-northeast of Atlanta, Athens is the second-most populous city in the Atlanta commuting areaα and in northern Georgia—with a 2015 census-estimated balance population of 122,604 and metropolitan population of 203,189 (see Athens–Clarke County metropolitan area). It is the third most-densely settled large city (population greater than 100,000) in Georgia after Atlanta and Savannah and is coterminous with Clarke County, the smallest county by area in Georgia.
Athens, Georgia | |
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Athens–Clarke County | |
Nickname: "The Classic City" | |
Coordinates: 33°57′N 83°23′W | |
Country | United States |
State | Georgia |
County | Clarke |
Named for | Athens, Greece |
Government | |
• Mayor | Nancy Denson |
Area | |
• Consolidated city–county | 118.2 sq mi (306.2 km2) |
• Land | 117.8 sq mi (305.0 km2) |
• Water | 0.5 sq mi (1.2 km2) |
Elevation | 636 ft (194 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• Consolidated city–county | 115,452 |
• Density | 851.5/sq mi (328.8/km2) |
• Metro | 192,541 |
Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
ZIP code | 30601, 30602, 30603, 30604, 30605, 30606, 30607, 30608, 30609, 30612 |
Area code | 706/762 |
FIPS code | 13-03440[1] |
Website | athensclarkecounty.com |
Settled by pioneers in the late 18th century at the headwaters of the Oconee River, present-day Athens was originally a settlement named Cedar Shoals. In 1801, John Milledge purchased a 633-acre plot of land above the Oconee and donated it to fulfill the 1785 charter for the University of Georgia, naming the new collegiate settlement after the ancient Greek capital. Following incorporation in 1806, Athens was slow to develop through the first half of the 19th century. Plantation agriculture became the town's dominant industry, relying significantly on the labor of black slaves who made up half of the city's population by 1860. During the Reconstruction period following the American Civil War, the city became a center for freed slaves, beginning an era of African American cultural influence as black media and other institutions proliferated.
In the 20th century, the economy diversified to encompass manufacturing and white collar jobs.
Music. Diverse neighborhoods.
Athens is a college town. It is home to the University of Georgia, the flagship public research university of the state, and several constituent and non-affiliated research institutions. The university shapes the city's economy significantly as it employs approximately 10,665 workers and enrolls over 36,500 students as of October 2016.[2] Attributable to the university's athletic facilities, Athens has hosted many NCAA events and championships and played a role in the 1996 Summer Olympics.