About Atlanta
Atlanta was founded in 1837 as the end of the Western & Atlantic railroad line (it was first named Marthasville in honor of the then-governor's daughter, nicknamed Terminus for its rail location, and then changed soon after to Atlanta, the feminine of Atlantic -- as in the railroad). Today the fast-growing city remains a transportation hub, not just for the country but also for the world: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world's busiest in daily passenger flights. Direct flights to Europe, South America, and Asia have made metro Atlanta easily accessible to the more than 1,000 international businesses that operate here and the more than 50 countries that have representation in the city through consulates, trade offices, and chambers of commerce. The city has emerged as a banking center and boasts the third largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the country.

Atlanta is the capital city of the Southeast, a city of the future with strong ties to its past. The old in new Atlanta is the soul of the city, the heritage that enhances the quality of life in a contemporary city. In the turbulent 60s, Atlanta was "the city too busy to hate." And today, in the 21st century, Atlanta is the "city not too busy to care.”

 

While Atlanta is a popular, bustling city with glittering skylines, it is also a city in the forest, dotted with expansive green spaces and charming neighborhoods. Discover hidden gems around every corner, including diverse dining, top attractions, incredible arts and entertainment. This urban oasis is a multi-cultural haven that exudes Southern hospitality in its own style. Ever-expanding and always reinventing itself, Atlanta is among the most influential and most welcoming cities in the USA.

 

Must-See Atlanta Attractions
The heart of the city is downtown, the perfect starting point for first-time visitors. Centennial Olympic Park is surrounded by Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, CNN’s global headquarters, Children’s Museum of Atlanta, Center for Civil and Human Rights and the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame, all within walking distance of each other. Beyond Centennial Olympic Park, discover other top attractions including the High Museum of Art, Zoo Atlanta and Atlanta Botanical Garden.

 

Southern Cuisine Meets the World
Atlanta boasts everything from upscale gourmet cuisine to progressive variations of Southern staples, chef-driven restaurants and international fare. What makes Atlanta’s dining scene special is its variety. Atlanta restaurants are relaxed and welcome diners with open arms. You’ll find authentic ethnic restaurants too, especially on Buford Highway, just 20 minutes outside Downtown.

 

Music, Film and Pop Culture
Get the inside scoop on the Atlanta film scene with Atlanta Movie Tours including Atlanta film sites featured in The Walking Dead, The Hunger Games and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are 10 unique movie experiences offered on nearly 80 guided tours a month. Swan House Capitol Tours at Atlanta History Center includes a guided tour through the Swan House showcasing rooms used during filming of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

For the music fans, Atlanta hosts more than 30 festivals annually, including AC3 Festival, Atlanta Jazz Festival, Imagine Music Festival, Music Midtown, Shaky Knees and SweetWater 420 Fest. The musical heritage of Atlanta includes many legends who made their careers in Georgia’s capital, including Otis Redding and Gladys Knight, along with more recent artists like Indigo Girls, CeeLo Green, OutKast and many popular hip-hop artists.

 
Notable Events
For more than four decades, Atlanta has been linked to the civil rights movement. Civil rights leaders moved forward; they were the visionaries who saw a new South, a new Atlanta. They believed in peace. They made monumental sacrifices for that peace. And because of them, Atlanta became a fast-paced modern city which opened its doors to the 1996 Olympics.

Die-hard southerners view Atlanta as the heart of the Old Confederacy. Atlanta has become the best example of the New South, a fast-paced modern city proud of its heritage.

 

Growth & Population
In the past two decades, Atlanta has experienced unprecedented growth -- the official city population remains steady, at about 420,000, but the metro population has grown in the past decade by nearly 40 percent, from 2.9 million to 4.1 million people. A good measure of this growth is the ever-changing downtown skyline, along with skyscrapers constructed in the Midtown, Buckhead, and outer perimeter (fringing I-285) business districts.

Since the late 1970s, dozens of dazzling skyscrapers designed by such luminaries as Philip Johnson, I. M. Pei, and Marcel Breuer have reshaped the city's profile. Twenty-first Century, in Atlanta, history is being written...