Athens, Georgia
Athens–Clarke County (balance)
Nickname(s): 
"The Classic City"
"Liverpool [of the] South"[1]
Location in Clarke County and the state of Georgia.
Location in Clarke County and the state of Georgia.
Athens is located in the United States
Athens
Athens
Location in the United States.
Coordinates: 33°57′N 83°23′W / 33.950°N 83.383°W / 33.950; -83.383
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyClarke
Government
 • MayorNancy Denson
Area
 • Consolidated city-county118.2 sq mi (306.2 km2)
 • Land117.8 sq mi (305.0 km2)
 • Water0.5 sq mi (1.2 km2)
Elevation
636 ft (194 m)
Population
 (2014)
 • Consolidated city-county115,452
 • Density851.5/sq mi (328.8/km2)
 • Metro
199,016
 • Combined Statistical Area
6,258,875 (AtlantaAthens–Clarke CountySandy Springs)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
30601, 30602, 30603, 30604, 30605, 30606, 30607, 30608, 30609, 30612
Area code706/762
FIPS code13-03440[2]
Websiteathensclarkecounty.com

Athens is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia, situated on the Oconee River some 65 miles northeast of Atlanta, in the Piedmont region near the Blue Ridge foothills.[3] A college town and home to the University of Georgia, Athens is known for its vibrant nightlife and eclectic culture. It is a historical center for alternative rock and new wave music and was home to the first and most famous college music scene in the country.[4]

In 1996 Athens was the largest Olympic venue outside of the host city for the Centennial Olympic Games. Each spring since 1980 Athens has hosted the annual Twilight Series, including the country's most prestigious criterium race, Twilight Criterium.

Since 1991, the local government has been a consolidated city-county comprising the former city of Athens proper (the county seat) and Clarke County. In 2013, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated Athens–Clarke County had a population of 119,880 and a metropolitan population of 197,905.

Athens is on the Atlanta-Charlotte high-speed rail corridor.

It is one of the most politically liberal and solidly Democratic cities in Georgia.

It also has the highest cost of living index in the state and is ranked second in most income inequality in Georgia and eighth in the United States.[5] Its poverty rate is the fourth highest in Georgia.

It has the highest proportion of adults with advanced degrees among the state's most populous cities.[6][a]

The Oconee National Forest is some 10 miles to the south.

Since 2010 migration has accounted for more than one-third of the area's population growth: of an estimated 6,475 new residents, 2,246 are migrants, of whom 1,960—or 87 percent—are immigrants from other countries. This trend is consistent with. Altogether, over 30 percent of the area's population growth is attributed to immigrants from other countries.

Greater Athens has grown faster than the national average.

Notes edit

  1. ^ That is, the proportion of adults 25 and older who have advanced degrees among cities with a population above 100,000 as reported in the 2010 census; there are six such cities in Georgia. According to the United States Census Bureau, the rate in Atlanta is ; in Augusta, ; in Columbus, ; in Macon, ; and in Savannah, . It is ... in Athens. Atlanta[7] and Augusta[8]

References edit

  1. ^ Harris, Art (29 August 1984). "O Little Town of Rock 'n' Roll: Welcome to Liverpool South". The Washington Post. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  2. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 31 January 2008.
  3. ^ https://www.athensclarkecounty.com/118/Location-Geography
  4. ^ Kruse, Holly (January 1993). "Subcultural Identity in Alternative Music Culture". Popular Music. 12 (1): 33–41. doi:10.1017/S026114300000533X. JSTOR 931257. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  5. ^ http://www.bloomberg.com/visual-data/best-and-worst//most-income-inequality-us-cities
  6. ^ with 21.1 percent of residents possessing a graduate or professional degree
  7. ^ "2009-2013 5-Year American Community Survey". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  8. ^ "State & County QuickFacts Chicago (city), Illinois". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 29, 2013.