Fulton County, Georgia

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Fulton County is in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,066,710,[1] making it the state's most populous county.[2] It is the county seat and most populous city is Atlanta,[3] the state capital. About 90% of the city of Atlanta is within Fulton County; the remaining portion is in DeKalb County. Fulton County is the principal county of the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Roswell metropolitan statistical area.

History

File:Bright Atlanta.jpg
Midtown Atlanta and the Downtown Connector

Fulton County was created in 1853 from the western half of DeKalb County. It was named in honor of Robert Fulton, the man who created the first commercially successful steamboat in 1807.[4]

After the American Civil War, there was considerable violence against freedmen in the county. During the post-Reconstruction period, violence and the number of lynchings of blacks increased in the late 19th century, as whites exercised terrorism to re-establish and maintain white supremacy. Whites lynched 35 African Americans here from 1877 to 1950; according to the Georgia Lynching Project, 24 were killed in 1906. This was the highest total in the state.[5] With a total of 589, Georgia was second to Mississippi in its total number of lynchings in this period.[6]

In addition to individual lynchings, during the 1906 Atlanta race massacre, whites killed at least 25 African Americans; the number may have been considerably higher. Two white persons died during the riot; one a woman who died of a heart attack. The violence affected black residential and business development in the city afterward. The Georgia legislature effectively completed disenfranchisement of African Americans in 1908, with constitutional amendments that raised barriers to voter registration and voting, excluding them from the political systemScript error: No such module "Unsubst"..

At the beginning of 1932, as an austerity measure to save money during the Great Depression, Fulton County annexed Milton County to the north and Campbell County to the southwest, to centralize administration. That resulted in the current long shape of the county along Script error: No such module "convert". of the Chattahoochee River. On May 9 of that year, neighboring Cobb County ceded the city of Roswell and lands lying east of Willeo Creek to Fulton County so that it would be more contiguous with the lands ceded from Milton County.

In the second half of the 20th century, Atlanta and Fulton County became the location of numerous national and international headquarters for leading companies, attracting highly skilled employees from around the country. This led to the city and county becoming more cosmopolitan and diverse.[7][8]

In 1992, Fulton County elected the first African-American woman, Jacquelyn Harrison Barrett, to the position of Sheriff in the history of the United States.[9]

In 2023, rapper Playboi Carti was arrested in Fulton County.[10] That same year, Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants were indicted by Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis.[11] As of 2025Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"., the prosecution is being continued by Pete Skandalakis.[12] Fulton County was a centerpoint in Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election in Georgia; in January 2026, the FBI conducted a raid on the county's election office.[13]

Geography

File:Garrett Lake, Mountain Park, Fulton County, Georgia.JPG
Garrett Lake, Mountain Park

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Script error: No such module "convert"., of which Script error: No such module "convert". is land and Script error: No such module "convert". (1.4%) is water.[14] The county is located in the Piedmont region of the state in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the north. The shape of the county resembles a sword with its handle at the northeastern part, and the tip at the southwestern portion.

Going from north to south, the northernmost portion of Fulton County, encompassing Milton and northern Alpharetta, is located in the Etowah River sub-basin of the ACT River Basin (Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin). The rest of north and central Fulton, to downtown Atlanta, is located in the Upper Chattahoochee River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). The bulk of south Fulton County, from Atlanta to Palmetto, is located in the Middle Chattahoochee River-Lake Harding sub-basin of the larger ACF River Basin, with just the eastern edges of south Fulton, from Palmetto northeast through Union Hill to Hapeville, in the Upper Flint River sub-basin of the same larger ACF River Basin.[15]

Adjacent counties

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National protected areas

Communities

A map of all the cities within Fulton County, Georgia
A map of all the cities within Fulton County, Georgia

There are 15 cities within Fulton County. Four cities include land outside of the county (Atlanta, College Park, Palmetto, and Mountain Park) but still have their center of government and the majority of their land within Fulton County. After the formation of South Fulton in 2017, the only unincorporated part of the county is Fulton Industrial Boulevard, from roughly Fulton Brown Airport (Brown's Field) down to Fairburn Rd. (concurrent with GA-158 and GA-166)[16] This led to Fulton County becoming the first county in Georgia to suspend all city services.[17]

Cities

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Former unincorporated communities

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Template:Sronly%±
186014,427—
187033,446Script error: No such module "String".%
188049,137Script error: No such module "String".%
189084,655Script error: No such module "String".%
1900117,363Script error: No such module "String".%
1910177,733Script error: No such module "String".%
1920232,606Script error: No such module "String".%
1930318,587Script error: No such module "String".%
1940392,886Script error: No such module "String".%
1950473,572Script error: No such module "String".%
1960556,326Script error: No such module "String".%
1970607,592Script error: No such module "String".%
1980589,904Script error: No such module "String".%
1990648,951Script error: No such module "String".%
2000816,006Script error: No such module "String".%
2010920,581Script error: No such module "String".%
20201,066,710Script error: No such module "String".%
2025 (est.)1,098,791[18] IncreaseScript error: No such module "String".%
U.S. Decennial Census[19]
1790-1880[20] 1890-1910[21]
1920-1930[22] 1930-1940[23]
1940-1950[24] 1960-1980[25]
1980-2000[26] 2010[27] 2020[28]

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2020 census

Fulton County, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition
<templatestyles src="Nobold/styles.css"/>Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 1980[29] Pop 1990[30] Pop 2000[31] Pop 2010[27] Pop 2020[28] % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 276,418 303,724 369,997 376,014 404,793 46.86% 46.80% 45.34% 40.85% 37.95%
Black or African American alone (NH) 300,952 322,428 361,018 400,457 448,803 51.02% 49.68% 44.24% 43.50% 42.07%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 644 904 1,148 1,586 1,558 0.11% 0.14% 0.14% 0.17% 0.15%
Asian alone (NH) 2,926 8,221 24,635 51,304 80,632 0.50% 1.27% 3.02% 5.57% 7.56%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x [32] x [33] 261 287 381 x x 0.03% 0.03% 0.04%
Other race alone (NH) 1,390 301 1,599 2,582 6,444 0.24% 0.05% 0.20% 0.28% 0.60%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) x [34] x [35] 9,292 15,785 37,797 x x 1.14% 1.71% 3.54%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 7,574 13,373 48,056 72,566 86,302 1.28% 2.06% 5.89% 7.88% 8.09%
Total 589,904 648,951 816,006 920,581 1,066,710 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 1,066,710 people, 448,577 households, and 238,444 families residing there, reflecting the county's historically positive population growth with the exception of the 1980 U.S. census.[58]

The median age was 35.5 years; 20.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 12.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.6 males age 18 and over. 99.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.6% lived in rural areas.[59][58]

The racial makeup of the county, as recorded in the 2020 census, was 39.3% White, 42.5% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 7.6% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.6% from some other race, and 6.6% from two or more races; Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 8.1% of the population.[60]

There were 448,577 households in the county, of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 35.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[58]

There were 494,006 housing units, of which 9.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 50.0% were owner-occupied and 50.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.3%.[58]

2010 census

In 2010, its racial and ethnic makeup was 43.50% Black or African American, 40.85% non-Hispanic white, 0.17% American Indian and Alaska Native, 5.57% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.28% some other race, 1.71% multiracial, and 7.88% Hispanic or Latino of any race.[27]

In 2010, the median income for a household in the county was $56,709 and the median income for a family was $75,579. Males had a median income of $56,439 versus $42,697 for females. The per capita income for the county was $37,211. About 12.0% of families and 15.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.0% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.[61]

2022 American Community Survey

At the 2022 American Community Survey, its median household income grew to $90,346 with a per capita income of $59,689. Among its population, 53% earned from $50,000 to $200,000 annually, and 28% earned less than $50,000. Approximately 12.7% of the county lived at or below the poverty line.[62]

Economy

File:Centennial Tower Atlanta 1.jpg
Centennial Tower

Companies headquartered in Fulton County include AFC Enterprises (Popeyes Chicken/Cinnabon), AT&T Mobility, Chick-fil-A, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Church's Texas Chicken, The Coca-Cola Company, Cox Enterprises, Delta Air Lines, Earthlink, Equifax, First Data, Georgia-Pacific, Global Payments, Inc., InterContinental Hotels Group, IBM Internet Security Systems, Mirant Corp., Newell Rubbermaid, Northside Hospital, Piedmont Healthcare, Porsche Cars North America, Saint Joseph's Hospital, Southern Company, United Parcel Service, are based in various cities throughout Fulton County.[63]

Education

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". All portions of Fulton County outside of the city limits of Atlanta are served by the Fulton County School System. All portions within Atlanta are served by Atlanta Public Schools.[64]

Libraries

History

The Fulton County Library System began in 1902 as the Carnegie Library of Atlanta, one of the first public libraries in the United States. In 1935, the city of Atlanta and the Fulton County Board of Commissioners signed a contract under which library service was extended to all of Fulton County. Then in 1982, Georgia voters passed a constitutional Amendment authorizing the transfer of responsibility for the Library system from the city of Atlanta to the county. On July 1, 1983, the transfer finally became official, and the system was renamed the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System. A new Central library was opened in 1988.[65]

Government and politics

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Fulton County is governed by a seven-member Board of Commissioners, whose members are elected from single-member districts to staggered four-year terms. The chairman of the board is elected at-large county-wide.[66] The county operates under a county manager system, where an appointed manager handles day-to-day administrative operations. As the most populous county in Georgia, its adopted budget for fiscal year 2026 is $1.42 billion, which funds regional infrastructure, judicial administration, social programs, the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, and county-wide public health services.[67] Public safety and county detention are managed by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, which administers the Fulton County Jail and provides security for the superior court system.[68]

Political alignment

Fulton County is one of the most reliably Democratic counties in the United States, having voted for the Democratic presidential nominee in every election since 1876, with the exceptions of 1928 and 1972.[69] In the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections, the Democratic nominee secured over 72% of the countywide vote.[70] Federally, the county is split among three congressional districts represented by Democrats Nikema Williams (District 5) and Lucy McBath (District 6), and Republican Rich McCormick (District 7).[71]

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Municipalization and county division

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". The county's northern and southern regions have historically differed on issues of taxation and municipal service delivery.[72] This disparity catalyzed a continuous "cityhood movement" between 2005 and 2017. Beginning with the incorporation of Sandy Springs in 2005, a subsequent wave of municipalization occurred, resulting in the creation of new cities like Johns Creek, Milton, and ultimately the City of South Fulton in 2017.[73]

Following the 2017 incorporation of South Fulton, the county retained almost no unincorporated territory outside of the industrial corridor along Fulton Industrial Boulevard. As a result, Fulton County became the first county in Georgia to suspend generalized local municipal operations (such as municipal police, firefighting, and zoning), shifting its structural mandate exclusively to countywide regional services like judicial administration, tax assessments, and public health programs.[73]

During the height of the municipalization movement, proponents in suburban North Fulton advocated for secession to re-form historic Milton County, which had been financially absorbed by Fulton in 1932 during the Great Depression.[74] State legislative proposals to allow the division stalled in the General Assembly amid debates regarding the economic and racial equity of splitting the tax base, and the complete incorporation of the county's cities ultimately diminished the momentum for secession.[72]

Transportation

File:South Fulton Parkway, Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia.JPG
South Fulton Parkway

Almost every major highway, and every major Interstate highway, in metro Atlanta passes through Fulton County. Outside Atlanta proper, Georgia 400 is the major highway through north Fulton, and Interstate 85 to the southwest.

Major highways

Interstate Highways
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State Routes
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Secondary highways

File:Peachtree St in Midtown.jpg
Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta

Mass transit

File:East Point (MARTA station).JPG
East Point MARTA station

MARTA serves most of the county, and along with Clayton and Dekalb County, Fulton pays a 1% sales tax to fund it. MARTA train service in Fulton is currently limited to the cities of Atlanta, Sandy Springs, East Point, and College Park, as well as the airport. Bus service covers most of the remainder, except the rural areas in the far southwest and Johns Creek. North Fulton residents have been asking for service, to extend the North Line Script error: No such module "convert". up the Georgia 400 corridor, from Perimeter Center to the fellow edge city of Alpharetta. However, as the only major transit system in the country that its state government will not fund, there is no money to expand the system. Sales taxes now go entirely to operating, maintaining, and refurbishing the system. Xpress GA/ RTA provides commuter bus service from the outer suburbs of Fulton County, the city of Sandy Springs to Midtown and Downtown Atlanta.

Recreational trails

Airports

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport straddles the border with Clayton County to the south and is the busiest airport in the world. The Fulton County Airport, often called Charlie Brown Field after politician Charles M. Brown, is located just west-southwest of Atlanta's city limit. It is run by the county as a municipal or general aviation airport, serving business jets and private aircraft.

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ About Fulton County
  5. ↑ Lynching in America/ Supplement: Lynchings by CountyScript error: No such module "Unsubst"., 3rd Edition, 2015, p. 4
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  27. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  33. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  34. ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
  35. ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
  36. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  38. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  39. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  40. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  41. ↑ Partly in DeKalb County
  42. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  43. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  44. ↑ Partly in Clayton County
  45. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  46. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  47. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  48. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  50. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  51. ↑ with a small portion in Cherokee County
  52. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  53. ↑ Partly in Coweta County
  54. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  55. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  56. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  57. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  58. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  59. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  60. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  61. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  62. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  63. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  64. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1". - Text list
  65. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  66. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  67. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  68. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  69. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  70. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  71. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  72. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  73. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  74. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  75. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  76. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  77. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  78. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

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