Population

2010: 420,003, #40 in U.S., #1 in Georgia

1950: 331,314, #33 in U.S.

2010 Metropolitan Area: 5,268,860, #9 in U.S.

1950 Metropolitan Area: 671,797, #23 in U.S.

Setting

Atlanta was established in 1837 (with the name of Terminus) as the terminus of a new railroad line. Downtown's Centennial Olympic Park was built for the 1996 Olympic Games. Georgia State University is located downtown.

Buildings

Tallest building: Bank of America Plaza (1992), 1,040 feet (in Midtown, north of downtown). It is the tallest building in any state capital.

List of tallest buildings

The Westin Peachtree Plaza (1976, 723 feet), located downtown, has an observation deck on the 72nd floor.

The domed Georgia State Capitol (1889) is 272 feet tall.

Stores

Atlanta has no downtown department stores. Underground Atlanta is a historic area with shops and restaurants.

Trains

The Amtrak Crescent train goes daily from Atlanta’s Peachtree Station (1908, north of downtown) northeast to Washington, D.C., and New York City and southwest to Birmingham and New Orleans.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) has a rail system with four lines. MARTA, which began in 1979, operates underground, aboveground, and at ground level. MARTA serves Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The 2.7-mile Atlanta Streetcar opened in December 2014. It runs from Centennial Olympic Park to the King Historic Site.

Museums