Welcome to Atlanta
Located in the heart of the Southeast, Atlanta is the state capital of Georgia and an economic powerhouse. The Metro Atlanta area, consisting of 28 counties, is the ninth-largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States and has a population of approximately 5.4 million. The metro area saw its population grow by 38% during the 1990’s, when the city hosted the Centennial Olympic Games, and by 28% since 2000. The metro area will continue to attract over 80,000 new residents annually. Residents, businesses and tourists benefit from an exceptional quality of life, mild climate, extensive infrastructure and relatively low costs. The city offers an abundance of entertainment, recreation, and cultural opportunities, with three major league sports teams in addition to countless major attractions including the High Museum of Art, Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola and Stone Mountain Park.
Atlanta is both a national and international center for business, with a well-diversified economy and business-friendly environment. In 2012, Atlanta was ranked by KPMG as the second most cost-competitive location amongst big cities. Atlanta is also ranked third in the nation for cities with the most Fortune 500 companies, with ten on the list including: Home Depot, United Parcel Service, Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Enterprises, Delta Airlines, Southern Company, Genuine Parts, First Data, SunTrust, and Newell Rubbermaid. The world headquarters of media companies Turner Broadcasting and Cox Enterprises are also located in Atlanta, in addition to federal government agencies and enterprises such as the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Atlanta economy benefits greatly from the area’s institutions of higher learning, with 57 colleges and universities and over 250,000 students enrolled annually. Atlanta ranks fifth in the nation in university research, sixth for degrees conferred annually at the bachelor’s level or higher, and seventh in enrollment among America’s largest urban areas. The city is home to leading universities including Emory University, Georgia State University, Georgia Tech, and the University of Georgia.
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, located ten miles south of Downtown Atlanta, serves as a gateway between the United States and the world. Since 1998, Hartsfield-Jackson has maintained its position as “the world’s busiest passenger airport” and in 2005 surpassed Chicago’s O’Hare in total flight operations as well. More than 80 percent of the U.S. population is within a two-hour flight time from Hartsfield-Jackson. Atlanta’s transportation infrastructure also includes seven major interstates and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), the ninth-largest transit system in the country.