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61-487: Most of the Georgia Navigator system is installed in metro Atlanta , where at least half of the state's population lives. It includes traffic cameras , changeable message signs , ramp meters , and a traffic speed sensor system. Unlike other ITS deployments around the world, Georgia Navigator almost exclusively uses video detection cameras to gather traffic flow data, as opposed to traditional sensors embedded in

122-604: A census-designated-place (CDP) by the census bureau. One notable example is East Cobb , an unincorporated area (though not a CDP) adjacent to Marietta and Roswell in Cobb County. With an estimated population of approximately 164,055 as of 2020, it would be the second largest city in the metro besides Atlanta if incorporated. Metro Atlanta includes the following incorporated and unincorporated suburbs (both inside and outside Atlanta), exurbs, and surrounding cities, sorted by population according to 2020 census data (or later data if

183-600: A pipeline east to the Savannah River was mentioned even informally. The state has now been ordered by a judge to reduce withdrawals from the Chattahoochee south of Lanier to 1970s levels within three years (2012), something that would create an immediate emergency water shortage if it were actually enforced. The native forest canopy is mainly oak , redbud, hickory , poplar , tuliptree , pine , and sweetgum , with chestnut having been common decades before in what

244-452: A given metropolitan area will vary between sources. The statistical criteria for a standard metropolitan area were defined in 1949 and redefined as a metropolitan statistical area in 1983. Due to suburbanization, the typical metropolitan area is polycentric rather than being centered around a large historic core city such as New York City or Chicago . Some metropolitan areas include more than one large historic core city; examples include

305-526: A regulation for public comment that would increase the minimum population needed for an urban area population to be a metropolitan statistical area to be increased from 50,000 to 100,000. It ultimately decided to keep the minimum at 50,000 for the 2020 cycle. On July 21, 2023, the Office of Management and Budget released revised delineations of the various CBSAs in the United States. The Census Bureau created

366-602: A set of core based statistical areas (CBSAs) throughout the country, which are composed of counties and county equivalents . CBSAs are delineated on the basis of a central contiguous area of relatively high population density, known as an urban area . The counties containing the core urban area are known as the "central counties" of the CBSA; these are defined as having at least 50% of their population living in urban areas of at least 10,000 in population. Additional surrounding counties, known as "outlying counties", can be included in

427-900: A single CBSA when the central county or counties of one CBSA qualify as an outlying county or counties to the other CBSAs. One or more CBSAs may be grouped together or combined to form a larger statistical entity known as a combined statistical area (CSA) when the employment interchange measure (EIM) reaches 15% or more. CBSAs are subdivided into MSAs (formed around urban areas of at least 50,000 in population) and micropolitan statistical areas (μSAs), which are CBSAs built around an urban area of at least 10,000 in population but less than 50,000 in population. Some metropolitan areas may include multiple cities below 50,000 people, but combined have over 50,000 people. Previous terms that are no longer used to describe these regions include "standard metropolitan statistical area" (SMSA) and "primary metropolitan statistical area" (PMSA). On January 19, 2021, OMB submitted

488-465: A third-party use of Navigator data is The Weather Channel , which shows current traffic conditions (provided by Traffic Pulse ) during the local forecast portion of its broadcast. Georgia Navigator is in the midst of a large expansion program. The system covers nearly all of the Perimeter ( Interstate 285 ) highway around Atlanta, and all Interstates within and several miles beyond it. It also covers

549-622: A week, with half of that falling in just 24 hours near the end of the period. The USGS calculated it to be a greater-than- 500-year flood . The area's prolific rains are drained by many different streams and creeks. The main basin is that of the Chattahoochee River , running northeast to southwest. The further northwestern suburbs drain into the Etowah River via the Little River and Lake Allatoona . The southern suburbs are drained by

610-651: Is Atlanta , and its total population was 6,307,261 in the 2023 estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau . The core 5 counties of metropolitan Atlanta are Fulton , DeKalb , Cobb , Gwinnett , and Clayton , with over 60% of the metro area’s population residing in these counties. The metro area forms the core of a broader trading area, the Atlanta–Athens-Clarke County–Sandy Springs combined statistical area . The combined statistical area spans up to 39 counties in North Georgia . The CSA recorded in

671-564: Is a regional planning agency. The eleven ARC counties, bolded , and four more (Bartow, Coweta, Hall, Paulding), with an asterisk (*), form part of the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District , created in 2001. The 10 counties listed above with under 60,000 residents are usually not included in any other metropolitan definition except the OMB/Census Bureau's MSA and CSA. Hall County forms

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732-422: Is also in its native range, and is easily identified by the fact that it turns fiery red in early October, much brighter and weeks earlier than most other trees (which usually peak in early November). Shrubby plants include blackberry , horsechestnut , sumac , and sometimes hawthorn . Virginia creeper , poison ivy , and briar are common vines . The Confederate yellow daisy is a wildflower native only to

793-756: Is by far the most ubiquitous, stealing birdseed from the bird feeders which many locals maintain. Chipmunks and small brown rabbits are common, but it is relatively rare to hear of them doing any damage. Opossum , raccoons , foxes , coyotes and armadillos are frequently seen. Garden and meadow snakes are common; six venomous pit viper snakes ( Eastern diamondback rattlesnake , timber rattlesnake , pygmy rattlesnake , coral snake , water moccasin and copperhead ) are indigenous, but reports of bites are rare. Many types of frogs, including tree frogs and bullfrogs, are easily heard in early summer, as are cicadas in July and August. Black bears occasionally wander down from

854-455: Is common in undeveloped forests. Some vines exceed 50 years of age and cover dozens of acres of forest, creating a dense, purple explosion each spring. Japanese honeysuckle is extremely common, its fragrance an early summer delight. A common ornamental shrub, the Chinese privet , has escaped to become the state's most invasive non-native plant species. Among mammals , the eastern gray squirrel

915-506: Is connected to the Atlanta TMC via fiber, allowing communication between the two centers. Georgia Navigator also has weather stations with pavement sensors mainly in the mountain and coastal areas of Georgia. Traffic sensors are installed on official evacuation routes , but are only activated during a hurricane approaching the Georgia coast or eastern Florida panhandle . Information from

976-448: Is considered extinct and not a threat to the region. Still, minor earthquakes do rattle the area (and all of Georgia) occasionally. One notable one was in April 2003 (magnitude 4.6) coming from the northwest, its epicenter just across the state line in northeastern Alabama. While many people slept through the 5 A.M. quake, it caused a minor panic in others completely unaware of what

1037-399: Is not nearly as dense as the freeway portion of the system. The local road devices also feed into the Georgia Navigator system and are controlled by a common software platform. Traffic light operation is not currently part of the system, but work to integrate the signals into Navigator is underway. Metro Atlanta Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Roswell, GA MSA Other Statistical Areas in

1098-475: Is now considered oak-hickory forest . Saw palmetto , Sabal palmetto and Trachycarpus fortunei have become common ornamentals as well. Traveling from the south, the metro area is generally the first area in which autumn leaf color can be seen, due to the different trees growing at the higher elevation and latitude . Underneath , the flowering dogwood is very common, the black cherry are quite prolific, with mulberry popping up sometimes as well. Sourwood

1159-576: Is seen as a barrier to further growth in the area, but permanent measures for non-emergency water conservation have never been put in place. The state legislature has refused to pass a requirement for low-flow toilets to be installed in homes that are sold, bowing to pressure from the real estate sales industry. Disputes over water are becoming increasingly common, with both Alabama and Florida filing lawsuits and threatening injunctions to prevent Georgia from taking too much water, mostly for metro Atlanta. South Carolina also threatened when

1220-406: Is the longest. January daily lows average from 32–35 °F (0–2 °C) north to south, and highs range from 48–54 °F (9–12 °C), but often reach well above or below this average. There is an average annual snowfall of about 2.5 inches (6.4 cm), falling mostly from December through March, though there was snow north of the city on April 3, 1987. Snow flurries are actually common during

1281-613: The 2020 U.S. census a population of 6,930,423. Atlanta is the largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Census Bureau's Southeast region. It surpassed the Greater Miami area in total population in 2021, and both the Washington metropolitan area , and the Philadelphia metropolitan area in 2023 (the latter of which is in the Northeast region ). About one in ten (10.6%) of residents served by

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1342-531: The Atlanta Regional Commission (including the core 5 counties of the metropolitan area) live within Atlanta city limits. By U.S. Census Bureau standards, the population of the Atlanta region spreads across a metropolitan area of 8,376 square miles (21,694 km ), comparable to the size of Israel . Because Georgia contains more counties than any other state except Texas (explained in part by

1403-687: The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex , Virginia Beach–Norfolk–Newport News (Hampton Roads) , Riverside–San Bernardino (Inland Empire) , and Minneapolis–Saint Paul (Twin Cities) . MSAs are defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which is part of the Executive Office of the President , and are used by the U.S. Census Bureau and other U.S. federal government agencies for statistical purposes. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget defines

1464-542: The Flint River , and the east-southeastern ones by the Oconee River and Yellow River . By 2005 the metro area was using 360 million US gallons (1,400,000 m ) of water per day (about 80 US gallons (300 L) per person per day) from these rivers. This usage was reduced by more than 10% during the drought, but soared back up after watering restrictions were eased (and before the flooding ensued). The need for water

1525-683: The Gainesville and Athens metropolitan areas plus LaGrange , Thomaston , Jefferson , Calhoun , and Cedartown micropolitan areas, for a total 2012 population of 6,162,195. The CSA also abuts the Macon and Columbus MSAs. The region is one of the metropolises of the Southeastern United States, and is part of the emerging megalopolis known as Piedmont Atlantic Megaregion along the I-85 Corridor . The counties listed below are included in

1586-577: The Gainesville MSA , but with astronomical growth to over 200,000 residents, is now also part of the Atlanta CSA. The official tourism website of the State of Georgia features an "Atlanta Metro" tourism region that includes only eight counties: Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb, Clayton, Douglas, Fayette, and Henry. More than one half of metro Atlanta's population is in unincorporated areas or areas considered

1647-695: The Piedmont to the south. The northern and some western suburbs tend to be higher and significantly more hilly than the southern and eastern suburbs. The average elevation is around 1,000 feet (300 m). The highest point in the immediate area is Kennesaw Mountain at 1,808 ft (551 m), followed by Stone Mountain at 1,686 ft (514 m), Sweat Mountain at 1,640 ft (500 m), and Little Kennesaw Mountain at 1,600 ft (488 m). Others include Blackjack Mountain , Lost Mountain , Brushy Mountain , Pine Mountain , and Mount Wilkinson ( Vinings Mountain ). Many of these play prominently in

1708-471: The United States , a metropolitan statistical area ( MSA ) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the region. Such regions are not legally incorporated as a city or town would be and are not legal administrative divisions like counties or separate entities such as states . As a result, sometimes the precise definition of

1769-424: The iron oxide present in it. It becomes very muddy and sticky when wet, and hard when dry, and stains light-colored carpets and clothing easily. It also tends to have a low pH , further aggravating gardeners. The fineness of it also means it is easily deposited into streams during heavy rains, creating silt problems where it is exposed due to construction. This transported red soil can be seen downstream on

1830-512: The riverbanks of south Georgia (where the native clay is white), and down to the Florida panhandle (where the native sand is also white). Topsoil is present only in natural forest areas, created by the decomposition of leaf litter . An extinct fault line called the Brevard Fault runs roughly parallel to the Chattahoochee River , but as its last movements were apparently prehistoric , it

1891-399: The "yellow-shafted flicker"), and the downy woodpecker . The red-headed woodpecker is common in open fields and on golf courses. The American goldfinch is present mostly in winter, and the ruby-throated hummingbird only in summer. Numerically, Metro Atlanta is the third fastest growing metropolitan area in the U.S. The 2020 census counted 6,089,815 people in the 28-county metro area. This

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1952-580: The Atlanta CSA Metro Atlanta , designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Roswell metropolitan statistical area , is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the sixth-largest in the United States, based on the July 1, 2023 metropolitan area population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Its economic, cultural, and demographic center

2013-539: The Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Roswell metropolitan statistical area. In 2023, the Office of Management and Budget split the MSA into two conurbated metropolitan divisions. The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metropolitan division consists of the following 24 counties: The Marietta metropolitan division consists of the following five counties. Some entities define a much smaller metropolitan area by including only

2074-404: The CBSA if these counties have strong social and economic ties to the central county or counties as measured by commuting and employment. Outlying counties are included in the CBSA if 25% of the workers living in the county work in the central county or counties, or if 25% of the employment in the county is held by workers who live in the central county or counties. Adjacent CBSAs are merged into

2135-666: The Century ) caught much of the Southeast off-guard in 1993, dumping 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) at the Atlanta airport on March 13, and much more than that in the suburbs to the north and west, as well as in the mountains. The only other recorded winter storm of comparable severity was the Great Blizzard of 1899 . The heaviest snow was in January 1940, when 8.3 inches (21.1 cm) buried the city during its coldest month on record. The second-heaviest

2196-526: The Office of Management and Budget) and later renamed to standard metropolitan statistical areas (SMAs) in 1959. The modern metropolitan statistical area was created in 1983 amid a large increase in the number of eligible markets, which grew from 172 in 1950 to 288 in 1980; the core based statistical area (CBSA) was introduced in 2000 and defined in 2003 with a minimum population of 10,000 required for micropolitan areas and 50,000 for urban areas. The 387 MSAs in

2257-489: The area around Stone Mountain. Common garden plants include dogwood, azalea , hydrangea , flowering cherry , maples , pin oak , red-tip photinia , holly , juniper , white pine , magnolia , Bradford pear , forsythia , liriope ( mondograss ), and English ivy . Lawns can be either cool-season grasses like fescue and rye , or warm-season like zoysia and bermudagrass which turn brown in late fall. A few homeowners associations actually prohibit green grass in

2318-440: The area, with three varieties of hawks common near open fields in even the most populated areas. Falcons roost on skyscrapers in downtown Atlanta and can be regularly seen feasting on pigeons. The American kestrel is sometimes seen. Late in the year, three species of owls can be heard nightly in wooded areas. Various woodpeckers can be seen in forested lots, including the red-bellied woodpecker , northern flicker (also known as

2379-474: The city was incorporated after 2020 and census data is unavailable): Principal Cities Places with 100,000 to 399,999 inhabitants Places with 75,000 to 99,999 inhabitants Places with 50,000 to 74,999 inhabitants Places with 25,000 to 49,999 inhabitants Places with 24,999 or fewer inhabitants The area sprawls across the low foothills of the Appalachian Mountains to the north and

2440-448: The counties which have the densest suburban development. Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb, and Clayton were the five original counties when the Atlanta metropolitan area was first defined in 1950, and continue to be the core of the metro area. These five counties along with six more (Cherokee, Douglas, Fayette, Henry, Rockdale, and Forsyth) are members of the Atlanta Regional Commission , a weak metropolitan government organization which also

2501-399: The entire citrus industry in central Florida . Hurricane Opal brought sustained tropical storm conditions to the area one night in early October 1995, uprooting hundreds of trees and causing widespread power outages , after soaking the area with rain for two days prior. Since 1950, some metro counties have been hit more than 20 times by tornadoes. Cobb (26) and Fulton (22) are two of

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2562-495: The first corridors to be metered were I-285, I-85 in Gwinnett County, I-75 in Cobb County, and I-575. Unlike early systems which used induction loops , the new meters will employ video detection cameras to sense the density of traffic and allow an optimized rate of vehicles to proceed onto the freeway. On local roads, Navigator includes cameras and signs that are operated by local county and city governments, though coverage

2623-642: The freeway portions of Peachtree Industrial Boulevard (SR 141) and Langford Parkway (SR 166), as well as Georgia 400 from I-285 to the Alpharetta area. As of May 2009, work on I-285 is nearing completion on the south side from I-85 east to I-75. Other expansion projects underway include US 78, GA 400 inside I-285, and I-85 in the Union City / Peachtree City area. By late 2009, nearly all freeways in metro Atlanta will have full Navigator coverage. Several ramp meters began operation in 2008 and 2009 in metro Atlanta. Some of

2684-476: The highest in the state. The Dunwoody tornado in early April 1998 was the worst tornado to have struck the area. A tornado struck downtown Atlanta in March 2008, causing a half-billion dollars in damage. The area experiences a winter storm with significant snowfall about once each year. This can be extremely irregular, with several consecutive years receiving no measurable snow. A blizzard (see: 1993 Storm of

2745-488: The hottest month ever for the area. This was broken on the last day of June 2012, when the temperature reached 106 °F (41.1 °C), during a massive heat wave that hit most of the country, with another 105 the next day tying the July record. The lowest recorded temperatures were −6 °F (−21 °C) and −8 °F (−22 °C) on January 20 and 21 of 1985, and −9 °F (−23 °C) on February 13, 1899, during severe cold snaps that went so far south they devastated

2806-492: The larger 28-county Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta MSA 2010 with a smaller 20‑county Atlanta MSA 2000; however the 8 new counties represent less than 3% of the larger 28‑county metro. Source: for race and Hispanic population, U.S. Census Bureau 2010 and 2000 census; for foreign-born population: US Census Bureau 2010 and 2000 American Community Surveys; Immigrants in 2010 Metropolitan America , Brookings Institution Metropolitan statistical area Population In

2867-480: The lead of Sandy Springs in 2005. The Atlanta metropolitan area was first defined in 1950 as Fulton , DeKalb , Gwinnett , Cobb and Clayton counties. Walton , Newton , Douglas , Fayette , Forsyth , Henry , Cherokee , Rockdale , and Butts counties were added after the 1970 census, with Barrow and Coweta counties joining in 1980 and Bartow, Carroll, Paulding, Pickens and Spalding counties in 1990. Atlanta's larger combined statistical area (CSA) adds

2928-504: The metropolitan district for the 1910 census as a standardized classification for large urban centers and their surrounding areas. The original threshold for a metropolitan district was 200,000, but was lowered to 100,000 in 1930 and 50,000 in 1940. The metropolitan districts were replaced by standard metropolitan areas (SMAs) in the 1950 census , which were defined by the Bureau of the Budget (now

2989-606: The mountains, and white-tailed deer are abundant; overpopulated in some areas. Homeowners in the outer suburbs are prone to landscaping damage due to scavenging deer. The most common birds are the brown thrasher (the GA state bird ), American crow , European (or common) starling , American robin , mourning dove , house sparrow , northern cardinal , house finch , Carolina chickadee , tufted titmouse , bluejay , white-breasted nuthatch , eastern bluebird, mockingbird, brown-headed nuthatch , and Carolina wren . Birds of prey thrive in

3050-772: The now-defunct county-unit system of weighing votes in primary elections ), area residents live under a heavily decentralized collection of governments. As of the 2000 census, fewer than one in ten residents of the metropolitan area lived inside Atlanta city limits . A 2006 survey by the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce counted 140 cities and towns in the 28‑county Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in mid-2005. Ten cities – Johns Creek (2006), Milton (2006), Chattahoochee Hills (2007), Dunwoody (2008), Peachtree Corners (2012), Brookhaven (2012), Tucker (2016), Stonecrest (2016), South Fulton (2017), and Mableton (2022) – have incorporated since then, following

3111-551: The pavement. Additionally, a portion of the system (Georgia 400 and parts of I-16, I-75 and I-85 outside of Atlanta) receives traffic flow information from floating car data gathered by anonymously tracking cell phones. All devices are connected by buried optical fiber , which in turn links to GDOT's command center at its Transportation Management Center (TMC) in Atlanta. Outside of Atlanta, Georgia Navigator components were installed on Interstate 475 near Macon during its expansion from four lanes to six lanes. The Macon system

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3172-469: The southeast side near Eatonton in early April 2009. The New Madrid seismic zone (near the Missouri-Tennessee borders) and the seismic zone producing the 1886 magnitude 7.3 earthquake are still capable of producing moderate or major earthquakes, which the entire Atlanta area will feel moderately or even strongly. The Atlanta metro area has a humid subtropical climate with four seasons . Summer

3233-546: The summer afternoon thunderstorms, temperatures may suddenly drop to 70–77 degrees with locally heavy rainfall. Average annual rainfall is about 50.2 inches (1,280 mm). Late winter and early spring, as well as July, are the wettest. Fall, especially October, is the driest. From 1878 to 2011, the highest recorded temperatures at Atlanta were 105 °F (40.6 °C) on three days in the extraordinarily hot July 1980, followed by 104 °F (40 °C) that month and in August 2007,

3294-404: The system is distributed to the public through a variety of outlets. GDOT administers two of its own websites (a standard version and a customizable "My Navigator" version), and operates a 511 telephone information service. Additionally, Navigator data is used by several other companies, who typically enhance and package the data for sale to various media outlets or private websites. An example of

3355-510: The ubiquitous dandelion , crabgrass , and plantain . By far the most notorious introduced species is kudzu , a highly invasive species from Japan which climbs and smothers trees and shrubs. New effective herbicides as well as increased development of formerly rural areas has greatly reduced kudzu in the metro area (although still quite common elsewhere in Georgia). Wisteria planted decades ago by farmers in then-rural areas has become wild and

3416-535: The various battles of the Atlanta Campaign during the American Civil War . If the further-north counties are included, Bear Mountain is highest, followed by Pine Log Mountain , Sawnee Mountain , and Hanging Mountain , followed by the others listed above. Stone, Sweat, Bear, and Sawnee are all home to some of the area's broadcast stations . The area's subsoil is a dense clay soil, colored rusty by

3477-432: The winter months when there is an especially deep trough in the jet stream. These events usually do not amount to more than a slight dusting and therefore go unrecognized in most weather summaries. Summers are long and consistently hot and humid. July mornings average 71 °F (22 °C) and afternoons average 89 °F (32 °C), with slight breezes, and typically a 20–40% chance of afternoon thunderstorms . During

3538-427: The winter. Native to the nearby mountains, maples are now one of the most common landscape trees for new homes and parking lots, giving their color in the fall instead of spring. When planted close to buildings (which provide shelter and radiate heat), they can retain some of their color into December, especially if November has been warm. Common lawn weeds are mock strawberry , violet , wild onion , and of course

3599-420: Was an increase of 803,087 from its 2010 population, representing growth of 15.2%. This was, however, a slower rate than the 28.6% increase recorded between 2000 and 2010. Atlanta MSA in 2000 did not include Butts, Dawson, Haralson, Heard, Jasper, Lamar, Meriwether, and Pike counties, whose population totalled in 2000: 135,783; in 2010: 156,368 (2.96% of total new 28-county metro) Compares

3660-480: Was happening. Similar earthquakes occur in this region called the Eastern Tennessee seismic zone , often felt much more widely across the stronger crust of eastern North America as compared to the west. Thus, the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina earthquake was also felt in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast. It caused damage as far as central Alabama and West Virginia. Two small earthquakes were also felt on

3721-436: Was in 1983, when a very late storm dumped 7.9 inches (20.1 cm) on March 24. Ice storms have occurred in the area. The well-remembered 1973 ice storm was brutal, as was the storm in 1982. The Southeastern U.S. drought of 2006–2008 began with dry weather in 2006, and left area lakes very low. The drought began to abate significantly after the 2009 Atlanta floods , when some areas got up to 20 inches (500 mm) of rain in

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