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103-453: Thomas Jefferson Perkerson (1804 –1878), son of Dempsey Perkerson (1778-1875), was from South Carolina and settled in DeKalb County (now Fulton County ). Thomas Jefferson Perkerson married Isabella Ferguson and settled on two Land Lots, numbers 103 and 104. The Perkerson family owned 405 acres of land that was mostly used as a family farm. These Land Lots were bounded by Lakewood Avenue on

206-686: A Mark 15 nuclear bomb , also known as the Tybee Bomb , was lost off the coast of Tybee Island near Savannah. The bomb was thought by the Department of Energy to lie buried in silt at the bottom of Wassaw Sound . By the 1960s, the proportion of African Americans in Georgia had declined to 28% of the state's population, after waves of migration to the North and some immigration by whites. With their voting power diminished, it took some years for African Americans to win

309-482: A primary language , while 7.82% (795,646) spoke Spanish, and 6.55% (666,849) spoke languages other than English or Spanish at home, with the most common of which were Vietnamese, Chinese, and Korean. In total, 14.38% (1,462,495) of Georgia's population age   5 and older spoke a mother language other than English. According to the Pew Research Center , the composition of religious affiliation in Georgia

412-473: A coalition of influential politicians, business leaders, and journalists, notably Henry W. Grady , who promoted the " New South " ideology focused on reconciliation and industrialization . In the mid-20th century, several notable figures from Georgia, including Martin Luther King Jr. , emerged as key leaders in the civil rights movement . Atlanta was chosen to host the 1996 Summer Olympics , celebrating

515-516: A coastline on the Atlantic Ocean, Georgia is also vulnerable to hurricanes , although direct hurricane strikes were rare during the 20th century. Georgia often is affected by hurricanes that strike the Florida Panhandle , weaken over land, and bring strong tropical storm winds and heavy rain to the interior, a recent example being Hurricane Michael , as well as hurricanes that come close to

618-745: A faction of the Muscogee (Creek). DeKalb County, formed in 1822 from Henry , Gwinnett and Fayette counties, took its name from Baron Johann de Kalb (1721–1780), a Bavarian -born former officer in the French Army, who fought for the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War . The oldest existing house in the county is the 1831 Goodwin House along Peachtree Road in Brookhaven . Much of

721-675: A letter to her brother Angus while he was in the Confederate Army , at that time located in Virginia . The letter relates how the Perkerson family stayed in their house during the war and interacted with both Union and Confederate soldiers in order to save their family and home. The letter tells of the sentiments of the family towards the soldiers, helping the wounded in the area, and the scene in Atlanta after General Sherman ’s troops passed: “Atlanta

824-649: A line from Druid Hills northeast to Tucker , is located in the Upper Ocmulgee River sub-basin of the Altamaha River basin, while the portion of the county north of that line is located in the Upper Chattahoochee River sub-basin of the ACF River Basin (Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin). Stone Mountain lies near the eastern border of the county. Soapstone Ridge , parallel to

927-560: A major theater of the Civil War . Major battles took place at Chickamauga , Kennesaw Mountain , and Atlanta . In December 1864, a large swath of the state from Atlanta to Savannah was destroyed during General William Tecumseh Sherman 's March to the Sea . 18,253 Georgian soldiers died in service, roughly one of every five who served. In 1870, following the Reconstruction era , Georgia became

1030-589: A private, coeducational, liberal arts university. It is a member of the Association of American Universities , an association of leading research universities in the US and Canada. The university consists of the following divisions: Emory College of Arts and Science, the Laney Graduate School, Candler School of Theology , Goizueta Business School , Emory University School of Law , Rollins School of Public Health , and

1133-617: A satellite campus in Stone Mountain Village. Georgia Piedmont Technical College (formerly DeKalb Technical College) is the largest vocational institution in Georgia . Georgia Piedmont Technical College trains students in business, engineering, technologies, health, human services, industrial arts, information systems, and transportation. DeVry University offers bachelor's and master's degrees in healthcare, accounting, business, and management technology. Columbia Theological Seminary

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1236-742: A son of the first practicing physician ever to live in what is now Fulton County, and lived in the Gilbert House which is now a City of Atlanta Landmark Site, at 2238 Perkerson Road. Another daughter, Elizabeth "Lizzie," married Sumner E. Butler from New York and returned to live in the Perkerson home in her later years. It has been noted that at the time of the Civil War, the Perkersons owned 405 acres, had 3 dogs, 4 children ages 6 to 18, and owned 8 slaves valued at $ 16,000, and household and kitchen items valued at $ 500. On December 2, 1864 Elizabeth (Lizzie) wrote

1339-518: A state-wide office. Julian Bond , a noted civil rights leader, was elected to the state House in 1965, and served multiple terms there and in the state senate. Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen Jr. testified before Congress in support of the Civil Rights Act, and Governor Carl Sanders worked with the Kennedy administration to ensure the state's compliance. Ralph McGill , editor and syndicated columnist at

1442-404: A transportation hub, in 1991 UPS established its headquarters in the suburb of Sandy Springs . In 1992, construction finished on Bank of America Plaza , the tallest building in the U.S. outside of New York or Chicago. On February 19th, 2003, Georgia adopted its current state flag , resembling the state's first official flag. In 2024, it was announced that Atlanta would host multiple games during

1545-506: A variety of pines, oaks, hollies, cypress , sweetgum , scaly-bark and white hickories , and sabal palmetto . East Georgia is in the subtropical coniferous forest biome and conifer species as other broadleaf evergreen flora make up the majority of the southern and coastal regions. Yellow jasmine and mountain laurel make up just a few of the flowering shrubs in the state. White-tailed deer are found in nearly all counties of Georgia. The northern mockingbird and brown thrasher are among

1648-665: A year after its creation as a new British colony. It was administered by the Trustees for the Establishment of the Colony of Georgia in America under a charter issued by (and named for) King George II . The Trustees implemented an elaborate plan for the colony's settlement, known as the Oglethorpe Plan , which envisioned an agrarian society of yeoman farmers and prohibited slavery. The colony

1751-489: Is 112 °F (44 °C) in Louisville on July 24, 1952, while the lowest is −17 °F (−27 °C) in northern Floyd County on January 27, 1940. Georgia is one of the leading states in frequency of tornadoes , though they are rarely stronger than EF1 . Although tornadoes striking the city are very rare, an EF2 tornado hit downtown Atlanta on March 14, 2008, causing moderate to severe damage to various buildings. With

1854-471: Is Changing." (This history of Perkerson Park was taken directly from the Historical Designation Study completed by a Georgia State University team in 2011) Perkerson Park is both an active and a passive park. Amenities include: However, it also has open fields, a sizeable creek, and large wooded areas. This area of the park is a good area to relax and escape from the activity of the rest of

1957-673: Is a perfect mass of ruins. I haven’t been there as yet, but from what they tell me it is awful. All the public buildings are gone except the City Hall. Whitehall Street swept completely.” The Perkerson property was in the Fourteenth or "Black Hall District," also known in legal parlance as the 530th Georgia Militia District. It became known as such upon the creation of DeKalb County in December 1822 (District 14: Land Lots 103 and 104 with 101 ¼ acres on each Land Lot). The district became much smaller after

2060-755: Is a theological institution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Decatur. More than 640 students are enrolled at Columbia in one of five degree programs: Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Theological Studies, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Theology. Luther Rice College and Seminary is a private Christian college and seminary in Lithonia. It offers bachelors, masters, and doctoral programs in ministry and ministry-related programs. The DeKalb County Public Library has 22 branches throughout

2163-556: Is felt chiefly in the mountainous areas of the northern part of the state, which are farther away from the ocean and can be 4,500 feet (1,400 m) above sea level. The USDA plant hardiness zones for Georgia range from zone 6b (no colder than −5 °F (−21 °C)) in the Blue Ridge Mountains to zone 8b (no colder than 15 °F (−9 °C) ) along the Atlantic coast and Florida border. The highest temperature ever recorded

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2266-572: Is located in the city of Brookhaven." Xpress GA / RTA commuter buses and MARTA heavy rail subway and buses serve the county. Currently, there are plans for the construction of a multi-use trail, known as the Peachtree Creek Greenway . The goal of the greenway is to provide residents with close-to-home and close-to-work access to bicycle and pedestrian trails, serve transportation and recreation needs, and help encourage quality of life and sustainable economic growth. The trail will connect

2369-404: Is more populous, DeKalb has the highest population density of any county in the Atlanta metropolitan area. In 2010, the median income for a household in the county was $ 51,349 and the median income for a family was $ 60,718. Males had a median income of $ 43,663 versus $ 40,288 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 28,412. About 12.4% of families and 16.1% of the population were below

2472-417: Is now named Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). The busiest and most efficient airport in the world, it accommodates more than a hundred million passengers annually. Employing more than 60,000 people, the airport became a major engine for economic growth. With the advantages of cheap real estate, low taxes, right-to-work laws and a regulatory environment limiting government interference,

2575-585: Is served by Atlanta Public Schools (APS). The Decatur portion is served by Decatur City School District . In 2020 this was the case, except that the Emory University / Centers for Disease Control area at the time was still in DeKalb County schools. In 2018 the City of Atlanta had annexed the region, but initially it was still covered by DeKalb County schools. There were plans to move the area into APS, and this

2678-541: The Atlanta Constitution , earned admiration by writing in support of the Civil Rights Movement. In 1970, newly elected Governor Jimmy Carter declared in his inaugural address that the era of racial segregation had ended. In 1972, Georgians elected Andrew Young to Congress as the first African American Congressman since the Reconstruction era . In 1980, construction was completed on an expansion of what

2781-421: The 1980 census , 1,584,303 people from Georgia claimed English ancestry out of a total state population of 3,994,817, making them 40% of the state, and the largest ethnic group at the time. Today, many of these same people claiming they are of "American" ancestry are actually of English descent, and some are of Scots-Irish descent; however, their families have lived in the state for so long, in many cases since

2884-773: The 2020 United States census . This was an increase of 1,024,255, or 10.57% over the 2010 figure of 9,687,653 residents. As of 2010 , the number of illegal immigrants living in Georgia more than doubled to 480,000 from January 2000 to January 2009, according to a federal report. That gave Georgia the greatest percentage increase among the 10 states with the biggest undocumented immigrant populations during those years. Georgia has banned sanctuary cities . In 2018, The top countries of origin for Georgia's immigrants were Mexico , India , Jamaica , Korea , and Guatemala . There were 743,000 veterans in 2009. According to HUD 's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report , there were an estimated 10,689 homeless people in Georgia. In

2987-668: The 2026 FIFA World Cup , which further substantiated the economic investment and growth in the city and state. Beginning from the Atlantic Ocean, the state's eastern border with South Carolina runs up the Savannah River , northwest to its origin at the confluence of the Tugaloo and Seneca Rivers . It then continues up the Tugaloo (originally Tugalo) and into the Chattooga River , its most significant tributary . These bounds were decided in

3090-529: The American Civil War , were almost exclusively enslaved. The Great Migration of hundreds of thousands of blacks from the rural South to the industrial North from 1914 to 1970 reduced the African American population. Georgia had the second-fastest-growing Asian population growth in the U.S. from 1990 to 2000, more than doubling in size during the ten-year period. Indian people and Chinese people are

3193-723: The American Revolution by signing the 1776 Declaration of Independence . The State of Georgia's first constitution was ratified in February 1777. Georgia was the 10th state to ratify the Articles of Confederation on July 24, 1778, and was the 4th state to ratify the United States Constitution on January 2, 1788. After the Creek War (1813–1814) , General Andrew Jackson forced the Muscogee (Creek) tribes to surrender land to

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3296-952: The Apalachicola , the Chatot , the Yuchi , the Chiaha, the Chickasaw , the Okmulgee, the Shawnee and the Timucua . Today there are no federally recognized tribes in Georgia, but there are three state-recognized tribes. Many inhabitants of Georgia identify as being Native American alone (32,151 people in 2010 census and 50,618 in 2020) or Native American in combination with one or more other races (51,873 people in 2010 census and 163,423 in 2020). Many Georgians also reported belonging to various Native American tribes in 2010 census,

3399-702: The Chattahoochee River and eventually to the Gulf of Mexico . South River drains into the Ocmulgee River and ultimately into the Atlantic Ocean . In 2021, the non-profit American Rivers named DeKalb's South River the fourth-most endangered river in the United States , citing "the egregious threat that ongoing sewage pollution poses to clean water and public health." The southern two-thirds of DeKalb County, in

3502-500: The Chattahoochee River near West Point . It continues downriver to the point where it joins the Flint River (the confluence of the two forming Florida's Apalachicola River ); the southern border goes almost due east and very slightly south, in a straight line to the St. Mary's River , which then forms the remainder of the boundary back to the ocean. The water boundaries are still set to be

3605-599: The Eastern Continental Divide , has been Georgia's capital city since 1868. It is the most populous city in Georgia, with a 2020 U.S. census population of just over 498,000. The state has seventeen cities with populations over 50,000, based on official 2020 U.S. census data. Along with the rest of the Southeast, Georgia's population continues to grow rapidly, with primary gains concentrated in urban areas. The U.S. Census Bureau lists fourteen metropolitan areas in

3708-672: The Georgia Department of Corrections was formerly located in an unincorporated area in DeKalb County. Female death row inmates (UDS, "under death sentence") resided in the Metro State Prison. The prison was closed in 2011. The Consulate-General of Mexico in Atlanta is located in the North Druid Hills CDP. The Consulate-General of Guatemala in Atlanta is located in Chamblee . The Consulate-General of Peru in Atlanta

3811-562: The Mississippi Territory , which eventually became the U.S. states of Alabama and Mississippi . Georgia declared its secession from the Union on January 19, 1861, joining the ranks of the original seven Confederate States . After the Civil War , it was the last state to be readmitted to the Union on July 15, 1870. In the late 19th century, during the post- Reconstruction period, Georgia's economy underwent significant changes, driven by

3914-620: The Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing . Mercer University is a private, coeducational, faith-based university with a Baptist heritage. Its main campus is in Macon . The Cecil B. Day Graduate and Professional Campus is in DeKalb County; it houses the College of Nursing, the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and the James and Carolyn McAfee School of Theology along with programs of

4017-472: The North Georgia mountains , receives moderate to heavy precipitation, which varies from 45 inches (1,100 mm) in central Georgia to approximately 75 inches (1,900 mm) around the northeast part of the state. The degree to which the weather of a certain region of Georgia is subtropical depends on the latitude, its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico , and the elevation. The latter factor

4120-721: The Southern Baptist Convention with 1,759,317; the United Methodist Church with 619,394; and the Roman Catholic Church with 596,384. Non-denominational Evangelical Protestant had 566,782 members, the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) has 175,184 members, and the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. has 172,982 members. The Presbyterian Church (USA) is the largest Presbyterian body in

4223-404: The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in Atlanta in 1957 to provide political leadership for the Civil Rights Movement across the South. The civil rights riots of the 1956 Sugar Bowl would also take place in Atlanta after a clash between Georgia Tech 's president Blake R. Van Leer and Governor Marvin Griffin . On February 5, 1958, during a training mission flown by a B-47 ,

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4326-628: The Tennessee River . Georgia consists of five principal physiographic regions : The Cumberland Plateau , Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , Blue Ridge Mountains , Piedmont , and the Atlantic coastal plain . Each region has its own distinctive characteristics. For instance, the region, which lies in the northwest corner of the state, includes limestone, sandstone, shale, and other sedimentary rocks, which have yielded construction-grade limestone, barite, ocher, and small amounts of coal. The state of Georgia has approximately 250 tree species and 58 protected plants. Georgia's native trees include red cedar ,

4429-450: The U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 271 square miles (700 km ), of which 268 square miles (690 km ) is land and 3.6 square miles (9.3 km ) (1.3%) is water. The county is located within the upper Piedmont region of the state. The county is crossed by the South River and numerous creeks, including Nancy Creek , Snapfinger Creek and two forks of Peachtree Creek . Peachtree Creek and Nancy Creek drain into

4532-400: The U.S. state of Georgia . As of the 2020 census , the population was 764,382, making it Georgia's fourth-most populous county. Its county seat is Decatur . DeKalb County is included in the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Roswell metropolitan area . It contains roughly 10% of the city of Atlanta (the other 90% lies in Fulton County ). Stonecrest is the largest city that is entirely within

4635-419: The federal U.S. government to take land from the Cherokee Nation . In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed into law the Indian Removal Act , sending many eastern Indian nations to reservations in present-day Oklahoma, including all of Georgia's tribes. Despite the Supreme Court's ruling in Worcester v. Georgia (1832) that U.S. states were not permitted to redraw Indian boundaries, President Jackson and

4738-491: The poverty line , including 24.2% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over. Major employers in DeKalb County include: The DeKalb County 9/11 Memorial was dedicated on September 11, 2011. U.S. Marine and sculptor Curtis James Miller designed a memorial that is located in front of the Dekalb County Fire and Police Headquarters. The memorial pays homage to the 343 New York Firefighters , 60 New York Police Department and Port Authority Police Officers , and

4841-405: The railroad terminus in the 1830s, thus a spot at the Thrasherville encampment in western DeKalb was picked to become Terminus and then Marthasville, before becoming Atlanta a few years after its founding. North and southwest Fulton came from two other counties: Milton and southeast Campbell , respectively. DeKalb once extended slightly further north to the Chattahoochee River , but this strip

4944-571: The 160 bird species that live in the state. Reptiles include the eastern diamondback , copperhead , and cottonmouth snakes as well as alligators; amphibians include salamanders , frogs and toads . There are about 79 species of reptile and 63 amphibians known to live in Georgia. The Argentine black and white tegu is currently an invasive species in Georgia. It poses a problem to local wildlife by chasing down and killing many native species and dominating habitats. The most popular freshwater game fish are trout , bream , bass , and catfish , all but

5047-420: The 1797 Treaty of Beaufort , and tested in the U.S. Supreme Court in the two Georgia v. South Carolina cases in 1923 and 1989. The border then takes a sharp turn around the tip of Rabun County , at latitude 35°N , though from this point it diverges slightly south (due to inaccuracies in the original survey, conducted in 1818). This northern border was originally the Georgia and North Carolina border all

5150-502: The 18th century from rice-growing regions of West Africa led to the development of Gullah -Geechee language and culture in the Low Country among African Americans. They share a unique heritage in which many African traditions of food, religion and culture were retained. In the creolization of Southern culture, their foodways became an integral part of Low Country cooking. Sephardic Jews, French-speaking Swiss people, Moravians, Irish convicts, Piedmont Italians and Russian people immigrated to

5253-426: The Atlanta metropolitan area became a national center of finance, insurance, technology, manufacturing, real estate, logistics, and transportation companies, as well as the film, convention, and trade show businesses. As a testament to the city's growing international profile, in 1990 the International Olympic Committee selected Atlanta as the site of the 1996 Summer Olympics . Taking advantage of Atlanta's status as

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5356-409: The Blue Ridge, Georgia predominantly experiences a humid subtropical climate . Among the states located entirely east of the Mississippi River, Georgia ranks as the largest in terms of land area . Before settlement by European colonists , Georgia was inhabited by the mound building cultures. The Province of Georgia was founded by British General James Oglethorpe at Savannah on February 12, 1733,

5459-402: The Capitol View Historic District. It covers approximately 50 acres in the southwest portion of the district and serves as a community public space. The recreation building therein is used for multiple purposes, such as continuing education, neighborhood meetings, and also as the local polling facility. The park has a sculpture which was created circa 1985 by Toby Martin, and is entitled "My Spirit

5562-422: The Civil War due to the continued growth of Atlanta. In 1944, 315 acres of the Perkerson estate were sold for subdivision purposes, some ten years after the death of Lizzie Perkerson Butler, who was the last family member to live in the old house. (This old family home had survived even General Sherman’s burning of Atlanta, because the family refused to leave the house, due to the fact that Matilda Perkerson Gilbert

5665-418: The DeKalb Marshal's Office, which serves civil processes issued through state court, such as evictions. Fire services are provided throughout the county by DeKalb County Fire and Rescue. Previously, DeKalb County Fire and Rescue also provided emergency medical services throughout the county; however, in 2013, the county signed a contract with American Medical Response to provide emergency medical services to

5768-480: The Eugene W. Stetson School of Business and Economics, the School of Medicine, and the Tift College of Education. Oglethorpe University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts school in Brookhaven and is named after James Oglethorpe , founder of the Georgia Colony . Perimeter College at Georgia State University (formerly Georgia Perimeter College) has three campuses within DeKalb County and offers two-year associate degrees. Georgia Military College (GMC) has

5871-492: The Georgia coastline, brushing the coast on their way north without ever making landfall. Hurricane Matthew of 2016 and Hurricane Dorian of 2019 did just that. Due to anthropogenic climate change , the climate of Georgia is warming. This is already causing major disruption, for example, from sea level rise (Georgia is more vulnerable to it than many other states because its land is sinking) and further warming will increase it. Atlanta , located in north-central Georgia at

5974-446: The South. The overwhelming number of victims were black and male. Political disfranchisement persisted through the mid-1960s, until after Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 . An Atlanta-born Baptist minister who was part of the educated middle class that had developed in Atlanta's African-American community, Martin Luther King Jr. , emerged as a national leader in the civil rights movement . King joined with others to form

6077-403: The United States and contains about 57% of Georgia's entire population. Other major metropolitan areas in the state include Augusta , Savannah , Columbus , and Macon . The Province of Georgia was established in 1732, with its first settlement occurring in 1733 when Savannah was founded. By 1752, Georgia had transitioned into a British royal colony , making it the last and southernmost of

6180-437: The United States, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta , located in the suburb city of Lilburn . Georgia is home to large Sikh religion population with 4 gurudwaras (Sikh religious worship places). Georgia is home to several historic synagogues including The Temple (Atlanta) , Congregation Beth Jacob (Atlanta) , and Congregation Mickve Israel (Savannah) . Chabad and the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute are also active in

6283-404: The area was forested; a section of old-growth forest is preserved at Fernbank Forest . In 1853, Fulton County formed from the western half of DeKalb, divided along a perfectly straight and due north–south line down the middle (along which Moreland Avenue now runs). Until this time, the growing city of Atlanta had been inside DeKalb. Atlanta grew because the city of Decatur did not want to become

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6386-442: The broader Appalachian Mountain range. Moving south, the Piedmont plateau stretches from the foothills of the Blue Ridge to the Fall Line , an escarpment that marks the transition to the Coastal Plain in the southern region of the state. The highest elevation in the state is Brasstown Bald , reaching 4,784 feet (1,458 m) above sea level, while the lowest point is at the Atlantic Ocean . Except for some elevated areas in

6489-441: The centennial of the modern Olympic Games . Since 1945, Georgia has experienced significant population and economic expansion, aligning with the larger Sun Belt trend. Between 2007 and 2008, 14 of Georgia's counties were listed among the 100 fastest-growing in the United States. Georgia is defined by a diversity of landscapes, flora, and fauna. The northern part of the state features the Blue Ridge Mountains , which are part of

6592-426: The cities of Atlanta, Brookhaven, Chamblee and Doraville. 33°46′N 84°14′W  /  33.77°N 84.23°W  / 33.77; -84.23 Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States . It borders Tennessee to the northwest, North Carolina to the north, South Carolina to the northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, Florida to

6695-405: The city of Atlanta. Perkerson is a championship caliber course and one of metro Atlanta's most scenic, most challenging, and longest length courses with several par 4's and a par 5. Plays through a mature hardwood forest and along a rock-lined stream with hilly terrain. Dual teepads on all but one hole. Every teepad has its own sign. The short pads (red) cater to rec and intermediate skill level and

6798-423: The colonial period, that they choose to identify simply as having "American" ancestry or do not in fact know their own ancestry. Their ancestry primarily goes back to the original thirteen colonies and for this reason many of them today simply claim "American" ancestry, though they are of predominantly English ancestry. Historically, about half of Georgia's population was composed of African Americans who, before

6901-471: The county. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is based in the Druid Hills CDP in an unincorporated area in the county. The Federal Bureau of Investigation Atlanta Field Office is located in Chamblee . The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice has its headquarters in Avondale Estates , near Decatur . The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has its headquarters near Decatur, in an unincorporated area. The Metro State Prison of

7004-493: The county. In 2022, DeKalb County had the second highest crime rate in Georgia. The county saw 40.3 crimes per 1,000 residents. The county also had the second highest rate of robberies and motor vehicle theft, as well as the third highest rates of burglary and larceny theft. DeKalb was only behind Bibb County for highest crime rate. In recent years, along with many other counties in the Atlanta area, DeKalb County has voted strongly Democratic in presidential elections, while in

7107-422: The county. DeKalb is primarily a suburban county. In recent years, some communities in North DeKalb have incorporated, following a trend in other suburban areas around Metro Atlanta. Stonecrest , Dunwoody and Brookhaven are now the largest cities that are entirely contained within the county. The area of DeKalb county was acquired by the state of Georgia as a result of the 1821 Treaty of Indian Springs with

7210-586: The early 1970s spared them this fate of urbanization , although part of the proposed Stone Mountain Tollway later became the Freedom Parkway . Only Interstate 20 and Interstate 85 were successfully built through the county. DeKalb also became one of only two counties to approve MARTA rapid transit in the 1970s; the county now contains the east and northeast heavy rail lines. In April 2018, more than 350 bus drivers for DeKalb County School District went on strike over low pay and poor working conditions, resulting in seven bus drivers being fired. According to

7313-471: The first sheriff of Fulton County, upon its creation in 1853 from DeKalb County. His son, Angus M. Perkerson (1843-1895), served in the Confederate Army and then also later served as the sheriff of Fulton County from 1873 to 1883. His son, also named Angus M. Perkerson, became the editor of the Atlanta Journal Magazine. Thomas Jefferson and Isabella Perkerson had seven children. One of their daughters, Matilda "Till," married Jeremiah Silas Gilbert (1839-1932),

7416-400: The largest Asian groups in Georgia. In addition, according to census estimates, Georgia ranks third among the states in terms of the percent of the total population that is African American (after Mississippi and Louisiana ) and third in numeric Black population after New York and Florida. Georgia also has a sizeable Latino population. Many are of Mexican descent. Georgia is the state with

7519-667: The largest of which was the Cherokee (21,525 people). Other tribes reported in Georgia in 2010 included for example the Muscogee (2,370 people), the Choctaw (1,419), the Sioux (1,027), the Seminole (664) and more. Georgia's 2018 total gross state product was $ 602 billion. For years Georgia as a state has had the highest credit rating by Standard & Poor's (AAA) and is one of only 15 states with

7622-567: The last Confederate state to be restored to the Union . With white Democrats having regained power in the state legislature, they passed a poll tax in 1877, which disenfranchised many poor black (and some white) people, preventing them from registering. In 1908, the state established a white primary ; with the only competitive contests within the Democratic Party, it was another way to exclude black people from politics. They constituted 46.7% of

7725-441: The last of which are produced in state hatcheries for restocking. Popular saltwater game fish include red drum , spotted seatrout , flounder , and tarpon . Porpoises , whales, shrimp , oysters , and blue crabs are found inshore and offshore of the Georgia coast. The majority of the state is primarily a humid subtropical climate . Hot and humid summers are typical, except at the highest elevations. The entire state, including

7828-416: The long pads (black) cater to advanced skill level. The Perkerson Park Master Plan identifies three vacant parcels well suited for park expansion. The parcels are just south of the existing park boundary, and would extend the park to Casplan Street near the intersection of Metropolitan Parkway. The total park expansion area is roughly 10.5 acres. In addition, future park renovations and improvements are in

7931-640: The more than 2800 civilian victims of the terrorist attacks in New York City , Washington D.C. , and Shanksville, Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001. A piece of steel from one of the World Trade Center Towers in New York City is the centerpiece of this monument. The portion of DeKalb County not within the city of Atlanta or the city of Decatur is served by DeKalb County School District (formerly DeKalb County School System). The Atlanta portion

8034-622: The northeastern and southern edges of the county, placing most of it "inside the Perimeter" along with nearly all of Atlanta. Interstate 675 and Georgia 400 were originally planned to connect inside the Perimeter, along with the Stone Mountain Freeway ( U.S. Highway 78 ) connecting with the Downtown Connector (a co-signment of I-75/I-85) near Moreland Avenue, destroying many neighborhoods in western DeKalb, but community opposition in

8137-522: The original Thirteen Colonies . Named in honor of King George II of Great Britain , the Georgia Colony extended from South Carolina down to Spanish Florida and westward to French Louisiana along the Mississippi River . On January 2, 1788, Georgia became the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution . Between 1802 and 1804, a portion of western Georgia was carved out to create

8240-535: The original thalweg of the rivers. Since then, several have been inundated by lakes created by dams, including the Apalachicola/Chattahoochee/Flint point now under Lake Seminole . An 1818 survey erroneously placed Georgia's border with Tennessee one mile (1.6 km) south of the intended location of the 35th parallel north. State legislators still dispute this placement , as correction of this inaccuracy would allow Georgia access to water from

8343-558: The park. In May 2012, the splash pad opened in Perkerson Park. Thanks to joint efforts from Councilmember Joyce Sheperd, the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs, and the Atlanta BeltLine, neighborhood children now have a fun place to cool off on hot summer days. The splashpad is open daily, 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., from May 1 through October 1. Perkerson Park is the site of the only permanent public disc golf course in

8446-422: The past it was more of a swing county, voting Democratic and Republican an equal number of times from 1960 until 1988. DeKalb is also one of the few counties in Georgia where George Wallace came in third in 1968 . Following the 2020 United States election, there are no elected Republicans in the county. DeKalb is the second most Democratic -leaning county in Georgia, only behind Clayton County . 83 percent of

8549-542: The relay race. The background landscape shows planted fields, which is a tribute to DeKalb's heritage as an agrarian community. The date of the county's founding, 1822, is at the bottom of the seal. Unincorporated DeKalb County is policed by the DeKalb County Police Department ; the DeKalb Sheriff's Office, which is responsible for serving criminal warrants and securing the courts and county jail; and

8652-625: The south, Stewart Avenue (now Metropolitan Parkway) on the east, Sylvan Road on the west, and Deckner Avenue on the north. In the late 1830s, the Perkerson Family built their home on this land, which land is now in the Sylvan Hills section (outside of the Capitol View Historic District). The family home formerly stood at 552 Perkerson Road, which was continuously occupied by the family until 1934. Thomas Jefferson Perkerson became

8755-438: The south, and Alabama to the west. Of the 50 United States , Georgia is the 24th-largest by area and eighth most populous . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , its 2023 estimated population was 11,029,227. Atlanta , a global city , is both the state's capital and its largest city. The Atlanta metropolitan area , with a population of more than 6.3 million people in 2023, is the sixth most populous metropolitan area in

8858-522: The southern border, was heavily quarried between 1400 and 100 BC and objects made from the soapstone have been found as far away as the Great Lakes . As of the 2020 United States census , there were 764,382 people, 289,829 households, and 157,737 families residing in the county. It is the 86th most populous county in the United States. This is up from a 2000 population of 665,865. Although Fulton County

8961-489: The state during the colonial era. As of 2011 , 58.8% of Georgia's population younger than 1 were minorities (meaning they had at least one parent who was not non-Hispanic white) compared to other states like California with 75.1%, Texas with 69.8%, and New York with 55.6%. The largest European ancestry groups as of 2011 were: English 8.1%, Irish 8.1%, and German 7.2%. As of 2021 , 85.62% (8,711,102) of Georgia residents age   5 and older spoke English at home as

9064-610: The state of Georgia ignored the ruling. In 1838, his successor, Martin Van Buren , dispatched federal troops to gather the tribes and deport them west of the Mississippi . This forced relocation, known as the Trail of Tears , led to the death of more than four thousand Cherokees. In early 1861, Georgia joined the Confederacy (with secessionists having a slight majority of delegates) and became

9167-608: The state of Georgia, including in the Treaty of Fort Jackson (1814) , surrendering 21 million acres in what is now southern Georgia and central Alabama, and the Treaty of Indian Springs (1825) . In 1829, gold was discovered in the North Georgia mountains leading to the Georgia Gold Rush and establishment of a federal mint in Dahlonega , which continued in operation until 1861. The resulting influx of American settlers put pressure on

9270-534: The state's population in 1900, but the proportion of Georgia's population that was African American dropped thereafter to 28%, primarily due to tens of thousands leaving the state during the Great Migration . According to the Equal Justice Initiative 's 2015 report on lynching in the United States (1877–1950), Georgia had 531 deaths, the second-highest total of these extralegal executions of any state in

9373-529: The state, with 300 congregations and 100,000 members. The other large body, Presbyterian Church in America , had at its founding date 14 congregations and 2,800 members; in 2010 it counted 139 congregations and 32,000 members. The Roman Catholic Church is noteworthy in Georgia's urban areas, and includes the Archdiocese of Atlanta and the Diocese of Savannah . Georgia is home to the second-largest Hindu temple in

9476-423: The state. By the 2022 Public Religion Research Institute 's study, 71% of the population were Christian; throughout its Christian population, 60% were Protestant and 8% were Catholic. Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons collectively made up 3% of other Christians according to the study. Judaism , Islam , Buddhism , and Hinduism collectively formed 4% of the state's non-Christian population; New Age spirituality

9579-556: The state. The population of the Atlanta metropolitan area added 1.23 million people (24%) between 2000 and 2010, and Atlanta rose in rank from the eleventh-largest metropolitan area in the United States to the ninth-largest . The Atlanta metropolitan area is the cultural and economic center of the Southeast ; its official population in 2020 was over 6 million, or 57% of Georgia's total population. The United States Census Bureau reported Georgia's official population to be 10,711,908 as of

9682-462: The third-lowest percentage of older people (65 or older), at 12.8 percent (as of 2015 ). The colonial settlement of large numbers of Scottish American , English American and Scotch-Irish Americans in the mountains and Piedmont, and coastal settlement by some English Americans and African Americans, have strongly influenced the state's culture in food, language and music. The concentration of African slaves repeatedly "imported" to coastal areas in

9785-416: The votes cast in the 2020 presidential election were for Joe Biden . The current chief executive officer of DeKalb County is Michael Thurmond . He took office on January 1, 2017. Current County Commissioners as of January 2023: The DeKalb County seal was created in 1967, by artist Jackson Bailey. The design is based on a passage from Aristotle in which a comparison is made between human progress and

9888-466: The way to the Mississippi River , until Tennessee was divided from North Carolina , and the Yazoo companies induced the legislature of Georgia to pass an act, approved by the governor in 1795, to sell the greater part of Georgia's territory presently comprising Alabama and Mississippi . The state's western border runs in a straight line south-southeastward from a point southwest of Chattanooga , to meet

9991-474: The works to Restore the Park Stream, Add Street Parking, Ball Field and Tennis Court Improvements, Playground Expansion, Add New Pedestrian Gateways, Add Pedestrian Pathways, Constructing an Event Lawn with dedicated stage, etc. DeKalb County, Georgia DeKalb County ( / d ə ˈ k æ b / , / ˌ d iː ˈ k æ b / də- KAB , DEE - KAB ) is located in the north central portion of

10094-612: Was invaded by the Spanish in 1742, during the War of Jenkins' Ear . In 1752, after the government failed to renew subsidies that had helped support the colony, the Trustees turned over control to the crown . Georgia became a crown colony , with a governor appointed by the king of Great Britain . The Province of Georgia was one of the Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in

10197-736: Was 2% of the religious population. Approximately 23% of the state was irreligious . Population percentage of Georgia in the United States 2010: 3.14% 2020: 3.23% Tribes which historically lived in what is now Georgia include the Muscogee (including the Hitchiti subgroup), the Cherokee , the Oconi , the Guale , the Yamasee and the Apalachee . Other tribes which at various times lived in or migrated through Georgia include

10300-468: Was 70% Protestant, 9% Catholic, 1% Mormon, 1% Jewish, 0.5% Muslim, 0.5% Buddhist, and 0.5% Hindu. Atheists , deists , agnostics, and other unaffiliated people make up 13% of the population. Overall, Christianity was the dominant religion in the state, as part of the Bible Belt . According to the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2010, the largest Christian denominations by number of adherents were

10403-413: Was at that time too sick to be moved.) The part of the estate sold off in 1944 included the 50 acres that now make up Perkerson Park, which park was donated by the Perkerson Family to the City of Atlanta. Perkerson Park is located at 770 Deckner Avenue SW. The park was created circa 1952 by the City of Atlanta and is a contributing property to the city. It is the largest green space and only public park in

10506-577: Was later given to Milton, and is now the panhandle of Sandy Springs. During the American Civil War , much of the Battle of Atlanta took place in DeKalb. Until the 1960s, DeKalb was a mainly agricultural county, but as the sprawl of the metropolitan Atlanta region expanded, DeKalb became increasingly urbanized . Finished in 1969, the eastern half of the Interstate 285 beltway , called "the Perimeter", ringed

10609-479: Was scheduled for 2024. Private schools in DeKalb County include: From its opening in 1990 until 2003, the Seigakuin Atlanta International School was located on the property of Oglethorpe University in Brookhaven , then an unincorporated area called North Atlanta. Agnes Scott College is a private, all female, undergraduate liberal arts college in Decatur. Emory University is

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