Alpharetta, Georgia | |
|---|---|
City | |
 Alpharetta City Hall | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
 Show Alpharetta Show Fulton County Show Georgia Show the United States | |
| Coordinates:34°04′21″N84°15′30″W / 34.07250°N 84.25833°W /34.07250; -84.25833[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Fulton |
| Incorporated | December 11, 1858 |
| Area | |
• Total | 27.27 sq mi (70.62 km2) |
| • Land | 26.90 sq mi (69.67 km2) |
| • Water | 0.37 sq mi (0.95 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,066 ft (325 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 65,818 |
| • Density | 2,450/sq mi (945/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 30004, 30005, 30009, 30022 |
| Area codes | 770,404,678 |
| FIPS code | 13-01696 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2403088[1] |
| Website | alpharetta.ga.us |
Alpharetta is a city in northernFulton County, Georgia, United States, and part of theAtlanta metropolitan area. As of the2020 U.S. census, Alpharetta's population was 65,818;[4][5] in 2010, the population had been 57,551.
In the 1830s, theCherokee people in Georgia and elsewhere inthe South wereforcibly relocated to theIndian Territory (present-dayOklahoma) under theIndian Removal Act.Pioneers and farmers later settled on the newly vacated land, situated along a former Cherokee trail stretching from theNorth Georgia mountains to theChattahoochee River.[6]
One of the area's first permanent landmarks was the New Prospect Camp Ground (also known as theMethodist Camp Ground), beside anatural spring near what is now downtown Alpharetta.[6] It later served as atrading post for the exchanging of goods among settlers.[6]
Known as the town of Milton through July 1858, the city of Alpharetta waschartered on December 11, 1858, with boundaries extending in a 0.5-mile (0.8 km) radius from the city courthouse.[6] It served as thecounty seat ofMilton County until 1931, when Milton County merged with Fulton County to avoid bankruptcy during theGreat Depression.[6]
The city's name may be a variation of a fictional Indian girl, Alfarata, in the 19th-century song "The Blue Juniata"; it may also be derived fromalpha, the first letter of the Greek alphabet.[7]
TheSimeon and Jane Rucker Log House, built in 1833, was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1997.[8]
The inhabitants of the area, primarily Methodists and Baptists, engaged in various occupations such as farming, blacksmithing, milling, merchandising, carpentry, and ditching. A number of them possessed a small number of slaves. Throughout theAmerican Civil War (1861–65), local men participated in combat or served in the home guard; however, Union forces did not advance north of Roswell, which is situated roughly six miles to the southwest.[9]
Alpharetta is in northern Fulton County and is bordered to the southeast byJohns Creek, to the south and west byRoswell, to the north byMilton, and to the northeast by unincorporated land inForsyth County. Downtown Alpharetta is 26 miles (42 km) north of downtownAtlanta.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, Alpharetta has an area of 27.3 square miles (70.7 km2), of which 26.9 square miles (69.7 km2) is land and 0.39 square miles (1.0 km2), or 1.37%, is water.[4]
Alpharetta has ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification:Cfa) and is part of USDAhardiness zone 7b.
| Climate data for Alpharetta, GA | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 50.4 (10.2) | 54.7 (12.6) | 63.4 (17.4) | 71.5 (21.9) | 77.9 (25.5) | 85.0 (29.4) | 87.1 (30.6) | 86.6 (30.3) | 80.9 (27.2) | 71.6 (22.0) | 62.0 (16.7) | 52.9 (11.6) | 70.3 (21.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 29.6 (−1.3) | 32.1 (0.1) | 38.6 (3.7) | 45.5 (7.5) | 54.6 (12.6) | 63.6 (17.6) | 67.0 (19.4) | 66.8 (19.3) | 59.5 (15.3) | 48.1 (8.9) | 38.1 (3.4) | 32.0 (0.0) | 48.0 (8.9) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.96 (101) | 5.08 (129) | 4.54 (115) | 3.63 (92) | 4.28 (109) | 3.91 (99) | 4.84 (123) | 4.54 (115) | 4.38 (111) | 3.52 (89) | 4.15 (105) | 4.58 (116) | 51.41 (1,304) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.6 (1.5) | 0.2 (0.51) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0.9 (2.26) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 9.8 | 9.5 | 9.0 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 8.5 | 10.2 | 8.7 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 7.8 | 9.6 | 102.9 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 1.0 |
| Source: NOAA[10] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 261 | — | |
| 1870 | 126 | −51.7% | |
| 1880 | 164 | 30.2% | |
| 1890 | 256 | 56.1% | |
| 1900 | 310 | 21.1% | |
| 1910 | 356 | 14.8% | |
| 1920 | 379 | 6.5% | |
| 1930 | 477 | 25.9% | |
| 1940 | 647 | 35.6% | |
| 1950 | 917 | 41.7% | |
| 1960 | 1,349 | 47.1% | |
| 1970 | 2,455 | 82.0% | |
| 1980 | 3,128 | 27.4% | |
| 1990 | 13,002 | 315.7% | |
| 2000 | 34,854 | 168.1% | |
| 2010 | 57,551 | 65.1% | |
| 2020 | 65,818 | 14.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1850–1870[12] 1870–1880[13] 1890–1910[14] 1920–1930[15] 1940[16] 1950[17] 1960[18] 1970[19] 1980[20] 1990[21] 2000[22] 2010[23] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 36,473 | 55.41% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 6,667 | 10.13% |
| Native American | 101 | 0.15% |
| Asian | 13,181 | 20.03% |
| Pacific Islander | 22 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed | 3,254 | 4.94% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 6,120 | 9.3% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 65,818 people, 25,391 households, and 18,167 families residing in the city.
According to the city's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report,[25] the city's top private sector employers were:
| # | Employer | # of employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ADP, Inc. | 2,231 |
| 2 | Fiserv, Inc. | 2,088 |
| 3 | Equifax | 1,669 |
| 4 | LexisNexis | 1,384 |
| 5 | MCI Inc. (Verizon) | 1,095 |
| 6 | ET Securities, LLC | 878 |
| 7 | Ernst & Young | 806 |
| 8 | Hewlett Packard Enterprise | 738 |
| 9 | Synchrony Financial | 600 |
| 10 | LocumTenens.com | 496 |
Complexes in the area include:
Alpharetta invested inoptical fiber since the 1980s and hosts multipledata centers.[27] In 2019, thefintech industry in the Atlanta area was a driver of data center expansion in Alpharetta.[28]
While supported by tax breaks from Fulton County authorities,[29] data center expansion run into limitations from state regulations[30] and local zoning authorities in 2024, as capacity in Atlanta tripled from 200 MW to over 700 MW in 2023.[31]
Tech Alpharetta (formerly known as the Alpharetta Technology Commission[32] or simply ATC) is an advisory organization established by the City of Alpharetta in 2012.[33] The organization is an independent,501(c)(6) nonprofit organization[33] that aims to help Alpharetta lead in technology innovation.[34] Tech Alpharetta runs an advisory board of technology companies based in the city, holds monthly technology events for technology executives,[35] and operates the Tech Alpharetta Innovation Center, a technologystartup incubator.[34][36] As of early 2020 about ten companies have "graduated" from Tech Alpharetta's incubator and were hiring employees in the North Fulton County region.[37]
Cynergy Data is headquartered in Alpharetta, as wasNetBank when it existed.[38]
The Alpharetta Arboretum at Wills Park was established in September 2008 and includes 26 trees. A brochure about thearboretum guides readers through a walking tour of the trees and is available at the Downtown Alpharetta Welcome Center.[39]
The Alpharetta Arboretum at Cogburn Road Park was established in December 2008 and showcases seven trees.[40]
The Alpharetta Farmers Market is a weeklyfarmers' market in the downtown area from April to October. The market was named "Best Saturday Morning Excursion" in 2007 byAtlanta magazine.[41] csc
The Mansell House and Gardens is a 1912Queen Anne style home that serves as a special event facility in Alpharetta. It is home to the Alpharetta Historical Society.[42]
The Alpharetta Brew Moon Fest is held the first Saturday in October in downtown Alpharetta.[43]
Ameris Bank Amphitheatre is a 12,000-capacity outdoor venue that serves as the summer home of the Grammy Award-winningAtlanta Symphony Orchestra and hosts acts like theDave Matthews Band,Rod Stewart,Phish,Steve Miller Band and theEagles.[44]
The Alpharetta Big Creek Greenway is a 6.1-mile-long (9.8 km), 12-foot-wide (3.7 m) concrete path that meanders through the woods along Big Creek, offering a place to walk, jog, inline skate and bike. The path includes additionalmountain bike trails.[45]
TheTaste of Alpharetta is an annual food festival featuring food from local restaurants, live music, and art exhibits during May.[46]
The Wire and Wood Alpharetta Songwriters Festival in downtown Alpharetta is held in October.[47]
TheExiles Rugby Football Club is based in Alpharetta. Exiles RFC Men's side compete in theGeorgia Rugby Union. Having won the Union Championship's Redmond Cup in 2023 against theGainesville Spartans Rugby Football Club in the state final. The Exiles RFC Women's side currently competes inRugby sevens tournaments across the southeastern United States. Both Exiles Men's and Women's sides have players who have been selected to compete on the Georgia Rugby Union's respective state representative Men's and Women's select sides of theGeorgia Barbarians. Exiles Men'shead coach, Richard Krueger, was selected and appointed as head coach of the Georgia Barbarians in 2023 by the Executive of the Georgia Rugby Union; to replace retiring Barbarians head coach Jesse Posnansky ofHigh Country Rugby Football Club. In addition to adult rugby, the Exiles have a partnership withRebels Rugby. Rebels Rugby are a local youth rugby club of U10 to U18 boys and girls sides who compete in both Rugby Sevens andRugby XVs tournaments across the southeastern United States. The Exiles Rugby Football Club's training grounds are located at Innovation Academy in Alpharetta.
North Park, Wills Park, and Webb Bridge Park feature 15 lighted tennis courts along with 8 asphaltpickleball courts at North Park.[48] Tennis lessons, clinics, camps, and leagues are available.[49]
The city is served byFulton County Schools.[50]
Source:[51]
Source:[52]
Source:[57]
TheRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta operates Holy Redeemer Catholic School (K-8). Although it is inJohns Creek, the school's location is often stated to be in Alpharetta.[58]
Perimeter College at Georgia State University,Gwinnett Technical College andReinhardt University have campuses in Alpharetta.
Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System operates the Alpharetta Branch.[59]
Alpharetta is governed by a city council composed of six members and a mayor. The mayor and council members serve staggered four-year terms:
| City council[60] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Post | Council member | Term | Notes |
| Post 1 | Donald Mitchell | 2022–2025 | |
| Post 2 | Brian Will | 2022–2025 | |
| Post 3 | Douglas DeRito | 2022–2025 | |
| Post 4 | John Hipes | 2024–2027 | |
| Post 5 | Fergal Brady | 2024–2027 | |
| Post 6 | Dan Merkel | 2024–2027 | Mayorpro tem (2024) |
Alpharetta is not directly served byMARTA trains, but is connected by multiple bus routes. Connecting Alpharetta to the rest of Metro Atlanta via heavy rail has been studied.[64][65]
Investors, seeing the potential of the city's location just outside Atlanta, decided to install fiber optic cable in the area. What was once a primarily agricultural community quickly drew the attention of data centers and technology companies.
Atlanta and the surrounding "Transaction Alley" represent the third-largest fintech hub in the U.S., with more than 70% of all credit card transactions processed through the Atlanta metropolitan area, according to the Atlanta Small Business Network. All told, more 120 fintech firms are headquartered or have a significant presence in Georgia with the top-10 generating annual revenue of $72 billion.
Officially approved on September 2, the regulations will prevent data centers from being built near the Beltline and within a half mile of MARTA rail stations, as reported by RoughDraft Atlanta. From the first to the second half of 2023, data center projects "skyrocketed from over 235MW to over 730MW, equivalent to the output of a typical natural gas plant," the legislation said.
Municipalities and communities ofFulton County, Georgia,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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Atlanta (capital) | |
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