Smyrna, Georgia

Smyrna, Georgia
—  City  —
Location in Cobb County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 33°52′19″N 84°31′6″W
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Cobb
Government
• Mayor	Max Bacon
Area
• Total	16 sq mi (41.4 km2)
• Land	16 sq mi (41.3 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation	1,060 ft (323 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	51,271
• Density	3,200/sq mi (1,200/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Area code(s)	770
FIPS code	13-71492
GNIS feature ID	0356541
Website	http://www.smyrnacity.com/

Smyrna is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 51,271. It is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA MSA, which is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Gainesville, GA-AL CSA.

History

Pioneers began settling the area in 1832. By the late 1830s, a religious encampment called Smyrna Camp Ground had become a popular travel destination and was well-known throughout Georgia. After the completion of the Western and Atlantic Railroad in 1842 the area began to grow. It was known by several names until 1872 – Varner’s Station, Ruff’s Siding, Neal Dow and Ruff’s Station. The city was incorporated with the name Smyrna in 1872.

Two Civil War battles occurred in the area, the Battle of Smyrna Camp Ground on July 3, 1864, and the Battle of Ruff’s Mill the next day. The area’s businesses, homes and 1849 covered bridge (since rebuilt and still in use today) were burned by Sherman’s troops.

Smyrna made history when it elected a woman mayor, Lorena Pace Pruitt, in 1946. The nearby Bell Bomber plant that produced B-29 bombers during World War II was reopened by Lockheed in 1951 and became a catalyst for growth. The city's population grew dramatically during the next two decades, from 2,005 in 1950 to almost 20,000 by 1970.

The restaurant scene in the film Joyful Noise was shot in the city in 2011.

Geography

Street map of Smyrna.

Smyrna is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area, located about 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Atlanta, near the northern intersection of I-285 and I-75, which is the site of Cumberland and the Cobb Galleria. It is also near Vinings, Marietta, Mableton, Sandy Springs and the Buckhead district of Atlanta.

Smyrna is located at 33°52′19″N 84°31′06″W.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.9 square miles (36 km²), of which 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²), or 0.14%, is water. The general terrain of the area is characteristic of the Piedmont region of Georgia, characterized by hills with broad ridges, sloping uplands, and relatively narrow valleys. Smyrna sits at an altitude of about 1,150 feet (350 m) above sea level.

Flora

The city's official symbol is the jonquil (a flower). Known as the "Jonquil City", it derives this name from the thousands of jonquils that flourish in gardens and along the streets in early spring.

Climate

Climate data for Smyrna, GA
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	79 (26)	80 (27)	89 (32)	93 (34)	97 (36)	102 (39)	105 (41)	104 (40)	102 (39)	95 (35)	84 (29)	79 (26)	105 (41)
Average high °F (°C)	52 (11)	57 (14)	65 (18)	73 (23)	80 (27)	86 (30)	89 (32)	88 (31)	82 (28)	73 (23)	64 (18)	54 (12)	71.9 (22.2)
Average low °F (°C)	34 (1)	38 (3)	44 (7)	52 (11)	60 (16)	68 (20)	71 (22)	71 (22)	65 (18)	54 (12)	45 (7)	37 (3)	53.3 (11.8)
Record low °F (°C)	−8 (−22)	−9 (−23)	10 (−12)	25 (−4)	37 (3)	39 (4)	53 (12)	55 (13)	36 (2)	28 (−2)	3 (−16)	0 (−18)	−9 (−23)
Precipitation inches (mm)	4.20 (106.7)	4.83 (122.7)	4.81 (122.2)	3.36 (85.3)	3.67 (93.2)	3.95 (100.3)	5.27 (133.9)	3.90 (99.1)	4.47 (113.5)	3.41 (86.6)	4.10 (104.1)	3.90 (99.1)	49.87 (1,266.7)
Source:

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1880	259		—
1890	416		60.6%
1900	238		−42.8%
1910	599		151.7%
1920	791		32.1%
1930	1,178		48.9%
1940	1,440		22.2%
1950	2,005		39.2%
1960	10,157		406.6%
1970	19,157		88.6%
1980	20,312		6.0%
1990	32,453		59.8%
2000	40,999		26.3%
2010	51,271		25.1%

As of the census of 2000, there were 40,999 people, 18,372 households, and 9,498 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,949.9 people per square mile (1,138.8/km²). There were 19,633 housing units at an average density of 1,412.6 per square mile (545.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 59.4% White, 27.2% African American, 0.4% Native American, 3.9% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 6.6% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.8% of the population.

There were 18,372 households out of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.2% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.3% were non-families. 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.92.

The population was distributed by age as follows: 19.5% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 43.8% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.

Government

Municipal

Max Bacon is the mayor of Smyrna.

The city operates the Smyrna Public Library.

Past mayors

1. H.H. Arrington 1933-1937
2. John Corn 1939-1940
3. P.M. Brinkley 1941
4. John Tatum 1942
5. C.M. Hamby 1943-1944
6. J.Y. Wootten 1945
7. Lorena Pruitt 1946-1948
8. J.M. "Hoot" Gibson 1949-1952
9. Guy Duncan 1953-1954
10. James E. Quarles 1955-1957
11. J.M. "Hoot" Gibson 1958-1959
12. George Kreeger 1960-1961
13. J.B. "Jake" Ables 1962-1963
14. George Kreeger 1964-1969
15. Harold Smith 1970-1971
16. John Porterfield 1972-1975
17. Arthur Bacon 1976-1977
18. Frank Johnson 1978-1981
19. Arthur Bacon 1982-1985
20. Max Bacon 1985–Present

Elections

The city was a longtime stronghold for traditional, small-town, conservative Southern Democrats.^{[citation needed]} It is now seen as a largely Republican district, located inside a strong Democratic enclave with a growing minority population (South Cobb), located in a predominantly Republican county (Cobb County).^{[citation needed]} As a result, although local officials are nonpartisan, state and federal representation is fairly evenly split between Democrats and Republicans.^{[citation needed]}

Economy

Personal income

The median income for a household in the city was $47,572, and the median income for a family was $53,821. Males had a median income of $38,896 versus $35,465 for females. The per capita income for the city was $27,637. About 6.7% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.

Industry

The Atlanta Bread Company has its headquarters in Smyrna.

Companies with an office include Eaton Corporation and IBM. Smyrna was the site of the corporate offices of the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling.

Top employers

According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	UCB	575
2	IBM	566
3	United Distributors	550
4	Emory-Adventist Hospital at Smyrna	499
5	Ridgeview Institute	440
6	S.P. Richards	423
7	City of Smyrna	384
8	Bake One	350
9	Publix	210
10	Glock	209

Urban renewal

Smyrna has rebounded from urban decay in the 1990s to become an affluent area.^{[citation needed]}

In 1991, the city began a community redevelopment project known as "Market Village," in order to create a well-defined downtown. Included were a community center and 28,000-square-foot (2,600 m²) public library. A mixed retail and residential district was modeled after a early 1900s city village, including a square with a fountain. This, and other expansions have revitalized the downtown area and acted as a magnet for further redevelopment throughout the city—including thousands of upscale homes - mostly townhouse and condo communities replacing older neighborhoods.^{[citation needed]} As a result of the redevelopment, and Smyrna's key location of a residential suburb in the north west center of metro Atlanta, the population has skyrocketed.^{[citation needed]}

There is additional mixed retail/residential/office redevelopments around the "Market Village". Ground was broken in Jonquil Village, a redevelopment of Jonquil Plaza at the corner of Spring and Atlanta Road across from "Market Village". Less than a .5 miles (0.80 km) down, the city intends to redevelop the Belmont Hills plaza, at the corner of Windy Hill and Atlanta Road in 2011. Both these villages, like "Market Village" in Smyrna, and "Market Square" in Vinings are designed to resemble a city village of yesteryear with fountains and antique street lamps.^{[citation needed]}

Some additional work is being done in Smyrna are streetscape beautification projects, including a linear park on Concord Road. Additional parkland projects are the 12-acre (4.9 ha) Taylor-Brawner Park, Riverview Road trail and Silver Comet Trail extensions in that area.

Education

Smyrna is served by Cobb County Public Schools. Campbell High School, a magnet school for the IB Program, is in the city.

Recreation

Some extensions of the Silver Comet Trail have been built further into Smyrna to expand access to the trail.

"Market Village" in the city center often has open-air concerts and festivals. There are also various small parks throughout the city, including public pools, tennis courts and playgrounds and a linear park with walking trail along Spring Road.

Transportation

Several principal arterial roadways, such as I-285, Cobb Parkway (U.S. Highway 41), Atlanta Road (Old State Highway 3) and South Cobb Drive (State Highway 280), pass through the municipality.

Smyrna is served by Cobb Community Transit public buses.

Notables

Notables from the area include U.S. Representative Bob Barr, Atlanta Brave Ron Gant, and actress Julia Roberts.

External links

• Smyrna official city website
• SuperSmyrna website lists volunteer service opportunity projects and highlights of Smyrna area schools
• Smyrna info at Georgia.gov
• Smyrna Public Library
• Comprehensive History of Smyrna, Georgia (1832 to Present) from the Smyrna Historical and Genealogical Society
• Smyrna Rotary Club website