Alpharetta, Georgia

Alpharetta, Georgia
City
Suburban Alpharetta, Georgia Suburban Alpharetta, Georgia
Location in Fulton County and the state of Georgia
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Fulton
Incorporated	December 11, 1858
Government
• Mayor	Arthur Letchas
Area
• Total	21.4 sq mi (55.4 km2)
• Land	21.4 sq mi (55.3 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation	1,135 ft (346 m)
Population  (2008)
• Total	49,903
• Density	1,631.6/sq mi (630.0/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	30004, 30005, 30009, 30022
Area code(s)	770, 404, 678
FIPS code	13-01696Template:GR
GNIS feature ID	0310497Template:GR
Website	Alpharetta, Georgia

Alpharetta is a city in north Fulton County, Georgia, United States. It is one of the most affluent communities in the state. According to a 2008 estimate, Alpharetta's population is 49,903. However, during the workday, the city swells to more than 120,000 residents, workers, and visitors, due to the more 3,600 businesses that are located in the city.

In 2009, Forbes ranked Alpharetta as the number 1 "reloville" in the United States.

History

From the North Georgia Mountains to the Chattahoochee River along a Cherokee Indian trail, a tiny village named New Prospect Camp Ground was formed. This village, made up of tents, a log school, and arbor became a trading post where Indians and white settlers exchanged their goods. The surrounding countryside provided excellent farming land, especially for cotton. On December 11, 1858, the town was chartered and became the county seat of Milton County. The town was renamed Alpharetta from the Greek words "alpha" meaning first and "retta" meaning town. Officially chartered on December 11 of that year, Alpharetta served as the county seat of Milton County until the end of 1931 when Milton was merged with Fulton County to avoid bankruptcy during the Great Depression.

Despite Alpharetta's poor start, today, Alpharetta is one of the fastest growing communities in the South.

Government

Alpharetta is governed by a city council composed of six members and a mayor. The mayor and council members serve staggered four-year terms.

Mayors:

• Arthur Letchas 2001–Present
• Chuck Martin 1995 - 2002
• Jimmy Phillips 1979 - 1994

Geography

Alpharetta is located at 34°4′24″N 84°16′52″W (34.073318, -84.281086)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 55.4 km² (21.4 sq mi). 21.4 square miles (55.3 km²) of it is land and 0.05% is water.

Major highways

• State Route 9
• State Route 120
• State Route 400

Climate

Alpharetta has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa).

Climate data for Alpharetta
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Source:

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1960	1,349		—
1970	2,455		82.0%
1980	3,128		27.4%
1990	13,002		315.7%
2000	34,854		168.1%

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 34,854 people, 13,911 households, and 8,916 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,631.6 people per square mile (630.0/km²). There were 14,670 housing units at an average density of 686.7/sq mi (265.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 82.65% White, 6.04% African American, 0.5% Native American, 6.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.1% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.53% of the population. 2.4% of the population is Mixed-Race/Multiracial. The population has been gradually increasing over the last five years.

There were 13,911 households out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the city, 27.0% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 40.5% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 5.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.9 males.

Alpharetta is one of the most affluent communities in the state of Georgia. the median income for a household in the city was $184,207, and the median income for a family was $146,175. Males had a median income of $79,275 versus $59,935 for females. The per capita income for the city was $61,432. About 2.9% of families and 1.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including .3% of those under age 18 and .6% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Alpharetta features several mid-rise buildings, which are home to many high-tech companies

Major companies

• ADP
• Alltel
• AT&T
• E-Trade
• General Electric
• Hansgrohe
• Hewlett-Packard
• IBM
• IHG
• LexisNexis
• Locum Leaders
• Lucent
• McKesson Corporation
• MedAssets
• MetLife
• Nortel
• Radiant Systems
• Siemens
• Sun Microsystems
• UPS Supply Chain Solutions
• Verizon

Attractions

The Downtown Alpharetta Welcome Center is located at 178 South Main Street and has more than 200 complimentary brochures providing information on the surrounding area. The Center is open Monday — Friday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The Alpharetta Arboretum at Wills Park was established in September 2008 and includes 26 trees. A brochure about the arboretum guides readers through a walking tour of the trees and is available at the Downtown Alpharetta Welcome Center. Additionally, the Alpharetta Arboretum at Cogburn Road Park was established in December 2008 and showcases seven trees. A complimentary brochure for the arboretum is available at the Downtown Alpharetta Welcome Center and provides a starting point for a self-guided walking tour.

The Alpharetta Farmers Market is a weekly farmers market in the downtown area that opens every Saturday from 8 AM to 12:30 PM from April to October, and features farmers and gardeners from the surrounding area selling fresh vegetables, flowers, and edible goods such as jam. Named "Best Saturday Morning Excursion" in 2007 by Atlanta Magazine.

The Downtown Alpharetta Historic District is located in the center of Alpharetta at the convergence of North Main Street, South Main Street, Milton Avenue, and Academy Street. Around this area are several historic buildings dating from the late 1800s and older. The downtown area has been restored, replacing more modern buildings with period structures, and includes dining, shopping, and widened brick sidewalks.

The Mansell House and Gardens is a 1912 Queen Anne-style home that serves as a special event facility in Alpharetta. It also serves as home to the Alpharetta Historical Society.

The Milton Log Cabin was built by Future Farmers of America students during the 1934-35 school year and resembles life during the late 1800s. The Cabin is available for tours by appointment. Contact the Alpharetta Historical Society for additional information.

Verizon Wireless at Encore Park is a 12,000 capacity outdoor venue that serves as the summer home to the Grammy Award-winning Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and plays host to acts like Dave Matthews Band, Rod Stewart and the Eagles.

The Walk of Memories is located at American Legion Post 201 and pays tribute to veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, community and friends, through a brick walk inscribed with the names of all Georgia residents killed in service including and following WWII. A separate section is reserved for those who served in the military and survived. Tank and helicopter are on display.

The Alpharetta Big Creek Greenway is a 6.1-mile long, 12-foot wide concrete path that meanders through the woods along Big Creek, offering a place to walk, jog, inline skate and bike. The path includes additional mountain bike trails.

Newtown Park is a park located on Old Alabama Road with various areas to play recreational sports. The park includes baseball fields, a lacross field, a playground, a basketball court, and a lake with a gazebo. The entire park is enclosed within a concrete running path approximately a mile long.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

The city is served by Fulton County Schools.

Elementary Schools (Grades K-5)

• Alpharetta Elementary School
• Cogburn Woods Elementary School in Milton
• Crabapple Crossing Elementary School in Milton
• Creek View Elementary School
• Hembree Springs Elementary School in Roswell
• Lake Windward Elementary School
• Manning Oaks Elementary School
• Mimosa Elementary School in Roswell
• New Prospect Elementary School
• Ocee Elementary School in Johns Creek
• Summit Hill Elementary School in Milton

Middle Schools (Grades 6-8)

• Autrey Mill Middle School in Johns Creek
• Elkins Pointe Middle School in Roswell
• Haynes Bridge Middle School
• Hopewell Middle School in Milton
• Northwestern Middle School in Milton
• Webb Bridge Middle School
• Amana Academy, a public charter school in Alpharetta for students in Kindergarten to 8th grade
• Fulton Science Academy (FSA), a public charter school in Roswell for students in 6th to 8th grade

High Schools (Grades 9-12)

• Alpharetta High School serves most of Alpharetta
• Centennial High School in Roswell
• Chattahoochee High School in Johns Creek
• Johns Creek High School in Johns Creek
• Milton High School in Milton
• Roswell High School in Roswell
• South Forsyth High School

Public libraries

Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System operates the Alpharetta Branch.

Notable residents

• Keyshia Cole, R&B singer
• Jeff Foxworthy, Comedian
• Parvati Shallow, Survivor Micronesia winner, Survivor: Heroes vs Villains Runner Up, Survivor Cook Islands contestant

External links

• City of Alpharetta home page
• Alpharetta Convention & Visitors Bureau home page