| Smyrna, Georgia | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Location in Cobb County and the state of Georgia | |
| Coordinates: | |
| 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 | 3,207.5/sq mi (1,238.4/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Area code(s) | 770 |
| FIPS code | 13-71492[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0356541[2] |
| 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.
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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.[3]
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 .[4]
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.
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 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: [5] | |||||||||||||
| 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[1] 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.
Max Bacon is the mayor of Smyrna.[6]
The city operates the Smyrna Public Library.
The city was a longtime stronghold for traditional, small-town, conservative Southern Democrats. 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). As a result, although local officials are nonpartisan, state and federal representation is fairly evenly split between Democrats and Republicans.
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.
The Atlanta Bread Company has its headquarters in Smyrna.[7]
Companies with an office include Eaton Corporation and IBM. Smyrna was the site of the corporate offices of the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling.
According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:[8]
| # | 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 |
Smyrna has rebounded from urban decay in the 1990s to become an affluent area.
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. 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.
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.
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.
Smyrna is served by Cobb County Public Schools. Campbell High School, a magnet school for the IB Program, is in the city.
Some extensions of the Silver Comet Trail have been built further into Smyrna to expand access to the trail.[9][10]
"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.
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 from the area include U.S. Representative Bob Barr, Atlanta Brave Ron Gant, and actress Julia Roberts.
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