Decatur, Georgia | ||
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Intown Atlanta | ||
City of Decatur | ||
Main façade of the former county courthouse
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Motto: "A City of Homes, Schools and Places of Worship" | ||
Location in DeKalb County and the state of Georgia |
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Location of Decatur in the US | ||
Coordinates: 33°46′17″N 84°17′52″W / 33.77139°N 84.29778°WCoordinates: 33°46′17″N 84°17′52″W / 33.77139°N 84.29778°W | ||
Country | United States | |
State | Georgia | |
County | DeKalb | |
Incorporated | December 10, 1823 | |
Named for | Commodore Stephen Decatur | |
Government | ||
• Type | Commission–Manager | |
• Commission | Decatur City Commission | |
• Manager | Peggy Merriss | |
Area | ||
• Total | 4.2 sq mi (10.8 km2) | |
• Land | 4.2 sq mi (10.8 km2) | |
• Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) | |
Elevation | 1,043 ft (318 m) | |
Population (2010) | ||
• Total | 19,335 | |
• Estimate (2016) | 22,813 | |
• Density | 4,600/sq mi (1,800/km2) | |
Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) | |
• Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | |
ZIP code(s) | 30030, 30032, 30033, 30307, 30317 | |
Area code(s) | 404, 678 and 470 | |
FIPS code | 13-22052 | |
GNIS feature ID | 0331532 | |
Major airport | ATL | |
Website | decaturga |
Decatur is a city in, and the county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. With a population of 20,148 in the 2013 census, the municipality is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple zip codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear the Decatur name, As well as a neighborhood of Atlanta and part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Its public transportation is served by three MARTA rail stations. Although it is a city unto itself Decatur is an intown neighborhood located on the Northeastern and Southeastern sides of Atlanta
Decatur was established at the intersection of two Native American trails: the Sandtown, which led east from the Chattahoochee River at Utoy Creek, and the Shallowford, which follows today's Clairmont Road, and eventually crossed near Roswell. It was named for United States Navy Commodore Stephen Decatur.
During the American Civil War, Decatur became a strategic site in Sherman's Atlanta Campaign. In July 1864, Major-General James McPherson occupied the town to cut off the Confederates' supply line from Augusta. On July 22, during the Battle of Atlanta, Confederate cavalry under Major-General Joseph Wheeler attacked McPherson's supply wagons and the Union troops left to defend the wagons. A historical marker at the old courthouse marks the site of this skirmish.