Accolades

Men's Journal named Athens one of the 50 Best Places to Live in its May 2003 issue, Rolling Stone named Athens the #1 College Music Scene that Rocks in February 2003, and American Style named Athens one of the Top 25 Arts Destinations in both 2002 and 2003. Southern Business & Development Magazine ranked Athens 11th among all markets regardless of size and 7th among the South’s small markets (250,000 and under) in 2003.

Geography

Athens-Clarke County, comprised of 125 square miles, is the smallest in land area of Georgia's 159 counties. It was the twenty-fifth county created in the state and is located approximately 65 miles NE of Atlanta.

Population

According to the 2000 census, Clarke County was the fourteenth most populous county in the state with 101,489. (In 1990, the census showed 87,594 people.) The Athens-Clarke County Planning Department estimates the 2003 population at 105,529.

Government

The Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County's Mission Statement: "Athens-Clarke County, an open and responsive government, facilitating a positive environment for individuals to obtain a high quality of life and local organizations to achieve success by providing innovative, high quality services and responsible stewardship of the community's resources, to benefit current and future generations." (Adopted November 4, 1997).

• Legislative: The government is headed by an elected mayor and 10 elected commissioners from 8 geographical districts and 2 super-districts covering districts 1-4 and 5-8. The Mayor and Commission's regular meeting is the first Tuesday of the month and an agenda setting session is held on the Thursday after the third Tuesday of the month, both at 7:00 p.m. in City Hall. Both meetings are televised locally on ACTV, Cable Channel 7. The Mayor & Commission holds other meetings as necessary. Read more about the Mayor and Commission
• Executive: The Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County's day to day operations are overseen by a manager appointed by the Mayor and Commission. There are 26 main departments, divisions and offices under the managerial group
• Judicial: Athens-Clarke County houses Magistrate, Juvenile, Municipal, Probate, State and Superior Courts. Superior Court covers the Western Judicial Circuit, which also includes Oconee County

Transportation

The Athens-Ben Epps Airport is used by private planes and a USAir commuter service to Charlotte, NC. Public transit locally is provided by the Athens Transit System and a downtown bus station is served by Greyhound and Southeastern Stages.

Education

The Clarke County School District is a separate entity with nine elected members on the Board of Education and an appointed superintendent. The School District runs 13 elementary, 4 middle and 2 high schools. Additionally, there are 5 private schools in the area. Athens-Clarke County is the home of the University of Georgia, Athens Area Technical School and the Navy Supply Corps School, as well as four other higher education institution extensions.

Miscellaneous

• The Gingko is the official tree of Athens (adopted April 7, 1964)
• The Iris is the official flower of Athens (adopted April 7, 1964)
• The Urban Service District [old city boundaries] is designated as a bird sanctuary (adopted April 8, 1977)
• Cortona, Italy is Athens' official sister city (adopted June 6, 1978)
• There are 8 locally designated historic districts, 40 locally designated landmarks, 16 nationally designated districts, and 34 nationally registered sites