Decatur, GA, county seat of DeKalb County, combines a neighborly hometown country atmosphere with the excitement of a college town, and tops it off with all the amenities of nearby urban Atlanta, GA.
The City of Decatur, founded in 1823, is named for a 19th century U.S. Naval hero. Interestingly, early residents rejected a proposal to become a major railroad stop because of the noise and confusion it would bring, so the railroad moved the stop 7 miles west to a small country town. In 1845, that town was named Atlanta!
Decatur is just six miles east of Atlanta's downtown business district. Decatur's population is an expanding 18,000 citizens, although its workday population balloons to about 25,000.
Downtown Decatur is built around the Old Courthouse on the Square. Today, as the heart of the community, the Square hosts festivals and special events for the townspeople. Also, the Courthouse houses the DeKalb History Center and Museum. Further explore history at the historic Decatur Cemetery.
Decatur is home to both Agnes Scott College, known for its high academic standards, and Columbia Theological Seminary, an educational institution of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Beautiful neighborhoods with tree-lined streets, great schools, libraries and parks continue to attract families from all over. Decatur incorporates strong progressive development and economic growth, while carefully preserving its great sense of history and community.
