After steadily growing for its first 100 years, the population within the city limits of Atlanta began to fall while the metro area continued to grow. The intown trend has reversed as of the mid-1990s.

1850 - 2,572

• City limits a circle with radius of 1 mile (3.14 square miles)

1860 - 9,554

1870 - 21,789

• 1874 city limits enlarged to 1.5 miles (7 square miles)

1880 - 37,409

• 1889 saw annexation of Inman Park

1890 - 65,533

• 1895 city limits enlarged to 1.75 miles (9.6 square miles)
• 1896 saw annexation of West End (11 square miles)

1900 - 89,872, including 2500 persons of foreign birth and 35,900 of negro descent.

• 1909 (January) Copenhill area annexed

1910 - 154,839 (metro 522,442)

1920 - 200,616 (metro 622,283)

1940 - 302,288 (metro 820,579)

1950 - 331,000 (metro 997,666)

• 1952 saw annexation of Buckhead, Adam's Park, Cascade & Lakewood adding 100,000 people (130 square miles)

1960 - 487,000 (metro 1,312,474)

1970 - 497,000 (metro 1,763,626)

1980 - 425,000 (metro 2,233,324)

1990 - 394,017 (metro 2,959,950)

2000 - 416,474 (metro 4,112,198)

2005 - 470,688 (metro 5,103,766)

References

• History of Atlanta 1782-1900's
• Atlanta region population
• Demographia.com

History of Atlanta