University of Georgia Athletics
The City of Athens
June 30, 2006 | General
The City of Athens
The "Classic City" of Georgia, Athens is a community which blends the charm of the Old South with the prospering development of culture and industry.
Located approximately 70 miles east of Atlanta, Athens has a population of just over 100,000 people. Due to the small size of Clarke County (at only 125 square miles, it is Georgia's smallest), voters approved a consolidated city-county government in 1990. A college town in every sense of the word, Athens appreciates its University population while recognizing its obligation to all residents to grow independently of the University.
Many publications have ranked Athens highly in their surveys of great cities. In 2005, Money named Athens one of the five best cities for retirees. A 2003 Rolling Stone article called Athens the #1 "College Music Scene That Rocks." The list goes on and on, from a five-star ranking for appeal to high-tech companies in Expansion Business Magazine to Kiplinger's listing Athens as one of the "Seven Cool Cities for Young Professionals."
The University of Georgia and Athens have grown up side by side. When its founders were looking for a site for the new university, they sought a remote location where students would be isolated from the temptations of urban life. The town was named for its Greek counterpart, a great center of learning. Athens' elevation is 600 to 800 feet above mean sea level, and because of its geographic location, the city is sheltered from much of the extreme weather of the winter season. The mean temperature for January, the coldest month, is 43 degrees F., and for July, the warmest month, 79 degrees F. Average minimum and maximum temperatures for January are 33 and 53 degrees F., respectively, and for July, 68 and 89 degrees F., respectively. Average rainfall is 50.42 inches.
Athens and the University are covered locally by a daily newspaper, the Athens Banner-Herald, an independent student newspaper, the Red and Black, and a local weekly, in addition to coverage by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and other regional newspapers. The city has six local radio stations and two University stations, WUOG-FM and WUGA-FM. Athens is also served by the stations of the Atlanta television market.
Two hospitals offering comprehensive health care serve Athens and there are more than 80 churches in the area.
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