Alpharetta is a city in northern Fulton County, Georgia, United States, and part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, Alpharetta had a population of 65,818. History
In the 1830s, the Cherokee people in Georgia and elsewhere in the South were forcibly relocated to the Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) under the Indian Removal Act. Pioneers and farmers later settled on the newly vacated land, situated along a former Cherokee trail stretching from the North Georgia mountains to the Chattahoochee River.
One of the area's first permanent landmarks was the New Prospect Camp Ground (also known as the Methodist Camp Ground), beside a natural spring near what is now downtown Alpharetta. It later served as a trading post for the exchanging of goods among settlers.
Known as the town of Milton through July 1858, the city of Alpharetta was chartered on December 11, 1858, with boundaries extending in a radius from the city courthouse. It served as the county seat of Milton County until 1931, when Milton County merged with Fulton County to avoid bankruptcy during the Great Depression.
The city's name may be a variation of a fictional Indian girl, Alfarata, in the 19th-century song "The Blue Juniata"; it may also be derived from alpha, the first letter of the Greek alphabet. but according to information shown in the Alpharetta Milton museum the meaning of retta is unknown.
The Simeon and Jane Rucker Log House, built in 1833, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
The inhabitants of the area, primarily Methodists and Baptists, engaged in various occupations such as farming, blacksmithing, milling, merchandising, carpentry, and ditching. A number of them possessed a small number of slaves. Throughout the American Civil War (1861–1865), local men participated in combat or served in the home guard; however, Union forces did not advance north of Roswell, which is situated roughly six miles to the southwest.
Geography
Alpharetta is in northern Fulton County and is bordered to the southeast by Johns Creek, to the south and west by Roswell, to the north by Milton, and to the northeast by unincorporated land in Forsyth County. Downtown Alpharetta is north of downtown Atlanta.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Alpharetta has an area of , of which is land and , or 1.37%, is water.
Climate Alpharetta has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa) and is part of USDA hardiness zone 7b.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition +Alpharetta city, Georgia – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010Pop 2020% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)28,14337,39136,47380.75%64.97%55.41%Black or African American alone (NH)2,2246,0996,6676.38%10.60%10.13%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)58701010.17%0.12%0.15%Asian alone (NH)1,9867,67813,1815.70%13.34%20.03%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)628220.02%0.05%0.03%Other race alone (NH)1292145380.37%0.37%0.82%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)3811,1792,7161.09%2.05%4.13%Hispanic or Latino (any race)1,9274,8926,1205.53%8.50%9.30%Total34,85457,55165,818 100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Alpharetta had a population of 65,818, 24,727 households, and 18,167 families. The median age was 39.7 years. 23.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 11.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.9 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
Among households, 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 58.1% were married-couple households, 14.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.2% of households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 26,089 housing units, of which 5.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.1%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 37,639 57.2% Black or African American 6,785 10.3% American Indian and Alaska Native 185 0.3% Asian 13,205 20.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 23 0.0% Some other race 2,357 3.6% Two or more races 5,624 8.5% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 6,120 9.3% Economy
Top employers According to the city's Economic Development Department, the city's top private sector employers as of February 2026 were:
# Employer # of employees6Fiserv, Inc.2,0871ADP, Inc.2,0748MCI Inc. (Verizon)1,9284Equifax1,7225Jackson Healthcare1,2352Morgan Stanley1,2259UPS Supply Chain Solutions8113Surgical Information Systems6347Toyota Motor Credit Corporation56010Ernst & Young550
Retail and mixed-use complexes Complexes in the area include: North Point Mall, a traditional mall set for redevelopment. An mixed-use development, Avalon, opened in 2014. Alpharetta City Center, a mixed-use destination in Downtown Alpharetta that includes 74,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, 36,000 square feet of office, 168 luxury apartments, greenspaces, Alpharetta City Hall, and a branch of Fulton County Library. The Halcyon mixed residential-retail-entertainment-dining complex opened in 2019 in nearby Forsyth County has an Alpharetta postal address, but is not within the city limits or in the same county. The Maxwell, a 37,000-square-foot retail space in Downtown Alpharetta with a variety of entertainment, restaurants, and health and wellness companies. Downtown Alpharetta also consists of over 600 businesses including The Hamilton Alpharetta hotel, specialty boutiques, restaurants, fitness studios, and coffee shops.
Data centers Alpharetta invested in optical fiber since the 1980s and hosts multiple data centers. In 2019, the fintech industry in the Atlanta area was a driver of data center expansion in Alpharetta.
While supported by tax breaks from Fulton County authorities, data center expansion run into limitations from state regulations and local zoning authorities in 2024, as capacity in Atlanta tripled from 200 MW to over 700 MW in 2023.
Tech North Atlanta Tech North Atlanta (formerly known as Tech Alpharetta and the Alpharetta Technology Commission or simply ATC) is an advisory organization established by the City of Alpharetta in 2012. The organization is an independent, 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization that aims to help Alpharetta lead in technology innovation. Tech North Atlanta runs an advisory board of technology companies based in the city, holds monthly technology events for technology executives, and operates the Tech Alpharetta Innovation Center, a technology startup incubator. As of early 2020 about ten companies have "graduated" from Tech Alpharetta's incubator and were hiring employees in the North Fulton County region.
Major companies
Cynergy Data is headquartered in Alpharetta, as was NetBank when it existed.
Attractions and events
The Alpharetta Arboretum at Wills Park was established in September 2008 and includes 26 trees. A brochure about the arboretum guides readers through a walking tour of the trees and is available at the Downtown Alpharetta Welcome Center.
The Alpharetta Arboretum at Cogburn Road Park was established in December 2008 and showcases seven trees.
The Alpharetta Farmers Market is a weekly farmers' market in the downtown area from April to October. The market was named "Best Saturday Morning Excursion" in 2007 by Atlanta magazine. csc
The Mansell House and Gardens is a 1912 Queen Anne style home that serves as a special event facility in Alpharetta. It is home to the Alpharetta Historical Society.
The Alpharetta Brew Moon Fest is held the first Saturday in October in downtown Alpharetta.
Ameris Bank Amphitheatre is a 12,000-capacity outdoor venue that serves as the summer home of the Grammy Award-winning Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and hosts acts like the Dave Matthews Band, Rod Stewart, Phish, Steve Miller Band and the Eagles.
The Alpharetta Big Creek Greenway is a , concrete path that meanders through the woods along Big Creek, offering a place to walk, jog, inline skate and bike. The path includes additional mountain bike trails.
The Alpha Loop is a multi-use paved trail that connects neighborhoods, offices, dining, and entertainment. First begun in 2020, the Alpha Loop is now over 6 miles long and has new connections currently under construction.
The Taste of Alpharetta is an annual food festival featuring food from local restaurants, live music, and art exhibits during May.
The Wire and Wood Alpharetta Songwriters Festival in downtown Alpharetta is held in October.
The Exiles Rugby Football Club is a community rugby union club based in Alpharetta. Founded in 2020, the club operates senior men's and women's rugby programs as well as the Exiles Rugby Academy for youth players. The Exiles men's side won the Georgia Rugby Union Redmond Cup championship in 2023, defeating the Gainesville Spartans Rugby Football Club in the state final.
The Exiles men's XVs are coached by Marcus Hall. The club's senior programs provide rugby opportunities for both men and women, while the Exiles Rugby Academy provides youth rugby for boys and girls, including Minis and high school-age rugby. The club also provides non-contact touch rugby opportunities and welcomes both new and experienced players.
The Exiles Rugby Football Club's primary training grounds are located at Innovation Academy in Alpharetta. The club serves players and families from Alpharetta, Milton and the surrounding North Metro Atlanta area.
Official website
North Park, Wills Park, and Webb Bridge Park feature 15 lighted tennis courts along with 8 asphalt pickleball courts at North Park. Tennis lessons, clinics, camps, and leagues are available.
Education
Primary and secondary schools The city is served by Fulton County Schools.
Elementary schools Source:
Abbotts Hill Elementary School Alpharetta Elementary School Birmingham Falls Elementary School in Milton Cogburn Woods Elementary School in Milton Crabapple Crossing Elementary School in Milton Creek View Elementary School Dolvin Elementary School F.A.S.T. k-8 Hembree Springs Elementary School in Roswell Lake Windward Elementary School Manning Oaks Elementary School Mimosa Elementary School in Roswell New Prospect Elementary School Ocee Elementary School in Johns Creek Summit Hill Elementary School in Milton Fulton Science Academy Private School in Roswell
Middle schools Source:
Autrey Mill Middle School in Johns Creek Elkins Pointe Middle School in Roswell Haynes Bridge Middle School Holcomb Bridge Middle School Hopewell Middle School in Milton Northwestern Middle School in Milton Taylor Road Middle School in Johns Creek Webb Bridge Middle School Amana Academy, a public charter school in Alpharetta for students in Kindergarten to 8th grade Fulton Science Academy (FSA), a private school in Roswell for students in 6th to 8th grade International Charter School of Atlanta (Upper Campus)
High schools Source:
Alpharetta High School serves most of Alpharetta Cambridge High School in Milton Centennial High School in Roswell Chattahoochee High School in Johns Creek Johns Creek High School in Johns Creek Milton High School in Milton Northview High School Roswell High School in Roswell Independence High School, an alternative school on the old Milton High School campus. FCS Innovation Academy, a public charter school in Alpharetta. Fulton Science Academy Private School, a private school in Roswell.
Private schools The Lionheart School St. Francis Schools Mount Pisgah Christian School Fulton Science Academy Private School