Athens is a prospering community, one that reflects the charm of the Old South while developing in cultural and industrial areas. It is located approximately 70 miles east-northeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Athens is at the heart of a three-county metropolitan area of 126,000 people. Athens and Clarke County share a common local government. The Clarke County population, according to a 1990 census estimate, is 86,000. 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.
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. 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., and for July, 68 and 89 degrees F. Average rainfall is 50.42 inches.