Clayton county is one of the most densely populated counties in the state of Georgia. Though it covers only a little over 144 square miles, it has a population of over 273,000 people (as of 2008). It also has some of the state's most famous and infamous attractions and services. This article provides a guide to Clayton County (USA).
Included areas
Clayton county, which lies adjacent to DeKalb, Henry, Spalding, Fayette, and Fulton counties and nearby the city of Atlanta, is made up of twice as many unincorporated areas as incorporated cities and towns.
College Park, Forest Park, Jonesboro (the county seat), Lake City, Lovejoy, Morrow, Riverdale, and Hampton make up the cities and towns located within Clayton. Valley Hill, Rex, Conley, Ellenwood, Flint River District, Botany Woods, and Valley Hill are some of the unincorporated communities that are also located within Clayton.
Features
Established in 1858, Clayton county includes a variety of public and private areas for its residents to use, including 32 parks, three pools, community centers, gymnasiums, playgrounds, tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, basketball, courts, and hiking and biking trails.
The Reynolds Nature Preserve and Melvin L. Newman Wetlands Center are both within the county borders as are the National Archives and the Georgia Archives. The second largest convention and exhibition hall in Georgia, the Georgia International Convention and Trade Center are also within Clayton county.
Services
The Southern Regional Medical Center is a full-service hospital built to give easy access to medical services for Clayton county residents. The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is located in the northwest corner of the county and is accessible to all nearby residents.
The Clayton county schools are part of the Clayton county school system. This system has seen upheaval in recent years as it lost its accreditation in 2008 because of problems with the school board.
Interesting facts
Margaret Mitchell set her fictional plantation Tara from "Gone with the Wind" in Clayton county. Parts of the film version of the book were actually filmed in the area. The Road to Tara museum and National Museum of Commercial Aviation are popular attractions for tourists.
Other popular attractions include Crawford-Dorsey House and Cemetery (in Lovejoy), Jonesboro Historic District and Stably Oaks Plantation (both in Jonesboro), Orkin Early Quartz Site (in Fayetteville), and Rex Mill (in Rex) which are all listed on the National Register of historic places.
