Cartersville is a city in

Bartow County Bartow County is located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 108,901, up from 100,157 in 2010. The county seat is Cartersville. Traditionally considered part of northwest Georgia, B ...

, Georgia,

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

; it is located within the northwest edge of the

Atlanta metropolitan area Metro Atlanta, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Alpharetta, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the ...

. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 23,187. Cartersville is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Bartow County.

History

Cartersville, originally known as Birmingham, was founded by English-Americans in 1832. The town was incorporated as Cartersville in 1854. The present name is for Col. Farish Carter of Milledgeville, the owner of a large plantation. Cartersville was the long-time home of

Amos Akerman Amos Tappan Akerman (February 23, 1821 – December 21, 1880) was an American politician who served as United States Attorney General under President Ulysses S. Grant from 1870 to 1871. A native of New Hampshire, Akerman graduated from Dartmouth ...

, U.S. Attorney General under President Ulysses S. Grant; in that office he spearheaded the federal prosecution of members of the Ku Klux Klan and was one of the most important public servants of the Reconstruction era. Cartersville was designated the seat of Bartow County in 1867 following the destruction of Cassville by Sherman in the American Civil War. Cartersville was incorporated as a city in 1872. On February 26, 1916 a group of one hundred men and boys took Jesse McCorkle from the jail and hanged him from a tree in front of the city hall and riddled his body with bullets.

Geography

Cartersville is located in south-central Bartow County, northwest of downtown

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

and southeast of

Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

. The

Etowah River The Etowah River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 27, 2011 waterway that rises northwest of Dahlonega, Georgia, north of Atlanta. On Matthew Carey's 1795 ...

flows through a broad valley south of the downtown, leading west to Rome, where it forms the

Coosa River The Coosa River is a tributary of the Alabama River in the U.S. states of Alabama and Georgia. The river is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 27, 2011 ...

, a tributary of the

Alabama River The Alabama River, in the U.S. state of Alabama, is formed by the Tallapoosa and Coosa rivers, which unite about north of Montgomery, near the town of Wetumpka. The river flows west to Selma, then southwest until, about from Mobile, it un ...

. The city limits extend eastward, upriver, as far as Allatoona Dam, which forms

Lake Allatoona Lake Allatoona (officially called Allatoona Lake) is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Etowah River in northwestern part of the State of Georgia. This reservoir is mostly in southeastern Bartow County and southwestern Cherokee Coun ...

, a large U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir.

Red Top Mountain State Park Red Top Mountain State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is located in the northwestern part of the state, on the northwestern edge of metro Atlanta, in southeastern Bartow County near Cartersville. Named for iron-rich Red T ...

sits on a peninsula in the lake, just outside the city limits. Nancy Creek also flows in the vicinity. The highest point in the city is at the summit of Pine Mountain. Pine Mountain Recreation Area
City of Cartersville. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, Cartersville has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.59%, is water.

Transportation

Interstate 75, the major north-south route through the area, passes through the eastern edge of the city, with access from five exits: Exit 285 just south of the city limits in Emerson, Exit 288 (East Main Street) closest to downtown, and exits 290, 293, and 296 along the city's northern outskirts. U.S. Highway 41, which is concurrent with

State Route 3 The following highways are numbered 3, H-3, PRI-3, AH3, E03 and R3. For roads numbered A3, see A3 roads. For roads numbered M3, see M3. For roads numbered N3, see N3. For roads numbered 3A, see 3A. International * Asian Highway 3 * Europea ...

, is an older, parallel highway to Interstate 75 that goes through the eastern edge of downtown, leading north to

Calhoun John C. Calhoun (1782–1850) was the 7th vice president of the United States. Calhoun can also refer to: Surname * Calhoun (surname) Inhabited places in the United States *Calhoun, Georgia *Calhoun, Illinois *Calhoun, Kansas *Calhoun, Kentucky ...

and Dalton and south to

Marietta Marietta may refer to: Places in the United States *Marietta, Jacksonville, Florida *Marietta, Georgia, the largest US city named Marietta *Marietta, Illinois *Marietta, Indiana *Marietta, Kansas *Marietta, Minnesota *Marietta, Mississippi *Mar ...

U.S. Highway 411 U.S. Route 411 (US 411) is an alternate parallel-highway associated with US 11. US 411 extends for about from US 78 in Leeds, Alabama, to US 25W/ US 70 in Newport, Tennessee. US 411 travels through no ...

passes through the northern edge of the city, leading west to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

and north to Chatsworth. State Route 20 runs west to Rome concurrent with U.S. Highway 411 and runs east to

Canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ent ...

. State Route 61 runs north to White concurrent with U.S. Highway 411 and runs south to Dallas, Georgia. State Route 113 runs southwesterly to

Rockmart Rockmart is a town in Polk County, Georgia, United States. Its population was 4,732 at the 2020 census. It developed as a railroad depot town when the Southern Railway built a station in the area. The community was incorporated in 1872, and ...

. State Route 293 runs west-northwest to

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the five most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

Cartersville Airport Cartersville Airport , Valley of Pumpkinvine Creek Field, is a public use airport located on a small hill by the Etowah River two nautical miles (4km) west of the headwaters of Pumpkinvine Creek and three nautical miles (6 km) southwest of th ...

is a public use airport located in the west side of Cartersville on State Route 61. It is the home base of

Phoenix Air Phoenix Air Group, often just referred to as Phoenix Air, is a non-scheduled airline headquartered in Cartersville, Georgia, USA, with the city's airport serving as its base. Founded in 1978 by Army helicopter pilot and race car driver Mark T ...

Cartersville area communities

The following communities border the city: *

Adairsville Adairsville is a city in Bartow County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 4,878. Adairsville is approximately halfway between Atlanta and Chattanooga on Interstate 75. It is south of Calhoun, northeas ...

(north-northwest) * Cassville (north) * Emerson (south) * Euharlee (west) *

(northwest) * Stilesboro (southwest) *

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

(northern) * Grassdale Road (west)

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 23,187 people, 7,835 households, and 5,285 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 19,010 people, 5,870 households, and 4,132 families residing in the city. The population of Cartersville is growing significantly. The population density was . There were 6,130 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 63.93%

, 29.64%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.82%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.28% Native American, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 3.76% from other races, and 1.53% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

people of any race were 7.28% of the population. There were 5,870 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.10. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.9% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $41,162, and the median income for a family was $48,219. Males had a median income of $35,092 versus $25,761 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $19,977. About 8.9% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 15.4% of those age 65 or over.

Points of interest

* The

Booth Western Art Museum Booth Western Art Museum, located in Cartersville, Georgia, is a museum dedicated to the Western United States. It is one of only two museums of its kind in the Southeastern United States, the other being the James Museum of Western and Wildlife ...

is on North Museum Drive in Cartersville. The Booth is the second-largest art museum in Georgia, and houses the largest permanent exhibition space for Western art in the country. It is a

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

Affiliate. * The Etowah Indian Mounds is an archaeological Native American site in Bartow County, south of Cartersville. * Tellus Science Museum, formerly the Weinman Mineral Museum, is a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate and features the first digital

planetarium A planetarium ( planetariums or ''planetaria'') is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation. A dominant feature of most planetarium ...

in North Georgia.

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

has installed a camera that tracks

meteor A meteoroid () is a small rocky or metallic body in outer space. Meteoroids are defined as objects significantly smaller than asteroids, ranging in size from grains to objects up to a meter wide. Objects smaller than this are classified as micr ...

s at the museum. * The world's first outdoor

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...

sign, painted in 1894, is located in downtown Cartersville on Young Brothers Pharmacy's wall. * Rose Lawn, a house museum, is the former home of noted evangelist

Samuel Porter Jones Samuel Porter Jones, best known as Sam P. Jones, (October 16, 1847 – October 15, 1906) was an American lawyer and businessman from Georgia who became a prominent Methodist Episcopal Church revivalist preacher across the Southern United St ...

, for whom the Union Gospel Tabernacle (Ryman Auditorium) in

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

was built, later to become the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...

. * The Bartow History Museum is located in the Old Cartersville Courthouse, c. 1870, in downtown Cartersville on East Church Street. * Savoy Automobile Museum is a museum displaying a diverse collection of automobiles and original works of art. * The Pine Mountain Recreation Area trails ascend to a summit at 1562 feet overlooking Cartersville. Atlanta &

Allatoona Lake Lake Allatoona (officially called Allatoona Lake) is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Etowah River in northwestern part of the State of Georgia. This reservoir is mostly in southeastern Bartow County and southwestern Cherokee Coun ...

can also be seen from the summit. The trails are maintained by City of Cartersville Parks & Recreation.

Education

The schools that comprise the Cartersville City School System are: * Cartersville Primary School * Cartersville Elementary School * Cartersville Middle School * Cartersville High School There is also a private Montessori school: *Lifesong Montessori School Cartersville also has a college campus: * Georgia Highlands College

Economy

Manufacturing, tourism, and services play a part in the economy of the city. The city's employers include: *

Anheuser-Busch Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC is an American brewing company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Since 2008, it has been wholly owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (AB InBev), now the world's largest brewing company, which owns multiple glo ...

Georgia Power Georgia Power is an electric utility headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was established as the Georgia Railway and Power Company and began operations in 1902 running streetcars in Atlanta as a successor to the Atlanta Consolida ...

* Komatsu *

Shaw Industries Shaw Industries Group, Inc. is one of the world's largest carpet manufacturers with more tha$6 billion in annual revenueand approximately 22,000 employees worldwide.Prem C. Jain, ''Buffett Beyond Value: Why Warren Buffett Looks to Growth and Mana ...

, a major flooring manufacturer *

is based in the

. The city is home to Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center and The Hope Center, making it a minor healthcare hub for the surrounding area.

Law enforcement

In 2017, the Cartersville Police Department arrested 65 people at a house party because of a suspicion that there was an ounce of marijuana at the party. In 2022, a federal court awarded 45 of the arrested individuals a $900,000 settlement due to a violation of their constitutional rights.
On September 8 2022, Deputy Police Chief Jason DiPrima resigned after being arrested in a prostitute police-sting operation.

Notable people

(February 23, 1821 – December 21, 1880) was an American politician who served as United States Attorney General under President Ulysses S. Grant from 1870 to 1871. *

Bill Arp Charles Henry Smith (June 15, 1826 – August 24, 1903) was an American writer and politician from the state of Georgia. He used the pen name Bill Arp for nearly 40 years. He had a national reputation as a homespun humorist during his lifetime ...

(Charles Henry Smith; 1826–1903), nationally syndicated columnist * Robert Benham, the first African-American Georgia Supreme Court justice *

Ronnie Brown Ronnie G. Brown Jr. (born December 12, 1981) is a former American football running back. After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers. He and Cadill ...

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL)

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...

* Bob Burns (1950–2015), founding member and original drummer of

Lynyrd Skynyrd Lynyrd Skynyrd ( ) is an American rock music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida. The group originally formed as My Backyard in 1964 and comprised Ronnie Van Zant (lead vocalist), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Ju ...

* Rebecca Latimer Felton (1835–1930), the first female

United States Senator The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...

Andre Fluellen Andre Fluellen (born March 7, 1985) is an American football former defensive tackle. He played college football at Florida State and was drafted in the third round of the 2008 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions. High school career A native of Carter ...

, NFL

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...

W. J. Gordy William J. Gordy (May 18, 1910 – August 19, 1993) was an American potter based in Cartersville, Georgia, who has won several awards and honours for his work. Trained as a folk potter, he branched off and created a style uniquely his own. His w ...

, potter *

A. O. Granger Arthur Otis Granger (February 14, 1846July 30, 1914) was an American industrialist and soldier. He manufactured and installed gasworks in Philadelphia and served as general manager of the United Gas Improvement Company, before serving as presi ...

(1846–1914), industrialist and founder of the Etowah Iron Company *

Corra Harris Corra Mae Harris (March 17, 1869 – February 7, 1935), was an American writer and journalist. She was one of the first women war correspondents to go abroad in World War I. Biography Corra Mae White was born in Elbert County, Georgia, March 17, ...

, author * Joe Frank Harris (1936–), former

governor of Georgia The governor of Georgia is the head of government of Georgia and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor also has a duty to enforce state laws, the power to either veto or approve bills passed by the Georgia Legisl ...

* Keith Henderson, former NFL

Sam Howard Sam James Howard (born March 5, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Amateur career Howard attended C ...

professional baseball player for the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

* Matthew Johnson Republican politician, former Alabama State Representative, television personality for Fox News Channel *

(1847–1906), evangelist *

Cledus T. Judd James Barry Poole (born December 18, 1964) is an American country music artist who records under the name Cledus T. Judd. Known primarily for his parodies of popular country songs, he has been called the "Weird Al" Yankovic of country music, and ...

, country music singer * Wayne Knight (1955–), actor *

Trevor Lawrence William Trevor Lawrence (born October 6, 1999) is an American football quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). Considered among the highest-touted college football prospects, he won the 2019 National C ...

, quarterback at Cartersville High School (2014-2018), Clemson University (2018–2021) and the Jacksonville Jaguars. * Robert Lavette, professional football player *

Lottie Moon Charlotte Digges "Lottie" Moon (December 12, 1840 – December 24, 1912) was a Southern Baptist missionary to China with the Foreign Mission Board who spent nearly 40 years (1873–1912) living and working in China. As a teacher and evangelist s ...

, Baptist missionary to China *

Chloë Grace Moretz Chloë Grace Moretz (; born February 10, 1997) is an American actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including four MTV Movie & TV Awards, two People's Choice Awards, two Saturn Awards, and two Young Artist Awards. She began actin ...

, actress and model *

Donavan Tate Donavan Reed Tate (born September 27, 1990) is an American former college football quarterback for the University of Arizona Wildcats. Previously, he was a Minor League Baseball outfielder who was selected third overall by the San Diego Padr ...

, third overall pick in the 2009 Major League Baseball draft by the San Diego Padres *

Mark Thompson Mark Thompson may refer to: Sports * Mark Thompson (American football) (born 1994), American football player * Mark Thompson (baseball) (born 1971), baseball player * Mark Thompson (footballer) (born 1963), former Australian rules football premie ...

, NASCAR driver * Benjamin Walker, actor * Butch Walker (1969–), singer-songwriter and producer * Hedy West (1938–2005), folk singer and songwriter * Rudy York (1913–1970), professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

player

References

External links

* The City of Cartersville launched a brand new, sleek, outside-of-the-box website June 14, 2021.
My Cartersville

My Cartersville
App for citizens and visitors of Cartersville
Cartersville Airport

Cartersville
at New Georgia Encyclopedia
Cartersville-Bartow County Convention & Visitors Bureau

Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber of Commerce

''The Daily Tribune''
newspaper based in Cartersville
News Talk AM 1270
radio station based in Cartersville {{authority control Cities in Bartow County, Georgia Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)