HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Milton is a city in
Fulton County, Georgia Fulton County is a county in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,066,710, making it the state's most populous county. Its county seat and most ...
, United States, located about 30 miles (48 km) north of downtown
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
. Incorporated on December 1, 2006, the population was 41,296 as of the 2020 census. Milton is one of the wealthiest cities in the state of Georgia and is known for its high quality of life, excellent schools, and affluent community. The city is named after Revolutionary War hero
John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet, polemicist, and civil servant. His 1667 epic poem ''Paradise Lost'' was written in blank verse and included 12 books, written in a time of immense religious flux and politic ...
, who is also the namesake of the former Milton County that included modern-day Milton between 1857 and 1931. With over 39 square miles of land, much of it agriculturally zoned, Milton is characterized by its rural and equestrian heritage, spacious residential lots, and a small-town feel combined with the amenities of a metropolitan area. It is bordered by Cherokee and Forsyth counties, as well as the cities of Roswell and Alpharetta.


History


Early Inhabitants and European Settlement (1000-1832)

The lands of what is now Milton, Georgia, were once the domain of the
Cherokee Nation The Cherokee Nation ( or ) is the largest of three list of federally recognized tribes, federally recognized tribes of Cherokees in the United States. It includes people descended from members of the Cherokee Nation (1794–1907), Old Cheroke ...
, whose presence in Georgia dates back over 10,000 years. This indigenous group, speaking an
Iroquoian The Iroquoian languages () are a language family of indigenous peoples of North America. They are known for their general lack of labial consonants. The Iroquoian languages are polysynthetic and head-marking. As of 2020, almost all surviving I ...
language, cultivated a society with a strong kinship system, with their social life revolving around village structures, ceremonial mounds, and agricultural practices, notably corn farming. The arrival of European settlers from coastal Georgia, the Carolinas, and beyond brought new dynamics to the region. These early settlers engaged in
trade Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. Traders generally negotiate through a medium of cr ...
with the Cherokee and, at times, intermarried, creating a blended frontier society. However, the relationship between the two groups became increasingly strained due to escalating demands for land by state and federal governments, a situation exacerbated by the discovery of gold in nearby Dahlonega in 1828. The subsequent desire for land acquisition led to the tragic
Trail of Tears The Trail of Tears was the forced displacement of about 60,000 people of the " Five Civilized Tribes" between 1830 and 1850, and the additional thousands of Native Americans and their black slaves within that were ethnically cleansed by the U ...
in 1832, mandated by President
Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...
, which forcibly removed the Cherokee from Georgia to designated territories in present-day Oklahoma.


Agrarian Beginnings and Milton County (1832-1932)

Following the
Cherokee removal The Cherokee removal (May 25, 18381839), part of the Indian removal, refers to the forced displacement of an estimated 15,500 Cherokees and 1,500 African-American slaves from the U.S. states of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama to ...
, the State of Georgia implemented a
land lottery A land lottery or land ballot is a method of allocating land ownership or the right to occupy land by lot. Some examples are: * Moses' allocation of Promised Land territory to the Israelite tribes by lot, as mandated in Numbers 26:55 and 33:54 an ...
system, with the final lottery in 1832 involving the territory that would become Milton. Settlers drawn by the prospect of land ownership began to populate the area, converting the dense forests into farmland and pastures. The agricultural landscape was dotted with small subsistence farms and a few larger plantations, with
cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...
emerging as a significant
cash crop A cash crop, also called profit crop, is an Agriculture, agricultural crop which is grown to sell for profit. It is typically purchased by parties separate from a farm. The term is used to differentiate a marketed crop from a staple crop ("subsi ...
alongside the production of fruits, vegetables, and livestock. The community's roots deepened with the establishment of Milton County in 1857, named after
John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet, polemicist, and civil servant. His 1667 epic poem ''Paradise Lost'' was written in blank verse and included 12 books, written in a time of immense religious flux and politic ...
, an
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
hero and politician. Despite the county's initial opposition to
secession Secession is the formal withdrawal of a group from a Polity, political entity. The process begins once a group proclaims an act of secession (such as a declaration of independence). A secession attempt might be violent or peaceful, but the goal i ...
, the broader state sentiment led Georgia into the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
, profoundly affecting the local population. At the turn of the 20th century, the area remained mostly forested and agricultural – the exception being small villages and crossroads with general stores and trading posts, mills and gins, churches, a few schools, and inns at the intersections of horse and carriage routes. While fruits and vegetables were grown, and cattle and pig farms existed, many people continued to raise cotton as a cash crop. The advent of the
automobile A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...
and the establishment of Highway 9 in the 1920s began to bridge the distance between Milton and the expanding world beyond its borders. Despite these connections, the county faced insurmountable financial pressures from the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, the boll weevil infestation, and a prolonged drought. These challenges led to the dissolution of Milton County in 1932, with its territory being absorbed into Fulton County.


An Era of Change and Growth (1932-2005)

The area retained its rural character for decades, even as the rest of North Georgia, particularly Atlanta, experienced explosive growth. People in the area tended to keep the same types of jobs, agriculture, and daily schedules as they had before the counties merged. Homes tended to be few and far between,
racial segregation Racial segregation is the separation of people into race (human classification), racial or other Ethnicity, ethnic groups in daily life. Segregation can involve the spatial separation of the races, and mandatory use of different institutions, ...
remained a reality, and the community revolved largely around churches, schools, and gathering spots like general stores and baseball diamonds. However, as Atlanta's population tripled between 1910 and 1960 and more roads were built and paved, people began settling further from Georgia's capital city. The construction of State Route 400 and other infrastructure projects gradually brought more residents and development to the region, yet Milton managed to preserve its pastoral identity, in part due to
zoning In urban planning, zoning is a method in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into land-use "zones", each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for ...
that favored larger, septic-dependent lots conducive to horse farms and rural living.


Creation of the City of Milton (2005-2006)

After the turn of the 21st century, a movement for local governance emerged, driven by the belief that the needs of the northernmost part of Fulton County were not adequately prioritized by distant county officials. The legislative process to establish a city began in earnest when Georgia State Representative Jan Jones introduced the bill for the city of Milton in January 2005 with the intent of moving the bill forward in January 2006. This gave residents one full year to consider all the ramifications of cityhood before the bill could become law. A City of Milton Citizens' Committee helped coordinate information and research. On March 9, 2006, the bill establishing the new city of Milton (HB 1470) resoundingly passed both in the
Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republican Party (United States), Repu ...
(127–21) and in the
Georgia State Senate The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, in the U.S. state of Georgia. The Georgia State Senate and the lower house of the General Assembly, the Georgia House of Representatives, comprise the bicameral leg ...
(49–0). At 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 28,
Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
Sonny Perdue signed the bill into law. A ballot referendum was approved by 85 percent of voters on July 18 to create the city of Milton. On August 4, Governor Perdue appointed a five-person commission to serve as the interim government of Milton (composed of Ron Wallace,
Brandon Beach Brandon Lamont Beach (born May 2, 1961) is an American politician who has served as the 46th treasurer of the United States since 2025. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as a member of the Georgia St ...
, Gregory Mishkin, Dan Phalan and Cecil Pruitt). The city's first general election for Mayor and City Council was held on Tuesday, November 7, 2006. Joe Lockwood won the first mayoral election. The city of Milton was officially incorporated and adopted Fulton County's existing ordinances on December 1, 2006.


Cityhood and Renewed Growth (2007-present)

Working initially out of converted commercial office spaces, city leaders began forging Milton's unique identity as it transitioned to local governance. Plans were set in motion to launch Milton's own police services on May 1, 2007, and
fire department A fire department (North American English) or fire brigade (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), also known as a fire company, fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organi ...
16 days later. At the same time, city officials created the city code, developed community programs, conducted community events, and moved into city-owned properties, including a newly built
city hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...
(opened 2017) and its Public Safety Complex (opened 2020). Joe Lockwood served as mayor for Milton's first 15 years, succeeded by Peyton Jamison. Milton is also led by city managers who oversee all municipal operations as well as the effective, efficient execution and enforcement of city laws and ordinances. While Milton's government evolved, the city's population grew. The U.S. Census measured Milton's population at 32,661 in 2010; ten years later, the Census counted 41,296 residents – a more than 26% increase.


Geography

Milton occupies the northern tip of Fulton County—bounded on the south by the cities of Roswell and
Alpharetta Alpharetta is a city in northern Fulton County, Georgia, United States, and part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Alpharetta's population was 65,818; in 2010, the population had been 57,551. ...
, on the east by Forsyth County and Alpharetta, and on the north and west by Cherokee County. The city's latest Comprehensive Plan divides Milton into eight "character areas" that each have, to some degree, their own unique attributes; they are Arnold Mill, Bethany, Birmingham, Central Milton,
Crabapple ''Malus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 32–57 species of small deciduous trees or shrubs in the family Rosaceae, including the domesticated orchard apple, crab apples (sometimes known in North America as crabapples) and wild apples. The genus i ...
, Deerfield, Milton Lakes and Sweetapple. The two major north–south roads that run through Milton are State Route 9 (in the city's southeast) and State Route 372 (more central), which is also known as Birmingham Highway. State Route 140 (Arnold Mill Road) is on the southwest part of Milton. According to the
U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...
, the city of Milton has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.59%, is water. The elevation ranges from above
sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...
. , the
US Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal serv ...
recognizes Milton as a valid alias for ZIP code 30004, which is served from the Alpharetta
post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...
.


Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 41,296 people, 13,540 households, and 10,366 families residing in the city. Milton is one of the wealthiest cities in the state of Georgia with a median household income of $142,845 and $178,317 for families. Between 2018 and 2022, 74% of people in Milton owned their home. The median sold home price as of September 2024 is $1,179,000. Approximately 3.8% of the population lives 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 ...
. The vast majority of Milton is part of the ZIP code 30004, which has a median household income of $136,124.


Government

The city is represented in the
Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republican Party (United States), Repu ...
by Jan Jones of the 47th District and Chuck Martin of the 49th District both Jones and Martin are Republicans. The city is represented in
Georgia State Senate The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, in the U.S. state of Georgia. The Georgia State Senate and the lower house of the General Assembly, the Georgia House of Representatives, comprise the bicameral leg ...
by
Brandon Beach Brandon Lamont Beach (born May 2, 1961) is an American politician who has served as the 46th treasurer of the United States since 2025. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as a member of the Georgia St ...
of the 21st District a Republican and is represented in Fulton County Commission by Bob Ellis of District 2 a Republican.


Education


Public schools

The city is served by Fulton County Schools.


Elementary schools

* Birmingham Falls Elementary School * Cogburn Woods Elementary School * Crabapple Crossing Elementary School * Summit Hill Elementary School


Middle schools

* Hopewell Middle School * Northwestern Middle School


High schools

* Cambridge High School * Milton High School *FCS Innovation Academy


Private schools

*Chandler Academy (K-8) *King's Ridge Christian School (K-12) *Mill Springs Academy (K-12) * St. Francis Schools (K-12)


Transportation


Major highways

* State Route 9 * State Route 140 * State Route 400 * State Route 372


Pedestrians and cycling

* Big Creek Greenway (Proposed)


Notable people

* Dylan Cease (b. 1995), Major League Baseball pitcher * Brian Littrell (b. 1972), American singer and member of the
Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson (musician), Kevin Richardson. The band formed in 1993 in Orlando, Flori ...
*
Gary Rossington Gary Robert Rossington (December 4, 1951 – March 5, 2023) was an American musician best known as a founding guitarist of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, with whom he performed until his death. Rossington was also a founding member of the ...
(1952–2023), Guitarist & co-founder of
Lynyrd Skynyrd Lynyrd Skynyrd (, ) is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1964. The group originally formed as My Backyard and comprised Ronnie Van Zant (vocals), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Junstrom ...


References


External links


City of Milton official website
{{authority control Cities in Fulton County, Georgia Cities in the Atlanta metropolitan area Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Populated places established in 2006 2006 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)