Hotels in Athens, Georgia

A little about Athens...

Athens is a city in Clarke County, Georgia, U.S., in the northeastern part of the state, at the eastern terminus of Georgia 316. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial creation of Athens and its subsequent growth. In 1991, after a vote the preceding year, the city abandoned its charter in order to form a unified government with Clarke County, referred to collectively as Athens-Clarke County. As of the 2000 census, the consolidated city-county (including all of Athens-Clarke County except Winterville and a part of Bogart) had a total population of 100,266. The metro area had a population of 175,085 as of 2005 Census estimates. Athens-Clarke County is the principal city of and is included in the Athens-Clarke County, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Common to many college towns, Athens has a significant liberal community that cœxists with the university students in creating an art scene, music scene and intellectual environment. The city is home to numerous music venues, bars, and coffee shops that cater to the various populations.

The town is home to such notable features as the only remaining one of two double barrelled cannons produced during the American Civil War, the famous Tree That Owns Itself, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, and the University of Georgia Campus Arboretum. Athens was home to Network Translations, Inc., which produced the PIX firewall which was later purchased by Cisco Systems.

Athens also has a vibrant literary scene. The city is home to independent publisher Hill Street Press and well-known authors with previous or current residence in the city include Pulitzer Prize winners Deborah Blum and Edward Larson, as well as Judith Ortiz Cofer, Terry Kay, Jim Kilgo, Coleman Barks, and Philip Lee Williams.