Marietta, Georgia is located just 15 miles northwest of Atlanta. Though close in proximity, the city of Marietta has a clear identity of its own, anchored by a historic downtown, a strong civic presence, and plenty of local personality. Marietta is the county seat of Cobb County and covers about 23 square miles and has an estimated population of 63,574 as of July 1, 2025. There are about 300,000 additional residents beyond the city limits that also use a Marietta mailing address, with many of them located in nearby East Cobb.
Marietta Square
Marietta Square is the city’s best-known destination, and for good reason. At the center is Glover Park, a 1.16-acre park with a fountain, gazebo, stage, benches, landscaping, and a train themed playground for children. Around the park there are numerous restaurants, shops, museums, theaters, galleries, and plenty of spots to relax.
The Square works well for a lunch date, a Saturday stroll, a family outing, or an out-of-town guest who needs proof that metro Atlanta has places that are walkable with actual sidewalks and historic small town charm. Restaurants range from casual bites to date-night dinners, while nearby Marietta Square Market adds a food hall option just across the railroad tracks.
History, Museums, and Local Landmarks
Marietta has plenty of history, and much of it is located within a few blocks of the Square. The Marietta Welcome Center & Visitors Bureau is housed in the historic 1898 train station, giving visitors an easy starting point near the railroad tracks. The center offers maps and information for self-guided walking and driving tours.
The Marietta History Center is located next door, inside the historic Kennesaw House. The building began as a cotton warehouse in 1845, later became the Fletcher House Hotel, and today houses exhibits related to Marietta and Cobb County history. The museum’s galleries include general history, early home life, native American history, and military history.
Marietta is also home to the Gone With the Wind Museum at historic Brumby Hall, a pre civil war building built in 1851. The museum features memorabilia from both the book and the film, and is just 1 mile from Marietta Square.
Additional attractions include the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, The Strand Theatre, historic Civil War era cemeteries, and the William Root House Museum & Garden. Another notable landmark, less than 2 miles from the square is The Big Chicken on Cobb Parkway, a 56-foot Instagrammable roadside americana attached to a KFC. It is ridiculous, beloved, and somehow still one of the most reliable navigation tools in town.
Parks and Outdoor Things to Do
Marietta has plenty of outdoor options that are easy to reach and easy to enjoy. They range from small city parks to one of Georgia’s largest Civil War battlefield sites. Glover Park is downtown’s central green space for events and relaxation, while nearby parks such as Laurel Park and Elizabeth Porter Park add additional options for playgrounds, walking, sports, and family outings.
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, part of the National Park Service, is about 3 miles from Marietta Square and preserves a major Civil War battlefield from the Atlanta Campaign. The park is the 3rd largest park in Metro Atlanta and spans 2,965-acres, with hiking, biking, horseback riding, wildlife viewing, a museum and visitors center, and more than 25 miles of trails. The routes range from short family-friendly walks to longer loops, and a trip to the top of the mountain, whether on the shuttle, on the paved road, or on the hiking path rewards visitors with views of Downtown Atlanta and beyond.
Marietta residents also have the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area within easy reach, with nearby access points at Cochran Shoals, Sope Creek, Columns Drive, and Johnson Ferry. Managed by the National Park Service, the recreation area is Metro Atlanta’s largest park, covering 48 miles of the Chattahoochee River through 15 park units spanning over 7,000 acres. Visitors can find wooded trails, river access, picnic areas, fishing, boating, and floating, better known locally as shooting the ‘hooch. The river also offers a rare chance to fish for trout this far south, which is a rarity in this part of the country and an unusual opportunity so close to a major metropolitan area.
Events and Things to Do
Marietta Square is home to numerous festivals, concerts, markets, and special events throughout the year. The Marietta calendar of events changes by season, but the Square remains the main stage for many of the biggest local happenings, from food events and art shows to outdoor concerts and seasonal festivals.
Saturday mornings bring the Marietta Square Farmers Market to downtown Marietta, with produce, baked goods, flowers, local food products, and an adjacent artisan market. It runs year-round with a short winter holiday break, and it’s a great spot for people who believe tomatoes should taste like tomatoes instead of red packing material.
There is also a steady stream of things going on at the theaters, museums, breweries, restaurants, and shops located within the compact downtown footprint, making it easy to park once and then wander. That is Marietta at its best: walkable, a little old-school, and not afraid to put something fun inside an old building with a better story than most new construction.
Food, Drinks, and Wandering
Marietta Square is uncontested as the best dining district in Cobb County, with more than 60 local food and drink establishments within a 5 minute walk from the center of the square, and that’s not including the chains or fast food spots. The Marietta Square area includes chef-driven restaurants, casual lunch spots, bakeries, a wide variety of international cuisine including an Australian bakery, a Michelin star awarded restaurant, coffee shops, sports bars, breweries, and old-school pubs. For those having a hard time getting everyone to agree where to go, Marietta Square Market gives visitors a food hall option, with 18 restaurants, a few bars, indoor seating, outdoor seating, and a 1922 trolley car serving quarkbällchen at the entrance.
The downtown entertainment district allows alcoholic drinks to-go from participating restaurants, bars, and breweries inside the district. Glover Park at the center of the square is excluded, so the rule is simple: enjoy drinks in the district, but keep it out of the park, playground, and park adjacent sidewalks (
map).
Living in Marietta
For residents, Marietta offers housing options that range from historic homes near downtown to townhomes, apartments, established subdivisions, and new construction. The city operates as a full-service municipality with departments covering police, fire, parks and recreation, public works, environmental services, power, and water.
The city also has major medical, legal, education, retail, and government activity, thanks in part to Wellstar Kennestone hospital, the Cobb County courthouse area, Marietta City Schools, and its location near I-75, Cobb Parkway, Roswell Road, and the North Marietta Parkway loop.
Marietta also benefits from its close proximity to other destinations. Downtown Atlanta, The MLB Atlanta Braves and The Battery, Kennesaw, Vinings, East Cobb, and Acworth are all within a short driving distance. If you are moving to Marietta, be sure to check out our Marietta Moving Guide, featuring information about schools, transportation, utilities, and more. Â If you are moving to the East Cobb portion of Marietta, check our our East Cobb Moving Guide.
Visiting Marietta
For first-time visitors, Marietta Square is the natural starting point. The Marietta Welcome Center near the railroad tracks can help visitors get oriented, especially those interested in self-guided tours and local attractions. Walk through Glover Park, grab lunch, visit a museum, browse the shops, and leave time for the Marietta Square Market or a drink in the entertainment district. For a longer visit, add Kennesaw Mountain, the Big Chicken, one of the historic house museums, or an evening show at The Strand.
Marietta is a city with layers. Show up hungry. Start downtown. Follow the train tracks on the M2R Trail, walk the old streets, take in the Civil War sites, then find a table where the restaurant or bar has a pulse. The city has a walkable historic core, deep railroad roots, an unusually strong restaurant district, frequent festivals, a fantastic farmers market every Saturday, parks, trails, museums, taverns, and the practical comforts of a place people choose for real life, not a weekend brochure. That is the appeal.
Marietta is historic without being preserved under glass, suburban without being dull, and close to Atlanta without getting swallowed by it. For residents, it is active, familiar, and livable. For visitors, it rewards showing up, staying longer than planned, eating better than expected, and leaving with the clear sense that the trip was a very good call.
