Fairburn is a city in Fulton County, Georgia, United States, with a population of 16,483, according to the 2020 census. Though it has a rich history of its own, the city is now a closely linked suburb of Atlanta, which lies just 17 miles to the north.
Name
The community is named after Fairburn, in England.
History
Fairburn is located along a railroad line and was the county seat of Campbell County starting in 1871. It was chosen as county seat in a referendum in 1871 that was spurred by the original seat of Campbellton refusing to allow the Atlanta and West Point Railroad line through on account of the anticipated noise in the 1850s. The railroad instead passed through Fairburn. Campbellton then faded away as Fairburn grew. The government of Campbell County went bankrupt in 1931 during the Great Depression and, along with Milton County to the north, was absorbed into Fulton County when 1932 began. Fairburn's population was 305 in 1870, with 208 white and 97 black residents.
Geography
Fairburn is located along Interstate 85, which leads northeast to downtown Atlanta and southwest to Montgomery, Alabama. Georgia State Route 74 also runs through the city, leading south to Peachtree City. Some areas in nearby Fayette County have a Fairburn mailing address.
According to the 2010 census, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.24%, is water.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|+Fairburn city, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition<br><small></small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(NH = Non-Hispanic)</small>
!Pop 2000
!Pop 2010
!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |Pop 2020
!% 2000
!% 2010
!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020
|-
|White alone (NH)
|2,055
|1,986
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,540
|37.61%
|15.34%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |9.34%
|-
|Black or African American alone (NH)
|2,579
|8,966
|style='background: #ffffe6; |12,601
|47.20%
|69.24%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |76.45%
|-
|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)
|12
|33
|style='background: #ffffe6; |16
|0.22%
|0.25%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.10%
|-
|Asian alone (NH)
|38
|212
|style='background: #ffffe6; |220
|0.70%
|1.64%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.33%
|-
|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)
|0
|4
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4
|0.00%
|0.03%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.02%
|-
|Other race alone (NH)
|5
|35
|style='background: #ffffe6; |71
|0.09%
|0.27%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.43%
|-
|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)
|64
|169
|style='background: #ffffe6; |383
|1.17%
|1.31%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.32%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino (any race)
|711
|1,545
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,648
|13.01%
|11.93%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |10.00%
|-
|Total
|5,464
|12,950
|style='background: #ffffe6; |16,483
|100.00%
|100.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%
|}
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Fairburn had a population of 16,483. The median age was 35.0 years. 24.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 10.0% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 85.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 79.0 males age 18 and over.
98.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 1.6% lived in rural areas.
There were 6,192 households in Fairburn, of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 33.4% were married-couple households, 19.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 40.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 3,442 families.
- Arlington Christian School is a private school in Fairburn.
- Landmark Christian School is a private school in Fairburn.
;Colleges and universities
- Georgia Military College has a campus located in Fairburn, offering associate degrees.
;Public libraries
- Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System operates the Fairburn Branch.
Culture
Fairburn is home to the Georgia Renaissance Festival, in operation during the springtime. The city of Fairburn hosts the popular "Third Friday" concert series annually from April through September. The city also hosts the "Fairburn Fall Festival" each fall, featuring a parade, local food and crafts vendors and musical performances. Both events draw thousands of participants from across the region.
In popular culture
Fairburn was referenced in the 1970 song "Good Friends and Neighbors" by country singer Jerry Reed, a Georgia native. The song follows the story of a circuit judge from Monroe, Georgia who has been robbed of his billfold and car by a hitchhiker he picked up near Fairburn. The judge walked from where he was robbed, into Fairburn to see the sheriff, who becomes upset and believes the judge to be intoxicated and has a deputy throw the judge out into the rain. He then sits outside city hall for a time, attempting to hitchhike, before becoming upset that nobody has stopped to help him. The judge then storms into a local restaurant and tells the staff of his story, ending the song thanking the staff for hearing him out and saying "Glad I found one friend, neighbor. Thanks for the coffee."