Athens, Georgia

Athens, Georgia is located below the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, north of the confluence of the North and Middle Oconee Rivers. In the late 18th century, a trading settlement was established on the banks of the Oconee River named Cedar Shoals, just south of where Athens lies today. In 1785 the state of Georgia charted the University of Georgia as the first state-sponsored university. The city of Athens grew out from the perimeter of the campus.