Local traffic only on Callaway Road during North Georgia State Fair

An amusement park with a Ferris wheel

The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office has announced a traffic plan for the area around Jim R. Miller Park for the 2024 North Georgia State Fair Sept. 19–29, Jim Miller Fairgrounds, 2245 Callaway Road, Marietta.

The announcement states the purpose is to reduce congestion in nearby residential areas and to make parking for the event easier.

image of n ga state fair map

The biggest change is that access to Callaway Road will be restricted to local traffic.

“Sheriff’s deputies will restrict access from Callaway Road to Al Bishop Drive, and signage will clearly indicate that fair parking is not accessible from Callaway Road,” the announcement states.

Traffic from Powder Springs Road and Austell Road will be routed to County Services Parkway for access to the parking lots.

Other key elements of the traffic plan listed in the announcement include:

  • Deputies will dedicate two of the three lanes on Al Bishop Drive for westbound traffic heading toward the parking areas. Deputies will also be stationed to guide traffic from County Services Parkway.
  • A shuttle service will run from the Cobb County Safety Village, near the parking lots, to transport fairgoers to the front gate.
  • The Uber/Lyft pickup and drop-off zone will also be located at the Safety Village.
  • Cobb DOT’s Traffic Management Center will be operational during fair hours to monitor traffic lights at area intersections and adjust timing to prevent long backups on Callaway Road.

“We believe this traffic plan will work,” Major Jacob Huval told residents at an open house this week. “This new flow should keep traffic moving on Callaway Road and help prevent the long backups residents have experienced in recent years.”

According to the announcement:

Residents of neighborhoods off Callaway Road have long expressed concerns about the traffic congestion that worsened as the fair grew in popularity. Parking in those neighborhoods has also been a concern. County Manager Dr. Jackie McMorris assured residents that officials will hold a follow-up meeting after the fair to review the traffic plan’s effectiveness and determine whether further changes are needed.

About the City of Marietta

The City of Marietta is the county seat of Cobb County. The latest estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau puts the population of the city at 62,769 which makes it the second largest city in Cobb County by population, smaller only than the newly incorporated City of Mableton.

Here are a few quick facts from the Census Bureau

Population
Population estimates, July 1, 2023, (V2023)62,769
Population estimates base, April 1, 2020, (V2023)61,073
Population, percent change – April 1, 2020 (estimates base) to July 1, 2023, (V2023)2.8%
Population, Census, April 1, 202060,972
Population, Census, April 1, 201056,579
Age and Sex
Persons under 5 years, percent6.0%
Persons under 18 years, percent20.7%
Persons 65 years and over, percent14.2%
Female persons, percent51.3%
Race and Hispanic Origin
White alone, percent45.3%
Black or African American alone, percent(a)30.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent(a)1.3%
Asian alone, percent(a)2.1%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent(a)0.0%
Two or More Races, percent8.6%
Hispanic or Latino, percent(b)18.8%
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent42.4%
Population Characteristics
Veterans, 2018-20222,377
Foreign born persons, percent, 2018-202217.2%
Housing
Housing Units, July 1, 2023, (V2023)X
Owner-occupied housing unit rate, 2018-202246.2%
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2018-2022$376,400
Median selected monthly owner costs -with a mortgage, 2018-2022$2,050
Median selected monthly owner costs -without a mortgage, 2018-2022$569
Median gross rent, 2018-2022$1,372
Building Permits, 2023X
Families & Living Arrangements
Households, 2018-202224,403
Persons per household, 2018-20222.39
Living in same house 1 year ago, percent of persons age 1 year+, 2018-202279.1%
Language other than English spoken at home, percent of persons age 5 years+, 2018-202224.3%
Computer and Internet Use
Households with a computer, percent, 2018-202297.2%
Households with a broadband Internet subscription, percent, 2018-202291.3%
Education
High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2018-202288.5%
Bachelor’s degree or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2018-202245.8%
Health
With a disability, under age 65 years, percent, 2018-20226.7%
Persons without health insurance, under age 65 years, percent21.6%
Economy
In civilian labor force, total, percent of population age 16 years+, 2018-202267.6%
In civilian labor force, female, percent of population age 16 years+, 2018-202261.1%
Total accommodation and food services sales, 2017 ($1,000)(c)282,938
Total health care and social assistance receipts/revenue, 2017 ($1,000)(c)2,324,868
Total transportation and warehousing receipts/revenue, 2017 ($1,000)(c)492,100
Total retail sales, 2017 ($1,000)(c)2,099,654
Total retail sales per capita, 2017(c)$34,643
Transportation
Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16 years+, 2018-202227.3
Income & Poverty
Median household income (in 2022 dollars), 2018-2022$67,589
Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2022 dollars), 2018-2022$40,767
Persons in poverty, percent12.8%
Businesses
Total employer establishments, 2022X
Total employment, 2022X
Total annual payroll, 2022 ($1,000)X
Total employment, percent change, 2021-2022X
Total nonemployer establishments, 2021X
All employer firms, Reference year 20173,152
Men-owned employer firms, Reference year 20171,993
Women-owned employer firms, Reference year 2017S
Minority-owned employer firms, Reference year 2017505
Nonminority-owned employer firms, Reference year 20172,146
Veteran-owned employer firms, Reference year 2017193
Nonveteran-owned employer firms, Reference year 20172,443
Geography
Population per square mile, 20202,602.0
Population per square mile, 20102,451.4
Land area in square miles, 202023.43
Land area in square miles, 201023.08
FIPS Code1349756

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