DeKalb County was created in 1822 from Henry, Gwinnett and Fayette Counties. It was named for Baron Johann de Kalb, a German soldier who fought on the side of the Americans in the American Revolutionary War. In 1853, Fulton County was formed from part of DeKalb. Until this time, the growing city of Atlanta had been inside DeKalb. During the American Civil War, much of the Battle of Atlanta was fought in DeKalb. Until the 1960s, DeKalb was a mainly agricultural county, but as Atlanta and its suburbs grew, DeKalb became more urban.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 271 square miles (702 km²), of which, 268 square miles (695 km²) of it is land and 3 square miles (7 km²) of it (1.00%) is water.
The county is crossed by the South River and numerous creeks, including Nancy Creek, Snapfinger Creek and two forks of Peachtree Creek. Peachtree Creek and Nancy Creek drain into the Chattahoochee River and eventually to the Gulf of Mexico. South River drains into the Ocmulgee River and ultimately into the Atlantic Ocean.
Stone Mountain lies near the eastern border of the county. Soapstone Ridge, parallel to the southern border, was heavily quarried between 1400 and 100 B.C. and objects made from the soapstone have been found as far away as the Great Lakes.
Although Fulton County has more people, DeKalb County has the highest population density of any county in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Towns and Cities in DeKalb County
Atlanta
Avondale Estates
Chamblee
Clarkston
Decatur
Doraville
Lithonia
Pine Lake
Stone Mountain
