What Douglasville is actually like
Douglas County was created in 1870 and named for Illinois senator Stephen A. Douglas; Douglasville itself was founded in 1874 as the railroad reached the area and was named county seat that same year, formally incorporated in 1875. Nearby Lithia Springs drew wealthy visitors for its mineral waters around the turn of the 20th century, until a resort hotel there burned down in 1912.
Today's historic downtown, centered on O'Neal Plaza, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and includes the Douglas County Cultural Arts Center. Douglas County is one of the faster-growing counties in the country, with population rising from about 132,000 in 2010 to roughly 147,000 by 2022, and Arbor Place Mall anchors a broader retail corridor along I-20. Sweetwater Creek State Park, a few miles away in Lithia Springs, adds about 9 miles of hiking trails past the ruins of an 1840s textile mill burned during the Civil War and along a stretch of whitewater on Sweetwater Creek. Exterior work within that historic downtown district goes through Douglasville's Historic Preservation Commission for a Certificate of Appropriateness, required for major renovations, demolition, or new construction, though routine maintenance and interior work are exempt.
Listings in Douglasville
Getting around
Douglasville isn't served by MARTA rail or bus — MARTA's service area covers only Fulton, DeKalb, and Clayton counties. Xpress GA's Route 463 commuter bus connects a West Douglas park-and-ride to MARTA's Civic Center and Arts Center stations, and the county runs its own local Connect Douglas bus system.
Douglasville FAQ
Is Douglasville part of Atlanta?
No — it's a separate incorporated city and the county seat of Douglas County, about 20 miles west of Atlanta.
Does Douglasville have MARTA?
No rail or bus MARTA service reaches Douglasville, since MARTA's service area is limited to Fulton, DeKalb, and Clayton counties. Xpress GA's Route 463 connects to MARTA rail at the Civic Center and Arts Center stations instead.
What is Douglasville known for?
Its historic downtown around O'Neal Plaza, the Douglas County Cultural Arts Center, Arbor Place Mall, and being one of the faster-growing areas in the Atlanta metro along I-20.