Monroe, GA

Monroe is the county seat of Walton County, east of Atlanta. Founded in 1818 as the seat of the newly formed county, it has a traditional courthouse-town role with a historic downtown, local schools, and a regional service economy. The Monroe Museum helps preserve the city's local story, while industrial employers on the east side add a working economic base beyond small-town retail. Monroe sits in the path of Atlanta-area growth, but it still feels like a Georgia county-seat city with its own center.