Piedmont plateau terrain supports Marietta's 60,000 residents northwest of Atlanta, where rolling hills create elevation changes approaching 500 feet. Humid subtropical climate brings summer heat above 90°F and mild winters averaging 42°F, with reliable rainfall year-round. Kennesaw Mountain rises southwest to 1,800 feet, while numerous creeks carved valleys through red clay soil. Dense pine and hardwood forests frame neighborhoods, though much original growth was cleared during 19th-century settlement and subsequent suburban development.
