East Point is a city in Fulton County, Georgia, about seven miles southwest of downtown Atlanta and immediately adjacent to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The community began as a railroad settlement in the 1870s, taking its name from its position at the eastern terminus of the Atlanta and West Point Railroad, and incorporated as a city in 1890. For generations it served as a grain and cotton trading center and, later, as one of Atlanta's earliest streetcar-and-rail suburbs. Today East Point is home to roughly 38,000 residents and functions as a diverse, transit-accessible suburb within the Atlanta metropolitan area. It is best known for its location: the city sits about five minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson, the world's busiest airport, and about ten minutes from downtown Atlanta. MARTA's Red and Gold rail lines both stop at East Point station, and numerous bus routes serve the city, making it one of the metro's more transit-connected communities. East Point borders the former Fort McPherson, a nearly 500-acre U.S. Army post closed in 2011 that is being redeveloped for mixed-use growth. The city's parks, including Sumner Park, Coan Park, and Walk of Fame Park, provide playgrounds, fields, and gathering spaces, and a parks and recreation department runs community programs. For residents, East Point combines the character of an older, established suburb with uncommon connectivity. Fulton County Schools serve the community, and the city's dense suburban feel, local restaurants, and parks attract families and young professionals alike. Its position within the Tri-Cities area alongside College Park and Hapeville reinforces a distinct local identity within the larger Atlanta region.