Atlanta Facts > DeKalb County

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. Several Colleges and Universities are located in DeKalb County including Mercer University, Agnes Scott College, Emory University, and Oglethorpe University. Local residents pronounce the county name as "de-KABB" (IPA: [dɪ'kæb]), as opposed to "de-KALB" [dɪ'kælb] in some other states. Major highways in DeKalb County include: I-285, I-85, I-20, 400, and the north portion of I-675.