Kennesaw, Georgia

Kennesaw
City of Kennesaw
Kennesaw City Hall
Coordinates: 34°1′24″N 84°36′55″W / 34.02333°N 84.61528°W / 34.02333; -84.61528
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyCobb
IncorporatedSeptember 21, 1887
Government
  MayorDerek Easterling (R)
Area
  Total
9.82 sq mi (25.43 km2)
  Land9.71 sq mi (25.16 km2)
  Water0.10 sq mi (0.26 km2)
Elevation
1,089 ft (332 m)
Population
 (2020)
  Total
33,036
  Density3,400.51/sq mi (1,312.88/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
  Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
30144/30152
Area codes
FIPS code13-43192
GNIS feature ID0316387
Websitewww.kennesaw-ga.gov

Kennesaw is a suburban city northwest of Atlanta in Cobb County, Georgia, United States, located within the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. Known from its original settlement in the 1830s until 1887 as Big Shanty, it became Kennesaw under its 1887 charter. According to the 2020 census, Kennesaw had a population of 33,036, a 10.9% increase in population over the preceding decade. Kennesaw has an important place in railroad history. During the Civil War, Kennesaw was the staging ground for the Great Locomotive Chase on April 12, 1862. Kennesaw is home to Kennesaw State University, an R2 research institution and the third-largest public university in the state of Georgia.