[2] Smyrna was ranked #44 in Money's 2018 survey of "The Best Places to Live in America" for balancing economic growth, affordability, and quality of life.

By the late 1830s, a religious encampment called Smyrna Camp Ground had become a popular travel destination and was well known throughout Georgia.

It is a Greek name for the Biblical city of Smyrna, modern day İzmir in Turkey, the home of the Christian martyr Polycarp.

[11] The area's businesses, homes, and 1849 covered bridge (since rebuilt and still in use today) were burned by Sherman's troops.

Smyrna is located just west of the northern intersection of I-285 and I-75, which is the site of the edge city Cumberland and the Cobb Galleria.

Smyrna is bordered by Vinings to the east, Marietta to the north and west, and Mableton to the south and southwest.

The city of Sandy Springs and the affluent Atlanta neighborhoods of Paces and Buckhead are approximately within 10 miles of Smyrna's center.

[13] The general terrain of the area is characteristic of the Piedmont region of Georgia, characterized by hills with broad ridges, sloping uplands, and relatively narrow valleys.

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 55,663 people, 24,736 households, and 13,669 families residing in the city.

[30] Max Bacon served as the mayor of Smyrna starting in 1985; in July 2019 he announced his retirement from city politics.

[35] In 1991, the city began a community redevelopment project known as "Market Village," in order to create a well-defined downtown.

A mixed retail and residential district was modeled after an early 1900s city village, including a square with a fountain.

[36][37] The population has risen as a result of redevelopment, a few annexations, and Smyrna's location as a residential suburb in the Northwest center of metro Atlanta.

[citation needed] Smyrna is served by CobbLinc and MARTA public buses.