Macon is a consolidated city-county in central Georgia, serving as the seat of Bibb County and operating under a single Macon-Bibb County government. The city sits on the Ocmulgee River at the fall line, the geological boundary between Georgia's Piedmont and Coastal Plain, and lies about 85 miles southeast of Atlanta. With roughly 157,000 residents, Macon is one of the state's largest cities and a regional center for middle Georgia. Macon's identity is inseparable from music. The city played a foundational role in American popular music, launching the careers of Otis Redding, Little Richard, and James Brown, and serving as an early home to the Allman Brothers Band, whose legacy is preserved at the Big House Museum. Landmark venues such as the Douglass Theatre and Grant's Lounge — dubbed the "Original Home of Southern Rock" — anchor a music tourism economy and a lively local scene that continues to this day. The city is equally known for its architecture and its cherry blossoms. Vineville and other historic districts contain grand antebellum mansions and early-20th-century homes, reflecting Macon's 19th-century prominence as a cotton and transportation center. Each March, the International Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates more than 200,000 Yoshino cherry trees, earning Macon its reputation as a cherry blossom capital. Macon's history reaches back far earlier than its antebellum boom. Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park preserves massive Native American earthworks, including the Great Temple Mound, dating back thousands of years, and is a major cultural and archaeological landmark on the city's eastern edge. Education is a significant part of the local economy and culture. Bibb County School District serves about 21,000 students, while Mercer University, Wesleyan College, Middle Georgia State University, and Central Georgia Technical College anchor higher education. Interstate 75, I-16, and I-475 give Macon strong regional connectivity. For residents, Macon offers a deep cultural heritage, distinctive historic housing, and the role of central Georgia's urban hub.