Villa Rica (Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese translation: Rich Village) is a city in Carroll and Douglas counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. Located roughly 30 miles west of Atlanta, a decision to develop housing on a large tract of land led to a major population boom at the turn of the 21st century: the population was 4,134 at the 2000 census; it had grown by 238%, to 13,956, at the 2010 census; and is estimated at 16,058 in 2019, nearly quadrupling its population in just 19 years. Geography Location Villa Rica is located in northeastern Carroll County and northwestern Douglas County at (33.731909, -84.919982). U.S. Route 78 (Bankhead Highway) passes through the center of the city, leading west to Temple and east to Douglasville. Interstate 20 passes through the southern part of the city with access from exits 24 and 26, and leads east to Atlanta and west to Oxford, Alabama. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.04%, is water. Villa Rica sits on the ridgeline that separates the Chattahoochee and the Tallapoosa river basins. Slightly more than half of Villa Rica lies within Carroll County, and the remainder lies within Douglas County. Climate Villa Rica has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) according to the Köppen classification system, with hot, humid summers and mild to chilly winters. On average, the warmest month is July. The highest recorded temperature was in 1980. On average, the coolest month is January. The lowest recorded temperature was in 1985. The most precipitation on average occurs in March. Despite its significant physical distance from the Gulf of Mexico (250 miles) and the Atlantic Ocean (260 miles), on rare occasion Villa Rica is impacted by hurricanes, sometimes severely. Tornadoes are a more common occurrence in the area, although not usually as severe as those that occur in the midwest United States. Transportation Major roads Interstate 20 U.S. Route 78 State Route 8 State Route 61 State Route 101 Pedestrians and cycling Gold Nugget Trail (Proposed) Railroads Historically, the Southern Railway ran several daily passenger trains, including the Kansas City-Florida Special, the Sunnyland and an Atlanta-Birmingham section of the Piedmont Limited, making flag or signal stops in Villa Rica. The last trains made stops in 1967. History The location which was to become Villa Rica was originally settled in 1826