The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce is a private, independent organization founded in 1866 by local business leaders. Originally known as the Atlanta Board of Trade, the organization sought to lower freight rates for the region and to promote direct trade with European nations without having to ship to Northern ports. In 1893, the Chamber organized the Cotton States and International Exposition, which was held two years later at Piedmont Park. Alongside the Retail Merchants Association, the Chamber created the Southeastern Fair Association, which organized fairs from 1916 until 1933. In 1908, the Chamber raised $1.5 million dollars for sewage disposal, water works, and the creation of Grady Hospital, a crematory, and new public schools. In an effort to improve transportation, the Chamber raised money to construct the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) in 1975.

Members of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce include business leaders in the Atlanta metropolitan region; prominent members have included Delta Air Lines, Georgia Pacific, the American Cancer Society, the United Parcel Service (UPS), the Intercontinental Hotels Group, The Home Depot, and GE Energy. The Chamber is governed by a board of directors, and employs staff and volunteers to facilitate its efforts, which generally consist of promoting business development, improving the business climate of the region, and assisting with the management and growth of the metropolitan area. Examples of more recent Chamber activities include implementing two "Forward Atlanta" campaigns to attract business, promoting direct international flights through the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, working with other Atlanta area chambers to promote economic development, and assisting the city of Atlanta in securing the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. The Chamber's headquarters has been relocated several times, and in 2008 was moved to 235 Andrew Young International Boulevard.