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Chattanooga is a city located in Hamilton County, Tennessee in the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 155,554. It is the county seat of Hamilton County6. The current mayor is Bob Corker, who will not run for re-election to a second term in 2005, but is instead expected to run for the United States Senate in 2006.
The city is probably best known for the 1941 big-band swing song "Chattanooga Choo Choo" by Glenn Miller, but it has grown significantly since its days as a railroad hub.
The second largest campus of the University of Tennessee System is in Chattanooga. It is also the corporate headquarters and home of Krystal, Chattem, UnumProvident, The Chattanooga Bakery (home of the Moon pie), and Miller Ind., the largest tow truck manufacturer in the world. It is also the birthplace of the tow truck, which was invented and improved on by the Holmes Company. It is also home of the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum.
During the American Civil War on November 23, 1863, the Battle of Chattanooga III began when Union forces led by General Ulysses S. Grant reinforced troops at Chattanooga and counter-attacked Confederate troops. The next day the Battle of Lookout Mountain was fought near the town. These were followed the next spring by the Atlanta Campaign, beginning just over the nearby state line in Georgia and moving southeastward.
Chattanooga has traditionally marketed its tourist spots very aggressively, including the Tennessee Aquarium, caverns, and developments along the Tennessee River. The red-and-black painted barns along highways in the Southeast painted with the words "See Rock City" in white on the roofs are remnants of a now classic Americana tourism campaign to attract visitors to the Rock City tourist attraction in nearby Lookout Mountain, Georgia. Chattanooga maintains a rivalry with the other major city of eastern Tennessee, Knoxville.
Chattanooga is also notable for the Riverbend Festival, an annual week-long music festival in the downtown area that is known for drawing huge crowds from in and around the Tennessee Valley.
Chattanooga is a major freight railroad hub with Norfolk Southern and CSX running trains on their own lines, the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum and the Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway run in Chattanooga to provide railroad service and the TVRM is the largest historic operating railroad in the South. Chattanooga is the current home of the NMRA. The city's public transportation provider is the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority.
There are several institutions of higher learning in Chattanooga. The most prominent is the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, with over 8,000 students. Several miles from UTC is Chattanooga State Technical Community College. Two other institutions are the privately-run Tennessee Temple University and Miller-Motte Technical College.
Geography
The city is located at latitude 35°4' North, longitude 85°15' West.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 370.8 km² (143.2 mi²). 350.2 km² (135.2 mi²) of it is land and 20.6 km² (8.0 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 5.56% water.
The most prominent natural features in and around Chattanooga are the Tennessee River and the surrounding mountains. A Tennessee Valley Authority dam creates Chickamauga Lake north of the downtown area. Four automobile bridges, one railroad trestle, and one pedestrian bridge cross the river.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 155,554 people, 65,499 households, and 39,626 families residing in the city. The population density is 444.2/km² (1,150.5/mi²). There are 72,108 housing units at an average density of 205.9/km² (533.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 59.71% White, 36.06% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 1.54% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 1.01% from other races, and 1.30% from two or more races. 2.11% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 65,499 households out of which 25.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.2% are married couples living together, 17.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% are non-families. 33.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.29 and the average family size is 2.92.
In the city the population is spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $32,006, and the median income for a family is $41,318. Males have a median income of $31,375 versus $23,267 for females. The per capita income for the city is $19,689. 17.9% of the population and 14.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 27.0% of those under the age of 18 and 13.8% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
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