Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in Tennessee, a state in the United States of America. Cities larger than it are Nashville - the capital and largest city of the state; Memphis; and Knoxville. Chattanooga is in the southeast of Tennessee.

Chattanooga
City
Chattanooga from Lookout Mountain
Flag Seal
Nicknames:  Scenic City (official); Chatt, Chattown, Gig City, Nooga, and River City
Location of Chattanooga in Hamilton County, Tennessee
Chattanooga Location within Tennessee Show map of Tennessee Chattanooga Chattanooga (the United States) Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 35°2′44″N 85°16′2″W[1]
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	Hamilton[2]
Incorporated	1839[3]
Government
• Type	Mayor-council
Area [4]
• City	150.08 sq mi (388.70 km2)
• Land	142.35 sq mi (368.69 km2)
• Water	7.73 sq mi (20.01 km2)
Elevation [5]	676 ft (206 m)
Population  (2020)[6]
• City	181,099
• Rank	142nd in the United States 4th in Tennessee
• Density	1,272.19/sq mi (491.20/km2)
• Urban	398,569 (US: 105th)
• Urban density	1,366.4/sq mi (527.6/km2)
• Metro [7]	562,647 (US: 101st)
Demonym	Chattanoogan
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)	37401-37412, 37414-37416, 37419, 37421-37422, 37424, 37450
Area code	423
FIPS code	47-14000[8]
GNIS feature ID	1307240[5]
Website	www.chattanooga.gov

The first people to live in the Chattanooga area were Native American Indians with sites dating back to the Upper Paleolithic period. The city became a transport hub, which made it a target in the American Civil War.

Geography and climate

The United States Census Bureau say that the city has a total area of 150.1 square miles (388.7 km²). This is made up of 142.4 square miles (368.7 km²) of land, and 7.7 square miles (20.0 km²) of water (5.15% of the total area).

The most well known natural feature near Chattanooga is the Tennessee River and the surrounding highlands. The city is located between the southwestern Ridge-and-valley Appalachians and the foot of Walden's Ridge, providing opportunities for outdoor activities. Adventurers can kayak the Ocoee River, explore Ruby Falls — an underground waterfall near the city — or hike sections of the Appalachian Trail.^[9] For a more relaxed experience, scenic drives through the rolling hills of the Tennessee Valley offer picturesque views.