Collegedale, Tennessee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Collegedale, Tennessee
City
Motto(s):  Justice, Safety, Efficiency
Location in Hamilton County, Tennessee
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	Hamilton
Incorporated	1968
Government
• Type	City Manager-Commission
Area
• Total	12.03 sq mi (31.16 km2)
• Land	12.03 sq mi (31.16 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	791 ft (241 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	11,109
• Density	923.36/sq mi (356.52/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	37302, 37315, 37353, 37363
Area code(s)	423
FIPS code	47-16300
GNIS feature ID	1280968

Collegedale is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. In 2020, about 11,109 people lived there. Collegedale is a suburb of Chattanooga. It is part of the larger Chattanooga metropolitan area.

Collegedale is home to Southern Adventist University. The average household income here is one of the highest in Hamilton County. It is also known as one of the best and safest places to live in Tennessee. The community of Ooltewah is located within Collegedale.

A Look Back at Collegedale's History

Collegedale was founded in 1916. It started as the location for Southern Junior College. This college later became Southern Adventist University.

In 1968, Collegedale officially became a city. It set up a city manager government system. J.M. Ackerman was the first city manager. Fred Fuller served as the city's first mayor.

Where is Collegedale Located?

Collegedale is in the southeastern part of Hamilton County, Tennessee. It is in the valley of Wolftever Creek. Just west of the city center, the creek flows through White Oak Mountain. This forms a spot called Collegedale Gap.

Tennessee State Route 317 goes through the city center and Collegedale Gap. It leads southeast about 10 miles to State Route 60. It also goes northwest about 4 miles to Interstate 75. This interstate is on the edge of Chattanooga. Downtown Chattanooga is about 19 miles west of Collegedale.

Tennessee State Route 321 runs through the western part of Collegedale. It goes north to U.S. routes 11 and 64. These routes are just north of Ooltewah. Route 321 also goes south about 5 miles to the Georgia state line.

In 2010, the city covered about 25.6 square kilometers (9.9 square miles). All of this area was land.

How Many People Live in Collegedale?

The number of people living in Collegedale has grown over the years.

In 2020, the 2020 United States census counted 11,109 people living in Collegedale. There were 4,167 households and 2,485 families in the city.

What Businesses are in Collegedale?

McKee Foods has its main office in Collegedale. This company started in Chattanooga in 1934. In 1956, it moved to a building on the campus of Southern Adventist University. McKee Foods makes popular snack foods like Little Debbie and Sunbelt snacks.

Fun Things to Do and See

Collegedale Public Library

In August 2011, the city took over the Collegedale Public Library. Before that, it was run by the Hamilton County library system. If you live in Collegedale, you can get a library membership for free. Others can get a membership by paying a fee.

Parks and Recreation in Collegedale

Collegedale has a Parks & Recreation Department that manages several parks. These parks offer many ways to have fun outdoors:

• East Hamilton County Park has fields for baseball. It has one high school baseball field and three fields for younger players.
• Wolftever Creek Greenway is a long path that runs through the city. The city keeps making it longer for people to enjoy.
• Collegedale Dog Park is a special place for dog owners. Dogs can run and play off-leash here and meet other dogs.
• Imagination Station & Pavilion is a playground with a train theme. It is located behind City Hall. There is also a pavilion that can be rented for events.
• The Nature Nook is an amphitheatre. It was built for the city by the East Hamilton County Kiwanis Club.
• Veterans Memorial Park is along the Wolftever Creek Greenway. It has plaques, sculptures, and flags. This park honors United States war veterans.
• Little Debbie Park opened in 2023. It has a children's zipline and cool fiberglass sculptures of Little Debbie snack cakes. It also has wide paths for walking.

The town also has softball leagues for young people and adults. There are four pickleball courts next to the Imagination Station and City Hall.

Mail Services in Collegedale

Collegedale has a unique postal service setup. The city has its own ZIP code and post office. However, the Collegedale post office only handles post office boxes. It does not deliver mail directly to homes.

Mail and package delivery for the city is handled by three other ZIP codes. These are Apison 37302, McDonald 37353, and Ooltewah 37363.

Learning and Education

Southern Adventist University is a private Christian university located in Collegedale. The university also has its own K-12 school system. This includes Collegedale Academy, Collegedale Academy Middle School, and Collegedale Academy Elementary.

There are also public schools within the city limits. Wolftever Creek Elementary School and Ooltewah Middle School are part of the Hamilton County Schools system.

City Services and Transportation

Getting Around Collegedale

Collegedale is located close to the I-75 highway. The city also owns the Collegedale Municipal Airport. About 120 aircraft are based there. In 2003, the airport was named "Airport of the Year" by the Tennessee Aeronautics Commission.

Collegedale Municipal Airport

City Utilities

Collegedale has a recycling program. Residents bring their recyclables to the city public works department. The city sells these materials to help cover recycling costs. This also helps reduce the amount of trash sent to landfills.

Comcast provides cable services in Collegedale. CenturyLink supplies landline phone services. Electricity comes from EPB. The Chattanooga Gas Company provides gas services. The city or Hamilton County handles sewer needs for residents. Eastside Utility District provides water services.

See also

In Spanish: Collegedale para niños