Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia
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Fort Oglethorpe, GA, viewed from the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
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Location in Catoosa County and the state of Georgia
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Georgia | ||
| Counties | Catoosa, Walker | ||
| Incorporated (city) | 1949 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 13.90 sq mi (36.00 km2) | ||
| • Land | 13.90 sq mi (36.00 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 732 ft (223 m) | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 10,423 | ||
| • Density | 749.91/sq mi (289.55/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | ||
| ZIP code |
30742
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| Area code(s) | 706/762 | ||
| FIPS code | 13-30956 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0331756 | ||
Fort Oglethorpe is a city predominantly in Catoosa County with some portions in Walker County in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 10,423. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is home to Lakeview – Fort Oglethorpe High School.
Contents
History
The United States Army established a cavalry post at the site of Hargrave, Georgia, an unincorporated town situated next to the Chickamauga National Battlefield. The existing settlement was named for a Confederate soldier, William Hamilton Hargrave, who along with his wife Amelia Cecilia Strange-Hargrave owned most of the land in the area. The couple was well known in the 19th century to travellers heading to Ross's Landing on the Tennessee River from LaFayette, Georgia. William Hargrave and other landowners in the area were forced to sell their property to the Army to be used as a base for the 6th Cavalry. The Chickamauga Post established in 1902 by the U.S. Army was later named Fort Oglethorpe after James Oglethorpe, the founder of the Colony of Georgia. During and after World War I, the fort served between 1917 and 1920 as an detention camp for civilian internees and prisoners of war. During World War II, the area served as a war-time induction and processing center, and again housed prisoners of war. Fort Oglethorpe was a major training center for the Women's Army Corps during World War II. The post land was declared surplus in 1947 and returned to civilian hands, forming the nucleus for a town that was incorporated in 1949.
Geography
Fort Oglethorpe is located in western Catoosa County and northeastern Walker County at 34°56′44″N 85°14′44″W / 34.94556°N 85.24556°W (34.945683, -85.245653). It is 9 miles (14 km) south of Chattanooga, Tennessee, by U.S. Route 27, which also leads south 18 miles (29 km) to LaFayette, Georgia. The Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park takes up the southern two-thirds of the city's area.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.9 square miles (36.0 km2), all land.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1950 | 692 | — | |
| 1960 | 2,251 | 225.3% | |
| 1970 | 3,869 | 71.9% | |
| 1980 | 5,443 | 40.7% | |
| 1990 | 5,880 | 8.0% | |
| 2000 | 6,940 | 18.0% | |
| 2010 | 9,263 | 33.5% | |
| 2020 | 10,423 | 12.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850-1870 1870-1880 1890-1910 1920-1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 |
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2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 8,619 | 82.69% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 568 | 5.45% |
| Native American | 44 | 0.42% |
| Asian | 337 | 3.23% |
| Pacific Islander | 43 | 0.41% |
| Other/Mixed | 498 | 4.78% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 314 | 3.01% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 10,423 people, 3,994 households, and 2,240 families residing in the city.
Circa 2024, of the Fort Oglethorpe residents, 9,013 of them lived in Catoosa County and 250 of them lived in Walker County.
Education
The portion in Catoosa County is in the Catoosa County School District. Lakeview Fort Oglethorpe High School is in the Catoosa County district.
The portion in Walker County is in the Walker County School District.
See also
In Spanish: Fort Oglethorpe para niños
