Hamilton County, Tennessee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hamilton County
U.S. county
Hamilton County Courthouse in Chattanooga
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
Founded	October 25, 1819
Named for	Alexander Hamilton
Seat	Chattanooga
Largest city	Chattanooga
Area
• Total	576 sq mi (1,490 km2)
• Land	542 sq mi (1,400 km2)
• Water	33 sq mi (90 km2)  5.8%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	366,207
• Estimate  (2023)	379,864
• Density	635.8/sq mi (245.47/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	3rd

Hamilton County is a county in the state of Tennessee. It's located in the southern part of East Tennessee, right on the border with Georgia.

In 2020, about 366,207 people lived here. This makes it the fourth-most populated county in Tennessee. The main city and county seat is Chattanooga, which sits along the Tennessee River. The county got its name from Alexander Hamilton, who was the very first Secretary of the Treasury for the United States. Hamilton County is one of 95 counties in Tennessee. It's also part of the larger Chattanooga metropolitan area. The county was officially created on October 25, 1819.

History of Hamilton County

For thousands of years, different groups of Native Americans lived in this area. They especially settled near the rivers and creeks. The land was home to the historic Cherokee Nation. In the early 1800s, the Cherokee were led by Chief John Ross.

The city we now call Chattanooga grew from a busy trading spot called Ross's Landing. This was a central place for the Cherokee Nation. Between 1819 and 1835, the Cherokee people were mostly moved out of this area. This happened through a series of agreements with the United States government.

Hamilton County was officially formed on October 25, 1819. It was made from parts of Rhea County and land that the Cherokee had given to the U.S. It was named after Alexander Hamilton. He was a hero in the American Revolutionary War and one of the Founding Fathers of the U.S.

In 1820, about 821 people lived in the county. The first county seat was in the home of Hasten Poe, who owned a popular tavern. Later, in 1822, the county seat moved to Ashael Rawlings's farm in Dallas, Tennessee. Finally, in 1835, the county seat was moved to Chattanooga, where it is today.

Hamilton County during the Civil War

During the American Civil War, Hamilton County was important for making gunpowder. There was a big mine on Lookout Mountain that produced saltpeter. Saltpeter is a key ingredient for gunpowder. Robert Cravens owned the land and operated the mine.

In 1862, the Confederate army took over the mining operation. They mined the cave until July 1863. Mining stopped when the Union army, led by General Ulysses S. Grant, took control of Chattanooga. They stayed there until the war ended.

After the war, Tennessee rejoined the United States. In 1871, James County was created nearby. But in 1919, James County went bankrupt. It then became part of Hamilton County.

Geography

Hamilton County covers about 576 square miles. Most of this (542 square miles) is land, and about 33 square miles (5.8%) is water. Hamilton County is special because it borders 10 other counties!

Amazing Natural Areas

Raccoon Mountain Caverns

Raccoon Mountain Caverns is a cool cave located about 8 miles northwest of downtown Chattanooga. It was first explored in 1929 and opened to the public in 1931. The cave is very long, with over 5.5 miles of explored passages!

A special spider called the Crystal Caverns Cave Spider (Nesticus furtivus) lives only in this cave. If you're lucky, a cave guide might point one out to you!

Ruby Falls Cave

Ruby Falls Cave is another amazing cave. It's located on the side of Lookout Mountain, south of Chattanooga. This cave was found by accident in 1928. Workers were drilling an elevator shaft to reach another cave, and they broke into Ruby Falls!

The cave developer, Leo Lambert, named the beautiful waterfall inside after his wife, Ruby. Ruby Falls opened to the public in 1930 and became very popular. It's the only cave open to visitors there now.

Lookout Mountain

Lookout Mountain is a famous area with places like Point Park and Sunset Rock. Point Park is a national military park. It honors a big battle that happened on Lookout Mountain during the American Civil War. Lookout Mountain was also where the last battle of the Cherokee Indians took place. It was even a base for General Ulysses S. Grant's troops during the Civil War.

Neighboring Counties

Protected Natural Areas

• Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park (part)
• Booker T. Washington State Park
• Chickamauga Wildlife Management Area (part)
• Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park (part)
• Falling Water Falls State Natural Area
• Harrison Bay State Park
• North Chickamauga Creek Gorge State Park (part)

Main Roads

• I-24
• I-75
• I-124
• US 11
• US 27
• US 41
• US 64
• US 72
• US 74
• US 76
• US 127
• SR 2
• SR 8
• SR 17
• SR 27
• SR 58
• SR 60
• SR 111
• SR 153
• SR 312
• SR 317
• SR 318
• SR 319
• SR 320
• SR 321

People of Hamilton County

Age pyramid Hamilton County

In 2020, there were 366,207 people living in Hamilton County. There were 148,157 households.

In 2010, the population density was about 620 people per square mile. The county's population was made up of different groups. About 74.75% were White, 20.21% were Black or African American, and 4.46% were Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in the county was 39.3 years old. About 21.58% of the people were under 18. About 14.69% were 65 or older. More than half of the population (51.88%) were females.

Education

Hamilton County has several colleges and universities. It also has many public schools.

Colleges and Universities

• Chattanooga State Community College – website
• Southern Adventist University – website
• University of Tennessee at Chattanooga – website
• Richmont Graduate University – website

Public Schools

The public schools in Hamilton County are managed by Hamilton County Schools.

Communities

Hamilton County has several cities, towns, and other communities.

Cities

Towns

• Lookout Mountain
• Signal Mountain
• Walden

Census-Designated Places

Unincorporated Communities