Ringgold, Georgia | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Ringgold City Hall | |
 Seal | |
 Location inCatoosa County and the state ofGeorgia | |
| Coordinates:34°55′2″N85°6′57″W / 34.91722°N 85.11583°W /34.91722; -85.11583 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Catoosa |
| Founded | 1846 |
| Incorporated (city) | 1847 |
| Named after | Samuel Ringgold |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Nick Millwood |
| Area | |
• Total | 5.02 sq mi (12.99 km2) |
| • Land | 5.02 sq mi (12.99 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 778 ft (237 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,414 |
| • Density | 680.5/sq mi (262.76/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 30736 |
| Area codes | 706/762 |
| FIPS code | 13-65324[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0329441[3] |
| Website | cityofringgoldga.go |
Ringgold is a city in and thecounty seat ofCatoosa County, Georgia, United States.[4] Its population was 3,414 at the 2020 census.[5] It is part of theChattanooga metropolitan area.
Ringgold was founded in 1846 and incorporated as a city in 1847.[6] It was named afterSamuel Ringgold, a hero of theBattle of Palo Alto in theMexican–American War.[7]
Ringgold is whereThe General locomotive stopped during theGreat Locomotive Chase on April 12, 1862. Ringgold is also home to the historic Ringgold Depot, which still contains bullet marks from theCivil War.
TheBattle of Ringgold Gap took place on November 27, 1863. Confederate Major GeneralPatrick Cleburne with 4,100 men used the mountain pass known as the Ringgold Gap to stall the advance of Union Major GeneralJoseph Hooker and his troops. Hooker's troops were over 12,000 strong. It was aConfederate victory because it allowed Confederate artillery and wagon trains to move safely through the Ringgold Gap unharmed while inflicting highUnion casualties.
The Whitman-Anderson House located in Ringgold is listed in theNational Register of Historic Places (NRHP). From their house, the Whitman family watched the Battle of Ringgold Gap, during which William Whitman'sgeneral store was destroyed. After the Confederates evacuated Ringgold, General Grant requisitioned the Whitman's house as his headquarters. After General Grant moved on, General Sherman ordered the burning of the town of Ringgold, but spared the Whitman house, which remained in the Whitman family until 1902.[8][9][10]
Dolly Parton married her husband, Carl Dean, in Ringgold, in May 1966.[11]
On March 14, 2002, a sudden heavy fog played havoc with morning traffic and contributed to one of the worst traffic pileups in history; 125 vehicles crashed onInterstate 75 North and four people died.[12]
On April 27, 2011, an EF4[13]tornado touched down in Ringgold and Catoosa County, leaving a path of destruction. The tornado killed twenty people along a 48 miles (77 km) path acrossCatoosa County and over the state line inHamilton andBradley counties. Eight died in Ringgold, including an entire family of four,[14] and at least thirty others were injured. Many homes, businesses, and schools were damaged or destroyed.[15]
Ringgold is located near the center of Catoosa County at34°55′2″N85°6′57″W / 34.91722°N 85.11583°W /34.91722; -85.11583 (34.917170, -85.115698).[16] U.S. Routes41 and76 pass through the center of town as Nashville Street, leading northwest 17 miles (27 km) to downtownChattanooga, Tennessee, and southeast 15 miles (24 km) toDalton, Georgia.Interstate 75 passes through the southern part of the city with access from 348; the highway leads northwest to Chattanooga and southeast 101 miles (163 km) toAtlanta.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.7 square miles (12.3 km2), of which 0.004 square miles (0.01 km2), or 0.11%, is covered by water.[5]
Ringgold is situated in theValley and Ridge geologic province of theAppalachian Mountains, characterized by long north-northeasterly trending ridges separated by valleys. The topography was formed by the erosion of alternating layers of hard and soft sedimentary rock that were folded and faulted during the building of the Appalachians.[17]Taylor Ridge runs through Ringgold; a gap in the ridge is located just east of the city center, with the part of the ridge running to the south called Taylors Ridge and to the north called White Oak Mountain. SouthChickamauga Creek, a tributary of theTennessee River, runs through Ringgold.
The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to theKöppen climate classification, Ringgold has ahumid subtropical climate,Cfa on climate maps.[18]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 316 | — | |
| 1880 | 436 | 38.0% | |
| 1890 | 465 | 6.7% | |
| 1900 | 437 | −6.0% | |
| 1910 | 398 | −8.9% | |
| 1920 | 472 | 18.6% | |
| 1930 | 684 | 44.9% | |
| 1940 | 882 | 28.9% | |
| 1950 | 1,192 | 35.1% | |
| 1960 | 1,311 | 10.0% | |
| 1970 | 1,381 | 5.3% | |
| 1980 | 1,882 | 36.3% | |
| 1990 | 1,675 | −11.0% | |
| 2000 | 2,422 | 44.6% | |
| 2010 | 3,580 | 47.8% | |
| 2020 | 3,414 | −4.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[19] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 2,799 | 81.99% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 177 | 5.18% |
| Native American | 14 | 0.41% |
| Asian | 56 | 1.64% |
| Pacific Islander | 6 | 0.18% |
| Other/mixed | 211 | 6.18% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 151 | 4.42% |
As of the2020 United States census, 3,414 people, 1,565 households, and 878 families resided in the city.
At the 2000census,[2] 2,422 people, 1,033 households and 644 families were residing in the city. The population density was 617.0 inhabitants per square mile (238.2/km2). The 1,116 housing units had an average density of 284.3 units per square mile (109.8 units/km2). Theracial makeup of the city was 91.33% White, 6.32% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.58% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.82% of the population.
Of the 1,033 households, 30.3% had children under18 living with them, 41.6% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were not families. About 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.85.
The city's age distribution was 23.9% under 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.
Themedian household income was $26,834 and the median family income was $35,132. Males had a median income of $26,943 compared with $21,074 for females. Theper capita income was $15,612. About 14.5% of families and 16.7% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 26.1% of those under 18 and 6.4% of those 65 or over.
TheCatoosa County Public Schools educates students from preschool to grade 12. As of 2010, the district had 10 elementary schools, three middle schools, and three high schools,[21] with 606 full-time teachers and over 9,809 students.[22]
Ringgold High School is the zoned high school.
In 1954, the Ringgold Elementary School was destroyed in a fire.[23]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
Municipalities and communities ofCatoosa County, Georgia,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Town | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
