Overview of Chattanooga

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During the American Civil War, Chattanooga was a major railroad station and at the center of a number of pitched battles. These battles are remembered through numerous battlefield parks and Civil War attractions located in and around the city.

In more modern times, the city has received national recognition for the renaissance of its once dilapidated downtown and redevelopment of its riverfront. An early cornerstone of this project was the restoration of the historic Walnut Street Bridge, which is now the world's longest pedestrian bridge.

Chattanooga is the corporate headquarters and home of Olan Mills, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of TN, Rock Creek Outfitters, Krystal, Chattem, Unum, The Chattanooga Bakery (home of the Moon pie), and Miller Industries, the largest tow truck manufacturer in the world; Chattanooga is the birthplace of the tow truck. Chattanooga is also home to the Tennessee Valley Authority, a self-funding government agency which operates numerous power plants in the South. Following the city's industrial decline, many businesses in the banking and insurance industries set up operations in Chattanooga. The city is home to large branch offices of Cigna, AT&T and UBS.

Within the last ten years the city has won 3 national awards for outstanding "livability", and 9 Gunther Blue Ribbon Awards for excellence in housing and consolidated planning.

As of the census of 2000, there are 155,554 people, 65,499 households, and 39,626 families residing in the city. There are 72,108 housing units at an average density of 205.9/km² (533.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 59.71% White, 36.06% African American, 0.29% Native American, 1.54% Asian. 2.11% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.