Chattanooga

Understand

Chattanooga played an important role during the American Civil War, when it was a major railroad hub and one of the most industrialized parts of the Confederacy along with the nearby city of Atlanta, resulting in Chattanooga and being at the center of numerous pitched battles. Many of the tourist attractions center around Civil War history such as numerous battlefield parks in and around the city. It is less prominent today because of the decline of its famed railroad, made famous by the popular song "Chattanooga Choo Choo", which is also commemorated in numerous tourist attractions and the popular Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel. In 2020, the city was home to about 185,000 people. The racial makeup of the city is 62% White and 31% African American, with the remainder being other races or mixed-race.

Despite its economic loss and a small population, the city has become notably modernized, urbanized, and economically revitalized, receiving nationally recognition for the renaissance of its once-dilapidated, post-Industrial downtown, redevelopment of its riverfront, and the fastest Internet in the world. Within the last ten years the city has won three national awards for outstanding "livability", and nine Gunther Blue Ribbon Awards for excellence in housing and consolidated planning. 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 Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Tennessee, 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, so you'll also find tourist attractions such as the Tow Truck Museum to commemorate this). Chattanooga is also home to the Tennessee Valley Authority, a self-funding government agency which operates numerous power plants in the South. Following t

Getting there

By car I-75 (North-South) and I-24 (East-West) intersect in Chattanooga.

I-75 - Easy access from Atlanta and Knoxville. Begins in Hialeah, Florida and ends in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan at the Canadian border. If coming this way from the south, consider making a detour to take the Cohutta Chattahoochee Scenic Byway, a Georgia-designated scenic route that includes some beautiful mountain views and charming historic sites. I-24 - Easy access from Murfreesboro, Nashville and Kentucky. I-59 - Connects to I-24 just Southwest of Chattanooga, gives access to Birmingham, Alabama, Southeast Mississippi and ends near New Orleans.

By plane 1 Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA IATA)) (The airport is east of downtown Chattanooga and you can easily get transportation from the airport to local hotels). It is serviced by: American Eagle; Delta Connection Carriers; Allegiant Air (nonstop service only from Orlando, Tampa, and Fort Lauderdale; no onestops or connections). There are non-stop flights to Chattanooga: Atlanta, GA Charlotte, NC Chicago, IL (service from O'Hare International Airport) Dallas, TX (service from Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport) Detroit, MI (service from Detroit Wayne County International Airport) New York City, NY (service from LaGuardia Airport) Orlando, FL (service from Orlando Sanford Airport) Philadelphia, PA Tampa Bay, FL (service from St. Petersburg/Clearwater Airport) Washington, D.C. (service from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, otherwise known as National Airport, and Dulles Airport)

By bus 2 Greyhound, 960 Airport Rd, ☏ +1-800-231-2222. Service to Chattanooga begins and ends at the station near the airport. To get downtown from Greyhound walk a couple blocks to Van Ness Rd & Lee Hwy and catch the inbound CARTA route 4 bus to downtown. Last stop is at Market St. & W 4th Ave. 3 Megabus (The bus stop is on Market Street at West 14th Street, next to the Chattanooga Choo Choo.). Service from Atlanta, Nashville, Knoxville,

Getting around

By car When a speed limit is not posted, assume that it is 35 mph (56 km/h), especially when downtown or in a residential area.

National Car Rental, Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, +1 423 855-2229. Dollar Rent A Car, +1 423 855-2232. Avis Rent A Car, Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, +1 423 855-2232. Enterprise Rent A Car, Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, +1 423 296-9902. Donna's Rent A Car, 1419 South Moore Road, +1 423 899-5621. Thrifty Car Rental, Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, +1 423 892-8983. Access Car Rental, 2114 Chapman Rd, +1 423 894-3833. Access Car Rental, 3150 Broad Street, +1 423 634-7771. Hertz Rent a Car, Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, +1 423 855-8131.

By bus The Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority, better known as CARTA, provides one of the easiest way to move around downtown Chattanooga via a free electric shuttle that operates between the Holiday Inn Choo-Choo and Tennessee Aquarium, along with new service to Chattanooga's North Shore shops and Coolidge Park. There are also buses serving the remainder of the city. As of 2025, the fares are:

Adult - $1.50 Seniors - $.75 Persons with Disability - $.75 Students - $.75 Children 5 and under are free with a paying passenger Special reduced fares require a photo ID issued at the CARTA bus depot. CARTA schedules are available at many of the local banks, shopping malls, social service agencies, hospitals, colleges, universities, the downtown post office, libraries and through CARTA.

By bike There are bike sharing services in Chattanooga.

See

Attractions

1 Rock City, 1400 Patton Road (Located approximately 6 miles from downtown), ☏ +1-800-854-0675. Located on Lookout Mountain, Rock City has been an attraction in some form or another since 1823. However, when Garnet Carter, inventor of Miniature Golf, and his wife opened Rock City Gardens in 1932 it became a huge draw. Carter hired Clark Byers to travel the nation's highways, offering to paint farmer's barns in exchange for letting them paint "See Rock City" on them. Rock City Gardens features a 4100 ft walking trail, a 90-foot waterfall, a 180-foot-long suspension bridge, and Lover's Leap where you can "see seven states." Open year round, except Christmas Day, at 8:30AM. From the middle of November until the end of the year, they have the "Enchanted Garden of Lights" from 6PM-9PM which features local school/church groups performing and the entire gardens decorated in holiday lights. Adult admission is $45, children ages 3 – 12 are $35. (updated Dec 2025) 2 Ruby Falls, 1720 South Scenic Highway, ☏ +1 423 821-2544. 8AM–8PM (except Christmas Day). This thundering 145-foot waterfall inside Lookout Mountain has been a popular attraction since 1929. Named after the founder's wife, Ruby Falls was found by Leo Lambert in 1923 as he and his corporation were drilling a shaft to open the historic Lookout Mountain Cave to the public. During the drilling, a small opening was located and after a 17-hour trip, Leo emerge