Collegedale, Tennessee
Collegedale is a city of 11,330 people in Hamilton County, Tennessee, founded in 1916.
Why visit Collegedale
Townapedia lists 7 museums and landmarks, 15 parks and trails, 36 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Southern Adventist University, Grindstone Mountain, James County Courthouse and The Honors Course.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; January lows average 32°F.
Weather in Collegedale
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Collegedale
Collegedale is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 11,109 at the 2020 census. Collegedale is a suburb of Chattanooga and is part of the Chattanooga, TN-GA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Collegedale is home to Southern Adventist University.
From the Wikipedia article Collegedale, Tennessee (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Southern Adventist University
School · 0.4 mi
Private Seventh-day Adventist college in Collegedale, Tennessee
Museums and landmarks7
James County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
County courthouse in Tennessee, United States of America
Parks, trails and playgrounds15
3 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes36
Mr. T's Pizza & Ice Cream
Restaurant · Ice Cream, Local, Pizza · 2.4 mi
8890 Old Lee Highway
Mo-Th 10:30-21:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-22:00; Su 11:30-21:00
Rafeals Pizza
Restaurant · Local, Pizza · 1.1 mi
5032 Ooltewah-Ringold Road
Mo-Th 10:00-21:00; Fr 10:00-21:30; Sa 11:00-21:30; Su 11:00-21:00
Salsarita's Fresh Mexican Grill
Restaurant · Mexican · 2.3 mi
9032 Old Lee Highway, Ooltewah
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
Tasty Donuts
Restaurant · Donut · 2.1 mi
9448 Bradmore Lane
Mo-Th 06:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 06:00-22:00; Su 07:00-17:00
24 more on the map.
History
Collegedale was founded as the site of Southern Adventist University (then Southern Junior College) in 1916. It was incorporated under a city manager government in 1968. J.M. Ackerman was the first city manager, and Fred Fuller served as the city's first mayor.
From the History section of Collegedale, Tennessee on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay5
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Ooltewah Springs-Chattanooga
Motel and hotel · 2.5 mi
Churches and places of worship20
Collegedale Church of Seventh-day Adventists
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 0.6 mi
4829 College Drive East, Collegedale
Collegedale Korean Seventh-day Adventist Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 1.3 mi
4717 Ooltewah-Ringold Road, Ooltewah
High Point Chinese SDA Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 0.6 mi
4855 Colcord Drive, Collegedale
McDonald Road Seventh-day Adventist Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 2.9 mi
5440 McDonald Road, McDonald
Ooltewah Church of God
Church · Church Of God · 2.0 mi
9320 Lee Highway, Ooltewah
Ooltewah Seventh-day Adventist Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 2.8 mi
9209 Amos Road, Ooltewah
Ooltewah United Methodist Church
Place of worship · 2.6 mi
6131 Relocation Way, Ooltewah
Shopping6
Gas and EV charging9
Schools, colleges and libraries15
Wallace A. Smith Elementary School
School · 5.1 mi
6930 Lebron Sterchi Dr, Ooltewah
Map of Collegedale
117 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51°F | 32°F | 5.0 in | 1.0 in |
| Feb | 56°F | 36°F | 5.0 in | 1.2 in |
| Mar | 64°F | 42°F | 5.3 in | 1.1 in |
| Apr | 74°F | 50°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 81°F | 59°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 88°F | 67°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 90°F | 71°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 70°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 84°F | 64°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 74°F | 51°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 62°F | 40°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 53°F | 35°F | 5.2 in | 0.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Chattanooga Lovell Ap Gsn 72324 (9 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Hamilton County has had 17 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-02-06: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2025-04-02: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2024-06-17: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2023-05-17: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornado (Severe Storm)
- 2020-04-24: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Ooltewah 1 mi north, about 2 min by car
- Apison 4 mi southeast, about 6 min by car
- McDonald 5 mi northeast, about 8 min by car
- Chattanooga 11 mi west, about 18 min by car
- Fort Oglethorpe 14 mi southwest, about 23 min by car
- Dalton 20 mi south, about 32 min by car
- Athens 37 mi northeast, about 1 h by car
- Calhoun 39 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Rome 55 mi south, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Fort Payne 55 mi southwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Collegedale KFGU Airport, Graham Patton, CC BY-SA 4.0
- James County Courthouse 4, Alexis Sprague, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.