South Pittsburg, Tennessee
South Pittsburg is a city of 3,013 people in Marion County, Tennessee.
Why visit South Pittsburg
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 8 places to eat and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Shelby Reinhart Bridge, Clute Hill, Bridgeport Historic District and Lodge Museum of Cast Iron.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 29°F.
Weather in South Pittsburg
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About South Pittsburg
South Pittsburg is a city in Marion County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,106 at the 2020 census. South Pittsburg is home to the National Cornbread Festival.
From the Wikipedia article South Pittsburg, Tennessee (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Shelby Reinhart Bridge
Bridge · 1.4 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Museums and landmarks5
Bridgeport Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.3 mi
Historic district in Alabama, United States
Bridgeport Depot Museum
Museum · 4.3 mi
Museum in Bridgeport, Alabama
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Restaurants and cafes8
Domino's
Fast food · Pizza · 2.7 mi
310 Kimball Crossing Drive, Kimball
Mo-Th 10:00-24:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-01:00; Su 10:00-24:00
Sonic
Fast food · Burger · 1.2 mi
131 Highway 156, South Pittsburg
Mo-Th 06:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 06:00-24:00; Su 06:00-23:00
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 0.9 mi
101 South Cedar Street, South Pittsburg
Mo-Th 08:30-21:00; Fr 08:30-22:00; Sa-Su 09:00-21:00
History
What is now South Pittsburg remained a primarily agrarian area until the construction of a branch line of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad (later the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway) into the Sequatchie Valley in the late 1860s. Small-scale mining operations began during this period. When a post office was opened in 1869, the community was called Battle Creek Mines.
In the mid-1870s, several British investors formed the Southern States Coal, Iron and Land Company, in hopes of establishing a major industrial operation in the Sequatchie Valley. The company dispatched James Bowron to investigate the area for potential town and manufacturing sites. Bowron chose the Whitwell and Victoria areas in northwestern Marion County for the company's coal mining and coke production operations, and the Battle Creek Mines area as the company's iron production center and commercial hub. The latter site was chosen primarily for its immediate access to both the railroad and the Tennessee River. On May 23, 1876, the name of the Battle Creek Mines post office was changed to "South Pittsburg" in hopes that the city would one day grow to become a great iron manufacturing center like Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
From the History section of South Pittsburg, Tennessee on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship16
Christ Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
302 3rd Street, South Pittsburg
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.5 mi
704 Holly Avenue, South Pittsburg
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries8
Map of South Pittsburg
47 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°F | 29°F | 5.6 in |
| Feb | 53°F | 32°F | 5.7 in |
| Mar | 62°F | 39°F | 5.7 in |
| Apr | 71°F | 46°F | 5.7 in |
| May | 78°F | 56°F | 4.2 in |
| Jun | 85°F | 64°F | 4.8 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 68°F | 5.4 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 66°F | 4.0 in |
| Sep | 82°F | 60°F | 4.4 in |
| Oct | 72°F | 48°F | 3.6 in |
| Nov | 60°F | 38°F | 4.9 in |
| Dec | 51°F | 32°F | 6.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Bridgeport 5 Nw (5 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
Marion County has had 16 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)
- 2023-05-17: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornado (Severe Storm)
- 2021-05-08: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Tornado)
- 2020-04-24: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Marion County Airport-Brown Field (APT) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 8 miles away.
- Kimball 4 mi northeast, about 6 min by car
- Bridgeport 4 mi south, about 7 min by car
- Jasper 6 mi northeast, about 10 min by car
- Stevenson 11 mi southwest, about 17 min by car
- Trenton 15 mi southeast, about 24 min by car
- Sewanee 17 mi northwest, about 28 min by car
- Monteagle 17 mi northwest, about 28 min by car
- Powells Crossroads 18 mi northeast, about 29 min by car
- Cowan 20 mi northwest, about 32 min by car
- Chattanooga 27 mi east, about 43 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
- South-Pittsburg-City-Hall-tn1, Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0
- Christ Episcopal South Pittsburg 1983, Jack Boucher, Public domain
- First National Bank of South Pittsburg, Nyttend, Public domain
- South Pittsburg post office, Nyttend, Public domain
- Bridgeport 9, Kentondickerson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bridgeport-Depot-Museum-al1, Brian Stansberry, CC BY 4.0
- Vintage Tennyson book (Unsplash), Nathan Anderson nathananderson, CC0
- ISS063-E-106248 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS035-E-39197 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-106251 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-106249 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS066-E-154408 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS035-E-39198 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-106250 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Kimball, TN, USA - panoramio (2), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- TENNESSEE--NEAR PITTSBURG, Bill Strode, Public domain
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