Location: Right off Interstate 75’s Exit 9, Collegedale is located in Hamilton County’s southeast quadrant.
Size: About 10 square miles
Founded: 1968
Population: 9,585
Government: Governed by five commissioners, including the mayor. The commission appoints a city manager.
Attraction: Home to McKee Foods, producer of the famed Little Debbie snack cakes and one of Hamilton County’s largest employers. The town is also home to Southern Adventist University.
Schools: A.W. Spalding Elementary, Ooltewah Elementary, Wolftever Creek Elementary, Collegedale Adventist Middle, Ooltewah Middle, Collegedale Academy.
Fun Fact: The top-selling Little Debbie products are Swiss Cake Rolls, Nutty Buddies and Oatmeal Creme Pies. In May 2010, McKee Foods celebrated its fifth decade of using the Little Debbie name by preparing a 75-pound Oatmeal Creme Pie.
Landmark: For a fun afternoon with the kids, stop by the Imagination Station and Pavilion playground located at 4910 Swinyar Drive. Meanwhile, Veterans Memorial Park, located along the Wolftever Creek Greenway, features flags, sculptures, plaques and other military material as a memorial to U.S. war veterans.
Quote: “Collegedale is a growing, up-and-coming community. It is going to be really interesting in a few years to see how all the change we are going through affects us. But I have found that the people who live in Collegedale are individuals who really care about each other and about this place.” — Mayor Katie Lamb