Catoosa County, Georgia

Catoosa County Education, Geography, and History

Catoosa County is a county located in the state of Georgia. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 63,942. The county was created on December 5, 1853. The county seat is Ringgold. The county is named in honor of Chief Catoosa, a Cherokee chief. The meaning of the Cherokee language name "Catoosa" is obscure.

Catoosa County is part of the Chattanooga, TN-GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Etymology - Origin of Catoosa County Name

The name Catoosa is derived from the Cherokee "Gatusi," signifying a prominent hill or point on a mountain. The name is well-suited to Catoosa County's hilly landscape.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Catoosa County History

Catoosa County was created from parts of Walker and Whitfield counties. The name Catoosa is derived from the Cherokee "Gatusi," signifying a prominent hill or point on a mountain. The name is well-suited to Catoosa County's hilly landscape.

The Georgia Winery, famous for its muscadine wines, is located in Catoosa County.

Although Fort Oglethorpe is the larger of the two cities, Ringgold is the county seat. Part of Fort Oglethorpe lies in Walker County. The town originally was an Army training center during the two world wars. After the training center was closed in the late 1940s, the city of Fort Oglethorpe was incorporated in 1949.

Points of Interest

The Chickamauga & Chattanooga Military Park, located in Catoosa County and Tennessee, is the oldest and largest military park in the United States. The park commemorates the Battle of Chickamauga fought in 1863. This was one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War and marked the end of the Union's first invasion of the Confederacy.

Lake Winnepesawkah is rated as one of America's Top Ten family amusement parks by Travel and Leisure magazine.

Notable Citizens

Randall Franks is a fiddler from Tunnell Hill who appeared in the TV series In the Heat of the Night.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 162 square miles (420 km²), of which 162 square miles (420 km²) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²) (0.2%) is water.

 Catoosa county is located in northwest Georgia. The county is in the Tennessee River basin.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• North: Hamilton County, Tenn.
• Northeast: Bradley County, Tenn.
• Southeast: Whitfield County
• Southwest: Walker County

Education

Catoosa County Public Schools

Catoosa County elementary schools: Battlefield Elementary, Battlefield Primary, Boynton Elementary, Cloud Springs Elementary, Graysville Elementary, Ringgold Elementary, Ringgold Primary, Tiger Creek Elementary, West Side Elementary, and Woodstation Elementary.

Catoosa County middle schools: Heritage Middle School, Lakeview Middle School, and Ringgold Middle School.

Catoosa County high schools: Heritage High School, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School, Performance Learning Center, and Ringgold High School.

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