Hamilton

Formed October 25, 1819 (43^rd county)

Hamilton County (366,215), Chattanooga (181,057)                

The Neo-Classical Revival masonry structure was constructed in 1913.  It is sited on Georgia Avenue at 7^th Street.  Georgia Avenue is United States Highway 11 in this part of the city.  Rueben Harrison Hunt is the building designer.  The facility was enlarged in 1937.  The structure features columns and a park setting.  The county was created on October 25, 1819 as the 43^rd county.  A Courts Building was added in 1991 and a Justice Building in 1995.  A 1987 Juvenile Courts Building augments.  A classic 1879 courthouse preceded the current one.  Signal Mountain (1819), Dallas (1819), Harrison (1840), and Chattanooga (1870) have all served as county seat. 

Hamilton County government consists of a sheriff, a County Mayor, and 9 Commissioners.  Three Circuit Court Judges, Two Chancery Court Judges, Nine General Court Judges, and Ten Juvenile Court Judges serve Hamilton County.  The county is on the southeast border with Georgia.  Nashville, Tennessee is northwest and Knoxville, Tennessee is northeast of the county.  The Tennessee River flows through the county.  The county center is 15.6 miles Northeast of Chattanooga nearer Middle Valley.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Bledsoe, Rhea, Meigs, and Bradley counties and Georgia and Marion and Sequatchie counties.  The county was organized in 1819 from Rhea County as the 43^rd county.  Hamilton County is named for United States Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton.  The county seat is Native American phase meaning “rock dwelling place.” 

The area of the county is 543 square miles.  It is 27 out of 95 in the state.  It ranks 4 out of 95 in population in the state.  It has a density of 674.4 persons per square mile making it 4 out of 95 in the state.  Hamilton County has 69.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 24 originates in the county and heads west into Marion County.  Interstate Highway 75 enters from Bradley County, east, and exits into Georgia.  United States Highway 11 parallels Interstate Highway 75 from Bradley County to Georgia.  United States Highway 27 comes from Rhea County, north, and goes to Georgia, south.  United States Highway 41 comes from Georgia and goes west into Marion County.  United States Highway 64 crosses east to west from Bradley County to Marion County.  United States Highway 72 originates and heads southwest into Marion County.  United States Highway 127 enters from Sequatchie County, northwest, and terminates.  The county is a tower tilting toward the northeast.  Chattanooga is located on the southwest border of the county.  Chattanooga is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 49.4% of the county population.  This county is in the Chattanooga Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Walden