Walker County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the northwestern part of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 67,654, down from 68,756 in 2010. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

LaFayette Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to: People * Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette * House of La Fayette, a French noble family ** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757� ...

. The county was created on December 18, 1833, from land formerly belonging to the Cherokee Indian Nation. Walker County is part of the Chattanooga TN/GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Walker County was named after Georgia's

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

Freeman Walker Freeman Walker (October 25, 1780September 23, 1827) was a United States senator from Georgia. Born in Charles City, Virginia, he attended the common schools; in 1797, he moved to Augusta, Georgia. Walker studied law, and was admitted to the bar ...

(1780–1827). Civil War battles fought in Walker County were part of the Chickamauga Campaign fought between August 21 and September 20, 1863: *

Second Battle of Chattanooga The Second Battle of Chattanooga was a battle in the American Civil War, beginning on August 21, 1863, as the opening battle in the Chickamauga Campaign. The larger and more famous battles were the Battles for Chattanooga (generally referred to ...

, August 21. *

Battle of Davis's Cross Roads The Battle of Davis's Cross Roads, was fought September 10–11, 1863, in northwestern Georgia, as part of the Chickamauga Campaign of the American Civil War. It was more of a series of maneuvers and skirmishes than an actual battle and ca ...

, September 10–11. *

Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 19–20, 1863, between United States, U.S. and Confederate States of America, Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a Union Army, Union offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign ...

, September 19–20. In 2002 the Tri-State Crematory scandal in Noble came to national attention when 339 bodies that were consigned to be cremated were discovered on the property. The owner, Ray Brent Marsh, was convicted of several charges and sentenced to twelve years in prison.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.1%) is water. The northern two-thirds of Walker County is located in the Middle

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

Chickamauga Chickamauga may refer to: Entertainment * "Chickamauga", an 1889 short story by American author Ambrose Bierce * "Chickamauga", a 1937 short story by Thomas Wolfe * "Chickamauga", a song by Uncle Tupelo from their 1993 album ''Anodyne'' * ''Chic ...

sub-basin of the Middle Tennessee-Hiwassee basin. Most of the southeastern portion of the county is located in the

Oostanaula River The Oostanaula River (pronounced "oo-stuh-NA-luh") is a principal tributary of the Coosa River, about long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 27, 2011 formed by the ...

sub-basin in the

ACT River Basin The Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin (ACT River Basin) is a drainage basin (watershed) in the Southeastern United States. This area is classified as a sub-region by the USGS hydrological code system. Sub-regions This sub-region consists of tw ...

(Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin), with a very small southeastern sliver located in the

Conasauga River The Conasauga River is a river that runs through southeast Tennessee and northwest Georgia. The Conasauga River is longU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 27, 2011 an ...

sub-basin in the larger

. The rest of the southern portion of Walker County is located in the Upper

Coosa River The Coosa River is a tributary of the Alabama River in the U.S. states of Alabama and Georgia. The river is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 27, 2011 ...

sub-basin in the

Adjacent counties

* Hamilton County,

- north * Catoosa County - northeast * Whitfield County - east * Gordon County - southeast * Floyd County - south *

Chattooga County Chattooga County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,965. According to the World Population Review, as of 2021, it is estimated at 24,803. The county seat is ...

- south *

DeKalb County DeKalb County may refer to one of several counties in the United States, all of which were named for Baron Johan DeKalb: * DeKalb County, Alabama * DeKalb County, Georgia * DeKalb County, Illinois * DeKalb County, Indiana * DeKalb County, Missour ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

- southwest/CST Border * Dade County - west

Natural attractions and features

Chattahoochee National Forest The Chattahoochee River forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida - Georgia border. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the con ...

(part) *

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, located in northern Georgia and southeastern Tennessee, preserves the sites of two major battles of the American Civil War: the Battle of Chickamauga and the Siege of Chattanooga. A detailed h ...

(part) * Ellison's Cave (12th deepest cave in the United States) *

Lookout Mountain Lookout Mountain is a mountain ridge located at the northwest corner of the U.S. state of Georgia, the northeast corner of Alabama, and along the southeastern Tennessee state line in Chattanooga. Lookout Mountain was the scene of the 18th-cen ...

(part) *

McLemore Cove McLemore Cove levation: is a valley in Walker County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. The valley is located between Pigeon Mountain and Lookout Mountain.Petty John's Cave * Pigeon Mountain * Rocktown * Rock City * Lula Lake Land Trust

Government and politics

As of 2020, Walker County was one of only nine counties in the United States still employing the

sole commissioner In local government in the United States, sole commissioner government is a county commission with only one seat. The sole commissioner typically holds all legislative and executive powers in the county. Even though with one commissioner there is ...

form of government. Georgia is the last remaining state that allows sole commissioners. In a 2018 referendum, Walker County voters approved with an 80% margin a transition to a five-member board of commissioners, consisting of four commissioners elected by district and a chairperson. The first members of the board were elected in November 2020 and took office in January 2021 with Districts 1 and 2 commissioners serving an initial 2-year term and Districts 3 and 4 commissioners and the chairperson serving an initial 4-year term. From 2022, every commissioner will serve 4 year terms, therefore ensuring that half the commission is up for reelection every 2 years. The commission meets in LaFayette, the county seat. The commissioners of each district represent the following areas: *District 1: Rossville *District 2:

*District 3:

*District 4:

Transportation

Major highways

U.S. Route 27 U.S. Route 27 (US 27) is a north–south United States Highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 (I-69) in Fort Wayne, Indiana. F ...

U.S. Route 27 Business * Georgia 1

State Route 1 * Georgia 1 Business

State Route 1 Business * Georgia 2

State Route 2 * Georgia 95

State Route 95 Route 95, or Highway 95, may refer to routes in the following countries: __TOC__ International * European route E95 Australia * Great Northern Highway (Western Australia) * Fossickers Way (New South Wales) Canada * British Columbia Highway 95 * ...

State Route 136 * Georgia 151

State Route 151 * Georgia 157

State Route 157 * Georgia 189

State Route 189 * Georgia 193

State Route 193 * Georgia 201

State Route 201 * Georgia 337

State Route 337 * Georgia 341

State Route 341

Railroads

Current

Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway The Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway is a short-line railroad which is headquartered in LaFayette, Georgia, USA. The railroad operated of the Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railway (a.k.a. the TAG route) from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Kensingto ...

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is a railroad museum and heritage railroad in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum was founded as a chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in 1960 by Paul H. Merriman an ...

(occasional tourist excursions)

Defunct

Chattanooga Southern Railway The Chattanooga Southern Railway was founded in 1887 and began operations in 1891. It ran about of track between Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Gadsden, Alabama, hauling mainly iron, timber, and coal from the Lookout Mountain area. The railroad's ...

(became Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railway) *

Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railway The Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railroad was created through a reorganization of the Chattanooga Southern Railway in 1911. A few years later, in 1922, the line's name was changed to the Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railway and was also kn ...

(merged into Southern Railway, then abandoned ) *

Chickamauga and Durham Railroad The Chattanooga and Durham Railroad was established in 1897 from the failed attempt of a railroad that stretched from Durham, Georgia to Chickamauga, Tennessee, United States. The 17-mile railway was used to haul coal from Lookout Mountain in 1894 ...

(merged into Chattanooga & Durham) *

Chattanooga and Durham Railroad The Chattanooga and Durham Railroad was established in 1897 from the failed attempt of a railroad that stretched from Durham, Georgia to Chickamauga, Tennessee, United States. The 17-mile railway was used to haul coal from Lookout Mountain in 1894 ...

(merged by Chattanooga, Rome and Southern) *

Chattanooga, Rome and Southern Railroad The Chattanooga, Rome and Southern Railroad was formed out of a reorganization of the Chattanooga, Rome and Columbus Railroad The Chattanooga, Rome and Columbus Railroad (CR&C) was a railroad in Georgia. Originally chartered in 1881 as the Rome a ...

(merged into Central of GA Railway) * Central of Georgia Railway (merged into Southern Railway) * Southern Railway (merged into Norfolk Southern, Walker County line transferred to State of Georgia, leased to Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway)

Demographics

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 61,053 people, 23,605 households, and 17,467 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 25,577 housing units at an average density of 57 per square mile (22/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.43%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 3.78%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.29% Native American, 0.28%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.36% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.84% from two or more races. 0.93% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. Of the 23,605 households, out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.80% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 12.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.00% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age was 37 years. The county's population age groups were spread out, with 24.80% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 13.80% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.90 males. The median income for a household in the county was $32,406, and the median income for a family was $39,034. Males had a median income of $29,448 versus $21,583 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $15,867. About 10.00% of families and 12.50% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 17.10% of those under age 18 and 11.70% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

, there were 68,756 people, 26,497 households, and 18,898 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 30,100 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 93.0% white, 4.1% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 25.9% were

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

, 15.3% were

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, 11.2% were

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, and 9.3% were

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

. Of the 26,497 households, 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.7% were non-families, and 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.01. The median age was 39.7 years. The county's population age groups were spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 20 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 15% who were 65 years of age or older. The gender ratio of the county's population was 50.9% female versus 49.1% male. The median income for a household in the county was $38,723 and the median income for a family was $46,307. Males had a median income of $38,297 versus $29,285 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,440. About 11.6% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the

, including 20.0% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 67,654 people, 26,760 households, and 17,810 families residing in the county.

Communities

Cities

* Fort Oglethorpe (small portion only) *

(county seat) *

* Rossville

Census-designated places

* Chattanooga Valley * Fairview * Lakeview * Rock Spring

Unincorporated communities

* Flintstone * High Point * Hinkles *

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...

Naomi Naomi or Naomie may refer to: People and biblical figures * Naomi (given name), a female given name and a list of people with the name * Naomi (biblical figure), Ruth's mother-in-law in the Old Testament Book of Ruth * Naomi (Romanian singer) (bor ...

* Villanow * East Armuchee

History

Geography

Adjacent counties

Natural attractions and features

Government and politics

Transportation

Major highways

Railroads

Current

Defunct

Demographics

2000 census

2010 census

2020 census

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Politics

See also

References

External links