Chattahoochee is a city in
Gadsden County,
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, United States. Its history dates to the Spanish era. It is part of the
Tallahassee, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,955 as of the 2020 census, down from 3,652 at the 2010 census.
Chattahoochee sits on the banks of the
Apalachicola River
The Apalachicola River is a river, approximately long, in the state of Florida. The river's large drainage basin, watershed, known as the ACF River Basin, Apalachicola, Chattahoochee and Flint (ACF) River Basin, drains an area of approximately ...
. It is connected by the Apalachicola and Victory bridges to neighboring
Sneads, Florida, which is in
Jackson County.
Chattahoochee has its own police force with more than ten sworn officers and a police chief. Chattahoochee is a name derived from the
Creek language
The Muscogee language (also Muskogee , ), previously referred to by its exonym, Creek, is spoken by Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole people, primarily in the US states of Oklahoma and Florida.
Muscogee was historically spoken by various constitu ...
, meaning "marked rocks".
History
The area was inhabited by indigenous peoples who built earthwork mounds in the area (
Chattahoochee Landing Mounds). It was later occupied by the
Creek people
The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek or just Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language; English: ), are a group of related Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands[Nicolls' Outpost
Nicolls' Outpost was the smaller and more northern of two forts built by British Lt. Col. Edward Nicolls during the War of 1812. (The Americans referred to it as Fort Apalachicola. Built at the end of 1814, together with the larger " British pos ...]
, when they controlled the srea. was built in the area. The
Scott Massacre of 1817 took place here. A ferry was established to give travelers and tradesmen access to other settlements across the river.
Geography
Chattahoochee is located in the northwest corner of Gadsden County at (30.703, –84.847).
It is bordered to the west by the Apalachicola River, formed by the juncture of the
Chattahoochee and
Flint
Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Historically, flint was widely used to make stone tools and start ...
rivers within
Lake Seminole
Lake Seminole (, ) is a reservoir located in the southwest corner of Georgia along its border with Florida, maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Chattahoochee and Flint rivers join in the lake, before flowing from the Jim Woodr ...
just north of the city. The northern border of Chattahoochee follows the Florida–
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
state line, and the Apalachicola River forms the Gadsden–Jackson county line.
U.S. Route 90 passes through the middle of Chattahoochee as Washington Street; it leads southeast to
Quincy, the Gadsden County seat, and west to
Sneads and to
Marianna.
Tallahassee, the state capital, is to the southeast. Main Street (Little Sycamore Road outside the city limits) leads south via Flat Creek Road to
Interstate 10
Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...
at Exit 166.

The southern part of the city includes the community of River Junction at 30°41′N 84°50′W (30.686, –84.841). In the mid-1880s, River Junction was established as a railroad connection point between the Florida Central & Western, later the
Seaboard Air Line, and the
Pensacola & Atlantic. The connecting track survives.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, Chattahoochee has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.30%, is water.
Climate
The climate for the City of Chattahoochee is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Chattahoochee has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
zone, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Demographics
2010 and 2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 2,955 people, 998 households, and 646 families residing in the city.
In 2020, the median household income was $40,000. 9.4% of the population over 25 years old had a Bachelor's degree or higher. There was an employment rate of 28.1%. 29.5% of the population lived without healthcare coverage.
As of the
2010 United States census, there were 3,652 people, 1,072 households, and 577 families residing in the city.
Historic places
On January 6, 1861, 4 days before Florida delegates formally seceded from the Union as part of the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, state troops seized the federal Arsenal located in the town. The former arsenal and current Administration Building of Florida State Hospital is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
(Building - #73000578).
Florida State Hospital, the hospital involved in the famous
United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...
decision
O'Connor v. Donaldson, is located within the City. The hospital was featured in a 1989 movie, ''
Chattahoochee'', starring
Gary Oldman
Sir Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Gary Oldman, various accolades, including an Academ ...
and
Dennis Hopper, in which a war hero,
Chris Calhoun, is
involuntarily committed to Florida State Hospital where he sees doctors at the hospital humiliating patients and experiences filth and abuse.
Government and infrastructure
The
U.S. Postal Service
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...
operates the Chattahoochee Post Office.
The Chattahoochee Volunteer Fire Department operates one fire station.
The Gadsden Connector, a bus route operated by
Big Bend Transit, has a stop in Chattahoochee.
Education
Gadsden County School District operates public schools.
The community is served by Chattahoochee Elementary School. In Fall 2018 it will become a Pre-K to Kindergarten early learning center. Students in grades 1–3 will move to
Greensboro
Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina, af ...
Primary School and students in grades 4–5 will move to West Gadsden Middle School.
The sole public high school of the county is
Gadsden County High School (formerly East Gadsden High School).
Until 2004
Chattahoochee High School served as the community middle and high school. That year it consolidated into
West Gadsden High School.
[About the School]
" West Gadsden High School. Retrieved on April 5, 2017. As of 2017 East Gadsden became the only remaining zoned high school in the county due to the consolidation of West Gadsden High's high school section into
East Gadsden High School
Gadsden County High School, known as East Gadsden High School (EGHS) until 2016, was a public high school in unincorporated Gadsden County, Florida, operated by Gadsden County School District. It is between Havana and Quincy, and it has a "Ha ...
.
Notable people
*
Roger Bailey, former
MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
baseball pitcher for the
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
*
Sandy D'Alemberte, former president of the
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary association, voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students in the United States; national in scope, it is not specific to any single jurisdiction. Founded in 1878, the ABA's stated acti ...
and former president of
Florida State University
Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
(FSU)
*
Shantley Jackson,
horse jockey
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million ...
In film
The 1989 film "
Chattahoochee" is based on the
Florida State Hospital and allegations of
abuse
Abuse is the act of improper usage or treatment of a person or thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, ...
on residents. The movie, which starred
Gary Oldman
Sir Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Gary Oldman, various accolades, including an Academ ...
and
Dennis Hopper, was not shot in Chattahoochee, however.
Footnotes
External links
City of Chattahoochee official website
{{authority control
Cities in Gadsden County, Florida
Tallahassee metropolitan area
Cities in Florida
1941 establishments in Florida
Populated places established in 1941