Editing Signal Mountain, Tennessee

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                     = Signal Mountain, Tennessee
| official_name            = 
| settlement_type          = [[Town]]
| nickname                 = 
| motto                    = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline            = Signal Mountain, Tennessee.jpg
| imagesize                = 
| image_caption            = Signal Mountain Middle/High School
| image_flag               = 
| image_seal               = <!-- Maps -->
| image_map                = File:Hamilton County Tennessee Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Signal Mountain Highlighted 4768540.svg
| mapsize                  = 250px
| map_caption              = Location of Signal Mountain in Hamilton County, Tennessee
| image_map1               = 
| mapsize1                 = 
| map_caption1             = <!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[Tennessee]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Tennessee|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Hamilton County, Tennessee|Hamilton]]

<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = 
| leader_title             = 
| leader_name              = 
| leader_title1            = 
| leader_name1             = 
| established_title        = Incorporated
| established_date         = 1919<ref>''[http://www.state.tn.us/sos/bluebook/05-06/48-data.pdf Tennessee Blue Book]'', 2005–2006, pp. 618–625.</ref>

<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/5/query?where=STATE='47'&outFields=NAME,STATE,PLACE,AREALAND,AREAWATER,LSADC,CENTLAT,CENTLON&orderByFields=PLACE&returnGeometry=false&returnTrueCurves=false&f=json|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}</ref>
| area_magnitude           = 
| area_total_km2           = 21.69
| area_land_km2            = 21.68
| area_water_km2           = 0.01
| area_total_sq_mi         = 8.37
| area_land_sq_mi          = 8.37
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     = <ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly"/>
| population_total         = 8852
| population_density_km2   = 408.36
| population_density_sq_mi = 1057.59

<!-- General information -->| timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset               = −5
| timezone_DST             = EDT
| utc_offset_DST           = −4
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_m              = 
| elevation_ft             = 1703
| coordinates              = {{coord|35|8|N|85|21|W|region:US-TN_type:city(8600)|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]
| postal_code              = 37377
| area_code                = [[Area code 423|423]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 47-68540<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 1270254<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|1270254}}</ref>
| website                  = {{URL|signalmountaintn.gov}}
| footnotes                = 
| pop_est_as_of            = 
| pop_est_footnotes        = 
| population_est           = 
}}

'''Signal Mountain''' is a town in [[Hamilton County, Tennessee]], United States. The town is a suburb of [[Chattanooga, Tennessee|Chattanooga]] and is located on [[Walden Ridge]]. "Signal Mountain" is used as a colloquial name for the part of Walden Ridge close to the town. The town population was 8,852 as of the 2020 census<ref name="Census 2010">{{Cite web| url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4768540| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Signal Mountain town, Tennessee| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American Factfinder| access-date=January 29, 2018| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213095214/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4768540| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}</ref> and estimated to be 8,567 in 2018.<ref name="USCensusEst2018">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2018.html|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|access-date=August 3, 2019}}</ref>

==Geography==
Signal Mountain is located in southwestern Hamilton County at 35°8′N 85°21′W (35.1291, -85.3424), atop the south end of Walden Ridge. The southern edge of the town overlooks the [[Tennessee River]] {{convert|1000|ft}} below. The town is bordered to the south by the city of Chattanooga, to the northeast by the town of [[Walden, Tennessee|Walden]], and to the north by the unincorporated community of [[Fairmount, Tennessee|Fairmount]].

[[U.S. Route 127]] (Ridgeway Avenue) is the main road through the town, leading south off the mountain {{convert|8|mi|0}} to downtown Chattanooga and north over Walden Ridge {{convert|21|mi}} to [[Dunlap, Tennessee|Dunlap]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|19.9|km2|order=flip}}, all land.<ref name="Census 2010"/>

==History==
Signal Mountain's history dates back years before settlement of the mountain itself. Centuries prior to the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], Native Americans used a location on the mountain known as Signal Point to send fire and smoke signals across the Tennessee Valley. Later, the [[Union Army]] used Signal Point as a communications station during the Civil War. At the outbreak of the war, only a few families lived on the mountain. However, when various health epidemics struck Chattanooga in 1873 and 1878, several wealthy families relocated to the mountain where they could find clear air and pure water. In the early 20th century, Charles E. James purchased {{convert|4400|acre|km2}} of land in the Signal Point area and developed the mountain. In 1913, construction was completed of {{convert|12|mi|km|spell=in}} of streetcar track, which linked Chattanooga to Signal Mountain. While the streetcars are no longer used, the tracks remain in the streets of Signal Mountain's historic district named after Velma. On April 4, 1919, the Tennessee Legislature passed the bill that chartered the Town of Signal Mountain. During the 1970s, the town experienced significant growth. In 2013 Signal Mountain made Bloomberg Businessweeks' list of the best places to raise a family.<ref>{{Cite web|title=sigmtn.com|url=http://www.sigmtn.com/community/history.php|access-date=August 26, 2021|website=www.sigmtn.com}}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Susan Akin]], 1986 Miss America{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}
* [[Zane Birdwell]], [[Grammy Award]]-winning recording engineer
* [[Rachel Boston]], actress and producer
* [[Charles H. Coolidge]], Medal of Honor recipient, namesake of [[Coolidge Park]] and member of 3rd Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment
* [[Byron De La Beckwith]], convicted murderer of civil rights leader [[Medgar Evers]], moved to Walden, just outside of Signal Mountain, near the end of his life
* [[Emma Bell Miles]], writer, poet, and artist
* [[Paul V. Nolan]] (1923–2009), Tennessee state legislator 1969-1970
* [[Suzanne Fisher Staples]], author of award-winning ''Shiva's Fire'' and other books
* [[Mary Q. Steele]] and [[William O. Steele]], a married pair of [[children's author]]s who separately wrote [[Newbery Honor]]-winning books

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1920= 441
|1930= 966
|1940= 1308
|1950= 1786
|1960= 3413
|1970= 4839
|1980= 5818
|1990= 7034
|2000= 7429
|2010= 7554
|2020= 8852
|footnote=Sources:<ref name="GR9">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=March 4, 2012|title=Census of Population and Housing: Decennial Censuses}}</ref><ref name=CensusPopEst>{{cite web|title=Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|work=Population Estimates|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=December 11, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611010502/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|archive-date=June 11, 2013}}</ref><ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly">{{cite web|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=P1_001N,NAME&for=place:*&in=state:47&key=5ccd0821c15d9f4520e2dcc0f8d92b2ec9336108|title=Census Population API|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Signal Mountain racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4768540&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 25, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
| 8,146
| 92.02%
|-
!scope="row"| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 50
| 0.56%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
| 1
| 0.01%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
| 118
| 1.33%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
| 6
| 0.07%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 292
| 3.3%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 239
| 2.7%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 8,852 people, 3,096 households, and 2,419 families residing in the town.

===2010 census===
As of the census of 2010, there were 7,554 people, 2,950 households, and 2,175 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|1,112.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 3,168 housing units at an average density of {{convert|457.4|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 98.2% White, 0.03% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, and 0.2% from other races.

There were 2,960 households, of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.3% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.01.

The population of Signal Mountain was spread out, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64 and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.

The median income for a household was $78,900, and the median income for a family was $130,997. Males had a median income of $102,241 versus $54,878 for females. The per capita income for the town was $71,134. About 2.3% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.

==Attractions==
[[File:UFO house.jpg|thumb|[[Spaceship House]], Signal Mountain, Tennessee]]
Signal Mountain is home to a number of outdoors attractions, including the [[Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park|Cumberland Trail]], Mabbitt Springs, and Signal Point, which is part of [[Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park]]. Visitors and citizens have many different locations where they can hike and backpack, such as Rainbow Lake and Edward's Point.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sigmtn.com/community/interests.php|title=sigmtn.com|website=www.sigmtn.com}}</ref>

The Signal Mountain Playhouse presents two plays per year including an outdoor musical every summer in the natural amphitheatre behind the Town Hall. The MACC (Mountain Arts Community Center), located in the historic Signal Mountain Elementary School building, offers classes in music, dance, and visual arts. The neighboring town of Walden hosts an outdoor public playground and pavilion called the Pumpkin Patch that is open for all to enjoy. Also, Bachman Community Center has many annual events as well as a small library and community garden plots. The New Mountain Opry hosts a weekly [[bluegrass music]] show every Friday evening.

Just south of Signal Mountain's town line on [[U.S. Route 127 in Tennessee|Route 127]] is the 1973 [[Spaceship House]], a futuristic residence designed to look like a [[flying saucer]].<ref name="SAH">{{cite web |last1=Townsend |first1=Gavin |title=Space House |url=https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/TN-01-065-0075 |website=SAH Archipedia |publisher=Society of Architectural Historians |access-date=14 April 2025}}</ref>

==Schools==
* Elementary schools: 
**[https://nolan.hcde.org Nolan Elementary] (named after [[Dr. Paul V. Nolan]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Obituaries - Nolan, Paul V.|url=http://www.chattanoogan.com/2009/6/27/153895/Nolan-Paul-V..aspx|access-date=January 7, 2017|work=The Chattanoogan|date=June 27, 2009}}</ref>)
**[https://thrasher.hcde.org Thrasher Elementary] (named after Wilkes T. Thrasher)
**[https://www.smcstn.org Signal Mountain Christian School]
* Middle School: [[Signal Mountain Middle/High School]]
* High School: [[Signal Mountain Middle High School|Signal Mountain Middle/High School]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Signal Mountain, Tennessee}}
* [http://www.signalmountaintn.gov Town of Signal Mountain official website]
* [http://signalmountainlibrary.com Signal Mountain Library]
* [http://www.signalmacc.org Mountain Arts Community Center]
* [http://smph.org Signal Mountain Playhouse]
* [http://atlas.utc.edu/signalmtn Signal Mountain Hiking Trails]
* [http://www.signalmountainhighschool.com Signal Mountain Middle/High School]

{{Hamilton County, Tennessee}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Hamilton County, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Towns in Tennessee]]
[[Category:Chattanooga metropolitan area]]