Riverdale, Georgia

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Riverdale is a city in Clayton County, Georgia, United States. The population was 15,129 in 2020. Riverdale is a suburb just south of Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

The area now known as Riverdale was settled before the Civil War. Riverdale was founded in 1886, when the railroad was extended there.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Named for Mr. W. S. Rivers, the original owner of the town site who donated his land to the railroad company, the city was incorporated in 1908.<ref name= history-official>Template:Cite web</ref>

Monroe Huie, a farmer, supplied lumber to the local railway network. Whenever the train arrived to collect wood, it also delivered fertilizer to the region. As a result, fertilizer sales became the primary business endeavor in the area. Prior to the construction of the spur, fertilizer had to be transported in wagons from the nearby town of Jonesboro.<ref name= history-official />

In 2024, an investigation by the "FOX 5 I-Team" in Atlanta discovered that hundreds of traffic tickets had been issued improperly by robotic traffic control cameras in school zones. The city was compelled to issue refunds and an apology. Police Chief Todd Spivey put it this way: "Initially, this was presented as a good idea, as a good way to slow the people down and create safer school zones. But if we’re going to engage in constant problems and losing the trust of the public because of the issuing of civil-penalty citations, do we need to revisit the idea of, is it really working?"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

Riverdale is in western Clayton County, Template:Convert south of downtown Atlanta and Template:Convert northwest of Jonesboro, the county seat.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Riverdale has an area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert, or 0.22%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">Template:Cite web</ref>

Demographics

Template:US Census population

Riverdale racial composition as of 2020<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	620	4.1%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	11,776	77.84%
Native American	34	0.22%
Asian	881	5.82%
Pacific Islander	1	0.01%
Other/Mixed	442	2.92%
Hispanic or Latino	1,375	9.09%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 15,129 people, 5,517 households, and 3,404 families residing in the city.

Parks and recreation

The city currently has three parks, all within a mile of each other:

Travon D. Wilson Memorial Park on Church St. behind the Merchant Shopping Center
Church Park on Wilson Rd. behind the First Baptist Church of Riverdale
Banks Park on Main St. and West St. next to city hall

Government

File:Riverdale, Georgia city hall.JPG

Riverdale City Hall

The city is governed by a mayor and four council members. Each council member represents the entire city and is elected at-large. Council members come from the four wards that divide the city. The mayor and council appoint a city manager, who has oversight over five departments.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They also further appoint a municipal judge and judges pro tempore to serve in the city's municipal court.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>