The county outside Chattanooga's city limits is a patchwork of
unincorporated communities. "Unincorporated" means no city government and
no city taxes - you're governed by Hamilton County, and you arrange your
own services (trash, fire protection, sometimes water) from county providers
or private companies.
The places covered here include Harrison, Georgetown, Birchwood, Apison,
Sale Creek, Lupton City, Bakewell, Dallas Bay, and Mowbray - the areas
people often can't find on a Chattanooga neighborhood list.
East of Chattanooga on Chickamauga Lake. Best known for Harrison Bay
State Park - a big lake park with camping, boating, and a golf course
(the Bear Trace) (tnstateparks.com).
Sits right on the Tennessee River/lake, so it draws
waterfront recreation and lake-oriented housing. A mix of older lake houses,
farms, and new subdivisions.
Home to
the Birchwood Landfill (the county landfill - see Trash & Recycling).
Despite the name, Birchwood Landfill is not in Birchwood - just on Birchwood Pike.
Southeast of town, off Ooltewah-Georgetown Road. Rural community on the way
toward the lake; a stretch of farms, older homes, and some subdivisions.
Known locally for the Georgetown community and its location between
Cleveland and Chattanooga.
Far east of Chattanooga on the Meigs County line, right on the lake.
Rural and lake-oriented; people move here for land and water access at
county prices.
Southeast, on the Georgia line toward Ooltewah. Historically a tiny rural
community (locals joke about it in the "X-Files" sense - small and quirky);
now growing fast with upper-middle-class subdivisions and HOAs. Good
county schools access, longer commute to downtown.
North of the county, off Hwy 27, on the river. Small rural community with
strong local events (a Winter Wonderland, community gatherings). Country
living, farmland, and river access.
North of downtown, tucked along the river - one of the older county
communities, with a mix of historic homes and countryside. Note: it's close
enough to feel suburban but remains unincorporated.
Small communities in the far north and northeast parts of the county
(Mowbray is in the mountains north of Soddy-Daisy). Rural, wooded, spread
out.
Last updated: September 2026.