# Riverdale, Georgia

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 and is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area.

## History

The area now known as Riverdale was settled before the Civil War. Riverdale was founded in 1886, when the railroad was extended there. 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.
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.
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?"

## Geography

Riverdale is in western Clayton County, 12 miles (19 km) south of downtown Atlanta and 6 miles (10 km) northwest of Jonesboro, the county seat.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Riverdale has an area of 4.5 square miles (11.6 km$^2$), of which 0.012 square miles (0.03 km$^2$), or 0.22%, is water.

## Demographics

Riverdale racial composition as of 2020 :
| 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

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. They also further appoint a municipal judge and judges pro tempore to serve in the city's municipal court.

## Education

Schools in Riverdale are in the Clayton County School System. Schools located in Riverdale include:
* Charles Drew High School
* Church Street Elementary School
* Harper Elementary School
* Lake Ridge Elementary
* Oliver Elementary School
* Pointe South Elementary School
* Riverdale Elementary School
* Riverdale High School
* Riverdale Middle School
* Sequoyah Middle School
* Smith Elementary School

## Infrastructure
### Transportation
#### State highways

* Georgia State Route 85 (Clark Howell Memorial Hwy)
* Georgia State Route 138 (Martin Luther King Jr. Hwy)
* Georgia State Route 139 (Main St./Riverdale Rd.)
* Georgia State Route 314 (Fayetteville Rd., running west of the city limits)

#### Main roads

These are roads with more than four lanes.
* Gardenwalk Boulevard
* Lamar Hutcheson Parkway
* Pointe South Parkway
* Upper Riverdale Road

#### Minor roads

These are roads with two to four lanes. or other 785.
* Church Street
* Roberts Drive
* Taylor Road
* Valley Hill Road
* Bethsaida Road
* Helmer Road
* Thomas Road
* E. Fayetteville Road
* Rountree Road
* Roy Huie Road

#### Interstate highway

Interstate 75 passes northeast of the city limits.

#### Transit

Two MARTA bus routes serve the city, including:
* Route 191 – Justice Center/Hartsfield Intl
* Route 196 – Church/Upper Riverdale/Mt.Zion

## Notable people

* Kofi Amichia, professional football player
* Nina BoNina Brown, drag queen, appeared on RuPaul's Drag Race TV competition series, season 9
* Devontae Cacok, NBA player
* Playboi Carti, rapper, hip-hop artist,
* Ciara, singer
* Edawn Coughman, NFL and CFL football player
* Cordy Glenn, NFL player
* Ashley Holcombe, softball player
* Larry June, rapper
* Sherrilyn Kenyon, author
* Barry Loudermilk, US Representative for Georgia's 11th District
* Will Rackley, NFL player
* DJ Shockley, NFL player
* Cecil Travis, professional baseball player
* Waka Flocka Flame, hip-hop musician
* Lavelle Westbrooks, NFL and CFL professional football player
* James Woodall, president of the Georgia NAACP