Collegedale is located in southeastern Hamilton County at 35°3′6″N 85°2′49″W / 35.05167°N 85.04694°W / 35.05167; -85.04694 (35.051578, -85.047004),[9] in the valley of Wolftever Creek.

Just west of the city center, the creek cuts through White Oak Mountain, forming Collegedale Gap.

Tennessee State Route 317 passes through the city center and Collegedale Gap, leading southeast 10 miles (16 km) to State Route 60 and northwest 4 miles (6 km) to Interstate 75 in the northeastern outskirts of Chattanooga.

Tennessee State Route 321 runs through the western part of Collegedale, leading north to U.S. routes 11 and 64 just north of Ooltewah and south 5 miles (8 km) to the Georgia state line.

As of the 2010 census, the city had a total area of 9.9 square miles (25.6 km2), all of it recorded as land.

[5] As of the 2020 United States census, there were 11,109 people, 4,167 households, and 2,485 families residing in the city.

Collegedale has a large Seventh-day Adventist community and in 2005 was described as an "enclave" for the religion by Charles Reagan Wilson and Mark Silk.

Originally launched in Chattanooga in 1934, the company moved to a facility on the campus of Southern Adventist University in 1956.

Library membership is available on a paid subscription basis, free to residents of Collegedale.

Five commissioners are elected by popular vote and they are responsible for choosing a city manager, who then proceeds to implement the commissions policies.

[19] On 5 August 2013, Collegedale became the first city in Tennessee to extend health benefits to same-sex couples.

[20] The city of Collegedale has a unique situation in terms of postal service.

The local volunteer fire department, at Station 1, has 100 members and support staff and an ISO Class 2 rating.