Ooltewah (/ˈuːtəwɑː/ ⓘ OO-tuh-wah) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States.

Alfred Cate (1822–1871), a resident of Ooltewah, was a prominent Southern Unionist and leader in the East Tennessee bridge-burning conspiracy.

Cate and his men destroyed three Chattanooga-area railroad bridges on the night of November 8, 1861, in hopes of paving the way for a Union invasion of East Tennessee.

[6] On November 24, 1863, the 4th Michigan Cavalry entered Ooltewah and captured seventeen Confederates, including two officers, and destroyed a train of four wagons.

On the next day, the 4th Michigan Cavalry destroyed the Ooltewah railroad bridge, burned 4,000 pounds of flour, and captured a Confederate Lieutenant Colonel before moving on to Cleveland before nightfall.

[7] According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km2), all land.

"[8] Alternatively, it is perhaps derived from the Creek (Muscogee) words[9] uwv-tawa (OO-U-TA-WA), meaning "water town."