Ridgeside's name is derived from its location on the eastern slope (side) of Missionary Ridge.

Locally, the city is also known as Shepherd Hills, after the bigger of its two subdivisions, the other being Crescent Park.

In 1922, John's son, Paul, began building the "Shepherd Hills" subdivision, which was completed in 1952.

Shepherd Hills incorporated as a city with the name "Ridgeside" in 1931, in part to avoid being annexed by rapidly growing Chattanooga.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.2 square miles (0.4 km2), all of it land.

[8] As of the 2020 United States census, there were 446 people, 203 households, and 180 families residing in the city.