Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
| Pigeon Forge, Tennessee | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 |
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| Motto: "The Center of Fun In The Smokies" | |
 Location of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee |
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 U.S. Census Map |
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| Coordinates: 35°47′38″N 83°33′51″W / 35.79389°N 83.56417°WCoordinates: 35°47′38″N 83°33′51″W / 35.79389°N 83.56417°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Sevier |
| Settled | 1780s |
| Incorporated | 1961 |
| Named for | 19th-century iron forge along the Little Pigeon River |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | David Wear |
| Area | |
| • Total | 11.6 sq mi (30.0 km2) |
| • Land | 11.6 sq mi (30.0 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,001 ft (305 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 5,875 |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 37863, 37868 |
| Area code(s) | 865 |
| FIPS code | 47-58080 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1297439 |
| Website | http://www.cityofpigeonforge.com/ |
Pigeon Forge is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, located in the southeastern United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 5,875.
Situated just five miles (8 km) north of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Pigeon Forge is a tourist destination that caters primarily to Southern culture and country music fans. The city's attractions include Dollywood, as well as numerous gift shops, outlet malls, amusement rides, and music theaters.
The name "Pigeon Forge" comes from an iron forge built by Isaac Love (1783–1854) sometime around 1820. The name of this forge referred to its location along the Little Pigeon River, in the vicinity of what is now the Old Mill. The name of the river comes from the flocks of passenger pigeons that frequented its banks at the time of the first Euro-American settlers' arrival.
For centuries, the Cherokee used the valley where Pigeon Forge is now located as a hunting ground. A Cherokee footpath known as the "Indian Gap Trail" crossed the Great Smokies from North Carolina, and passed through the Pigeon Forge valley en route to its junction with the Great Indian Warpath in modern Sevierville (US-441 closely parallels this ancient trail, although it crests the mountains at Newfound Gap rather than Indian Gap). From Sevierville, the Warpath headed west toward the Overhill Cherokee towns along the Little Tennessee River.
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