Riverdale is a city in Clayton County, Georgia, United States. The population was 15,134 at the 2010 census, up from 12,478 in 2000. Riverdale is a suburb just south of Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area.HistoryThe area now known as Riverdale was settled before the Civil War. In 1887, a railroad, built from Atlanta and Fort Valley, passed through Riverdale. Farmers in the area provided wood for the railroad. In turn, the farmers would get fertilizer. As the railroad grew, it needed more land. Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Rivers donated their land for the railroad to grow, and their land grew to become one of the railroad's main stops.In 1908, the city was incorporated with the name Riverdale, named in honor of Mr. W.S. Rivers.GeographyRiverdale is in western Clayton County, south of downtown Atlanta and 6mi northwest of Jonesboro, the county seat.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Riverdale has an area of 11.6sqkm, of which 0.03sqkm, or 0.22%, is water.
