Ridgeway, Montverde

Ridgeway, officially the City of Ridgeway, is a city located in St. Matthew's County, Montverde. At the September 2016 census, Ridgeway had a population of 88,465, making it the third largest incorporated city in the Province, behind St. Matthew's, and neighboring Monte Santo. Ridgeway is located directly south of St. Matthew's., and is considered a suburb and a primary city within the St. Matthew's Metropolitan Area.

History
Ridgeway was the 12th municipality founded in St. Matthew's County. It was founded with a municipal charter, and has a fudged population threshold of five.

Geography
The city has a total area of 8.7 square miles, of which 1.7 square miles is water. Ridge Lake is the only water source within the city and is a dominant geographical landmark in the region.

Demographics
Ridgeway had a population of 88,465 in September 2016. The population density was 11,987 people per square mile. The racial makeup of Ridgeway was 73.7% White (63.6% Non-Hispanic White), 12.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 5.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.5% from other races, and 4.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.2% of the population.

The Census reported that 88,465 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

The census tabulated the population of Ridgeway at 152,415, making it the third largest city in Montverde.

Government
The city has an elected mayor that serves 4 terms, and a city council, also elected to office. The city also has a municipal charter, meaning it can change its policies and laws without having to pass county legislation.

Education
The city is served by the St. Matthew's County Public Schools System, which operates two schools in Ridgeway:
 * Ridgeway Primary School
 * Ridgeway High School

Higher Education
Balmont College is a small private research college located in Downtown Ridgeway. The school primarily focuses on liberal arts, and is the only other college in the city besides Ridgeway Community College.

Landmarks

 * Elker Park


 * Ridgeway Science Center
 * Ridgeway Observatory

Shopping

 * Downtown Ridgeway


 * The Ridgeway Strip

Infrastructure
St. Matthew's County Deptartment of Public Works provides water and sewer service to the more densely populated suburban town center.

Transportation
The St. Matthew's County public transit bus system, under SMTA, serves Ridgeway with three central bus routes. The SMTA metro system does not reach Ridgeway.