Jefferson County, Tennessee - Wikipedia

County in Tennessee, United States County in Tennessee

Jefferson County, Tennessee
County
Jefferson County Courthouse in Dandridge
FlagSeal
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Coordinates: 36°03′N 83°27′W / 36.05°N 83.45°W / 36.05; -83.45
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
Founded	June 15, 1792[1]
Named after	Thomas Jefferson[2]
Seat	Dandridge
Largest city	Jefferson City
Government
• Mayor	Mark Potts (R)[3][4]
Area
• Total	314 sq mi (810 km2)
• Land	274 sq mi (710 km2)
• Water	40 sq mi (100 km2)  13%
Population (2020)
• Total	54,683
• Estimate (2023)	57,838
• Density	200/sq mi (77.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	37725, 37760, 37820, 37871, 37877, 37890
Area code	865
Congressional districts	1st, 2nd
Website	jeffersoncountytn.gov

Jefferson County is an exurban[5] county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 54,683.[6] Its county seat is Dandridge.[7] Jefferson County is part of the Morristown Metropolitan Statistical Area with neighboring Grainger and Hamblen counties. The county, along with the Morristown MSA, is included in the Knoxville-Morristown-Sevierville Combined Statistical Area.[8]

History

[edit]

Jefferson County was established on June 11, 1792, by William Blount, Governor of the Southwest Territory.[9] It had been a part of Caswell County during the State of Franklin period (1784–1789). Its county seat, Dandridge, was settled in 1783.[9]

On the eve of the Civil War, Jefferson County, like most other counties in mountainous East Tennessee, was opposed to secession. In Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession referendum on June 8, 1861, Jefferson County voters rejected secession by a margin of 1,987 to 603.[10] A railroad bridge at Strawberry Plains was among those targeted by the East Tennessee bridge-burning conspiracy in November 1861.[11] This led to internal conflict in the area throughout the war, with men from the county enlisting in both of the rival armies.

On October 2, 2013, on I-40 in Jefferson County near the I-40 and I-81 split, a multi-vehicle collision involving a church bus, a tractor-trailer, and a SUV occurred at mile marker 423.[12] Tennessee Highway Patrol officials discovered that the church bus had blown a tire, leading it to merge into oncoming traffic, clipping the SUV and colliding with the semi-truck, causing it to burst into flames.[12] The accident resulted in 8 fatalities and 14 injuries.[12]

In 2013, Jefferson County officials explored developing an 1,800-acre megasite north of the I-81/I-40 junction outside of Dandridge to attract major manufacturers to locate to the county,[13][14] following the successful efforts in Chattanooga with a Volkswagen assembly plant and in Smyrna with a Nissan assembly plant.[15] The project was later cancelled following an organized opposition group by local farmers and the lack of financial support from federal and Tennessee state government agencies.[16]

Politics

[edit] United States presidential election results for Jefferson County, Tennessee[17][18]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	№	%	№	%	№	%
1912	540	26.96%	514	25.66%	949	47.38%
1916	1,648	75.84%	520	23.93%	5	0.23%
1920	3,583	81.58%	741	16.87%	68	1.55%
1924	2,699	78.39%	712	20.68%	32	0.93%
1928	2,582	85.55%	436	14.45%	0	0.00%
1932	2,275	68.59%	975	29.39%	67	2.02%
1936	2,356	68.33%	1,079	31.29%	13	0.38%
1940	1,921	63.95%	1,062	35.35%	21	0.70%
1944	3,159	76.25%	966	23.32%	18	0.43%
1948	2,979	74.12%	900	22.39%	140	3.48%
1952	4,622	78.87%	1,228	20.96%	10	0.17%
1956	4,870	77.63%	1,338	21.33%	65	1.04%
1960	6,141	78.79%	1,620	20.79%	33	0.42%
1964	4,923	65.44%	2,600	34.56%	0	0.00%
1968	5,494	67.11%	1,494	18.25%	1,199	14.65%
1972	5,925	80.26%	1,357	18.38%	100	1.35%
1976	5,459	57.23%	3,995	41.89%	84	0.88%
1980	6,944	66.82%	3,180	30.60%	268	2.58%
1984	7,721	70.35%	3,185	29.02%	69	0.63%
1988	6,832	67.85%	3,168	31.46%	69	0.69%
1992	6,184	50.02%	4,740	38.34%	1,438	11.63%
1996	6,446	53.03%	4,688	38.57%	1,021	8.40%
2000	8,657	61.45%	5,226	37.10%	204	1.45%
2004	11,625	67.53%	5,469	31.77%	121	0.70%
2008	13,092	70.65%	5,178	27.94%	262	1.41%
2012	13,038	74.25%	4,232	24.10%	289	1.65%
2016	14,776	77.47%	3,494	18.32%	802	4.21%
2020	18,651	78.98%	4,654	19.71%	311	1.32%
2024	21,068	81.61%	4,503	17.44%	244	0.95%

Geography

[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 314 square miles (810 km2), of which 274 square miles (710 km2) is land and 40 square miles (100 km2) (13%) is water.[19] The county is affected by two artificial lakes: Douglas Lake, created by the damming of the French Broad River in the south, and Cherokee Lake, created by the damming of the Holston River in the north.

Adjacent counties

[edit]

• Hamblen County (northeast)
• Cocke County (southeast)
• Sevier County (south)
• Knox County (west)
• Grainger County (north)

State protected areas

[edit]

• Henderson Island Refuge

Transportation

[edit]

Principal highways

[edit]

• I-40
• I-81
• US 11E
• US 25E
• US 25W
• US 70
• US 411
• SR 9
• SR 32
• SR 34
• SR 35
• SR 66
• SR 92

Major surface routes

[edit]

• SR 113
• SR 139
• SR 341
• SR 363

Demographics

[edit] Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1810	7,309	—
1820	8,953	22.5%
1830	11,801	31.8%
1840	12,076	2.3%
1850	13,204	9.3%
1860	16,043	21.5%
1870	19,476	21.4%
1880	15,846	−18.6%
1890	16,478	4.0%
1900	18,590	12.8%
1910	17,755	−4.5%
1920	17,677	−0.4%
1930	17,914	1.3%
1940	18,621	3.9%
1950	19,667	5.6%
1960	21,493	9.3%
1970	24,940	16.0%
1980	31,284	25.4%
1990	33,016	5.5%
2000	44,294	34.2%
2010	51,407	16.1%
2020	54,683	6.4%
2024 (est.)	59,217	[20]	8.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[21]1790-1960[22] 1900-1990[23]1990-2000[24] 2010-2014[6]

2020 census

[edit] Jefferson County racial composition[25]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	48,975	89.56%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	787	1.44%
Native American	159	0.29%
Asian	257	0.47%
Pacific Islander	20	0.04%
Other/Mixed	2,093	3.83%
Hispanic or Latino	2,392	4.37%

As of the 2020 census, there were 54,683 people, 21,461 households, and 13,998 families residing in the county. The median age was 44.7 years, 20.0% of residents were under the age of 18, and 21.2% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.8 males age 18 and over.[26]

There were 21,461 households in the county, of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.3% were married-couple households, 16.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[26]

There were 24,828 housing units, of which 13.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.4% were owner-occupied and 24.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.7%.[26]

The racial makeup of the county was 90.6% White, 1.5% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.3% from some other race, and 4.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.4% of the population.[25]

24.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 75.8% lived in rural areas.[27]

2000 census

[edit]

As of the census[28] of 2000, there were 44,294 people, 17,155 households, and 12,608 families residing in the county. The population density was 162 people per square mile (63 people/km2). There were 19,319 housing units at an average density of 71 units per square mile (27/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.66% White, 2.32% Black or African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. 1.33% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 17,155 households, out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.90% were married couples living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.50% were non-families. 22.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.90% under the age of 18, 10.60% from 18 to 24, 29.10% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.00 males. However, the last statistic is somewhat misleading because of female longevity, and if adults 18-65 were considered, the numbers would be very close to equal.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,824, and the median income for a family was $38,537. Males had a median income of $29,123 versus $20,269 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,841. About 9.60% of families and 13.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.90% of those under age 18 and 12.60% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

[edit]

According to a data profile produced by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development in 2023,[29] the top employers in the county are:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	Old Dominion Freight Line	1,100
2	Jefferson County Board of Education	1,100
3	Bush Brothers and Company	500
4	Nyrstar	450
5	Carson–Newman University	404
6	Oshkosh Corporation	325
7	Jefferson Memorial Hospital	305
8	Jefferson County Government	300
9	Walmart (Jefferson City)	300
10	Ball MetalPack	159

Education

[edit]

K-12 public education in the county is conducted by Jefferson County Public Schools.

Communities

[edit]

Cities

[edit]

• Baneberry
• Jefferson City
• Morristown (partial, mostly in Hamblen)

Towns

[edit]

• Dandridge (county seat)
• New Market
• White Pine (small portion in Hamblen)

Census-designated place

[edit]

• Strawberry Plains (partial, portions in Knox and Sevier)

Unincorporated communities

[edit]

• Belmont
• Chestnut Hill
• Shady Grove
• Talbott (partial)

See also

[edit]

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Jefferson County, Tennessee

References

[edit]

1. ^ [1], Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Jefferson County
2. ^ Origins Of Tennessee County Names, Tennessee Blue Book 2005-2006, pages 508-513
3. ^ "Jefferson". County Technical Assistance Service. University of Tennessee. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
4. ^ "Results: County mayor races in 10 East Tenn. counties". WBIR-TV. May 1, 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
5. ^ "The United States: By Rural, Urban and Exurban Counties". The Daily Yonder. March 17, 2009. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
6. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
7. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
8. ^ "Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" (PDF). Office of Management and Budget. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 21, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2014 – via National Archives.
9. ^ a b Estle Muncy, "Jefferson County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: October 18, 2013.
10. ^ Oliver Perry Temple, East Tennessee and the Civil War (R. Clarke Company, 1899), p. 199.
11. ^ Temple, East Tennessee and the Civil War, pp. 370-406.
12. ^ a b c Winter, Michael (October 2, 2013). "8 dead in church bus crash on I-40 in Tennessee". USA Today. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
13. ^ "Jefferson County to pursue megasite to lure manufacturers". East Tennessee Economic Development Agency. January 9, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
14. ^ "Jefferson County, TN To Pursue Megasite". Business Facilities. February 21, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
15. ^ "Commissioner Hagerty Addresses East TN Megasite During TN State House Budget Hearings". March 4, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
16. ^ "Mega Collapse – Plug Pulled on East TN Regional Megasite Proposal". April 4, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2025.
17. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
18. ^ State of Tennessee General Election Results, November 5, 2024, Results By County (PDF) (Report). Secretary of State of Tennessee. December 2, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
19. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
20. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
21. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
22. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
23. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
24. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
25. ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
26. ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
27. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
28. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
29. ^ "Jefferson County: County Profile Tool". Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. State of Tennessee. 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2024.

External links

[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jefferson County, Tennessee.

• Official website
• Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Jefferson County Schools
• Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce

Places adjacent to Jefferson County, Tennessee
Grainger County Hamblen County Knox County Jefferson County, Tennessee Cocke County Sevier County

v t e Municipalities and communities of Jefferson County, Tennessee, United States
County seat: Dandridge
Cities	Baneberry Jefferson City Morristown‡
Towns	Dandridge New Market White Pine‡
CDP	Strawberry Plains
Unincorporatedcommunities	Belmont Chestnut Hill Shady Grove Talbott‡
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Tennessee portal United States portal

v t e Knoxville metropolitan area
Principal city	Knoxville
Other cities	Alcoa Bean Station Blaine Clinton Farragut Jefferson City LaFollette Lenoir City Maryville Maynardville Morristown Oak Ridge Newport Rutledge Sevierville
Counties	Anderson County Blount County Campbell County Cocke County Grainger County Hamblen County Knox County Jefferson County Loudon County Morgan County Roane County Sevier County Union County

v t e Morristown metropolitan area
Principal city	Morristown
Other cities	Baneberry Bean Station Blaine Dandridge Jefferson City New Market Rutledge White Pine
Counties	Grainger Hamblen Jefferson

v t e State of Tennessee
Nashville (capital)
Topics	Abortion Cannabis Climate change Name History Outline Geography Gun laws Homelessness Tennesseans African Americans LGBTQ rights Mass media newspapers radio TV Constitution Elections Governor list Lieutenant Governor General Assembly Supreme Court Tennessee National Guard Law enforcement Symbols Tourist attractions
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Grand Divisions	East Middle West
Regions	Blue Ridge Mountains Cumberland Mountains Cumberland Plateau Great Appalachian Valley Highland Rim Mississippi Alluvial Plain Mississippi embayment Nashville Basin Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians Tennessee Valley Tri-Cities
Largest cities	Nashville Memphis Knoxville Chattanooga Clarksville Murfreesboro Franklin Johnson City Jackson Hendersonville
Metropolitan areas	Chattanooga Clarksville Cleveland Jackson Johnson City Kingsport–Bristol–Bristol Knoxville Memphis Morristown Nashville
Combinedstatistical areas	Chattanooga–Cleveland–Dalton
Micropolitan areas	Cookeville Tullahoma–Manchester Union City
Counties	Anderson Bedford Benton Bledsoe Blount Bradley Campbell Cannon Carroll Carter Cheatham Chester Claiborne Clay Cocke Coffee Crockett Cumberland Davidson Decatur DeKalb Dickson Dyer Fayette Fentress Franklin Gibson Giles Grainger Greene Grundy Hamblen Hamilton Hancock Hardeman Hardin Hawkins Haywood Henderson Henry Hickman Houston Humphreys Jackson Jefferson Johnson Knox Lake Lauderdale Lawrence Lewis Lincoln Loudon Macon Madison Marion Marshall Maury McMinn McNairy Meigs Monroe Montgomery Moore Morgan Obion Overton Perry Pickett Polk Putnam Rhea Roane Robertson Rutherford Scott Sequatchie Sevier Shelby Smith Stewart Sullivan Sumner Tipton Trousdale Unicoi Union Van Buren Warren Washington Wayne Weakley White Williamson Wilson
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v t e Free Republic of Franklin
Jonesborough (capital)
Topics	Watauga Association Background Secession Independence Dissolution Brief history
Topographic Regions	Blue Ridge Mountains Cumberland Mountains Cumberland Plateau Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians Tennessee Valley
Geographic features	Cumberland Gap French Broad River Hiwassee River Holston River Long Island Nolichucky River Sycamore Shoals Tennessee River Watauga River
Settlements	Greeneville Rogersville Jonesborough Salt Lick (Kingsport) White's Fort (Knoxville)
The western counties ofNorth Carolina	The Washington District Blount Caswell Hamblen Jefferson Greene Cocke Greene Spencer Sevier Sullivan Washington Unicoi Washington Wayne Carter Johnson
Notable Franklinites	William Cage David Campbell William Cocke David "Davy" Crockett Samuel Doak Col. Joseph Hardin Col. John Sevier James White
Impediments	To settlers Chickamauga Cherokee Dragging Canoe Chickasaw Cherokee settlements To statehood Congress of the Confederation North Carolina John Tipton

36°03′N 83°27′W / 36.05°N 83.45°W / 36.05; -83.45

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