| Counties of Tennessee | |
|---|---|
.png) | |
| Location | State of Tennessee |
| Number | 95 |
| Populations | 5,108 (Pickett) - 910,530 (Shelby) |
| Areas | 114 sq mi (300 km2) (Trousdale) -755 sq mi (1,960 km2) (Shelby) |
| Government | |
| Subdivisions |
|
There are 95counties in theU.S. State ofTennessee. As of 2024,Shelby County was both Tennessee's most populous county, with 910,530 residents, and the largest county in area, covering an area of 755 sq mi (1,955 km2). The least populous county wasPickett County (5,108) and the smallest in area wasTrousdale County, covering 114 sq mi (295 km2). As of the same year,Davidson County, in which the capitalNashville is located, covers 502 sq mi (1,300 km2) with a population of 729,505. The population of the state of Tennessee as of the 2024census estimate was 7,227,750 in an area of 42,169 sq mi (109,217 km2).[1][2][3] The oldest county isWashington County, founded in 1777. The most recently formed county isChester County (1879).[1]
According to the 2020 census, thecenter of population for Tennessee was located at35°49′16″N86°19′57″W / 35.821189°N 86.332487°W /35.821189; -86.332487, 3.5 mi (5.6 km) southeast ofMurfreesboro inRutherford County.[4] The center of population pinpoints the location at which the population of the state, as placed on a map of the state where they reside, would balance out the map. Thegeographic center, the point where the map of Tennessee would balance without the population, is located 5 mi (8 km) northeast of Murfreesboro. In 1976, the Rutherford County Historical Society marked the geographic center of Tennessee with anobelisk.[5]
Some of the counties were formed in part or completely from lands previously controlled by American Indians. The "Indian lands" were territories thatAmerican Indians had occupied from pre-Columbian times and to which they were granted the legal right of occupancy in an act of the United States government. In cases where counties had been formed from that territory, the legal right of American Indian occupancy was revoked in a federal act prior to the formal establishment of the county.[6] For Tennessee, ten treaties were negotiated between 1770 and 1835, defining the areas assigned to European settlers and to American Indians, regulating the right of occupancy regarding the lands. The remaining indigenous population was eventually removed from Tennessee to what became the state ofOklahoma.[7]
TheFederal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code, which is used by the United States government to uniquely identify counties, is provided with each entry. FIPS codes are five-digit numbers; for Tennessee the codes start with 47 and are completed with the three-digit county code. The FIPS code for each county in the table links to census data for that county.[8]
| County | FIPS code[8] | County seat[1] | Est.[1] | Origin[9] | Etymology[9] | Population | Area[10][1] | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson County | 001 | Clinton | 1801 | Knox and Grainger Counties | Joseph Anderson(1757–1837),U.S. Senator from Tennessee and first Comptroller of theU.S. Treasury. | 81,449 | 338 sq mi (875 km2) |  |
| Bedford County | 003 | Shelbyville | 1807 | Rutherford County | Revolutionary War officer Thomas Bedford, a large landowner in the area | 54,228 | 474 sq mi (1,228 km2) |  |
| Benton County | 005 | Camden | 1835 | Humphreys County | Creek War veteran David Benton(1779–1860), an early settler in the county. | 16,173 | 394 sq mi (1,020 km2) |  |
| Bledsoe County | 007 | Pikeville | 1807 | Roane County and Indian lands | Anthony Bledsoe (1739-1788), Revolutionary War soldier, surveyor, and early settler in Sumner County | 15,591 | 406 sq mi (1,052 km2) |  |
| Blount County | 009 | Maryville | 1795 | Knox County | William Blount(1749–1800), governor of theSouthwest Territory and laterU.S. Senator | 142,211 | 559 sq mi (1,448 km2) |  |
| Bradley County | 011 | Cleveland | 1836 | Indian lands | Tennessee state legislatorEdward Bradley. | 113,782 | 329 sq mi (852 km2) |  |
| Campbell County | 013 | Jacksboro | 1806 | Anderson and Claiborne counties | VirginiaHouse of Burgesses member Arthur Campbell(1743–1811), who was a negotiator of Indian treaties. | 40,238 | 480 sq mi (1,243 km2) |  |
| Cannon County | 015 | Woodbury | 1836 | Rutherford, Smith and Warren counties | Governor of TennesseeNewton Cannon(1781–1841). | 15,142 | 266 sq mi (689 km2) |  |
| Carroll County | 017 | Huntingdon | 1821 | Indian lands | Governor (Tennessee politician)|William Carroll(1788–1844). | 29,107 | 599 sq mi (1,551 km2) |  |
| Carter County | 019 | Elizabethton | 1796 | Washington County | Speaker of the"Lost State of Franklin" Senate Landon Carter (1760–1800)[11]. | 57,434 | 341 sq mi (883 km2) |  |
| Cheatham County | 021 | Ashland City | 1856 | Davidson, Dickson, Montgomery and Robertson counties | Tennessee state legislator Edward Cheatham and possibly Confederate General Benjamin F. Cheatham. | 42,604 | 303 sq mi (785 km2) |  |
| Chester County | 023 | Henderson | 1879 | Hardeman, Henderson, McNairy and Madison counties | Tennessee state legislator Robert I. Chester. | 17,876 | 289 sq mi (749 km2) |  |
| Claiborne County | 025 | Tazewell | 1801 | Grainger and Hawkins counties | Governor of Louisiana andGovernor of Mississippi TerritoryWilliam C. C. Claiborne(1775–1817). | 33,070 | 434 sq mi (1,124 km2) |  |
| Clay County | 027 | Celina | 1870 | Jackson and Overton counties | U.S. Speaker of the House andSecretary of StateHenry Clay(1777–1852). | 7,857 | 236 sq mi (611 km2) |  |
| Cocke County | 029 | Newport | 1797 | Jefferson County | William Cocke(1747–1828), one of Tennessee's firstU.S. Senators. | 37,596 | 434 sq mi (1,124 km2) |  |
| Coffee County | 031 | Manchester | 1836 | Bedford, Warren and Franklin counties | John Coffee(1772–1833), frontiersman, planter, and veteran ofCreek War andWar of 1812. | 61,285 | 429 sq mi (1,111 km2) |  |
| Crockett County | 033 | Alamo | 1871 | Haywood, Madison, Dyer and Gibson counties | Davy Crockett(1786–1836), frontier humorist, Congressman, and defender of theAlamo. | 13,973 | 265 sq mi (686 km2) |  |
| Cumberland County | 035 | Crossville | 1855 | White, Bledsoe, Rhea, Morgan, Fentress and Putnam counties | TheCumberland Mountains. | 65,618 | 682 sq mi (1,766 km2) |  |
| Davidson County | 037 | Nashville | 1783 | Part ofNorth Carolina | William Lee Davidson(1746–1781), a Brigadier General who died at theRevolutionary WarBattle of Cowan's Ford. | 729,505 | 502 sq mi (1,300 km2) |  |
| Decatur County | 039 | Decaturville | 1845 | Perry County | U.S. naval officer andWar of 1812 heroStephen Decatur(1779–1820). | 11,800 | 333 sq mi (862 km2) |  |
| DeKalb County | 041 | Smithville | 1837 | Franklin, Cannon, Jackson and White counties | Johann de Kalb(1721–1780), a German-born baron who assisted the Continentals during theAmerican Revolutionary War. | 21,747 | 304 sq mi (787 km2) |  |
| Dickson County | 043 | Charlotte | 1803 | Montgomery and Robertson counties | U.S. RepresentativeWilliam Dickson(1770–1816). | 57,641 | 490 sq mi (1,269 km2) |  |
| Dyer County | 045 | Dyersburg | 1823 | Indian lands | Tennessee state legislator Robert Henry Dyer. | 36,403 | 510 sq mi (1,321 km2) |  |
| Fayette County | 047 | Somerville | 1824 | Indian lands | Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette(1757–1834), a French-born general in theAmerican Revolutionary War. | 44,476 | 705 sq mi (1,826 km2) |  |
| Fentress County | 049 | Jamestown | 1823 | Morgan, Overton and White counties | Tennessee state legislatorJames Fentress. | 20,129 | 499 sq mi (1,292 km2) |  |
| Franklin County | 051 | Winchester | 1807 | Rutherford County and Indian lands | Publisher, scholar, orator, and Founding FatherBenjamin Franklin(1706–1790). | 45,137 | 553 sq mi (1,432 km2) |  |
| Gibson County | 053 | Trenton | 1823 | Indian lands | John H. Gibson, a soldier of the Natchez Expedition and theCreek War. | 51,422 | 603 sq mi (1,562 km2) |  |
| Giles County | 055 | Pulaski | 1809 | Indian lands | U.S. Senator andGovernor of VirginiaWilliam B. Giles(1762–1830). | 30,971 | 611 sq mi (1,582 km2) |  |
| Grainger County | 057 | Rutledge | 1796 | Hawkins and Knox counties | Mary Grainger Blount, wife ofWilliam Blount and "first lady" of theSouthwest Territory, which later became Tennessee. | 25,073 | 280 sq mi (725 km2) |  |
| Greene County | 059 | Greeneville | 1783 | Washington County | American Revolutionary War generalNathanael Greene(1742–1786). | 73,398 | 622 sq mi (1,611 km2) |  |
| Grundy County | 061 | Altamont | 1844 | Coffee, Warren and Franklin counties | U.S. Attorney GeneralFelix Grundy(1777–1840). | 14,148 | 361 sq mi (935 km2) |  |
| Hamblen County | 063 | Morristown | 1870 | Jefferson, Grainger and Greene counties | Early settler Hezekiah Hamblen. | 67,715 | 161 sq mi (417 km2) |  |
| Hamilton County | 065 | Chattanooga | 1819 | Rhea County and Indian lands | FirstU.S. Secretary of the Treasury and Founding FatherAlexander Hamilton(1755 or 1757–1804). | 386,256 | 543 sq mi (1,406 km2) |  |
| Hancock County | 067 | Sneedville | 1844 | Hawkins and Claiborne counties | President of theContinental CongressJohn Hancock(1737–1793). | 7,038 | 222 sq mi (575 km2) |  |
| Hardeman County | 069 | Bolivar | 1823 | Hardin County and Indian lands | Thomas Jones Hardeman,Creek War andWar of 1812 soldier, later a member of theRepublic of Texas legislature. | 25,434 | 668 sq mi (1,730 km2) |  |
| Hardin County | 071 | Savannah | 1819 | Indian lands | Joseph Hardin, legislator of theSouthwest Territory andState of Franklin. | 27,617 | 578 sq mi (1,497 km2) |  |
| Hawkins County | 073 | Rogersville | 1786 | Sullivan County | U.S. SenatorBenjamin Hawkins(1754–1816). | 59,371 | 487 sq mi (1,261 km2) |  |
| Haywood County | 075 | Brownsville | 1823 | Indian lands | JudgeJohn Haywood(1762–1826), called "the father of Tennessee history." | 17,097 | 533 sq mi (1,380 km2) |  |
| Henderson County | 077 | Lexington | 1821 | Indian lands | James Henderson, an officer of theWar of 1812. | 28,183 | 520 sq mi (1,347 km2) |  |
| Henry County | 079 | Paris | 1821 | Indian lands | Revolutionary-era orator and Virginia legislatorPatrick Henry(1736–1799). | 32,883 | 562 sq mi (1,456 km2) |  |
| Hickman County | 081 | Centerville | 1807 | Dickson County | Edwin Hickman, alonghunter killed byNative Americans near the present-day site ofCenterville. | 25,859 | 613 sq mi (1,588 km2) |  |
| Houston County | 083 | Erin | 1871 | Dickson, Humphreys, Montgomery and Stewart counties | Sam Houston(1793–1863), Tennessee governor and congressman, president of theRepublic of Texas,U.S. Senator fromTexas, and Texas governor. | 8,538 | 200 sq mi (518 km2) |  |
| Humphreys County | 085 | Waverly | 1809 | Stewart County | U.S. RepresentativeParry Wayne Humphreys(1778–1839). | 19,554 | 532 sq mi (1,378 km2) |  |
| Jackson County | 087 | Gainesboro | 1801 | Smith County and Indian lands | U.S. PresidentAndrew Jackson(1767–1845). | 12,376 | 309 sq mi (800 km2) |  |
| Jefferson County | 089 | Dandridge | 1792 | Greene and Hawkins counties | U.S. President and Founding FatherThomas Jefferson(1743–1826). | 59,217 | 274 sq mi (710 km2) |  |
| Johnson County | 091 | Mountain City | 1836 | Carter County | Thomas Johnson, an early settler ofCarter County along theDoe River. | 18,506 | 299 sq mi (774 km2) |  |
| Knox County | 093 | Knoxville | 1792 | Greene and Hawkins counties | Henry Knox(1750–1806), the firstU.S. Secretary of War. | 506,748 | 509 sq mi (1,318 km2) |  |
| Lake County | 095 | Tiptonville | 1870 | Obion County | Reelfoot Lake | 6,422 | 163 sq mi (422 km2) |  |
| Lauderdale County | 097 | Ripley | 1835 | Haywood, Dyer and Tipton counties | James Lauderdale, who was killed in theWar of 1812. | 24,630 | 470 sq mi (1,217 km2) |  |
| Lawrence County | 099 | Lawrenceburg | 1817 | Hickman County and Indian lands | U.S. naval officer andWar of 1812 heroJames Lawrence(1781–1813). | 46,467 | 617 sq mi (1,598 km2) |  |
| Lewis County | 101 | Hohenwald | 1843 | Hickman, Lawrence, Maury and Wayne counties | Meriwether Lewis(1774–1809), explorer of the American West. | 13,418 | 282 sq mi (730 km2) |  |
| Lincoln County | 103 | Fayetteville | 1809 | Bedford County | U.S. Secretary of WarBenjamin Lincoln(1733–1810). | 36,751 | 570 sq mi (1,476 km2) |  |
| Loudon County | 105 | Loudon | 1870 | Roane, Monroe, Blount and McMinn counties | Fort Loudoun, which was named forJohn Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun, who led British and American forces during theFrench and Indian War. | 62,129 | 229 sq mi (593 km2) |  |
| Macon County | 111 | Lafayette | 1842 | Smith and Sumner counties | U.S. SenatorNathaniel Macon(1758–1837). | 27,189 | 307 sq mi (795 km2) |  |
| Madison County | 113 | Jackson | 1821 | Indian lands | U.S. PresidentJames Madison(1758–1836). | 100,409 | 557 sq mi (1,443 km2) |  |
| Marion County | 115 | Jasper | 1817 | Indian lands | Francis Marion(1732–1795), the "Swamp Fox" of theAmerican Revolutionary War. | 29,826 | 500 sq mi (1,295 km2) |  |
| Marshall County | 117 | Lewisburg | 1836 | Giles, Bedford, Lincoln and Maury counties | U.S. Chief JusticeJohn Marshall(1755–1835). | 37,847 | 375 sq mi (971 km2) |  |
| Maury County | 119 | Columbia | 1807 | Williamson County and Indian lands | Tennessee state senator Abram Maury, Sr.(1766–1825), father of U.S. RepresentativeAbram Poindexter Maury. | 113,411 | 613 sq mi (1,588 km2) |  |
| McMinn County | 107 | Athens | 1819 | Indian lands | Governor of TennesseeJoseph McMinn(1758–1824). | 56,754 | 430 sq mi (1,114 km2) |  |
| McNairy County | 109 | Selmer | 1823 | Hardin County | John McNairy, judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Tennessee. | 26,103 | 560 sq mi (1,450 km2) |  |
| Meigs County | 121 | Decatur | 1836 | Rhea County | Return Jonathan Meigs(1740–1823), an officer in theContinental Army who was for many years a federal Indian and military agent in Tennessee. | 13,937 | 195 sq mi (505 km2) |  |
| Monroe County | 123 | Madisonville | 1819 | Indian lands | U.S. PresidentJames Monroe(1758–1831). | 49,154 | 635 sq mi (1,645 km2) |  |
| Montgomery County | 125 | Clarksville | 1796 | Tennessee County | John Montgomery(c. 1750–1794), leader of theNickajack Expedition. | 246,025 | 539 sq mi (1,396 km2) |  |
| Moore County | 127 | Lynchburg | 1871 | Bedford, Lincoln and Franklin counties | Tennessee state legislator William Moore. | 6,773 | 129 sq mi (334 km2) |  |
| Morgan County | 129 | Wartburg | 1817 | Anderson and Roane counties | American Revolutionary War officerDaniel Morgan(1736–1802). | 21,954 | 522 sq mi (1,352 km2) |  |
| Obion County | 131 | Union City | 1823 | Indian lands | TheObion River. | 30,261 | 545 sq mi (1,412 km2) |  |
| Overton County | 133 | Livingston | 1806 | Jackson County and Indian lands | John Overton(1766–1833), one of the cofounders ofMemphis, Tennessee. | 23,551 | 433 sq mi (1,121 km2) |  |
| Perry County | 135 | Linden | 1819 | Humphreys and Hickman counties | U.S. naval officer andWar of 1812 heroOliver Hazard Perry(1785–1819). | 8,987 | 415 sq mi (1,075 km2) |  |
| Pickett County | 137 | Byrdstown | 1879 | Fentress and Overton counties | Tennessee state legislator Howell L. Pickett (1847 - 1914). | 5,108 | 163 sq mi (422 km2) |  |
| Polk County | 139 | Benton | 1839 | McMinn and Bradley counties | U.S. PresidentJames K. Polk(1795–1849). | 18,338 | 435 sq mi (1,127 km2) |  |
| Putnam County | 141 | Cookeville | 1854 | Fentress, Jackson, Smith, White and Overton counties | American Revolutionary War officerIsrael Putnam(1718–1790). | 84,894 | 401 sq mi (1,039 km2) |  |
| Rhea County | 143 | Dayton | 1807 | Roane County | U.S. RepresentativeJohn Rhea(1753–1832). | 34,759 | 316 sq mi (818 km2) |  |
| Roane County | 145 | Kingston | 1801 | Knox County and Indian lands | Governor of TennesseeArchibald Roane(1759 or 1760–1819). | 56,742 | 361 sq mi (935 km2) |  |
| Robertson County | 147 | Springfield | 1796 | Tennessee and Sumner counties | James Robertson(1742–1814), Tennessee state legislator and founder of the Watauga Settlements. | 78,459 | 477 sq mi (1,235 km2) |  |
| Rutherford County | 149 | Murfreesboro | 1803 | Davidson, Williamson and Wilson counties | Griffith Rutherford, chairman of the legislature of theSouthwest Territory. | 376,996 | 619 sq mi (1,603 km2) |  |
| Scott County | 151 | Huntsville | 1849 | Anderson, Campbell, Fentress and Morgan counties | US. Army general and hero of theMexican–American WarWinfield Scott(1786–1866). | 22,517 | 532 sq mi (1,378 km2) |  |
| Sequatchie County | 153 | Dunlap | 1857 | Hamilton, Marion and Warren counties | Cherokee word believed to mean,opossum, he grins or runs. | 17,620 | 266 sq mi (689 km2) |  |
| Sevier County | 155 | Sevierville | 1794 | Jefferson County | John Sevier(1745–1815), governor of theState of Franklin and firstGovernor of Tennessee. | 100,184 | 592 sq mi (1,533 km2) |  |
| Shelby County | 157 | Memphis | 1819 | Chickasaw Nation lands acquired through theJackson Purchase.[12] | Isaac Shelby(1750–1826), commander atKings Mountain, firstgovernor of Kentucky, and negotiator of the purchase of thewestern district from theChickasaws. | 910,530 | 755 sq mi (1,955 km2) |  |
| Smith County | 159 | Carthage | 1799 | Sumner County and Indian lands | American Revolutionary War officer andU.S. SenatorDaniel Smith(1748–1818). | 20,783 | 314 sq mi (813 km2) |  |
| Stewart County | 161 | Dover | 1803 | Montgomery County | Duncan Stewart, Tennessee state legislator and lieutenant governor ofMississippi Territory. | 14,365 | 458 sq mi (1,186 km2) |  |
| Sullivan County | 163 | Blountville | 1779 | Washington County | Governor of New HampshireJohn Sullivan(1740–1795). | 162,703 | 413 sq mi (1,070 km2) |  |
| Sumner County | 165 | Gallatin | 1786 | Davidson County | Jethro Sumner(1733–1785), an American colonist who defendedNorth Carolina against the British in 1780. | 211,721 | 529 sq mi (1,370 km2) |  |
| Tipton County | 167 | Covington | 1823 | Shelby County (previouslyChickasaw lands)[12] | Jacob Tipton, father of Armistead Blevins, who supervised the organization of Shelby County; Tipton was killed by Native Americans in 1791 in a conflict over theNorthwest Territory.[12] | 62,187 | 459 sq mi (1,189 km2) |  |
| Trousdale County | 169 | Hartsville | 1870 | Wilson, Macon, Smith and Sumner counties | William Trousdale(1790–1872),Creek andMexican–American War soldier and officer, state senator andGovernor of Tennessee. | 12,159 | 114 sq mi (295 km2) |  |
| Unicoi County | 171 | Erwin | 1875 | Washington and Carter County | Native American word for the southernAppalachian Mountains, probably meaningwhite orfog-draped | 17,872 | 186 sq mi (482 km2) |  |
| Union County | 173 | Maynardville | 1850 | Grainger, Claiborne, Campbell, Anderson and Knox counties | Either for its creation from parts of five counties or to memorializeEast Tennessee's support for preservation of theUnion | 21,064 | 224 sq mi (580 km2) |  |
| Van Buren County | 175 | Spencer | 1840 | Warren and White counties | U.S. PresidentMartin Van Buren(1782–1862) | 6,686 | 247 sq mi (640 km2) |  |
| Warren County | 177 | McMinnville | 1807 | White, Jackson, Smith counties and Indian lands | American Revolutionary War officerJoseph Warren(1741–1775), who sentPaul Revere on his famous midnight ride | 43,619 | 433 sq mi (1,121 km2) |  |
| Washington County | 179 | Jonesborough | 1777 | Part ofNorth Carolina | U.S. PresidentGeorge Washington(1732–1799) | 139,642 | 326 sq mi (844 km2) |  |
| Wayne County | 181 | Waynesboro | 1817 | Hickman County | American Revolutionary War General"Mad" Anthony Wayne(1745–1796) | 15,974 | 734 sq mi (1,901 km2) |  |
| Weakley County | 183 | Dresden | 1823 | Indian lands | U.S. RepresentativeRobert Weakley(1764–1845). | 33,162 | 580 sq mi (1,502 km2) |  |
| White County | 185 | Sparta | 1806 | Jackson and Smith counties | John White,Revolutionary War soldier and the first European-American settler in the county | 29,108 | 377 sq mi (976 km2) |  |
| Williamson County | 187 | Franklin | 1799 | Davidson County | U.S. RepresentativeHugh Williamson(1735–1819). | 269,136 | 582 sq mi (1,507 km2) |  |
| Wilson County | 189 | Lebanon | 1799 | Sumner County | David Wilson, a member of the legislatures ofNorth Carolina and theSouthwest Territory. | 169,948 | 571 sq mi (1,479 km2) |  |
There are two defunct counties in Tennessee:
Three Tennessee counties operate underconsolidated city–county governments, a city and county that have been merged into one jurisdiction. As such, these governments are simultaneously a city, which is amunicipal corporation, and a county, which is an administrative division of a state.
