Dandridge | |
|---|---|
 Storefronts along Gay Street in downtown Dandridge | |
 Flag  Logo | |
| Motto: “We Saved a Place For You.” | |
 Location of Dandridge in Jefferson County, Tennessee | |
| Coordinates:36°1′43″N83°25′26″W / 36.02861°N 83.42389°W /36.02861; -83.42389 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Jefferson |
| Founded | 1783 |
| Incorporated | 1799[1] |
| Named after | Martha Dandridge Washington |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-council |
| • Mayor | George Gantte |
| • Vice Mayor | Todd Kesterson |
| • Town Council | Aldermen
|
| Area | |
• Total | 6.55 sq mi (16.96 km2) |
| • Land | 6.02 sq mi (15.59 km2) |
| • Water | 0.53 sq mi (1.37 km2) |
| Elevation | 997 ft (304 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 3,341 |
| • Density | 555.5/sq mi (214.48/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 37725 |
| Area code | 865 |
| FIPS code | 47-19380[5] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1282016[6] |
| Website | www |
Dandridge is a town in and the county seat ofJefferson County, Tennessee. It had a population of 3,341 at the 2020 census.[7][8] The town is part of theMorristown, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Jefferson andHamblen counties.
It is considered asuburb ofKnoxville based on its proximity to the city, and the connection between the two viaInterstate 40.[9]
Dandridge bills itself as the "second oldest town in Tennessee" (behind onlyJonesborough inWashington County).[10] Most of the downtown area of Dandridge sits below the high level water mark ofDouglas Lake and is protected by alevee made out of stone.[11]
In the 16th century, a substantialNative American chiefdom known asChiaha was located on Zimmerman's Island, just southwest of Dandridge along theFrench Broad River. Spanish explorerHernando de Soto spent several weeks at Chiaha in 1540, andJuan Pardo built a small fort near the chiefdom's main village in 1567. Both expeditions were en route to the chiefdom ofCoosa in what is nowGeorgia. Zimmerman's Island is now submerged by Douglas Lake.[12]
The first Euro-American settlers arrived in Dandridge in 1783. In 1793, the town was officially named the county seat of Jefferson County, which had been created the previous year.[13] The town was named forMartha Dandridge Washington, the wife ofthe first president of the United States.[10][14]
On December 24, 1863, at the height of theCivil War, a skirmish occurred at Dandridge asConfederate GeneralJames Longstreet andUnion GeneralAmbrose Burnside struggled for control ofKnoxville. As Longstreet's army retreated toMorristown, a detachment of his army intercepted and routed a pursuing Union brigade just north of Dandridge. The Union troops were forced to fall back toNew Market.[15]
The construction ofDouglas Dam on the French Broad River in 1942 proposed to flood almost all of downtown Dandridge, which was situated below the proposed reservoir's high-water mark. Residents of the town successfully petitioned then First LadyEleanor Roosevelt, pointing out that Dandridge was the only town in the United States named for the wife of George Washington. TheTennessee Valley Authority constructed a levee between downtown Dandridge and the reservoir. The levee rises almost immediately behind the Town Hall, and runs roughly parallel to Main Street.[16]
In 1975,Interstate 40 would be completed north of Dandridge, prompting town officials toannex the corridor of I-40 at exit 417 where it shares an interchange withSR 92.[17]
In 2015, the Town of Dandridge began efforts to revitalize its downtown area and its waterfront.[18] These plans include a public dock across the SR 92 bridge in Dandridge on TWRA owned land, improved bicycle and pedestrian access, a floating amphitheater, civic space, a swimming area, a farmer's market pavilion, commercial development space, and a hotel-conference center.[19][20][21] The project is expected to be complete in the early to mid 2020s.[19]
Dandridge is located south of the center of Jefferson County at36°1′43″N83°25′26″W / 36.02861°N 83.42389°W /36.02861; -83.42389 (36.028493, -83.424010).[22] The town is situated along the northern bank of the Douglas Lake impoundment of theFrench Broad River, approximately 45 miles (72 km) upstream by river from its confluence with theHolston andTennessee rivers atKnoxville, and approximately 12 miles (19 km) upstream fromDouglas Dam.
By highway, Dandridge is 9 miles (14 km) south ofJefferson City, 18 miles (29 km) southwest ofMorristown, 16 miles (26 km) northwest ofNewport, 18 miles northeast ofSevierville, and 31 miles (50 km) east of Knoxville.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, Dandridge has a total area of 6.4 square miles (16.6 km2), of which 5.9 square miles (15.3 km2) are land and 0.54 square miles (1.4 km2), or 8.21%, are water.[7]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 431 | — | |
| 1910 | 447 | — | |
| 1920 | 439 | −1.8% | |
| 1930 | 446 | 1.6% | |
| 1940 | 488 | 9.4% | |
| 1950 | 690 | 41.4% | |
| 1960 | 829 | 20.1% | |
| 1970 | 1,270 | 53.2% | |
| 1980 | 1,383 | 8.9% | |
| 1990 | 1,540 | 11.4% | |
| 2000 | 2,078 | 34.9% | |
| 2010 | 2,812 | 35.3% | |
| 2020 | 3,344 | 18.9% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 3,841 | [23] | 14.9% |
| Sources:[24][25][4] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 2,958 | 88.46% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 106 | 3.17% |
| Native American | 15 | 0.45% |
| Asian | 26 | 0.78% |
| Pacific Islander | 3 | 0.09% |
| Other/Mixed | 105 | 3.14% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 131 | 3.92% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 3,344 people, 1,107 households, and 796 families residing in the town.
As of thecensus[5] of 2010, there were 2,721 people, 833 households, and 516 families residing in the town. The population density was 509 inhabitants per square mile (197/km2). There were 833 housing units at an average density of 156.0 per square mile (60.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 92.44%White, 6.54%African American, 0.24%Native American, 0.05%Asian, 0.19% fromother races, and 0.53% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 0.96% of the population.
There were 749 households, out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% weremarried couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,167, and the median income for a family was $40,357. Males had a median income of $31,667 versus $21,176 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $19,753. About 9.4% of families and 13.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.
Municipalities and communities ofJefferson County, Tennessee,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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