Athens, Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Athens, Tennessee
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McMinn County Courthouse in Athens
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| Nickname(s):
"The Friendly City"
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| Motto(s):
"Progress Since 1822"
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Location of Athens in McMinn County, Tennessee.
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 Athens, Tennessee
Location in Tennessee
Athens, Tennessee
Location in the United States
Athens, Tennessee
Location in North America
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| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | McMinn |
| Founded | 1822 |
| Incorporated | 1870 |
| Named for | Athens, Greece |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-manager |
| Area | |
| • Total | 15.51 sq mi (40.17 km2) |
| • Land | 15.51 sq mi (40.17 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 860 ft (262 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 14,084 |
| • Density | 908.18/sq mi (350.65/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes |
37303 & 37371
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| Area code(s) | 423 |
| FIPS code | 47-02320 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1304889 |
Athens is a city in Tennessee, United States. It is the main city of McMinn County. Athens is located almost exactly halfway between the larger cities of Knoxville and Chattanooga. In 2020, about 14,084 people lived there. The city is often called "The Friendly City."
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History of Athens, Tennessee
Early Days and the Civil War
Long ago, the Cherokee people lived in the area that is now McMinn County. In 1819, the Cherokee signed a treaty. They sold the land north of the Hiwassee River to the United States. McMinn County was officially started on November 13, 1819.
Athens was planned and chosen as the county seat in 1822. It might have been named "Athens" because its hills looked like those in Athens, Greece. By 1834, over 500 people lived in Athens. Important early settlers included William Henry Cooke and Samuel Clegg. Jesse Mayfield, whose family later started Mayfield Dairy Farms, also arrived in the 1820s.
A railroad project began in 1837 to connect Knoxville and Dalton, Georgia. It was finally finished in 1851. In 1836, General John Wool came to Athens. He helped with the Cherokee Removal, which later became known as the Trail of Tears. This was a forced march of the Cherokee people to new lands in the west.
During the American Civil War, McMinn County was divided. Some people supported the Union, and others supported the Confederacy. In 1861, the county voted against leaving the Union. Many people from McMinn County fought for both sides. General William Tecumseh Sherman stayed briefly in Athens during the war.
Athens After the Civil War
After the Civil War, the railroad brought new businesses to McMinn County. In 1887, investors started the Athens Mining and Manufacturing Company. They hoped to turn Athens into a big industrial town. By the late 1800s, textile, flour, and timber mills were important industries. Later, furniture and appliance factories also opened.
In 1946, something called the "Battle of Athens" happened. Several World War II veterans ran for local government jobs. They believed the current government was unfair. On August 1, local officials locked themselves in the county jail with the ballot boxes. The veterans thought they were trying to cheat.
So, the veterans got their weapons and gathered near the jail. After some shooting, the officials gave up. The votes were counted, and the veterans won the election. This event showed how citizens can stand up for fair government.
Geography and Climate
Where is Athens Located?
Athens is located at coordinates 35.448171°N and 84.602069°W. The city is in an area with many narrow ridges and low hills. This is typical of the Appalachian Ridge-and-Valley Province. The Unicoi Mountains are about 20 miles (32 km) east of Athens. The Tennessee River flows about 20 miles (32 km) to the west.
Oostanaula Creek flows through Athens. Other important streams nearby include Mouse Creek and Chestuee Creek.
How to Get Around Athens
Athens is at the meeting point of U.S. Route 11 and State Route 30. U.S. Route 11 connects Athens to Sweetwater in the north and Cleveland in the south. State Route 30 connects Athens to Etowah and Decatur. Interstate 75 also passes west of the city.
The city covers a total area of about 13.5 square miles (35 km2). All of this area is land.
What is the Weather Like?
Athens has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers. Winters are cool to cold, but usually not too harsh.
| Climate data for Athens, Tennessee (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1962–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 74 (23) |
81 (27) |
85 (29) |
91 (33) |
95 (35) |
103 (39) |
105 (41) |
103 (39) |
99 (37) |
98 (37) |
86 (30) |
77 (25) |
105 (41) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 48.6 (9.2) |
53.0 (11.7) |
61.7 (16.5) |
71.3 (21.8) |
78.8 (26.0) |
85.4 (29.7) |
88.4 (31.3) |
88.1 (31.2) |
83.1 (28.4) |
72.6 (22.6) |
60.9 (16.1) |
51.6 (10.9) |
70.3 (21.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 38.4 (3.6) |
41.9 (5.5) |
49.5 (9.7) |
58.3 (14.6) |
66.8 (19.3) |
74.4 (23.6) |
77.9 (25.5) |
77.2 (25.1) |
71.5 (21.9) |
59.9 (15.5) |
48.6 (9.2) |
41.5 (5.3) |
58.8 (14.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 28.2 (−2.1) |
30.9 (−0.6) |
37.3 (2.9) |
45.3 (7.4) |
54.8 (12.7) |
63.4 (17.4) |
67.5 (19.7) |
66.3 (19.1) |
59.9 (15.5) |
47.2 (8.4) |
36.2 (2.3) |
31.3 (−0.4) |
47.4 (8.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −16 (−27) |
−14 (−26) |
2 (−17) |
22 (−6) |
29 (−2) |
36 (2) |
48 (9) |
48 (9) |
29 (−2) |
23 (−5) |
9 (−13) |
−4 (−20) |
−16 (−27) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 5.56 (141) |
5.07 (129) |
5.51 (140) |
5.50 (140) |
4.59 (117) |
5.03 (128) |
5.52 (140) |
4.03 (102) |
5.20 (132) |
3.58 (91) |
4.88 (124) |
5.91 (150) |
60.38 (1,534) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.0 (2.5) |
1.3 (3.3) |
0.8 (2.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.4 (1.0) |
3.6 (9.1) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 11.6 | 11.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 11.5 | 11.7 | 12.1 | 10.3 | 8.4 | 8.2 | 9.6 | 12.4 | 131.0 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 2.0 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
People of Athens
Population Changes Over Time
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 678 | — | |
| 1870 | 974 | 43.7% | |
| 1880 | 1,100 | 12.9% | |
| 1890 | 2,224 | 102.2% | |
| 1900 | 1,849 | −16.9% | |
| 1910 | 2,264 | 22.4% | |
| 1920 | 2,580 | 14.0% | |
| 1930 | 5,385 | 108.7% | |
| 1940 | 6,930 | 28.7% | |
| 1950 | 8,618 | 24.4% | |
| 1960 | 12,103 | 40.4% | |
| 1970 | 11,790 | −2.6% | |
| 1980 | 12,080 | 2.5% | |
| 1990 | 12,054 | −0.2% | |
| 2000 | 13,220 | 9.7% | |
| 2010 | 13,458 | 1.8% | |
| 2020 | 14,084 | 4.7% | |
| Sources: | |||
What the 2020 Census Shows
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 10,660 | 75.80% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 1,395 | 10.28% |
| Native American | 35 | 0.25% |
| Asian | 197 | 1.4% |
| Pacific Islander | 4 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed | 752 | 5.34% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,041 | 7.39% |
In 2020, Athens had 14,084 people living in the city. There were 5,530 households and 2,991 families.
What the 2010 Census Showed
In 2010, there were 13,458 people in Athens. Most people (about 84.87%) were White. About 9.12% were Black, and 1.64% were Asian. About 5.27% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino background.
There were 5,704 households in total. About 61.33% of these were family households. This means families lived together in these homes. The average household had about 2.27 people.
About 22.69% of the people were under 18 years old. About 17.34% were 65 years or older. The average age in Athens was 39.1 years. More than half of the population (53.52%) were females.
The average income for a household was $31,062. For families, it was $44,419. About 24.8% of all people in Athens lived below the poverty line. This included many young people and seniors.
Education in Athens
Athens has several schools and colleges.
Colleges and Vocational Schools
- McMinn County Higher Education Center
- Tennessee Wesleyan University
- Tennessee College of Applied Technology of Athens
Public High Schools
McMinn County Schools runs the public high schools that serve Athens.
- McMinn County High School
Public Middle and Elementary Schools
Athens City Schools runs the public elementary and middle schools.
- Athens City Middle School
- City Park Elementary
- West Side Elementary
- North City Elementary
- Ingleside Elementary
Private Schools
- Fairview Christian Academy (Kindergarten to 12th grade)
- Christ Legacy Academy (Kindergarten to 12th grade)
Notable People from Athens
Many interesting people have come from Athens:
- Eric Axley - A professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.
- George Washington Bridges - A Congressman.
- J. Lawrence Cook - A talented piano roll artist.
- John Tyler Morgan - He represented Alabama in the United States Senate. He also served as a brigadier general in the Confederate Army.
- JaJuan Smith - A former basketball player for the University of Tennessee. He played at McMinn County High School.
Athens Media
Athens and McMinn County get news and entertainment from both Chattanooga and Knoxville.
Newspapers
- The Daily Post Athenian - This is the daily newspaper for Athens.
Radio Stations (FM)
- Jack FM Country
- WJSQ Country
- J-103 religious (also heard in Etowah)
- WKPJ-LP 104.5 religious (part of 3ABN Radio Network)
Radio Stations (AM)
- WCPH 1220 Adult Standards (also heard in Etowah)
- WYXI 1390 Oldies
- WLAR 1450 Oldies
Television
- Comcast TV channel 95
Sister City
Athens has a sister city in Japan:
Isahaya, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan
See Also
In Spanish: Athens (Tennessee) para niños
