Bledsoe County, Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bledsoe County
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Bledsoe County Courthouse in Pikeville
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Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
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 Tennessee's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Tennessee |
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| Founded | 1807 | |
| Named for | Anthony Bledsoe | |
| Seat | Pikeville | |
| Largest city | Pikeville | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 407 sq mi (1,050 km2) | |
| • Land | 406 sq mi (1,050 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2) 0.08%% | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 14,913  |
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| • Density | 36.73/sq mi (14.18/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) | |
| Congressional district | 4th | |
Bledsoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,913. Its county seat is Pikeville.
Contents
History
Bledsoe County was formed in 1807 from land that was formerly Indian Land as well as land carved from Roane County. The county was named for Anthony Bledsoe (1739–1788), a soldier in the Revolutionary War and was an early settler of Sumner County. He was killed in an Indian attack at Bledsoe's Station.
Like many East Tennessee counties, Bledsoe County opposed secession on the eve of the Civil War. In Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession on June 8, 1861, the county's residents voted against secession by a margin of 500 to 197. General James G. Spears, a resident of Bledsoe, served as a vice president at the pro-Union East Tennessee Convention in May and June 1861, and fought for the Union Army in the war.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 407 square miles (1,050 km2), of which 406 square miles (1,050 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) (0.08%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Cumberland County (north)
- Rhea County (east/EST Border)
- Hamilton County (southeast/EST Border)
- Sequatchie County (southwest)
- Van Buren County (west)
State protected areas
- Bledsoe State Forest (part)
- Fall Creek Falls State Natural Area (part)
- Fall Creek Falls State Park (part)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1820 | 4,005 | — | |
| 1830 | 4,648 | 16.1% | |
| 1840 | 5,676 | 22.1% | |
| 1850 | 5,959 | 5.0% | |
| 1860 | 4,459 | −25.2% | |
| 1870 | 4,870 | 9.2% | |
| 1880 | 5,617 | 15.3% | |
| 1890 | 6,134 | 9.2% | |
| 1900 | 6,626 | 8.0% | |
| 1910 | 6,329 | −4.5% | |
| 1920 | 7,218 | 14.0% | |
| 1930 | 7,128 | −1.2% | |
| 1940 | 8,358 | 17.3% | |
| 1950 | 8,561 | 2.4% | |
| 1960 | 7,811 | −8.8% | |
| 1970 | 7,643 | −2.2% | |
| 1980 | 9,478 | 24.0% | |
| 1990 | 9,669 | 2.0% | |
| 2000 | 12,367 | 27.9% | |
| 2010 | 12,876 | 4.1% | |
| 2020 | 14,913 | 15.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020 |
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2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 13,129 | 88.04% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 781 | 5.24% |
| Native American | 48 | 0.32% |
| Asian | 37 | 0.25% |
| Other/Mixed | 459 | 3.08% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 459 | 3.08% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,913 people, 4,894 households, and 3,473 families residing in the county.
Recreation
Bledsoe County is home to a portion of Fall Creek Falls State Resort Park.
Prisons
Bledsoe County Correctional Complex (BCCX) covers about 2,500 acres between Pikeville and Spencer. The prison is a level 3 facility which houses about 2,539 offenders in three separate facilities: Site 1; Site 2 (formerly Southeast Tennessee State Regional Correctional Facility); and Unit 28 (houses female offenders.)
Communities
City
- Pikeville (county seat)
Unincorporated communities
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Bledsoe para niños
