Campbell County, Tennessee Facts for Kids

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Campbell County

Campbell County Courthouse in Jacksboro

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Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee

Tennessee's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

Tennessee

Founded

September 11, 1806

Arthur Campbell

Largest city

Area

• Total

498 sq mi (1,290 km²)

• Land

480 sq mi (1,200 km²)

• Water

18 sq mi (50 km²) 3.6%%

Population

(2020)

• Total

39,272

• Density

79/sq mi (31/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional districts

2nd, 3rd

Campbell County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is located on the state's northern border in East Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, its population was 39,272. Its county seat is Jacksboro. Campbell County is included in the Knoxville metropolitan statistical area.

History
Geography
- Adjacent counties
- State-protected areas
Demographics
- 2020 census
Economy
- Coal mining
- Tourism
Communities
See also

History

Campbell County was formed in 1806 from parts of Anderson and Claiborne Counties. It was named in honor of Colonel Arthur Campbell (1743–1811), a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and an officer during the American Revolutionary War.

New Mammoth Cave, located in Elk Valley, approximately 10 miles southwest of Jellico, was mined for saltpeter (the main ingredient of gunpowder) during the War of 1812. This cave possibly was also mined during the Civil War. In 1921, the cave was developed as a tourist attraction and was open to the public until at least 1928. Today, New Mammoth Cave is securely gated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is protected as a sanctuary for bats, including the federally endangered Indiana bat.

During the Civil War, the county's sympathies were predominantly with the Union. On June 8, 1861, voters in Campbell County rejected Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession by a vote of 1,094 to 60. On August 1, 1861, Campbell County became the first Tennessee county to form a Union Army unit for the Civil War, organizing Company B of the 1st Tennessee Infantry at Jacksboro.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 498 sq mi (1,290 km²), of which 480 sq mi (1,200 km²) are land and 18 sq mi (47 km²) (3.6%) are covered by water.

Campbell County is situated in a geological border region between the Cumberland Mountains in the northwest and the Appalachian Ridge-and-Valley Range in the southeast. This border area is characterized by several large, elongated ridges, namely Cross Mountain in the west and Cumberland Mountain, Walnut Mountain, and Pine Mountain to the north. Ivydell, situated in the Cumberland Mountains region, is the exact geographical center of Campbell County. Elevations vary widely across the county, ranging from 3,534 ft (1,077 m) at Cross Mountain to slightly less than 1,000 ft (300 m) a few miles away at Norris Lake. Norris Lake— an artificial reservoir created by the Tennessee Valley Authority in the 1930s— is the main body of water in the region. It is fed by the Clinch and Powell Rivers, as well as several large creeks, most notably Davis Creek, Big Creek, and Cove Creek. Cove Creek also feeds the much smaller Cove Lake— a recreational lake built by TVA in the 1930s as part of the Norris project— which is located near Caryville.

View across Cumberland Mountain from the Cumberland Trail

Most of the county's residents live in the southern half of the county, where La Follette, Jacksboro, and Caryville are located. Jellico, located along the Tennessee-Kentucky border, is the most notable populated area in the county's plateau section.

Portions of the county north of Walnut Mountain are part of the Cumberland River watershed. Portions of the county south of Walnut Mountain are part of the Tennessee River watershed. In the northwestern part of the county, a large valley, known as Elk Valley, runs from southwest to northeast, from Pioneer to Jellico.

Adjacent counties

State-protected areas

Chuck Swan State Forest (part)
Cove Creek Wildlife Management Area
Cove Lake State Park
Cumberland Trail (part)
Indian Mountain State Park
Norris Dam State Park (part)
North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1810	2,668	—
1820	4,244	59.1%
1830	5,110	20.4%
1840	6,149	20.3%
1850	6,068	−1.3%
1860	6,712	10.6%
1870	7,445	10.9%
1880	10,005	34.4%
1890	13,486	34.8%
1900	17,317	28.4%
1910	27,387	58.2%
1920	28,265	3.2%
1930	26,827	−5.1%
1940	31,131	16.0%
1950	34,369	10.4%
1960	27,936	−18.7%
1970	26,045	−6.8%
1980	34,923	34.1%
1990	35,079	0.4%
2000	39,854	13.6%
2010	40,716	2.2%
2020	39,272	−3.5%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020

Age pyramid Campbell County

2020 census

Campbell County racial composition
Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	37,101	94.47%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	130	0.33%
Native American	77	0.2%
Asian	94	0.24%
Other/Mixed	1,370	3.49%
Hispanic or Latino	500	1.27%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 39,272 people, 16,192 households, and 11,127 families residing in the county.

Economy

Coal mining

The Cumberland Plateau section of Campbell County is part of the massive Appalachian coalfield that dominates much of Central Appalachia, thus the Jellico section of the county has more in common economically with southeastern Kentucky and West Virginia, whereas the southern parts of the county economically resemble East Tennessee. The coal seams near Jellico produced a slow-burning bituminous coal that helped make Campbell County Tennessee's largest coal-producing county in the early 20th century.

Tourism

Campbell County is home to Norris Lake and the Royal Blue Trails Complex. Much of Norris Lake is along its southern boundary, as well as several wildlife management areas such as the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area, which includes the Royal Blue Trails. Campbell County boasts 11 marinas on Norris Lake, drawing tens of thousands of visitors annually. The county is home to Lonus Young County Park on Norris Lake and four state parks: Cove Lake State Park near Caryville, Indian Mountain State Park near Jellico, Norris Dam State Park near Rocky Top, and the Cumberland Trail State Park coursing the mountaintops overlooking LaFollette, Jacksboro, and Caryville from Speedwell in the east to the southern reaches of the county near one of the last railroad water tanks near the Shea community. Over a million visitors frequent the Tennessee Welcome Center along I-75 at Jellico each year.