List of counties in Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Counties of Tennessee |
|
|---|---|
.png) |
|
| Location | State of Tennessee |
| Number | 95 |
| Populations | 5,128 (Pickett) - 910,042 (Shelby) |
| Areas | 114 sq mi (300 km2) (Trousdale) -755 sq mi (1,960 km2) (Shelby) |
| Government | County government |
| Subdivisions | cities, towns, unincorporated communities, census designated place |
Tennessee is a state in the United States that is divided into 95 areas called counties. Think of a county as a smaller region within a state, like a district, that helps organize local government and services.
As of 2023, Shelby County is the largest county in Tennessee in two ways: it has the most people (over 910,000 residents) and covers the biggest area (about 755 square miles). On the other hand, Pickett County has the fewest people (around 5,128), and Trousdale County is the smallest in size (about 114 square miles).
The state capital, Nashville, is located in Davidson County. This county covers about 502 square miles and has a population of over 712,000 people. In 2023, the entire state of Tennessee had about 7.1 million people living in an area of about 42,169 square miles.
The oldest county in Tennessee is Washington County, which was created in 1777. The newest county is Chester County, formed in 1879.
Contents
Understanding Tennessee's Population and Geography
Where is the Center of Population?
The "center of population" is a special point on a map. If you imagine everyone in Tennessee standing on a map of the state, this point is where the map would perfectly balance. According to the 2020 census, Tennessee's center of population is located about 3.5 miles southeast of Murfreesboro in Rutherford County.
What is the Geographic Center?
The "geographic center" is different. It's the point where a map of Tennessee would balance if there were no people on it. This point is about 5 miles northeast of Murfreesboro. In 1976, a special monument called an obelisk was placed there to mark this important spot.
Counties and Native American Lands
Many of Tennessee's counties were formed from lands that were once controlled by American Indian tribes. These "Indian lands" were territories where Native Americans had lived for a very long time. The U.S. government had given them legal rights to these lands.
However, before these counties were officially created, the legal rights of the American Indians to these specific lands were removed by the government. Between 1770 and 1835, ten different agreements, called treaties, were made. These treaties decided which areas would be for European settlers and which would remain for American Indians. Eventually, most of the Native American population was moved from Tennessee to what is now the state of Oklahoma.
How Counties are Identified: FIPS Codes
The United States government uses a special code called the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code to uniquely identify each county. These codes are five-digit numbers. For counties in Tennessee, the codes always start with "47," followed by a three-digit code for the specific county. For example, the FIPS code for Anderson County is 47001. These codes are often used to link to important information like census data for each county.
How Many Counties are There?
Tennessee has 95 counties. Each county has a main town or city called a county seat, where the local government offices are located. Counties were created at different times, and their names often honor important people, places, or events in history.
Below is a table that helps organize information about Tennessee's counties. It shows details like when a county was established, where its land came from, and why it was given its name.
| County |
FIPS code | County seat | Est. | Origin | Etymology | Population | Area | Map
|
|---|
Counties That No Longer Exist
Tennessee has had two counties that no longer exist today:
- James County, Tennessee (1870–1919): This county is now part of Hamilton County. Its main town was Ooltewah.
- Tennessee County, Tennessee (1788–1796): When Tennessee became a state, this county was split into two new counties: Montgomery and Robertson Counties.
Counties That Have Merged with Cities
Some counties in Tennessee have joined their governments with a city. This means the city and county work together as one big government. They are both a city (a local town government) and a county (a state administrative area) at the same time.
- The City of Nashville and Davidson County
- The City of Lynchburg and Moore County
- The City of Hartsville and Trousdale County
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Condados de Tennessee para niños
