McMinnville is a cool city in Tennessee, located in Warren County. It's the biggest city there and also the county seat, which means it's where the main government offices are. In 2020, about 13,788 people lived here. The city got its name from Governor Joseph McMinn.

Exploring McMinnville's Location
- Cities and Towns Near McMinnville
- McMinnville's Climate
People of McMinnville
McMinnville's Economy
Media in McMinnville
City Services and Transportation
- Getting Around McMinnville
- City Utilities
Fun Things to Do in McMinnville
- Yearly Events and Festivals
- Museums and Cool Places to See
Parks and Recreation
Sports in McMinnville
Sister Cities
Famous People from McMinnville

Exploring McMinnville's Location

McMinnville is located in a pretty spot in Tennessee. You can find it at these coordinates: 35°41′12″N 85°46′46″W / 35.68667°N 85.77944°W / 35.68667; -85.77944. It's about 35 miles (56 km) south of Cookeville. It's also about 70 miles (113 km) northwest of Chattanooga.

The city covers an area of about 10 square miles (26 square kilometers), and it's all land. McMinnville sits at an elevation of about 968 feet (295 meters). It's near the Cumberland Plateau, which is a large, flat-topped mountain. The main river that flows through the city is the Barren Fork. This river is a branch of the Collins River.

Cities and Towns Near McMinnville

McMinnville is surrounded by several other towns and cities. Here are some of them:

McMinnville's Climate

McMinnville has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters. The average high temperature in July is about 88.6°F (31.4°C). The average low temperature in January is about 31.2°F (-0.4°C). The city gets a good amount of rain throughout the year, with an average of about 54 inches (138 cm) annually. Snowfall is usually light, averaging about 4.1 inches (10.4 cm) per year.

People of McMinnville

In 2020, there were 13,788 people living in McMinnville. There were 5,581 households and 3,131 families. The city is a mix of different backgrounds. About 76% of the people were White (non-Hispanic). About 4% were Black or African American. Around 13% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

McMinnville's Economy

McMinnville is a busy place for businesses. It has over 50 different businesses and factories. It's also famous for its many plant nurseries, with over 450 in the area. These nurseries grow and sell plants, bringing in over $300 million in money each year. Because of this, McMinnville is known as the "Nursery Capital of the World"!

The city's factories and businesses use the Caney Fork and Western Railroad to transport their goods. Like many smaller cities, McMinnville has been working to make its downtown area new and exciting again. An organization called "Main Street McMinnville" helps with this. They work to bring new life to the historic downtown area.

Media in McMinnville

If you want to know what's happening in McMinnville, you can read the local newspaper, the Southern Standard. The city also has a few radio stations, like WBMC AM, Star 107, and WCPI FM. There's even a local TV station called BLTV Channel 6.

City Services and Transportation

McMinnville has good ways to get around and important services for its residents.

Getting Around McMinnville

Six different state roads go through or near McMinnville. This makes it easy to travel to and from the city.

U.S. 70S/State Route 1
State Route 56
State Route 55
State Route 380
State Route 286
State Route 108

The city also has its own airport, the Warren County Memorial Airport.

City Utilities

McMinnville has several companies that provide important services. Electricity is managed by McMinnville Electric System and the Caney Fork Electric Cooperative. The Warren County Utility District takes care of water for the city. The city also handles sewage. Gas is distributed by the Middle Tennessee Gas Utility District. For phone and internet, you can use Ben Lomand Connect and Frontier Communications. Ben Lomand Connect even offers super-fast internet for homes and businesses!

Fun Things to Do in McMinnville

McMinnville offers many fun events and interesting places to visit.

Yearly Events and Festivals

The New Park Theater reopened in 2015 after a big renovation. This beautiful theater now hosts concerts, plays, and movies. You can catch many different shows there throughout the year.

The city has several yearly events:

Main Street LIVE! is a summer concert series held in June and July.
The Autumn Street Fair happens in October. It's a fun day with crafts, food, live music, and other activities downtown.
The Warren County Farmers Market is open in spring, summer, and winter.
The County A+L Fair is an annual event with rides, food booths, local activities, and music.

Museums and Cool Places to See

The Black House

Falcon Rest is a historic house built in 1896. It was once the home of a businessman named Clay Faulkner. This huge house, about 10,000 square feet, was very modern for its time. It had electric lights, indoor plumbing, and central heating! People even called it "Tennessee's Biltmore" because it was so grand. Today, you can take tours of the house, shop, and even eat there. Some people say it has a "friendly ghost"!

The Black House is the oldest house still standing in McMinnville. It was built in 1825. It's now a museum where you can take tours and learn about its history.

There's also a Confederate Monument downtown near the courthouse. It honors the people from Warren County and McMinnville who fought in the Civil War.

The Park Theatre opened in 1939. It was a big movie theater with 1000 seats. After closing for a while, it has been renovated and is now an entertainment center. The old McMinnville Opera House, built in 1888, unfortunately burned down in 2008. It was where the city's first silent films were shown.

Two churches in downtown McMinnville are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the First Methodist Church and First Presbyterian Church.

Parks and Recreation

McMinnville is home to some amazing natural spots and recreational facilities.

Cumberland Caverns is the largest show cave in Tennessee. It has over 27 miles of cave passages! One special part of the caverns is the "Volcano Room," which is big enough for 900 people. It even has a fancy chandelier from an old theater in New York City!

The McMinnville Parks and Recreation Department takes care of five city parks. They also manage the McMinnville Farmers Market, the Barren Fork Greenway (a walking trail), a playground, and local sports leagues. The department also runs the McMinnville Civic Center, which is a community center for sports and special events.

Sports in McMinnville

If you like sports, McMinnville hosts the McMinnville City Triathlon every August. This event includes a 200-meter swim, an 11.5-mile bike ride, and a 2-mile run. It's a great challenge for athletes!

Sister Cities

McMinnville has special connections with two other cities:

Mikawa, Yamagata, Japan
McMinnville, Oregon

Famous People from McMinnville

Many interesting people have connections to McMinnville:

Charles Faulkner Bryan: A music composer and musician who loved folk music.
Duke Droese: A professional wrestler known as "Duke the Dumpster."
Asa Faulkner: A businessman who owned mills and served in the Tennessee government.
Benjamin J. Hill: A Confederate general during the Civil War who was also a merchant and lawyer.
Uncle Dave Macon: A country music legend born near McMinnville. There's a memorial for him at the Warren County Courthouse.
David R. Ray: A brave soldier who received the Medal of Honor.
Carl Rowan: A government official, journalist, and author who grew up in McMinnville.
Col. John Houston Savage: A U.S. Army officer and politician who also fought in the Civil War.
Dinah Shore: A famous singer and actress who grew up in McMinnville.
Lester Strode: A bullpen coach for the Chicago Cubs baseball team.
Jamie Walker: A professional baseball player.
Dottie West: Another country music legend born near McMinnville.
Randy Wood: He founded Dot Records, a very successful music label.

All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:

McMinnville, Tennessee Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.

McMinnville, Tennessee facts for kids

Contents