Wilson County, Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wilson County
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Wilson County Courthouse in Lebanon
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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 | October 26, 1799 | |
| Named for | David Wilson, early statesman | |
| Seat | Lebanon | |
| Largest city | Mt. Juliet | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 583 sq mi (1,510 km2) | |
| • Land | 571 sq mi (1,480 km2) | |
| • Water | 12 sq mi (30 km2) 2.1%% | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 147,737 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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163,674  |
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| • Density | 253.41/sq mi (97.84/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) | |
| Congressional districts | 5th, 6th | |
Wilson County is a county located in the state of Tennessee in the United States. It is found in the central part of Tennessee, known as Middle Tennessee. In 2020, about 147,737 people lived here.
The main town and government center of the county is Lebanon. The biggest city in Wilson County is Mt. Juliet. Wilson County is also part of the larger Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin area.
Contents
History of Wilson County
Wilson County was created in 1799. It was formed from a part of Sumner County. The county was named after Major David Wilson. He was a hero from the American Revolutionary War and an important leader.
For most of the 1800s, Wilson County was mainly a farming area. After the Civil War, railroads came to the county. This helped the timber industry grow. Many large factories were built in the early 1900s.
Wilson County was also important for mining saltpeter. Saltpeter is a key ingredient used to make gunpowder. It was dug out of a place called Valley Cave, near Statesville. Many old saltpeter tools are still in the cave. This shows it was a big mining spot. It might have been used during the War of 1812 or the Civil War.
Geography and Nature
Wilson County covers about 583 square miles. Most of this area, about 571 square miles, is land. The rest, about 12 square miles, is water.
The Cumberland River flows along the northern edge of the county. This part of the river is now called Old Hickory Lake. Some streams in the western part of the county flow into the Stones River.
Wilson County is special because it has many cedar glades. These are unique natural areas. The soil there is very rocky or thin, so tall trees cannot grow well. Many of these glades can be found in Cedars of Lebanon State Park.
Neighboring Counties
Wilson County shares borders with these other counties:
- Trousdale County (north)
- Smith County (northeast)
- DeKalb County (east)
- Cannon County (southeast)
- Rutherford County (south)
- Davidson County (west)
- Sumner County (northwest)
Protected Natural Areas
Several areas in Wilson County are protected by the state:
- Cedars of Lebanon State Forest
- Cedars of Lebanon State Park
- Couchville Cedar Glade State Natural Area (part)
- Gattinger's Cedar Glade and Barrens State Natural Area (part)
- John and Hester Land Cedar Glades State Natural Area
- Old Hickory Wildlife Management Area (part)
- Percy Priest Wildlife Management Area (part)
- Vesta Cedar Glade State Natural Area
- Vine Cedar Glade State Natural Area
Main Roads
These are some of the major highways that go through Wilson County:
I-40
I-840
US 70
US 70N
US 70 Bus.
US 231
SR 96
SR 109
SR 141
SR 171
SR 265
SR 266
SR 267
SR 452
People of Wilson County
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1800 | 3,261 | — | |
| 1820 | 18,730 | — | |
| 1830 | 25,472 | 36.0% | |
| 1840 | 24,460 | −4.0% | |
| 1850 | 27,443 | 12.2% | |
| 1860 | 26,072 | −5.0% | |
| 1870 | 25,881 | −0.7% | |
| 1880 | 28,747 | 11.1% | |
| 1890 | 27,148 | −5.6% | |
| 1900 | 27,078 | −0.3% | |
| 1910 | 25,394 | −6.2% | |
| 1920 | 26,241 | 3.3% | |
| 1930 | 23,929 | −8.8% | |
| 1940 | 25,267 | 5.6% | |
| 1950 | 26,318 | 4.2% | |
| 1960 | 27,668 | 5.1% | |
| 1970 | 36,999 | 33.7% | |
| 1980 | 56,064 | 51.5% | |
| 1990 | 67,675 | 20.7% | |
| 2000 | 88,809 | 31.2% | |
| 2010 | 113,993 | 28.4% | |
| 2020 | 147,737 | 29.6% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 163,674 | 43.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020 |
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2020 Population Information
| Group | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 118,889 | 80.47% |
| Black or African American (not Hispanic) | 10,099 | 6.84% |
| Native American | 405 | 0.27% |
| Asian | 3,086 | 2.09% |
| Pacific Islander | 44 | 0.03% |
| Other or Mixed Race | 6,839 | 4.63% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8,375 | 5.67% |
In 2020, there were 147,737 people living in Wilson County. There were 51,618 households and 40,874 families.
2010 Population Information
In 2010, the county had 113,993 people. There were 42,563 households. About 32,177 of these were families. The county had about 199 people per square mile.
Most people in the county were White (89.30%). About 6.40% were African American. About 3.24% of the people were of Hispanic or Latino background.
About 33.22% of households had children under 18. Most households (60.08%) were married couples. The average household had 2.65 people. The average family had 3.03 people.
The median age in the county was 39.3 years old. This means half the people were younger and half were older. About 25% of the people were under 18. About 12% were 65 or older.
The average income for a household was $60,678. For families, it was $70,092. About 7.6% of all people in the county lived below the poverty line. This included 9.1% of children.
Education in Wilson County
Wilson County Schools manages 22 public schools. This includes two adult education centers. It also has a technical education center.
The county has five high schools:
- Mount Juliet High School
- Lebanon High School
- Wilson Central High School
- Green Hill High School
- Watertown High School
The Lebanon Special School District (LSSD) serves most of Lebanon. It covers grades K-8. Wilson County Schools runs the high schools for students in the LSSD area.
Cumberland University is a college located in Lebanon.
Communities in Wilson County
Cities
- Mt. Juliet (This is the largest city in the county.)
- Lebanon (This is where the county government is located.)
Town
Census-Designated Places
These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated.
Other Unincorporated Communities
- Belinda City
- Cainsville
- Cedar Grove
- Cherry Valley
- Commerce
- Doaks Crossroads
- Egan
- Gladeville
- Greenvale
- LaGuardo
- Leeville
- Liberty Hill
- Martha
- Norene
- Statesville
- Suggs Creek
- Tater Peeler
- Taylorsville
- Tuckers Crossroads
- Vine
Former Community
Notable People from Wilson County
- Jordan Anderson (1825–1907) – writer of a famous letter
- Casey Atwood (b. 1980) – NASCAR race car driver
- Adrian Belew (b. 1949) – musician
- Charlie Daniels (1936–2020) – country music artist
- Dan Evins (1935–2012) – founder of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store
- Bobby Hamilton (1957–2007) – NASCAR race car driver
- Erika Jo (b. 1986) – musical artist
- Chloe Kohanski – musical artist
- Dixon Lanier Merritt (1879–1972) – newspaper editor and poet
- John J. Pettus (1813–1867) – former Governor of Mississippi
- John S. Roane (1817–1867) – former Governor of Arkansas
- David P. Sartor (b. 1956) – classical music composer
- Gretchen Wilson (b. 1973) – country music artist
- Ross Winn (1871–1912) – writer
Images for kids
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A unique cedar glade in Wilson County
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A street view in Statesville
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Wilson (Tennessee) para niños
