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Jefferson County, Tennessee facts for kids

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Jefferson County
County of Jefferson
Jefferson County Courthouse in Dandridge
Jefferson County Courthouse in Dandridge
Official seal of Jefferson County
Seal
Map of Tennessee highlighting Jefferson County
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Map of the United States highlighting Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Tennessee
Founded June 11, 1792
Named for Thomas Jefferson
Seat Dandridge
Largest city Jefferson City
Area
 • Total 314 sq mi (810 km2)
 • Land 274 sq mi (710 km2)
 • Water 40 sq mi (100 km2)  13%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 54,683 Increase
 • Density 195/sq mi (75/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
37725, 37760, 37820, 37871, 37890
Area code 865
Congressional districts 1st, 2nd

Jefferson County is an exurban county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,407. Its county seat is Dandridge. Jefferson County is part of the Morristown Metropolitan Statistical Area with neighboring Grainger and Hamblen counties. The county, along with the Morristown MSA, is included in the Knoxville-Morristown-Sevierville Combined Statistical Area.

History

Jefferson County was established on June 11, 1792, by William Blount, Governor of the Southwest Territory. It had been a part of Caswell County during the State of Franklin period (1784–1789). Its county seat, Dandridge, was settled in 1783.

On the eve of the Civil War, Jefferson County, like most other counties in mountainous East Tennessee, was opposed to secession. In Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession referendum on June 8, 1861, Jefferson County voters rejected secession by a margin of 1,987 to 603. A railroad bridge at Strawberry Plains was among those targeted by the East Tennessee bridge-burning conspiracy in November 1861. This led to internal conflict in the area throughout the war, with men from the county enlisting in both of the rival armies.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 314 square miles (810 km2), of which 274 square miles (710 km2) is land and 40 square miles (100 km2) (13%) is water. The county is affected by two artificial lakes: Douglas Lake, created by the damming of the French Broad River in the south, and Cherokee Lake, created by the damming of the Holston River in the north.

Adjacent counties

State protected areas

  • Henderson Island Refuge

Major Highways

  • I-40
  • I-81
  • US 11E
  • US 25E
  • US 25W
  • US 411
  • SR 9
  • SR 32
  • SR 66
  • SR 92
  • SR 113
  • SR 139

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1810 7,309
1820 8,953 22.5%
1830 11,801 31.8%
1840 12,076 2.3%
1850 13,204 9.3%
1860 16,043 21.5%
1870 19,476 21.4%
1880 15,846 −18.6%
1890 16,478 4.0%
1900 18,590 12.8%
1910 17,755 −4.5%
1920 17,677 −0.4%
1930 17,914 1.3%
1940 18,621 3.9%
1950 19,667 5.6%
1960 21,493 9.3%
1970 24,940 16.0%
1980 31,284 25.4%
1990 33,016 5.5%
2000 44,294 34.2%
2010 51,407 16.1%
2020 54,683 6.4%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2014
USA Jefferson County, Tennessee.csv age pyramid
Age pyramid Jefferson County

2020 census

Jefferson County racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 48,975 89.56%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 787 1.44%
Native American 159 0.29%
Asian 257 0.47%
Pacific Islander 20 0.04%
Other/Mixed 2,093 3.83%
Hispanic or Latino 2,392 4.37%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 54,683 people, 20,154 households, and 13,998 families residing in the county.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Economy

According to a data profile produced by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development in 2018, the top employers in the county are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Jefferson County Board of Education 1,100
2 Bush Brothers and Company 500
3 Nyrstar 450
4 Carson–Newman University 320
5 Walmart (Jefferson City) 300
6 Jefferson County Government 300
7 Jefferson Memorial Hospital 205
8 Jefferson County Nursing Home 200
9 Matsuo Industries 180
10 Nashua Corporation 180

Education

K-12 public education in the county is conducted by Jefferson County Public Schools.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Jefferson (Tennessee) para niños

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