Johnson County, Tennessee Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Johnson County

U.S. county

Johnson County Courthouse in Mountain City

Seal

Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee

Tennessee's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

Tennessee

Founded

1836

Named for

Thomas Johnson, early settler

Seat

Mountain City

Largest town

Mountain City

Area

• Total

303 sq mi (780 km²)

• Land

298 sq mi (770 km²)

• Water

4.2 sq mi (11 km²) 1.4%%

Population

(2020)

• Total

17,948

• Density

61/sq mi (24/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional district

1st

Johnson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,244. Its county seat is Mountain City. It is the state's northeasternmost county, sharing borders with Virginia and North Carolina.

History
Geography
Demographics
- 2020 census
Communities
- Town
- Unincorporated communities
See also

History

Johnson County was created in 1836 from parts of Carter County. This followed several years of bickering over the location of Carter County's seat, with residents of what is now Johnson County arguing that travel to Elizabethton was too lengthy and difficult. When their petition to move the seat to a more central location was rejected, they petitioned the state legislature for the creation of a new county. The new county was named after Thomas Johnson, an early settler. The county seat was initially named "Taylorsville" in honor of Colonel James P. Taylor (it was changed to "Mountain City" in the 1880s).

Most Johnson Countians supported the Union during the Civil War. The county's residents rejected secession by a margin of 788 to 111 in Tennessee's secession referendum on June 8, 1861. The county sent a sizable delegation to the Greeneville session of the pro-Union East Tennessee Convention in June 1861.

Due in large part to the county's remoteness, the railroads did not reach Johnson until the early 1900s. The arrival of the railroads during this period aided the development of the timber and manganese mining industries.

Geography

Snake Mountain, viewed from Trade

Mountainous terrain near Laurel Bloomery

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 303 square miles (780 km²), of which 298 square miles (770 km²) is land and 4.2 square miles (11 km²) (1.4%) is water.

Situated entirely within the Blue Ridge Mountains, Johnson County is relatively rugged and hilly. The county's boundary with Sullivan County to the northwest is defined as the ridgeline of Holston Mountain, while the Iron Mountains provide the county's boundary with Carter County to the southwest. Snake Mountain, at 5,574 feet (1,699 m), is the county's highest point.

Lakes

Watauga Lake

Adjacent counties

Washington County, Virginia (north)
Grayson County, Virginia (northeast)
Ashe County, North Carolina (east)
Watauga County, North Carolina (southeast)
Avery County, North Carolina (south)
Carter County (southwest)
Sullivan County (west)

National protected areas

Appalachian Trail (part)
Cherokee National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1840	2,658	—
1850	3,705	39.4%
1860	5,018	35.4%
1870	5,852	16.6%
1880	7,766	32.7%
1890	8,858	14.1%
1900	10,589	19.5%
1910	13,191	24.6%
1920	12,230	−7.3%
1930	12,209	−0.2%
1940	12,998	6.5%
1950	12,278	−5.5%
1960	10,765	−12.3%
1970	11,569	7.5%
1980	13,745	18.8%
1990	13,766	0.2%
2000	17,499	27.1%
2010	18,244	4.3%
2020	17,948	−1.6%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2014

Age pyramid Johnson County

2020 census

Johnson County racial composition
Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	16,126	89.85%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	724	4.03%
Native American	28	0.16%
Asian	27	0.15%
Pacific Islander	9	0.05%
Other/Mixed	518	2.89%
Hispanic or Latino	516	2.87%