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Obion County, Tennessee facts for kids

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Obion County
Obion County Courthouse
Obion County Courthouse
Map of Tennessee highlighting Obion 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 1824
Named for Obion River
Seat Union City
Largest city Union City
Area
 • Total 556 sq mi (1,440 km2)
 • Land 545 sq mi (1,410 km2)
 • Water 11 sq mi (30 km2)  1.9%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 30,787 Decrease
 • Density 58/sq mi (22/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 8th
Reelfoot Lake State Park Cypress Boardwalk Obion County TN 2013-04-06 033
Reelfoot Lake

Obion County is a county located in the northwest corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 31,807. The county seat is Union City. The county was formed in 1823 and organized in 1824. It was named after the Obion River.

Obion County is part of the Union City, TN–KY Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Martin–Union City, TN Combined Statistical Area.

History

Obion was established in 1823 and organized the following year. It was named for the Obion River, which flows through the county and is a tributary of the nearby Mississippi River. The word "Obion" is believed to be derived from a Native American word meaning "many forks."

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 556 square miles (1,440 km2), of which 545 square miles (1,410 km2) is land and 11 square miles (28 km2) (1.9%) is water. It is located in the "rolling hills of northwest Tennessee",

Adjacent counties

National protected area

  • Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge (part)

State protected areas

  • Glover Wetland Wildlife Management Area
  • Gooch Wildlife Management Area
  • Hop-In Refuge
  • Obion River Wildlife Management Area (part)
  • Reelfoot Lake State Natural Area (part)
  • Reelfoot Lake State Park (part)
  • Three Rivers Wildlife Management Area

Major Highways

  • I-155
  • US 45
  • US 45E
  • US 45W
  • US 45W / SR 5
  • US 51
  • SR 21
  • SR 22
  • SR 157

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1830 2,099
1840 4,814 129.3%
1850 7,633 58.6%
1860 12,817 67.9%
1870 15,584 21.6%
1880 22,912 47.0%
1890 27,273 19.0%
1900 28,286 3.7%
1910 29,946 5.9%
1920 28,393 −5.2%
1930 29,086 2.4%
1940 30,978 6.5%
1950 29,056 −6.2%
1960 26,957 −7.2%
1970 29,936 11.1%
1980 32,781 9.5%
1990 31,717 −3.2%
2000 32,450 2.3%
2010 31,807 −2.0%
2018 (est.) 30,267 −4.8%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2014
USA Obion County, Tennessee.csv age pyramid
Age pyramid for Obion County

2020 census

Obion County racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 24,736 80.35%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 3,137 10.19%
Native American 50 0.16%
Asian 103 0.33%
Other/Mixed 1,187 3.86%
Hispanic or Latino 1,574 5.11%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 30,787 people, 12,717 households, and 8,389 families residing in the county.

Other services

Obion County has a public library, with a 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) building and a catalog of over 70,000 books, video and audio materials.

Residents of the county's unincorporated communities have the option of paying $75 per year if they want firefighting services from the city of South Fulton.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Education

Obion County Schools

School Name Team Mascot School Colors School Website
Lake Road Elementary School Generals Blue/Orange [1]
Hillcrest Elementary School Cougars Red/Navy Blue [2]
Ridgemont Elementary School Mustangs Red/Yellow [3]
Black Oak Elementary School Eagles Yellow/Blue [4]
South Fulton Elementary School Red Devils Red/White [5]
South Fulton Middle/High School Red Devils Red/White [6]
Obion County Central High School Rebels Red/White/Blue [7]

Union City Schools

School Name Team Mascot School Colors School Website
Union City Elementary School Tornadoes Purple/Gold 1
Union City Middle School Tornadoes Purple/Gold 1
Union City High School Tornadoes Purple/Gold 1

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Obion para niños

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