List of counties in Tennessee

There are 95 counties in the State of Tennessee. A county is a local level of government smaller than a state and typically larger than a city or town.

Alphabetical list

Click on the double triangles at the top of a column to sort the table by that column.

County	FIPS code	County seat	Established	Origin	Meaning of name	Population (2020)	Area	Map
Anderson County	001	Clinton	1801	Knox and Grainger Counties	Joseph Anderson (1757–1837), U.S. Senator from Tennessee and first Comptroller of the U.S. Treasury.	77,123	338 sq mi (875 km2)
Bedford County	003	Shelbyville	1807	Rutherford County	Revolutionary War officer Thomas Bedford, a large landowner in the area	50,237	474 sq mi (1,228 km2)
Benton County	005	Camden	1835	Humphreys County	Creek War veteran David Benton (1779–1860), an early settler in the county.	15,864	394 sq mi (1,020 km2)
Bledsoe County	007	Pikeville	1807	Roane County and Indian lands	Anthony Bledsoe (1739-1788), Revolutionary War soldier, surveyor, and early settler in Sumner County	14,913	406 sq mi (1,052 km2)
Blount County	009	Maryville	1795	Knox County	William Blount (1749–1800), governor of the Southwest Territory and later U.S. Senator	135,280	559 sq mi (1,448 km2)
Bradley County	011	Cleveland	1836	Indian lands	Tennessee state legislator Edward Bradley.	108,620	329 sq mi (852 km2)
Campbell County	013	Jacksboro	1806	Anderson and Claiborne counties	Virginia House of Burgesses member Arthur Campbell (1743–1811), who was a negotiator of Indian treaties.	39,272	480 sq mi (1,243 km2)
Cannon County	015	Woodbury	1836	Rutherford, Smith and Warren counties	Governor of Tennessee Newton Cannon (1781–1841).	14,506	266 sq mi (689 km2)
Carroll County	017	Huntingdon	1821	Indian lands	Governor of Tennessee William Carroll (1788–1844).	28,440	599 sq mi (1,551 km2)
Carter County	019	Elizabethton	1796	Washington County	Speaker of the "Lost State of Franklin" Senate Landon Carter (1760–1800).	56,356	341 sq mi (883 km2)
Cheatham County	021	Ashland City	1856	Davidson, Dickson, Montgomery and Robertson counties	Tennessee state legislator Edward Cheatham.	41,072	303 sq mi (785 km2)
Chester County	023	Henderson	1879	Hardeman, Henderson, McNairy and Madison counties	Tennessee state legislator Robert I. Chester.	17,341	289 sq mi (749 km2)
Claiborne County	025	Tazewell	1801	Grainger and Hawkins counties	Governor of Louisiana and Governor of Mississippi Territory William C. C. Claiborne (1775–1817).	32,043	434 sq mi (1,124 km2)
Clay County	027	Celina	1870	Jackson and Overton counties	U.S. Speaker of the House and Secretary of State Henry Clay (1777–1852).	7,581	236 sq mi (611 km2)
Cocke County	029	Newport	1797	Jefferson County	William Cocke (1747–1828), one of Tennessee's first U.S. Senators.	35,999	434 sq mi (1,124 km2)
Coffee County	031	Manchester	1836	Bedford, Warren and Franklin counties	John Coffee (1772–1833), frontiersman, planter, and veteran of Creek War and War of 1812.	57,889	429 sq mi (1,111 km2)
Crockett County	033	Alamo	1871	Haywood, Madison, Dyer and Gibson counties	Davy Crockett (1786–1836), frontier humorist, Congressman, and defender of the Alamo.	13,911	265 sq mi (686 km2)
Cumberland County	035	Crossville	1855	White, Bledsoe, Rhea, Morgan, Fentress and Putnam counties	The Cumberland Mountains.	61,145	682 sq mi (1,766 km2)
Davidson County	037	Nashville	1783	Part of North Carolina	William Lee Davidson (1746–1781), a Brigadier General who died at the Revolutionary War Battle of Cowan's Ford.	715,884	502 sq mi (1,300 km2)
Decatur County	039	Decaturville	1845	Perry County	U.S. naval officer and War of 1812 hero Stephen Decatur (1779–1820).	11,435	333 sq mi (862 km2)
DeKalb County	041	Smithville	1837	Franklin, Cannon, Jackson and White counties	Johann de Kalb (1721–1780), a German-born baron who assisted the Continentals during the American Revolutionary War.	20,080	304 sq mi (787 km2)
Dickson County	043	Charlotte	1803	Montgomery and Robertson counties	U.S. Representative William Dickson (1770–1816).	54,315	490 sq mi (1,269 km2)
Dyer County	045	Dyersburg	1823	Indian lands	Tennessee state legislator Robert Henry Dyer.	36,801	510 sq mi (1,321 km2)
Fayette County	047	Somerville	1824	Indian lands	Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette (1757–1834), a French-born general in the American Revolutionary War.	41,990	705 sq mi (1,826 km2)
Fentress County	049	Jamestown	1823	Morgan, Overton and White counties	Tennessee state legislator James Fentress.	18,489	499 sq mi (1,292 km2)
Franklin County	051	Winchester	1807	Rutherford County and Indian lands	Publisher, scholar, orator, and Founding Father Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790).	42,774	553 sq mi (1,432 km2)
Gibson County	053	Trenton	1823	Indian lands	John H. Gibson, a soldier of the Natchez Expedition and the Creek War.	50,429	603 sq mi (1,562 km2)
Giles County	055	Pulaski	1809	Indian lands	U.S. Senator and Governor of Virginia William B. Giles (1762–1830).	30,346	611 sq mi (1,582 km2)
Grainger County	057	Rutledge	1796	Hawkins and Knox counties	Mary Grainger Blount, wife of William Blount and "first lady" of the Southwest Territory, which later became Tennessee.	23,527	280 sq mi (725 km2)
Greene County	059	Greeneville	1783	Washington County	American Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene (1742–1786).	70,152	622 sq mi (1,611 km2)
Grundy County	061	Altamont	1844	Coffee, Warren and Franklin counties	U.S. Attorney General Felix Grundy (1777–1840).	13,529	361 sq mi (935 km2)
Hamblen County	063	Morristown	1870	Jefferson, Grainger and Greene counties	Early settler Hezekiah Hamblen.	64,499	161 sq mi (417 km2)
Hamilton County	065	Chattanooga	1819	Rhea County and Indian lands	First U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and Founding Father Alexander Hamilton (1755 or 1757–1804).	366,207	543 sq mi (1,406 km2)
Hancock County	067	Sneedville	1844	Hawkins and Claiborne counties	President of the Continental Congress John Hancock (1737–1793).	6,662	222 sq mi (575 km2)
Hardeman County	069	Bolivar	1823	Hardin County and Indian lands	Thomas Jones Hardeman, Creek War and War of 1812 soldier, later a member of the Republic of Texas legislature.	25,462	668 sq mi (1,730 km2)
Hardin County	071	Savannah	1819	Indian lands	Joseph Hardin, legislator of the Southwest Territory and State of Franklin.	26,831	578 sq mi (1,497 km2)
Hawkins County	073	Rogersville	1786	Sullivan County	U.S. Senator Benjamin Hawkins (1754–1816).	56,721	487 sq mi (1,261 km2)
Haywood County	075	Brownsville	1823	Indian lands	Judge John Haywood (1762–1826), called "the father of Tennessee history."	17,864	533 sq mi (1,380 km2)
Henderson County	077	Lexington	1821	Indian lands	James Henderson, an officer of the War of 1812.	27,842	520 sq mi (1,347 km2)
Henry County	079	Paris	1821	Indian lands	Revolutionary-era orator and Virginia legislator Patrick Henry (1736–1799).	32,199	562 sq mi (1,456 km2)
Hickman County	081	Centerville	1807	Dickson County	Edwin Hickman, a longhunter killed by Native Americans near the present-day site of Centerville.	24,925	613 sq mi (1,588 km2)
Houston County	083	Erin	1871	Dickson, Humphreys, Montgomery and Stewart counties	Sam Houston (1793–1863), Tennessee governor and congressman, president of the Republic of Texas, U.S. Senator from Texas, and Texas governor.	8,283	200 sq mi (518 km2)
Humphreys County	085	Waverly	1809	Stewart County	U.S. Representative Parry Wayne Humphreys (1778–1839).	18,990	532 sq mi (1,378 km2)
Jackson County	087	Gainesboro	1801	Smith County and Indian lands	U.S. President Andrew Jackson (1767–1845).	11,617	309 sq mi (800 km2)
Jefferson County	089	Dandridge	1792	Greene and Hawkins counties	U.S. President and Founding Father Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826).	54,683	274 sq mi (710 km2)
Johnson County	091	Mountain City	1836	Carter County	Thomas Johnson, an early settler of Carter County along the Doe River.	17,948	299 sq mi (774 km2)
Knox County	093	Knoxville	1792	Greene and Hawkins counties	Henry Knox (1750–1806), the first U.S. Secretary of War.	478,971	509 sq mi (1,318 km2)
Lake County	095	Tiptonville	1870	Obion County	Reelfoot Lake	7,005	163 sq mi (422 km2)
Lauderdale County	097	Ripley	1835	Haywood, Dyer and Tipton counties	James Lauderdale, who was killed in the War of 1812.	25,143	470 sq mi (1,217 km2)
Lawrence County	099	Lawrenceburg	1817	Hickman County and Indian lands	U.S. naval officer and War of 1812 hero James Lawrence (1781–1813).	44,159	617 sq mi (1,598 km2)
Lewis County	101	Hohenwald	1843	Hickman, Lawrence, Maury and Wayne counties	Meriwether Lewis (1774–1809), explorer of the American West.	12,582	282 sq mi (730 km2)
Lincoln County	103	Fayetteville	1809	Bedford County	U.S. Secretary of War Benjamin Lincoln (1733–1810).	35,319	570 sq mi (1,476 km2)
Loudon County	105	Loudon	1870	Roane, Monroe, Blount and McMinn counties	Fort Loudoun, which was named for John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun, who led British and American forces during the French and Indian War.	54,886	229 sq mi (593 km2)
Macon County	111	Lafayette	1842	Smith and Sumner counties	U.S. Senator Nathaniel Macon (1758–1837).	25,216	307 sq mi (795 km2)
Madison County	113	Jackson	1821	Indian lands	U.S. President James Madison (1758–1836).	98,823	557 sq mi (1,443 km2)
Marion County	115	Jasper	1817	Indian lands	Francis Marion (1732–1795), the "Swamp Fox" of the American Revolutionary War.	28,837	500 sq mi (1,295 km2)
Marshall County	117	Lewisburg	1836	Giles, Bedford, Lincoln and Maury counties	U.S. Chief Justice John Marshall (1755–1835).	34,318	375 sq mi (971 km2)
Maury County	119	Columbia	1807	Williamson County and Indian lands	Tennessee state senator Abram Maury, Sr. (1766–1825), father of U.S. Representative Abram Poindexter Maury.	100,974	613 sq mi (1,588 km2)
McMinn County	107	Athens	1819	Indian lands	Governor of Tennessee Joseph McMinn (1758–1824).	53,276	430 sq mi (1,114 km2)
McNairy County	109	Selmer	1823	Hardin County	John McNairy, judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Tennessee.	25,866	560 sq mi (1,450 km2)
Meigs County	121	Decatur	1836	Rhea County	Return Jonathan Meigs (1740–1823), an officer in the Continental Army who was for many years a federal Indian and military agent in Tennessee.	12,758	195 sq mi (505 km2)
Monroe County	123	Madisonville	1819	Indian lands	U.S. President James Monroe (1758–1831).	46,250	635 sq mi (1,645 km2)
Montgomery County	125	Clarksville	1796	Tennessee County	John Montgomery (c. 1750–1794), leader of the Nickajack Expedition.	220,069	539 sq mi (1,396 km2)
Moore County	127	Lynchburg	1871	Bedford, Lincoln and Franklin counties	Tennessee state legislator William Moore.	6,461	129 sq mi (334 km2)
Morgan County	129	Wartburg	1817	Anderson and Roane counties	American Revolutionary War officer Daniel Morgan (1736–1802).	21,035	522 sq mi (1,352 km2)
Obion County	131	Union City	1823	Indian lands	The Obion River.	30,787	545 sq mi (1,412 km2)
Overton County	133	Livingston	1806	Jackson County and Indian lands	John Overton (1766–1833), one of the cofounders of Memphis, Tennessee.	22,511	433 sq mi (1,121 km2)
Perry County	135	Linden	1819	Humphreys and Hickman counties	U.S. naval officer and War of 1812 hero Oliver Hazard Perry (1785–1819).	8,366	415 sq mi (1,075 km2)
Pickett County	137	Byrdstown	1879	Fentress and Overton counties	Tennessee state legislator Howell L. Pickett (1847 - 1914).	5,001	163 sq mi (422 km2)
Polk County	139	Benton	1839	McMinn and Bradley counties	U.S. President James K. Polk (1795–1849).	17,544	435 sq mi (1,127 km2)
Putnam County	141	Cookeville	1854	Fentress, Jackson, Smith, White and Overton counties	American Revolutionary War officer Israel Putnam (1718–1790).	79,854	401 sq mi (1,039 km2)
Rhea County	143	Dayton	1807	Roane County	U.S. Representative John Rhea (1753–1832).	32,870	316 sq mi (818 km2)
Roane County	145	Kingston	1801	Knox County and Indian lands	Governor of Tennessee Archibald Roane (1759 or 1760–1819).	53,404	361 sq mi (935 km2)
Robertson County	147	Springfield	1796	Tennessee and Sumner counties	James Robertson (1742–1814), Tennessee state legislator and founder of the Watauga Settlements.	72,803	477 sq mi (1,235 km2)
Rutherford County	149	Murfreesboro	1803	Davidson, Williamson and Wilson counties	Griffith Rutherford, chairman of the legislature of the Southwest Territory.	341,486	619 sq mi (1,603 km2)
Scott County	151	Huntsville	1849	Anderson, Campbell, Fentress and Morgan counties	US. Army general and hero of the Mexican–American War Winfield Scott (1786–1866).	21,850	532 sq mi (1,378 km2)
Sequatchie County	153	Dunlap	1857	Hamilton, Marion and Warren counties	Cherokee word believed to mean, opossum, he grins or runs.	15,826	266 sq mi (689 km2)
Sevier County	155	Sevierville	1794	Jefferson County	John Sevier (1745–1815), governor of the State of Franklin and first Governor of Tennessee.	98,380	592 sq mi (1,533 km2)
Shelby County	157	Memphis	1819	Chickasaw Nation lands acquired through the Jackson Purchase.	Isaac Shelby (1750–1826), commander at Kings Mountain, first governor of Kentucky, and negotiator of the purchase of the western district from the Chickasaws.	929,744	755 sq mi (1,955 km2)
Smith County	159	Carthage	1799	Sumner County and Indian lands	American Revolutionary War officer and U.S. Senator Daniel Smith (1748–1818).	19,904	314 sq mi (813 km2)
Stewart County	161	Dover	1803	Montgomery County	Duncan Stewart, Tennessee state legislator and lieutenant governor of Mississippi Territory.	13,657	458 sq mi (1,186 km2)
Sullivan County	163	Blountville	1779	Washington County	Governor of New Hampshire John Sullivan (1740–1795).	158,163	413 sq mi (1,070 km2)
Sumner County	165	Gallatin	1786	Davidson County	Jethro Sumner (1733–1785), an American colonist who defended North Carolina against the British in 1780.	196,281	529 sq mi (1,370 km2)
Tipton County	167	Covington	1823	Shelby County (previously Chickasaw lands)	Jacob Tipton, father of Armistead Blevins, who supervised the organization of Shelby County; Tipton was killed by Native Americans in 1791 in a conflict over the Northwest Territory.	60,970	459 sq mi (1,189 km2)
Trousdale County	169	Hartsville	1870	Wilson, Macon, Smith and Sumner counties	William Trousdale (1790–1872), Creek and Mexican–American War soldier and officer, state senator and Governor of Tennessee.	11,615	114 sq mi (295 km2)
Unicoi County	171	Erwin	1875	Washington and Carter County	Native American word for the southern Appalachian Mountains, probably meaning white or fog-draped	17,928	186 sq mi (482 km2)
Union County	173	Maynardville	1850	Grainger, Claiborne, Campbell, Anderson and Knox counties	Either for its creation from parts of five counties or to memorialize East Tennessee's support for preservation of the Union	19,802	224 sq mi (580 km2)
Van Buren County	175	Spencer	1840	Warren and White counties	U.S. President Martin Van Buren (1782–1862)	6,168	247 sq mi (640 km2)
Warren County	177	McMinnville	1807	White, Jackson, Smith counties and Indian lands	American Revolutionary War officer Joseph Warren (1741–1775), who sent Paul Revere on his famous midnight ride	40,953	433 sq mi (1,121 km2)
Washington County	179	Jonesborough	1777	Part of North Carolina	U.S. President George Washington (1732–1799)	133,001	326 sq mi (844 km2)
Wayne County	181	Waynesboro	1817	Hickman County	American Revolutionary War General "Mad" Anthony Wayne (1745–1796)	16,232	734 sq mi (1,901 km2)
Weakley County	183	Dresden	1823	Indian lands	U.S. Representative Robert Weakley (1764–1845).	32,902	580 sq mi (1,502 km2)
White County	185	Sparta	1806	Jackson and Smith counties	John White, Revolutionary War soldier and the first European-American settler in the county	27,351	377 sq mi (976 km2)
Williamson County	187	Franklin	1799	Davidson County	U.S. Representative Hugh Williamson (1735–1819).	247,726	582 sq mi (1,507 km2)
Wilson County	189	Lebanon	1799	Sumner County	David Wilson, a member of the legislatures of North Carolina and the Southwest Territory.	147,737	571 sq mi (1,479 km2)

Former counties

There are two former counties in Tennessee:

• James County (1870–1919) - Now part of Hamilton County. The county seat was Ooltewah.
• Tennessee County (1788–1796) - When Tennessee achieved statehood, the previous Tennessee County in North Carolina became Tennessee County, Tennessee, and was divided into Montgomery and Robertson Counties.

Consolidated counties

Three Tennessee counties operate under consolidated city-county governments, a city and county that have been merged into one jurisdiction. As such, these governments are simultaneously a city, which is a municipal corporation, and a county, which is an administrative division of a state.

• City of Nashville and Davidson County
• City of Lynchburg and Moore County
• City of Hartsville and Trousdale County