Humboldt is a city in Gibson and Madison counties,

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to t ...

. The population was 8,452 at the 2010 census, a decline of 1,015 from 2000. It is the principal city of and is included in the Humboldt, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the

Jackson, Tennessee Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Tennessee, United States. Located east of Memphis, it is a regional center of trade for West Tennessee. Its total population was 68,205 as of the 2020 United States census. Jackson i ...

-Humboldt, Tennessee

Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...

History

The first settlers of what would become Humboldt, began moving into the area in the mid 1850s. The town was a Railroad town. Its history begins with the Crossing of the Mobile & Ohio and the Memphis & Ohio (later L&N) Railroads. This was completed in 1859. The town wasn't chartered until after the Civil War in 1866. (Source: www.humboldthistorical.com) Humboldt Tennessee 1901

The city is named for German naturalist

Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 17696 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, naturalist, explorer, and proponent of Romantic philosophy and science. He was the younger brother of the Prussian minister, ...

.Larry L. Miller (2001),
Tennessee place-names
',

Indiana University Press Indiana University Press, also known as IU Press, is an academic publisher founded in 1950 at Indiana University that specializes in the humanities and social sciences. Its headquarters are located in Bloomington, Indiana. IU Press publishes 140 ...

. Page 104.

Geography

Humboldt is located at (35.822564, −88.911138). Most of the city lies in Gibson County, with only a small portion extending into Madison County. In the 2000 census, 9,442 of the city's 9,467 residents (99.7%) lived in Gibson County and 25 (0.3%) in Madison County. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of 9.7 square miles (25.0 km²), of which 9.7 square miles (25.0 km²) is land and 0.10% is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 7,874 people, 3,561 households, and 2,052 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 9,467 people, 3,864 households, and 2,538 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPop ...

was 980.0 people per square mile (378.4/km²). There were 4,243 housing units at an average density of 439.2 per square mile (169.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 55.06%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 43.00%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of enslav ...

, 0.25% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 1.00% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.61% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties form ...

or Latino of any race were 1.56% of the population. There were 3,864 households, out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 20.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.93. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,351, and the median income for a family was $32,845. Males had a median income of $30,848 versus $20,890 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $14,433. About 16.1% of families and 18.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 24.8% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Humboldt has a

Humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Transportation

Road

U.S. Route 79 and U.S. Route 45W intersect in Humboldt.

Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to eas ...

is about away in

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, ...

, and Interstate 155 is about away in

Dyersburg Dyersburg is a city and the county seat of Dyer County, Tennessee, United States. It is located in northwest Tennessee, northeast of Memphis on the Forked Deer River. The population was 16,164 at the 2020 census, down 5.72% from the 2010 census. ...

Air

The city-owned Humboldt Municipal Airport is located in Gibson County. The nearest airports with regularly scheduled commercial service are Memphis International, about away, and Nashville International, about away.

Rail

The Newbern–Dyersburg train station is about away in Newbern, and

Memphis Central Station Memphis Central Station, referred to as Grand Central Station prior to 1944, is a passenger terminal in Memphis, Tennessee. Located along Main Street and G.E. Patterson Boulevard in Downtown Memphis, it currently a service stop for Amtrak's '' C ...

is about away.

Media

Cable

Cable TV is supplied through a locally owned business named 1Tennessee.net (formerly click1).

Newspaper

The local newspaper is called the ''Humboldt Chronicle.''

Television

W45CK Channel 45 is a

Unity Broadcasting Network The Unity Broadcasting Network is an over-the-air religious television network. The company is headquartered in Booneville, Mississippi, and individual transmitter stations are located in Mississippi and Tennessee. Programming The Unity Broadcast ...

station. (Currently silent)

Radio

* WTJK 105.3 "La Poderosa 105.3 FM". * WJPJ AM 1190 & 99.9 "WJPJ Fox Sports Jackson 1190AM/99.9FM" * WIRJ AM 740 * WZDQ FM 102.3 "102.3 The Rocket"

Special events

Since 1934, the city has hosted the West Tennessee Strawberry Festival, held the first full week of May.

Notable people

Doug Atkins Douglas Leon Atkins (May 8, 1930 – December 30, 2015) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end for the Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, and New Orleans Saints in the National Football League (NFL). He played colle ...

– NFL Hall of Fame football player * Chick Autry – Baseball player *

Tony Champion Tony Champion (born March 19, 1963 in Humboldt, Tennessee) is a former American football and Canadian Football League player. Early sports career A multi-sport star, Champion lived up to his name as a football standout at the high school, coll ...

- CFL All Star football player

{{Circular reference, date=May 2020 *

Fred Craddock Fred Brenning Craddock, Jr. (April 30, 1928 – March 6, 2015) was Bandy Distinguished Professor of Preaching and New Testament Emeritus in the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. He was an ordained minister of the Christian Church (Di ...

– Professor of preaching * Jesse Hill Ford – Writer and playwright *

Lew Jetton Lew Jetton (born 1959, Humboldt, Tennessee, United States) is an American blues guitarist and singer, who also spent many years as a meteorologist and local television personality. He was born in Humboldt and raised near Trenton, Tennessee. Car ...

– Musician, television personality *

Valerie June Valerie June Hockett (born January 10, 1982),Hubbell, John (2009),, ''The Commercial Appeal'', May 28, 2009.(aged 27 in May 2009). known as Valerie June, is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Memphis, Tennessee, United ...

– Singer/songwriter *

Frank O Pinion KTRS (550 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in St. Louis, Missouri. The station airs a talk radio format with some sports. The station is owned by KTRS-AM License, L.L.C., a consortium of local investors which includes actor and St. Louis ...

- Radio personality * Wyatt Prunty – Poet * Kacy Rodgers – NFL assistant football coach * T.G. Sheppard – Singer/Songwriter * Dale Sommers – Radio personality *

Bailey Walsh G. Bailey Walsh (1905–1962) was a politician from the U.S. state of Tennessee. He served in the Navy, participated in the Nuremberg trials, served as a US District attorney, and was the head of the Republican Party of Tennessee, as well as the p ...

- Politician *

Murray Warmath Murray Warmath (December 26, 1912 – March 16, 2011) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Mississippi State University from 1952 to 1953 and at the University of Minnesota from 1954 to 1971, compili ...

– College football coach *

Samuel Cole Williams Samuel Cole Williams (January 15, 1864 – December 14, 1947) was an American jurist, historian, educator, and businessman. He was born and raised in the state of Tennessee, where he primarily had his career in Johnson City in East Tennessee. ...

– Historian

References

{{Reflist {{Gibson County, Tennessee {{Madison County, Tennessee {{authority control Cities in Tennessee Cities in Gibson County, Tennessee Jackson metropolitan area, Tennessee Cities in Madison County, Tennessee Majority-minority cities and towns in Tennessee