Blount County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the East Tennessee Grand Division of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

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 th ...

. As of the 2020 census, its population was 135,280. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is Maryville, which is also the county's largest city. Blount County is included in the

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state' ...

metropolitan statistical area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

History

What is today Blount County was for many thousands of years Indian territory, passed down to the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

tribe that claimed the land upon the arrival of White settlers in the late 18th century. Shortly thereafter, on July 11, 1795, Blount County became the 10th county established in Tennessee, when the Territorial Legislature voted to split adjacent Knox and Jefferson Counties. The new county was named for the governor of the

Southwest Territory The Territory South of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Southwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1790, until June 1, 1796, when it was admitted to the United States a ...

William Blount William Blount (March 26, 1749March 21, 1800) was an American Founding Father, statesman, farmer and land speculator who signed the United States Constitution. He was a member of the North Carolina delegation at the Constitutional Convention o ...

, and its county seat, Maryville, was named for his wife Mary Grainger Blount. This establishment, however, did little to settle the differences between White immigrants and Cherokee natives, which was, for the most part, not accomplished until an 1819 treaty.About Blount County
Blount County official website Like a majority of East Tennessee counties, Blount County was opposed to secession on the eve of the Civil War. In Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession referendum on June 8, 1861, Blount Countians voted against secession by a margin of 1,766 to 414. Residents of pro-Union Cades Cove and pro-Confederate Hazel Creek (on the other side of the mountains in North Carolina) regularly launched raids against one another during the war. Throughout its history, the boundaries of Blount County have been altered numerous times, most notably in 1870, when a large swath of western Blount was split into Loudon and portions of other counties. Also, the establishment of the

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an American national park in the southeastern United States, with parts in North Carolina and Tennessee. The park straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, w ...

in 1936, while not affecting the legal boundaries of Blount County, has significantly impacted the use of southeastern Blount County. Blount County has been served by ''The Daily Times'', currently published in Maryville, since 1883. On July 2, 2015, a

freight train Rail freight transport is the use of railroads and trains to transport cargo as opposed to human passengers. A freight train, cargo train, or goods train is a group of freight cars (US) or goods wagons (International Union of Railways) haul ...

carrying hazardous materials derailed. About 5,000 residents were displaced from their homes within a two-mile (three-kilometer) radius.

Geography

According to the

U.S. 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 county has a total area of , of which (1.4%) are covered by water. The southern part of Blount County is part of the

Great Smoky Mountains The Great Smoky Mountains (, ''Equa Dutsusdu Dodalv'') are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge ...

, and is protected by the

. The crest of the range forms the county's border with

Swain County, North Carolina Swain County is a county located on the far western border of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,117. Its county seat is Bryson City. Four rivers flow through the mountainous terrain of Swain County: ...

, and includes Blount's highest point,

Thunderhead Mountain Thunderhead Mountain is a mountain in the west-central part of the Great Smoky Mountains, located in the Southeastern United States. Rising along the border between Tennessee and North Carolina, the mountain dominates the Western Smokies. The A ...

, and the

Gregory Bald Gregory Bald is a mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains. It has an elevation of 4,949 feet (1,508 meters) above sea level. The mountain's majestic summit makes it a popular hiking destination. Another feature that attracts many visitors are the ...

, a prominent grassy bald. The northern part of the county is part of the

Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division and are also a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending ...

. The geologic boundary between the Blue Ridge (which includes the Smokies) and Ridge-and-Valley provinces runs along

Chilhowee Mountain Chilhowee Mountain is the name of two non-contiguous low ridges in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The northern section is at the outer edge of the Great Smoky Mountains, stretching between the Little Tennessee River and Chilhowee Dam to the west, a ...

, a long and narrow ridge that stretches across the central part of the county. Much of Blount's topography is characterized by elongate ridges and rolling hills— known locally as "The Foothills"— which emanate outward from the Smokies range. The mountainous southern portion of Blount County is dotted by relatively isolated valleys known as Appalachian coves. The best known of these valleys,

Cades Cove Cades Cove is an isolated valley located in the Tennessee section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The valley was home to numerous settlers before the formation of the national park. Today Cades Cove, the single most popular destinati ...

, is one of the most visited sections of the national park, and is noted for the remnants of the Appalachian community that occupied the cove prior to the park's formation, as well as an abundance of wildlife, especially

white-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...

. Tuckaleechee Cove is occupied by the city of

Townsend Townsend (pronounced tounʹ-zənd) or Townshend may refer to: Places United States *Camp Townsend, National Guard training base in Peekskill, New York *Townsend, Delaware *Townsend, Georgia *Townsend, Massachusetts, a New England town ** Townsend ...

, and Millers Cove is occupied by the community of Walland. This part of the county is also home to two large caves:

Tuckaleechee Caverns Tuckaleechee Caverns () is a tourist attraction and the largest and highest rated cave or caverns by AAA East of the Mississippi river. Tuckaleechee runs under the Smoky Mountains National Park to Townsend, Tennessee. The caverns were discovered ...

, a popular show cave, and Bull Cave, which at , is the deepest in Tennessee. The

Tennessee River The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other name ...

forms part of Blount's border with Knox County to the northwest. This section of the Tennessee is part of Fort Loudoun Lake, an artificial lake created by the

Tennessee Valley Authority The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolin ...

. The

Little Tennessee River The Little Tennessee River is a tributary of the Tennessee River that flows through the Blue Ridge Mountains from Georgia, into North Carolina, and then into Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. It drains portions of three national ...

, a tributary of the Tennessee, forms part of Blount's southern border with Monroe County, and includes three artificial lakes: Tellico, Chilhowee, and Calderwood (two others, Cheoah and Fontana, are located just upstream in North Carolina).

Little River Little River may refer to several places: Australia Streams New South Wales *Little River (Dubbo), source in the Dubbo region, a tributary of the Macquarie River * Little River (Oberon), source in the Oberon Shire, a tributary of Coxs River (Haw ...

, another tributary of the Tennessee, flows northward from deep within the Smokies and traverses the central part of the county. The river's confluence with its Middle Prong forms a popular swimming area known as the "Townsend Wye", which is located just inside the park south of Townsend.

Geographical features

* Lake in the Sky * Look Rock * Fort Loudoun Lake * Chilhowee Lake *

Adjacent counties

* Knox County, Tennessee - north *

Sevier County, Tennessee Sevier County ( ) is a county of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 98,380. Its county seat and largest city is Sevierville. Sevier County comprises the Sevierville, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area, which i ...

- east *

- southeast *

Graham County, North Carolina Graham County (locally ) is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,030, making it the third-least populous county in North Carolina. Its county seat is Robbinsville. History The cou ...

- south *

Monroe County, Tennessee Monroe County is a county on the eastern border of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,250. Its county seat is Madisonville. History During the early part of the 18th century, the area around what is now ...

- southwest *

Loudon County, Tennessee Loudon County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is located in the central part of East Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 54,886. Its county seat is Loudon. Loudon County is included in the Knoxville, TN Metr ...

- west

National protected areas

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian ...

(part) * Foothills Parkway (part) *

(part)

State protected areas

* Foothills Wildlife Management Area * Sam Houston Schoolhouse (state historic site) * Kyker Bottoms Refuge * Tellico Lake Wildlife Management Area (part) * Whites Mill Refuge

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 of ...

, 135,280 people, 50,813 households, and 35,299 families were residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, 105,823 people, 42,667 households, and 30,634 families were residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was 190 people per square mile (73/km²). The 47,059 housing units had an average density of 84 per square mile (33/km²). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the county was 94.73% White, 2.91% Black, 0.29% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.37% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. About 1.06% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. Of the 42,667 households, 30.5% had children under 18 living with them, 58.4% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.2% were not families, and 1,384 were unmarried partner households: 1,147 heterosexual, 107 same-sex male, 130 same-sex female. About 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.43, and the average family size was 2.88. In the county, the age distribution was 22.8% under 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 29.40% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.10% who were 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.80 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 90.80 males. As verified by 2000 U.S. Census, for every 100 females under 65, there were 98.7 males, for every 100 females under 55 there were 99.5 males, and for every 100 females under 20 there were 105 males. The median income for a household in the county was $37,862, and for a family was $45,038. Males had a median income of $31,877 versus $23,007 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 county was $19,416. About 7.3% of families and 9.7% 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 12.3% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those 65 or over.

Government

Like most of East Tennessee, Blount County has been a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

bastion for decades. The last non-Republican to carry the county was

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

, during his third-party run in 1912. As a measure of how Republican Blount County is,

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

lost the county by large margins in all four of his successful campaigns, and Barry Goldwater carried it in 1964 by one of his largest margins in the state. Democrats have only come close to winning here twice in recent memory. In 1976,

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...

took 46% of the vote. In 1992, George H. W. Bush was held to 48.9% of the vote—the only time in over a century that a Republican has failed to win a majority in Blount County. The current elected members of the Blount County government are: *Commissioners:

Economy

Most of the early European-American settlers were of little means; they were subsistence farmers throughout the early years of the county's establishment. The first industry to make its mark on Blount County, as in other neighboring counties, was that of lumber. It was the massive development of this industry in the mountains of east Blount that, in part, led to the creation of the

. It includes the southeastern portion of the county. Today, manufacturing has replaced lumber in importance, with over 100 manufacturing plants located in the county. Denso Manufacturing Tennessee Inc., a division of Denso Global, is the county's largest employer, with about 3,000 employees.

Education

Public schools in Blount County are part of the Blount County Schools system, with the exception of schools in the cities of Maryville and Alcoa, both of which operate separate, independent school systems. Private schools located in the county include Maryville Christian School and Clayton-Bradley STEM school. Blount County is home to two postsecondary educational institutions:

Maryville College Maryville College is a private liberal arts college in Maryville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1819 by Presbyterian minister Isaac L. Anderson for the purpose of furthering education and enlightenment into the West. The college is one of the ...

, a Presbyterian-related, liberal-arts college, founded in 1819 in downtown Maryville, and a satellite campus of

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state' ...

-based

Pellissippi State Community College Pellissippi State Community College (Pellissippi State) is a public community college based in Knox and Blount counties in Tennessee. It is operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents. The college's main campus is located in west Knox County. T ...

, referred to as Pellissippi State Community College, or PSCC, Blount County Campus.

Transportation

Paratransit

Blount County is served by the East Tennessee Human Resource Agency's Public Transit system. ETHRA operates in about 16 counties in eastern Tennessee, and is headquartered in the nearby city of Loudon. The service offers residents of any of the counties covered by ETHRA door-to-door pickup transportation across its service area by request only. ETHRA provides a large variety of services in Blount County and other parts of East Tennessee.

Airports

TYS -

McGhee Tyson Airport McGhee Tyson Airport is a public/military airport 12 miles south of Knoxville,. Federal Aviation Administration. effective November 15, 2012. in Alcoa, Blount County, Tennessee, United States. It is named for United States Navy pilot Charles Mc ...

Highways

* Interstate highways ** Interstate 140 (

Pellissippi Parkway The Pellissippi Parkway is a major highway in Knox and Blount counties in the Knoxville metropolitan area in Tennessee that extends from State Route 62 at Solway to SR 33 in Alcoa. It provides access to the cities of Oak Ridg ...

) *

U.S. highways The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these h ...

** US Route 129 (Airport Hwy, Alcoa Hwy, Hwy 411 South and Calderwood Hwy) ** US Route 321 (Lamar Alexander Pkwy and Wears Valley Road) ** US Route 411 (Broadway Ave and Sevierville Road) ** US Route 441 (Chapman Highway) *State highways **

Tennessee State Route 33 State Route 33 (SR 33) is a primary and secondary route in East Tennessee. It runs 176 miles, from the Georgia state line in Polk County, northeast to the Virginia state line north of Kyles Ford in Hancock County. South of Maryville, SR 33 is a ...

(Old Knoxville Hwy, Broadway Ave and Hwy 411 South) **

Tennessee State Route 35 State Route 35 (SR 35) is a north–south state highway in East Tennessee. The long state highway traverses Blount, Sevier, a small portion of Jefferson, Cocke, and Greene Counties. Most of the route is a secret, or hidden designation, as i ...

(Sevierville Road, Washington Street and North Hall Road) **

Tennessee State Route 72 State Route 72 (SR 72) is a state highway in the eastern portion of U.S. state of Tennessee. It travels through the towns of Vonore and Loudon. Route description Roane County SR 72 begins in Roane County at an intersection with SR 58 jus ...

Tennessee State Route 73 State Route 73 (SR 73) is west-north state highway in East Tennessee. For most of its length, it is an unsigned companion route to U.S. Route 321 (US 321). Route description SR 73 begins at an Interchange (road), interchange with Interstate 40 ...

(Lamar Alexander Pkwy & Wears Valley Road) ** Tennessee State Route 115 (Airport Hwy, Alcoa Hwy, Hwy 411 South and Calderwood Hwy) ** Tennessee State Route 162 (

) *Secondary Routes **

Tennessee State Route 71 State Route 71 (SR 71) is a north–south state highway in Tennessee. For most of the length it is a "hidden route, hidden" route, as it coincides with U.S. Route 441 in Tennessee, US 441 in all but a short section in Knoxville, Tennessee, Kno ...

(Chapman Highway) ** Tennessee State Route 73 Scenic (Lamar Alexander Pkwy and Little River Road) **

Tennessee State Route 333 State Route 333 (SR 333), is a south-to-north secondary highway in Blount County, Tennessee, that is long. Its southern terminus is with US 321 and near Friendsville, and its northern terminus is with US 129 in Alcoa. Route description SR ...

(Topside Road, Louisville Road, Quarry Rd and Miser Station Road) **

Tennessee State Route 334 State Route 334 (SR 334), also known as Louisville Road, is 2.5 mile long north-south state highway in Blount County, Tennessee. It serves as a connector between the town of Louisville and the city of Alcoa. Route description SR 334 begins in n ...

(Louisville Road) ** Tennessee State Route 335 (William Blount Drive, Hunt Road and Old Glory Road) ** Tennessee State Route 336 (Montvale Road, Six Mile Road and Brick Mill Road) ** Tennessee State Route 429 (Airbase Road) ** Tennessee State Route 446 (Foothills Mall Drive) ** Tennessee State Route 447 *US Park Service Roads ** Foothills Parkway ** Little River Road **Laurel Creek Road **Cades Cove Loop Road

Parks

In addition to the federally operated Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which draws many visitors to the county each year, Blount County operates numerous smaller community parks and recreation centers, primarily in the cities of Alcoa and Maryville. Some of these facilities include: *Amerine Park (Maryville) *Bassell Courts (Alcoa) *

Bicentennial Greenbelt Park Bicentennial Greenbelt Park is a public park located in downtown Maryville, Tennessee. History Bicentennial Park was an urban renewal project of the City of Maryville during the period leading up to the US Bicentennial in 1976. The intent was t ...

(Maryville) *Eagleton Park (Maryville) *Everett Athletic Complex (Maryville) *Everett Park/Everett Senior Center (Maryville) *Howe Street Park (Alcoa) *Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center (Alcoa) *Louisville Point Park (Louisville) *Oldfield Mini Park (Alcoa) *

Pearson Springs Park Pearson Springs Park is a public park managed by Maryville/Alcoa/Blount County Parks and Recreation. Pearson Springs parallels Pistol Creek from Best Road on the northeast to the junction of the Maryville Alcoa Greenway and Montgomery Lane on the ...

(Maryville) *Pole Climbers Athletic Fields (Alcoa) *Rock Garden Park (Alcoa) *

Sandy Springs Park Sandy Springs Park is a public park located in Maryville, Tennessee. Location Sandy Springs Park is bound on the southwest by Best Street, on the northeast by Cedar Street, on northwest by Boyd Avenue and Willow Avenue, and on the southeast by K ...

(Maryville) *John Sevier Park/Pool (Maryville) *Springbrook Park/Pool (Alcoa) *Richard Williams Park (Alcoa) An integral part of keeping the parks and other parts of Blount County beautiful is the organization called Keep Blount Beautiful. This organization works in coordination with other companies including The City of Alcoa Residential Recycling Pick Up Service and Blount County HGS Trash and Recycling Same Day Residential Pick Up Service, as well as many other recycling resources in Blount County, to work towards the community goals of reducing air, water, and land pollution in order to reduce particulate matter and smog, and to improve the overall health of local parks and preserved ecosystems in Blount County, as well as surrounding areas, of East Tennessee. These organizations and companies are appreciated by thousands of East Tennesseans due to their honorable work in the Blount County community.

Communities

Cities

* Alcoa * Friendsville * Maryville (county seat) * Rockford *

Towns

Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

* Vonore (partial)

Census-designated places

* Eagleton Village * Seymour (partial) * Walland * Wildwood

Unincorporated communities

* Armona * Disco * Fairfield * Happy Valley *

Old Glory Old Glory is a nickname for the flag of the United States. The original "Old Glory" was a flag owned by the 19th-century American sea captain William Driver (March 17, 1803 – March 3, 1886), who flew the flag during his career at sea an ...

* Tallassee * Top of the World

Former communities

* Calderwood * Tremont

References

External links

Official siteBlount County Chamber of CommerceTNGenWebBlount County
o
FamilySearch Wiki
– genealogical resources
Tennessee Department of Transportation Map of Blount County
*
The Daily Times
'
Blount County Fire Department
*
Blount County Keep Blount Beautiful Organization
{{authority control 1795 establishments in the Southwest Territory Populated places established in 1795 Knoxville metropolitan area Counties of Appalachia Second Amendment sanctuaries in Tennessee East Tennessee