Morgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,035. Its county seat is Wartburg. Morgan County is part of the Knoxville, TN Combined Statistical Area.

History

Morgan County was formed in 1817 from portions of Anderson and Roane counties. It was named in honor of

Daniel Morgan Daniel Morgan (1735–1736July 6, 1802) was an American pioneer, soldier, and politician from Virginia. One of the most respected battlefield tacticians of the American Revolutionary War of 1775–1783, he later commanded troops during the sup ...

(1736–1802), an American Revolutionary War officer who commanded the troops that defeated the British at the Battle of Cowpens, and who later served as a

U.S. congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from Virginia. The county had been part of lands relinquished by the Cherokee with the signing of the Third Treaty of Tellico in 1805. The original county seat was Montgomery until 1870, when it was moved to Wartburg.

Tornado

On November 10, 2002, a tornado destroyed 50 homes. At least seven people were killed in the Morgan County communities of Mossy Grove and Joyner.

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 is land and (0.06%) is water. The county, which lies on the eastern edge of the

Cumberland Plateau The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains of the United States. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, and portions of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia. The terms "Alle ...

, is known for its rugged mountain terrain, and cold mountain streams and rivers. The

Crab Orchard Mountains The Crab Orchard Mountains are a rugged, detached range of the southern Cumberland Mountains. They are situated in East Tennessee atop the Cumberland Plateau just west of the plateau's eastern escarpment, and comprise parts of Morgan, Anderso ...

comprise a large area of the county, which includes several designated wilderness areas,

Frozen Head State Park Frozen Head State Park and Natural Area is a state park in Morgan County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The park, situated in the Crab Orchard Mountains between the city of Wartburg and the community of Petros, contains some of ...

, and

Lone Mountain State Forest Lone Mountain State Forest is a state forest in Morgan County, Tennessee, located in the southeastern United States. The forest consists of managed by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. Lone Mountain is a detached ridge-like mountain ri ...

The

Emory River The Emory River is a river draining a portion of Tennessee's Cumberland Plateau. It flows for just over from its source near Frozen Head State Park to its mouth along the Clinch River at Kingston, Tennessee. Hydrography The Emory River rises on ...

rises on the slopes of Bird Mountain near Wartburg. The Obed River, a designated national wild and scenic river, empties into the Emory southwest of Wartburg. The Clear Fork, which forms part of Morgan's boundary with

Fentress County Fentress County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,489. Its county seat is Jamestown. History Fentress County was formed on November 28, 1823, from portions of Morgan, Overton ...

, joins the New River in Scott County to the north to form the

Big South Fork of the Cumberland River The Big South Fork of the Cumberland River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 8, 2011 river in the U.S. states of Tennessee and Kentucky. It is a major drainage fea ...

. The Cumberland Trail passes through Morgan County.

Adjacent counties

* Scott County (northeast) * Anderson County (east) * Roane County (south) *

Cumberland County Cumberland County may refer to: Australia * Cumberland County, New South Wales * the former name of Cumberland Land District, Tasmania, Australia Canada *Cumberland County, Nova Scotia United Kingdom *Cumberland, historic county *Cumberlan ...

(southwest/CST Border) *

(northwest/CST Border)

National protected areas

* Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area (part) *

Obed Wild and Scenic River Obed River is a stream draining a part of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. It, and particularly its tributaries, are important streams for whitewater enthusiasts. The Obed River rises in Cumberland County, Tennessee, just south of Crossvi ...

(part)

State protected areas

Catoosa Wildlife Management Area Catoosa Wildlife Management Area is a large game-management area on the Upper Cumberland Plateau in Morgan, Cumberland and Fentress counties in Tennessee in the United States. It comprises 96,000 acres (332 km2) of wild land administered by t ...

(part) *Frozen Head State Natural Area *

Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park The Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Park, commonly known as the Cumberland Trail, is a Tennessee hiking trail following a line of ridges and gorges along the eastern escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau and Cumberland Mountains in Tennes ...

*North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area (part) *Rugby State Natural Area

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 ...

, there were 21,035 people, 7,625 households, and 5,659 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 19,757 people, 6,990 households, and 5,235 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile (15/km²). There were 7,714 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.72% White, 2.23% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.12%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. 0.61% of the population were Hispanic or

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. There were 6,990 households, out of which 33.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.70% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 10.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.10% were non-families. 22.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.01. In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.20% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 31.90% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 11.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.40 males. The median income for a household in the county was $27,712, and the median income for a family was $31,901. Males had a median income of $25,683 versus $18,606 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,925. About 13.50% of families and 16.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.50% of those under age 18 and 15.80% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

* Harriman (mostly in Roane County) * Sunbright * Wartburg (seat)

Towns

* Oakdale *

Oliver Springs Oliver Springs is a town in Anderson, Morgan, and Roane counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Its population was 3,231 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Harriman, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Roane Count ...

(part)

Census-designated places

* Coalfield * Petros

Unincorporated communities

* Annadel *

Deer Lodge Deer Lodge is a city in and the county seat of Powell County, Montana, United States. The population was 2,938 at the 2020 census. Description The city is perhaps best known as the home of the Montana State Prison, a major local employer. ...

* Joyner * Lancing * Midway *

Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

(partial) * Shady Grove

Politics

References

External links

Official site

Morgan County Chamber of Commerce

Morgan County, TNGenWeb
- free genealogy resources for the county * * Morgan count
landforms
{{authority control 1817 establishments in Tennessee Populated places established in 1817 Counties of Appalachia Knoxville metropolitan area East Tennessee