Reelfoot Lake State Park Cypress Boardwalk Obion County TN 2013-04-06 033

Obion 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 northwest corner 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 2010 census, the population was 31,807. 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 Union City. The county was formed in 1823 and organized in 1824. It was named after the

Obion River The Obion River system is the primary surface water drainage system of northwestern Tennessee, United States. Description The Obion has four major forks, the North Fork, Middle Fork, South Fork and Rutherford Fork (which is named after Henr ...

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

Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austr ...

–Union City, TN

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

In the year, 1811 there was a large

seismic activity An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...

located on the New Madrid Fault Line. The series of earthquakes, while devastating, formed Reelfoot Lake. Obion was later established in 1823 and organized the following year. It was named for the

, which flows through the county and is a tributary of the nearby

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

. The word "Obion" is believed to be derived from a Native American word meaning "many forks," or from an Irish trapper named O'Brien. The founding of Obion County originally came from the expansion of railroads. The county has since moved towards many agricultural and manufacturing productions. In 2013,

Discovery Park of America Discovery Park of America is a museum and heritage park located just outside the boundary of Union City, Tennessee. The park sits on of land off of Everett Boulevard, near the proposed Interstate 69. It features exhibits and activities on local ...

opened in Union City. Discovery Park is a 50-acre encyclopedic museum and heritage park with exhibits pertaining to local and national history, military history, art, science, and technology.

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 (1.9%) is water. It is located in the "rolling hills of northwest Tennessee".

Adjacent counties

Fulton County, Kentucky Fulton County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Kentucky, with the Mississippi River forming its western boundary. As of the 2010 census, the population was 6,813. Its county seat is Hickman. The county was formed in 1845 from Hick ...

(north) *

Hickman County, Kentucky Hickman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,521, making it the third-least populous county in Kentucky. Its county seat is Clinton. The county was formed in 1821. It is the le ...

(northeast) * Weakley County (east) * Gibson County (southeast) * Dyer County (southwest) * Lake County (west)

National protected area

Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge is a part of the U.S. system of National Wildlife Refuges consisting of an area of Northwest Tennessee and Western Kentucky that consists primarily of a buffer zone around Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee's only large nat ...

(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 Reelfoot Lake State Park is a state park in the northwest corner of Tennessee in the United States. It encompasses Reelfoot Lake and is situated in Lake and Obion counties. The park itself makes up , divided into ten sections around the lake. A ...

(part) *Three Rivers Wildlife Management Area

Major highways

* * * * * * * * *

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 30,787 people, 12,717 households, and 8,389 families 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, there were 32,450 people, 13,182 households, and 9,398 families 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 60 people per square mile (23/km²). There were 14,489 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.16%

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 o ...

, 9.85%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

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 ens ...

, 0.19%

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 ...

, 0.14% Native American, 0.05%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.91% 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 0.71% from two or more races. 1.90% of the population were

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 forme ...

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 13,182 households, out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.40% were married couples living together, 11.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.89. In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.40% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.90 males. The median income for a household in the county was $32,764, and the median income for a family was $40,533. Males had a median income of $32,963 versus $20,032 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 $17,409. About 10.10% of families and 13.30% 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 18.60% of those under age 18 and 15.10% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

The county is part of District 77 of the Tennessee House of Representatives, currently represented by Republican Rusty Grills, and District 76, currently represented by Republican Tandy Darby. The county is part of District 24 of the

Tennessee Senate The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the U.S. state of Tennessee's state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly. The Tennessee Senate has the power to pass resolutions concerning essentially any issue rega ...

, currently represented by Republican John Stevens. At the federal level, it is part of the state's 8th congressional district, currently represented by Republican

David Kustoff David Frank Kustoff (; born October 8, 1966) is an American politician and attorney serving as the United States representative from . The district includes the bulk of West Tennessee, but most of its population is in the eastern part of the Me ...

Education

Obion County Schools

School District website

Union City Schools

School District Website

Attractions

Obion County is home to many attractions and activities. *

offers a world-class educational experience that focuses on nature, science, technology, history, and art. Discovery Park is the main source of tourism to Obion County. *

Reelfoot Lake Reelfoot Lake is a shallow natural lake located in the northwest portion of the U.S. state of Tennessee, in Lake and Obion Counties. Much of it is swamp-like, with bayou-like ditches (some natural, some man-made) connecting more open bodies of wate ...

is a protected area in Obion County. It is an oasis for hiking, boating, and experiencing nature. * Masquerade Theatre is a local theater groups and presents many high-quality productions. What started as the historical Capitol Theater has now been renovated to meet the community's needs. * The Obion County Fair is one of the biggest events held in the county. Fair Rides, Agricultural displays, pageants, and much more are held in late August every year.

Media

* WENK-AM 1240 "The Greatest Hits of All Time" * WWGY 99.3 "Today's Best Music with Ace & TJ in the Morning" * WQAK-FM 105.7 "The Quake" (alternative rock) * The Union City Daily Messenger The county's Newspaper since 1926

Other services

Obion County has a public library, with a building and a catalog of over 70,000 books, video and audio materials. Residents of the county's

unincorporated communities An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

have the option of paying $75 per year if they want firefighting services from the city of South Fulton.

Communities

Cities

* South Fulton * Union City (county seat) * Woodland Mills

Towns

* Hornbeak * Kenton (partly in Gibson County) * Obion * Rives * Samburg * Trimble (mostly in Dyer County) *

Troy Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in present-day Turkey, south-west of Ç ...

Unincorporated communities

Cunningham Cunningham is a surname of Scottish origin, see Clan Cunningham. Notable people sharing this surname A–C * Aaron Cunningham (born 1986), American baseball player *Abe Cunningham, American drummer * Adrian Cunningham (born 1960), Australian ...

Dixie Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas shift over the years), or the extent of the area it cover ...

* Midway * Protemus * Walnut Log

References

External links

Obion County Joint Economic Development Council
– joint initiative of the Obion County Chamber of Commerce and the Obion County Industrial Development Council
Obion County, TNGenWeb
- free genealogy resources for the county *
Obion County SchoolsUnion City Schools
{{authority control Union City, Tennessee micropolitan area 1824 establishments in Tennessee Populated places established in 1824 West Tennessee