Clarkrange is an
unincorporated community
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 ...
and
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
(CDP) in
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 ...
,
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 ...
, United States. It is concentrated around the intersection of
U.S. Route 127
U.S. Route 127 (US 127) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the eastern half of the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at US 27 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The northern terminus is at Interstate 75 (I-75) near G ...
and
Tennessee State Route 62
State Route 62 (SR 62) is a west-to-east highway in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is designated as a primary route except for the short segment between SR 169 and its eastern terminus, which is secondary.
State Route 62 begins in Putnam Count ...
, in Tennessee's western
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 ...
region.
The 2010 census reported the population of Clarkrange as 575.
The community has a
post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...
, established in 1885, and which has the
ZIP code 38553. Clarkrange is also the site of
Clarkrange High School, the only public
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
operated by the county school district (
York Institute
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a m ...
, which serves the
Jamestown area, is operated by the state).
Clarkrange is named for Cyrus Clark, who operated an inn and cattle ranch in the community during the late 19th century. Prior to Clark's arrival, the land had been used by local farmers as a
free range
Free range denotes a method of farming husbandry where the animals, for at least part of the day, can roam freely outdoors, rather than being confined in an enclosure for 24 hours each day.
On many farms, the outdoors ranging area is fenced, ...
area for cattle.
[Carson Key, "Clarkrange," ''History of Fentress County, Tennessee'' (Fentress County Historical Society, 1987), pp. 24-25.]
Clarkrange has a JROTC raider team, which has placed 1st two years in a row in the national raider competition.
Geography
The community is located in southern Fentress County and is bordered to the south by
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 ...
. The crossroads at the center of town sits south of the
Tennessee Valley Divide
The Tennessee Valley Divide is the boundary of the drainage basin of the Tennessee River and its tributaries.
The Tennessee River drainage basin begins with its tributaries in southwestern Virginia and flows generally west to the confluence of t ...
: the south side of town drains to Clear Creek (forming the Cumberland County line), which flows east to the
Obed 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 Crossville ...
and then via the
Emory Emory may refer to:
Places
* Emory, Texas, U.S.
* Emory (crater), on the moon
* Emory Peak, in Texas, U.S.
* Emory River, in Tennessee, U.S.
Education
* Emory and Henry College, or simply Emory, in Emory, Virginia, U.S.
* Emory University
...
and
Clinch rivers to 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 names, ...
. The northwest side of town drains via Slate Creek to the East Fork of the
Obey River
The Obey River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 8, 2011 tributary of the Cumberland River in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It joins the Cumberland River near the t ...
and ultimately to the
Cumberland River
The Cumberland River is a major waterway of the Southern United States. The U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 8, 2011 river drains almost of southern Kentucky and ...
, and the northeast side drains via the North Prong of
Clear Fork to the
Big South Fork of the Cumberland River.
US 127 leads north to
Jamestown, the Fentress County seat, and south 18 miles to
Crossville. TN 62 leads east to
Wartburg
The Wartburg () is a castle originally built in the Middle Ages. It is situated on a precipice of to the southwest of and overlooking the town of Eisenach, in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It was the home of St. Elisabeth of Hungary, the p ...
and west to
Monterey.
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 Clarkrange CDP has an area of , all of it land.
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 596 people, 289 households, and 241 families residing in the CDP.
Athletics
Clarkrange High School has claimed eight state championship titles in Tennessee Class A Girls' Basketball. The Clarkrange Lady Buffaloes won the title in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1990, 1991, 1995, 2004, and 2009.
Chess
Clarkrange High School has also been known for their chess team, winning national championships in 2000, 2004, and 2008.
References
Census-designated places in Fentress County, Tennessee
Unincorporated communities in Tennessee
Census-designated places in Tennessee
Unincorporated communities in Fentress County, Tennessee
{{FentressCountyTN-geo-stub