Union County, Tennessee

Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, its population was 19,802.^[2] Its county seat is Maynardville.^[3] Union County is included in the Knoxville metropolitan statistical area.

Union County
County
Union County Courthouse in Maynardville
Flag Logo
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°17′N 83°50′W
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
Founded	January 23, 1856
Named after	Either its creation from parts of five other counties or its support for the Union during the Civil War[1]
Seat	Maynardville
Largest city	Maynardville
Government
• Mayor	Jason Bailey
Area
• Total	247 sq mi (640 km2)
• Land	224 sq mi (580 km2)
• Water	24 sq mi (60 km2)  9.5%
Population  (2020)
• Total	19,802
• Density	85/sq mi (33/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	37721, 37779, 37807, 37866, 37705
Area code	865
Congressional district	3rd
Website	www.unioncountytn.com

History

Union County was created from the union of parts of five adjacent counties.

Union County was formed in 1850 from portions of Grainger, Claiborne, Campbell, Anderson, and Knox Counties. At least two theories are given on the source of its name. The name may commemorate the "union" of sections of five counties, or it may reflect East Tennessee's support for the preservation of the Union in the years before and during the Civil War.^[4] The enabling legislation was initially passed January 3, 1850, but due to legal challenges and complications, the county was not formally created until January 23, 1856. The county seat was originally named "Liberty", but renamed "Maynardville" in honor of attorney and congressman Horace Maynard, who had defended the county in a court case that sought to block its formation.^[1]

In the 1930s, the damming of the Clinch River by the construction of Norris Dam by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to form Norris Lake inundated a large part of the county,^[5] including the community of Loyston, and displaced many residents. "The Move," what many displaced families called the forced relocation by TVA, would encounter criticism, as the promise of electrification of Union County would not come after the completion of Norris Dam, but two decades later in the mid-1950s.^[6] With assistance from the National Park Service and the Civilian Conservation Corps, the TVA developed Big Ridge State Park as a demonstration park on the shore of Norris Lake in Union County. The park's recreational facilities opened in May 1934.^[7]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 247 sq mi (640 km²), of which 224 sq mi (580 km²) are land and 24 sq mi (62 km²) (9.5%) are covered by water.^[8] The county is situated in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, a range characterized by long, narrow ridges alternating with similarly shaped valleys. Prominent ridges in Union County include Copper Ridge, Hinds Ridge, and Lone Mountain. The southern end of Clinch Mountain forms part of the county's border with Grainger County to the east.

Norris Lake, near Big Ridge State Park

The Clinch River, Union County's primary stream, flows through the northern part of the county. This section of the river is part of Norris Lake. Big Ridge Dam, a small, nongenerating dam, impounds an inlet of Norris Lake, creating Big Ridge Lake at Big Ridge State Park. The "Loyston Sea", one of the widest sections of Norris Lake, is located in Union County just north of the state park.^[9]

Adjacent counties

• Claiborne County (north)
• Grainger County (east)
• Knox County (south)
• Anderson County (southwest)
• Campbell County (northwest)

State protected areas

• Big Ridge State Park
• Chuck Swan State Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	6,117		—
1870	7,605		24.3%
1880	10,260		34.9%
1890	11,459		11.7%
1900	12,894		12.5%
1910	11,414		−11.5%
1920	11,615		1.8%
1930	11,371		−2.1%
1940	9,030		−20.6%
1950	8,670		−4.0%
1960	8,498		−2.0%
1970	9,072		6.8%
1980	11,707		29.0%
1990	13,694		17.0%
2000	17,808		30.0%
2010	19,109		7.3%
2020	19,802		3.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[10] 1790-1960[11] 1900-1990[12] 1990-2000[13] 2010-2014[14]

Age pyramid Union County^[15]

2020 census

Union County racial composition^[16]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	18,642	94.14%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	53	0.27%
Native American	33	0.17%
Asian	36	0.18%
Pacific Islander	5	0.03%
Other/Mixed	629	3.18%
Hispanic or Latino	404	2.04%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 19,802 people, 7,405 households, and 5,471 families residing in the county.

2000 census

At the 2000 census,^[17] 17,808 people, 6,742 households and 5,191 families were residing in the county. The population density was 80 people per square mile (31 people/km²). The 7,916 housing units averaged 35 per square mile (14/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.46% White, 0.10% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. About 0.79% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

Of the 6,742 households, 35.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.20% were married couples living together, 10.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.00% were not families. About 19.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62, and the average family size was 2.99.

The age distribution was 25.70% under 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 31.00% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 10.80% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.60 males.

The median household income was $27,335 and the median family income was $31,843. Males had a median income of $26,436 versus $18,665 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,375. About 16.80% of families and 19.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.10% of those under age 18 and 27.80% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Top employers

According to a data profile produced by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development in 2018,^[18] the top employers in the county are:

	Employer	Employees
1	Union County School District	350
2	Clayton Homes (Maynardville)	350
3	Union County	150
4	Food City	100
5	O-N Minerals Company	100

Education

• Big Ridge Elementary School
• Horace Maynard Middle School (previously Horace Maynard High School until 1997)
• Luttrell Elementary School
• Maynardville Elementary School
• Paulette Elementary School
• Sharps Chapel Elementary School
• Tennessee Virtual Academy
• Union County Alternative Center, grades 6-12
• Union County High School
• In 2023 the Union County High School Baseball team won the first ever team sports State Championship in county history.

Attractions

• Roy Acuff Museum
• Big Ridge State Park

Communities

The old Hamilton-Lay store at Hamilton Crossroads, east of Maynardville

Cities

• Luttrell
• Maynardville (county seat)
• Plainview

Unincorporated communities

• Alder Springs
• Braden
• Sharps Chapel

Ghost town

• Loyston

Notable people

• Roy Acuff, entertainer
• Chet Atkins, entertainer
• Jake Butcher, former banker and politician, convicted of fraud
• Kenny Chesney, entertainer
• John Rice Irwin, historian and founder of Museum of Appalachia
• Florence Reece, who wrote the song "Which Side Are You On?", was born in Sharps Chapel in 1900.
• Carl Smith, entertainer

Government and politics

United States presidential election results for Union County, Tennessee^[19]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	7,384	85.01%	1,216	14.00%	86	0.99%
2020	6,803	83.75%	1,249	15.38%	71	0.87%
2016	5,053	80.89%	1,012	16.20%	182	2.91%
2012	4,282	73.35%	1,478	25.32%	78	1.34%
2008	4,467	69.81%	1,829	28.58%	103	1.61%
2004	4,145	61.77%	2,524	37.62%	41	0.61%
2000	3,199	54.96%	2,564	44.05%	58	1.00%
1996	2,253	44.08%	2,421	47.37%	437	8.55%
1992	2,274	42.47%	2,478	46.28%	602	11.24%
1988	2,110	59.20%	1,431	40.15%	23	0.65%
1984	2,447	61.51%	1,495	37.58%	36	0.90%
1980	2,453	62.09%	1,435	36.32%	63	1.59%
1976	1,801	52.10%	1,631	47.18%	25	0.72%
1972	1,927	76.26%	570	22.56%	30	1.19%
1968	1,956	66.71%	527	17.97%	449	15.31%
1964	1,770	61.87%	1,091	38.13%	0	0.00%
1960	2,082	75.63%	652	23.68%	19	0.69%
1956	2,154	79.69%	535	19.79%	14	0.52%
1952	2,087	75.78%	667	24.22%	0	0.00%
1948	1,603	74.35%	513	23.79%	40	1.86%
1944	1,768	73.73%	627	26.15%	3	0.13%
1940	1,143	62.66%	673	36.90%	8	0.44%
1936	1,785	64.70%	963	34.90%	11	0.40%
1932	1,169	58.95%	802	40.44%	12	0.61%
1928	1,826	83.30%	360	16.42%	6	0.27%
1924	1,540	78.37%	368	18.73%	57	2.90%
1920	2,607	85.98%	423	13.95%	2	0.07%
1916	1,490	79.09%	389	20.65%	5	0.27%
1912	307	16.05%	404	21.12%	1,202	62.83%

Union County's current mayor is Jason Bailey. The county has 17 commissioners, with two-to-three from each of its seven districts.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Tennessee#Union County