Monroe County, Tennessee

Coordinates: 35°27′N 84°15′W / 35.45°N 84.25°W / 35.45; -84.25

Monroe County, Tennessee
Monroe County Courthouse in Madisonville, Tennessee
Location in the state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location in the U.S.
Founded	November 13, 1819
Named for	James Monroe
Seat	Madisonville
Largest city	Sweetwater
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	653 sq mi (1,690 km²) 635 sq mi (1,644 km²) 18 sq mi (46 km²), 2.71%
Population  - (2000)  - Density	38,961 61/sq mi (24/km²)
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4

Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 38,961. Its county seat is Madisonville^[1].

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 653 square miles (1,690 km²), of which 635 square miles (1,640 km²) is land and 18 square miles (47 km²) (2.71%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Loudon County (north)
• Blount County (northeast)
• Graham County, North Carolina (east)
• Cherokee County, North Carolina (southeast)
• Polk County (southwest)
• McMinn County (west)

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there are 38,961 people, 15,329 households, and 11,236 families residing in the county. The population density is 61 people per square mile (24/km²). There are 17,287 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile (11/km²). The racial makeup of the county is 94.87% White, 2.27% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races. 1.76% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Age pyramid Monroe County^[3]

There are 15,329 households out of which 32.10% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.40% are married couples living together, 10.00% have a female householder with no husband present, and 26.70% are non-families. 23.30% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.40% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.51 and the average family size is 2.94.

In the county, the population is spread out with 24.70% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 24.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.20% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 97.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 93.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county is $30,337, and the median income for a family is $34,902. Males have a median income of $29,621 versus $21,064 for females. The per capita income for the county is $14,951. 15.50% of the population and 12.00% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 19.40% of those under the age of 18 and 17.70% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Cities and towns

• Madisonville
• Tellico Plains
• Sweetwater
• Vonore

Parks, forests, and natural features

A portion of the county is included in the Cherokee National Forest.

The Lost Sea is a commercial cave located 7 miles southeast of Sweetwater in Monroe County. The underground lake for which it is named is the largest in North America. The cave tour features a ride on the lake in boats with electric motors. The lake was discovered by Ben Sands in 1905 when he was only 13 years old. In 1940, the skeletons and footprints of two Pleistocene jaguars (Panthera onca augusta) were discovered in the cave. They were excavated by George Gaylord Simpson of the American Museum.^[4]

Transportation

The Monroe County Airport is a county-owned, public-use airport located two nautical miles (3.7 km) northwest of the central business district of Madisonville.^[5]

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Monroe County, Tennessee

References

1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
2. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ Based on 2000 census data
4. ^ Larry E. Matthews, "Caves of Knoxville and the Great Smoky Mountains", National Speleological Society, 2008, 296 pages, ISBN 978-1-879961-30-2
5. ^ FAA Airport Master Record for MNV (Form 5010 PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. Effective 8 April 2010.

External links

• Monroe County, Tennessee (official site)
• Monroe County at the Open Directory Project