Loudon County, Tennessee

Loudon County, Tennessee
The Loudon County courthouse in Loudon, TN.
Location in the state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location in the U.S.
Founded	1870
Seat	Loudon
Largest city	Lenoir City
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	,
Population  - (2010)  - Density	48,556 171/sq mi (66/km²)
Website	www.loudoncounty-tn.gov

For the county in Virginia, see Loudoun County, Virginia.

Loudon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Its population was 48,556 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Loudon^[1]. It is included in the Knoxville Metropolitan Area.

Geography

Loudon County covers 247 square miles (640 km²) and has a population density of 171.4 people per square mile.

Adjacent counties

• Knox County (northeast)
• Blount County (east)
• Monroe County (south)
• McMinn County (southwest)
• Roane County (northwest)

History

See also: Blair's Ferry Storehouse and Lenoir Cotton Mill

Loudon County was formed on May 27, 1870 from portions of Roane, Monroe and Blount counties. Originally, it was named Christiana County, but a few days later the name was changed to Loudon in honor of nearby colonial Fort Loudoun. The fort was named for John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun and a commander of the all British forces during the French and Indian Wars. Several earlier attempts to form this county failed due to the difficulty in satisfying the general provisions of Tennessee's old constitution. The act to establish this county was first act ever approved by a governor of Tennessee. Governor D. W. C. Senter signed this act into law on June 2, 1870, and Loudon County was born.

In August 1870, the county officers were chosen. On September 5, 1870, the county court was organized at the Baptist Church in Loudon. This church became the temporary quarters of the county court until the new building, built by J. W. Clark & Brothers, was finished in 1872.

There is a strong oral tradition that the Griffitts House and Farm near Jackson Ferry was a station on the Underground Railroad. The Griffitts were Quakers, who were reputed to have also given aid to Cherokee Indians during the Trail of Tears.

Demographics

Age pyramid Loudon County^[2]

As of the census^[3] of 2000, there were 39,086 people, 15,944 households, and 11,798 families residing in the county. The population density was 171 people per square mile (66/km²). There were 17,277 housing units at an average density of 76 per square mile (29/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.90% White, 1.14% Black or African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.43% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. 2.29% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 15,944 households out of which 28.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.70% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.00% were non-families. 22.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.10% 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 2.82.

In the county, the population was spread out with 21.90% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 27.70% from 45 to 64, and 16.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,401, and the median income for a family was $46,517. Males had a median income of $33,567 versus $23,164 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,061. About 6.90% of families and 10.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.80% of those under age 18 and 9.00% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Incorporated municipalities

• Greenback
• Lenoir City
• Loudon
• Philadelphia

Unincorporated places

• Dixie Lee Junction
• Morganton
• Tellico Village

Education

The public schools in all areas of the county except Lenoir City are operated by Loudon County Schools.

Residents of Lenoir City attend Lenoir City Schools. Loudon County Schools are currently facing overcrowding issues. The Loudon County Commission and the Loudon County Board of Education are in a stalemate regarding the funding of new schools.^{[citation needed]}

See also

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

References

1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
2. ^ Based on 2000 census data
3. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 

External links

• Loudon County at the Open Directory Project
• Loudon County, Tennessee Official Site

Coordinates: 35°44′N 84°19′W / 35.73°N 84.31°W / 35.73; -84.31