Carter County, Tennessee

Carter County
Carter County Courthouse in Elizabethton
Carter County Courthouse in Elizabethton
Official seal of Carter County
Map of Tennessee highlighting Carter County
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Map of the United States highlighting Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°18′N 82°07′W / 36.3°N 82.12°W / 36.3; -82.12
Country United States
State Tennessee
Founded1796
Named forLandon Carter
SeatElizabethton
Largest cityElizabethton
Area
 • Total348 sq mi (900 km2)
 • Land341 sq mi (880 km2)
 • Water6.4 sq mi (17 km2)  1.8%
Population
 • Total56,356 Decrease
 • Density168/sq mi (65/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.cartercountytn.gov

Carter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 56,356. Its county seat is Elizabethton. The county is named in honor of Landon Carter (1760-1800), an early settler active in the "Lost State of Franklin" 1784-1788 secession from the State of North Carolina. Carter County is part of the Johnson City, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–KingsportBristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area, located in northeastern Tennessee.

History

A map of the Province of Carolina

The area was originally claimed by Britain as part of the Clarendon settlements of the Province of Carolina, although actually populated at the time by the Cherokee.

The area was part of (though seldom actually administered by) the following jurisdictions in its early history:

Watauga Association

The county is named for General Landon Carter, the son of John Carter of Virginia, who was "chairman of the court" of the first majority-rule system of American democracy, known as the Watauga Association of 1772. The association was the first permanent settlement established outside the original thirteen American colonies and included the area that is today's Carter County. In 1775, the Association was absorbed into North Carolina by petition, becoming known thereafter as the Washington District.

As Wayne County in the State of Franklin

J. G. M. Ramsey records within his 1853 Annals of Tennessee that the State of Franklin established Wayne County from sections of both Washington County and a part of Wilkes County "lying west of the extreme heights of the Apalachian or Alleghany Mountains, into a separate and distinct county by the name of Wayne... This new county covered the same territory now embraced in the limits of Carter and Johnson counties."

The county seat, Elizabethton, is named for Carter's wife, Elizabeth MacLin Carter.

Civil War

Like most East Tennessee counties, Carter Countians opposed secession on the eve of the Civil War. In Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession referendum on June 8, 1861, Carter Countians rejected secession by a vote of 1,343 to 86. A railroad bridge at Carter's Depot (modern Watauga) was among those targeted by the East Tennessee bridge-burning conspiracy in November 1861.

Early railroad

Carter County was served by the narrow gauge East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (The ET&WNC, nicknamed "Tweetsie") until the line ceased operations in 1950.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 348 square miles (900 km2), of which 341 square miles (880 km2) is land and 6.4 square miles (17 km2) (1.8%) is water.

Carter County is situated entirely within the Blue Ridge Mountains, specifically the Unaka Range and the Iron Mountains. Roan Mountain, which at 6,285 feet (1,916 m) is the highest point in Tennessee outside the Great Smoky Mountains, straddles the county's eastern border with North Carolina. The county's boundary with Sullivan County is defined as the ridgeline of Holston Mountain.

Lakes

Rivers

Waterfalls

The main waterfall at Blue Hole Falls, located northeast of Elizabethton on Holston Mountain.
  • CTF015 Big Laurel Br. Falls 50'
    lake
  • CTF001 Blue Hole Falls (4) 45'
    Cherokee National Forest
  • CTF018 Hardcore Cascades 12'
    Cherokee National Forest
  • CTF002 Coon Den Falls 50'
    Cherokee National Forest
  • CTF003 Dennis Cove Falls 25'
    wilderness
  • CTF005 Firescald Branch Falls
    wilderness
  • CTF016 Five Eights
    lake
  • CTF006 Jones Falls 100'
    Cherokee National Forest
  • CTF007 Laurel Falls 55'
    wilderness
  • CTF010 Laurel Falls (m) 25'
    wilderness
  • CTF011 Laurel Falls (u) 25'
    wilderness
  • CTF014 Mountaineer Falls 20'
    Cherokee National Forest
  • CTF012 North Fork Stony Creek Falls 30'
    Cherokee National Forest
  • CTF008 Sally Cove Creek Falls 25'
  • CTF009 Twisting Falls 30'
    Cherokee National Forest
  • CTF013 Splash Dam Falls 25'
    Cherokee National Forest
  • CTF017 Hays Branch Falls 18'
    Cherokee National Forest

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

State protected areas

Major highways

Law enforcement

Carter County is served by the Carter County Sheriff's Office, located in Elizabethton. During the Local General Election on August 4, 2022, Mike Fraley overcame the Independent candidate to become Sheriff of Carter County. Sheriff Fraley took over Official Duties as Sheriff on September 1. Sheriff Fraley's term will run September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2026. Its duties include patrol of the county and all jail and prisoner matters.

The Elizabethton Police Department services the City of Elizabethton inside Carter County. As of 2018, the Chief of Police is Jason Shaw.

Climate

Climate data for Carter County, Tennessee (Bristol-Johnson City)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 43.7
(6.5)
48.0
(8.9)
58.9
(14.9)
67.4
(19.7)
75.2
(24.0)
82.2
(27.9)
84.6
(29.2)
84.1
(28.9)
79.1
(26.2)
69.1
(20.6)
58.2
(14.6)
48.1
(8.9)
66.6
(19.2)
Daily mean °F (°C) 34.0
(1.1)
37.4
(3.0)
47.2
(8.4)
55.2
(12.9)
63.4
(17.4)
71.1
(21.7)
74.4
(23.6)
73.6
(23.1)
67.9
(19.9)
56.7
(13.7)
47.0
(8.3)
38.2
(3.4)
55.5
(13.1)
Average low °F (°C) 24.3
(−4.3)
26.8
(−2.9)
35.4
(1.9)
43.0
(6.1)
51.6
(10.9)
59.9
(15.5)
64.1
(17.8)
63.1
(17.3)
56.6
(13.7)
44.2
(6.8)
35.9
(2.2)
28.2
(−2.1)
44.4
(6.9)
Average rainfall inches (mm) 3.2
(81)
3.4
(86)
3.7
(94)
3.3
(84)
3.8
(97)
3.5
(89)
4.3
(110)
3.2
(81)
3.3
(84)
2.6
(66)
2.9
(74)
3.4
(86)
40.7
(1,030)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 5.2
(13)
4.2
(11)
2.3
(5.8)
0.4
(1.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.9
(2.3)
2.6
(6.6)
15.6
(40)
Average relative humidity (%) 59.0 71.5 69.0 67.0 69.5 73.0 75.0 76.5 76.5 74.0 68.5 69.5 74.0
Source: Climate-zone.com

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
18004,813
18104,190−12.9%
18204,83515.4%
18306,41432.7%
18405,372−16.2%
18506,29617.2%
18607,12413.2%
18707,90911.0%
188010,01926.7%
189013,38933.6%
190016,68824.6%
191019,83818.9%
192021,4888.3%
193029,22336.0%
194035,12720.2%
195042,43220.8%
196041,578−2.0%
197042,5752.4%
198050,20517.9%
199051,5052.6%
200056,74210.2%
201057,4241.2%
202056,356−1.9%
2022 (est.)56,4100.1%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2014
Age pyramid Carter County

2020 census

Carter County racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 51,790 91.9%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 702 1.25%
Native American 153 0.27%
Asian 231 0.41%
Pacific Islander 7 0.01%
Other/Mixed 2,292 4.07%
Hispanic or Latino 1,181 2.1%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 56,356 people, 23,784 households, and 15,256 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 56,742 people, 23,486 households, and 16,346 families residing in the county. The population density was 166 people per square mile (64 people/km2). There were 25,920 housing units at an average density of 76 units per square mile (29/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.49% White, 1.00% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. 0.89% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 23,486 households, out of which 28.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.90% were married couples living together, 11.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.40% were non-families. 26.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.40% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,371, and the median income for a family was $33,825. Males had a median income of $26,394 versus $19,687 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,678. About 12.80% of families and 16.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.00% of those under age 18 and 16.00% of those age 65 or over.

Education

  • Central Elementary School
  • Cloudland Elementary School
  • Cloudland High School
  • East Side Elementary School (city)
  • Elizabethton High School (city)
  • Hampton Elementary School
  • Hampton High School
  • Happy Valley Elementary School
  • Happy Valley Middle School
  • Happy Valley High School
  • Harold McCormick Elementary School (city)
  • Hunter Elementary School
  • Keenburg Elementary School
  • Little Milligan Elementary School
  • T.A. Dugger Junior High School (city)
  • Unaka Elementary School
  • Unaka High School
  • Valley Forge Elementary
  • West Side Elementary School (city)

Colleges

Communities

Elk Avenue in Elizabethton
U.S. 19E in Roan Mountain

Cities

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Politics

Carter County is a Republican stronghold, and, like most of East Tennessee, has voted consistently Republican since the Civil War. Carter County is even more heavily Republican than many other counties in East Tennessee and has not been won by a Democratic presidential candidate since before the Civil War. Since then, only one Democrat, southerner Jimmy Carter in 1976 (who also won several traditionally Republican counties in East Tennessee), has received over 40% of the popular vote.

Most recent Carter County Mayor Rusty Barnett died on September 21, 2020.

United States presidential election results for Carter County, Tennessee
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 19,584 79.96% 4,529 18.49% 379 1.55%
2016 16,898 80.15% 3,453 16.38% 733 3.48%
2012 15,503 75.20% 4,789 23.23% 325 1.58%
2008 15,852 72.82% 5,587 25.66% 330 1.52%
2004 15,768 70.67% 6,395 28.66% 150 0.67%
2000 12,111 63.40% 6,724 35.20% 267 1.40%
1996 10,540 57.65% 6,218 34.01% 1,524 8.34%
1992 10,712 55.82% 6,502 33.88% 1,976 10.30%
1988 12,036 71.74% 4,634 27.62% 108 0.64%
1984 13,153 73.35% 4,642 25.89% 138 0.77%
1980 11,648 64.44% 6,006 33.22% 423 2.34%
1976 8,934 54.11% 7,443 45.08% 133 0.81%
1972 11,102 82.15% 2,191 16.21% 221 1.64%
1968 9,467 64.68% 2,160 14.76% 3,009 20.56%
1964 8,472 61.40% 5,326 38.60% 0 0.00%
1960 12,214 77.31% 3,412 21.60% 172 1.09%
1956 11,218 78.80% 2,933 20.60% 85 0.60%
1952 9,019 76.15% 2,707 22.86% 118 1.00%
1948 4,943 70.94% 1,809 25.96% 216 3.10%
1944 4,873 74.33% 1,662 25.35% 21 0.32%
1940 4,238 65.40% 2,171 33.50% 71 1.10%
1936 4,858 72.27% 1,837 27.33% 27 0.40%
1932 5,055 76.26% 1,574 23.74% 0 0.00%
1928 4,934 90.40% 512 9.38% 12 0.22%
1924 3,657 86.33% 551 13.01% 28 0.66%
1920 6,059 89.99% 674 10.01% 0 0.00%
1916 2,961 85.60% 498 14.40% 0 0.00%
1912 1,243 34.08% 478 13.11% 1,926 52.81%

See also

36°18′N 82°7′W / 36.300°N 82.117°W / 36.300; -82.117


This page was last updated at 2023-11-28 11:56 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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