Meigs County, Tennessee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Meigs County, Tennessee | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Tennessee |
|
 Tennessee's location in the USA |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | information needed |
|---|---|
| Seat | Decatur |
| Largest City | Decatur |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
217 sq mi (561 km²) 195 sq mi (505 km²) 22 sq mi (57 km²), 10.11% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
11,086 57/sq mi (22/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern : UTC-5/-4 |
Meigs County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population is 11,086. Its county seat is Decatur6.
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[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 561 km² (217 mi²). 505 km² (195 mi²) of it is land and 57 km² (22 mi²) of it (10.11%) is water.
Geographic Features
The main geographic feature of Meigs County, is its border with the Tennessee River, and TVA Reservoirs. The county lies in the middle of the Tennessee Valley, and is bound completely to the west by the Tennessee River and its reservoirs. The northern third of the county is bound on the West by Watts Bar Lake. While the rest of the county is bound on the west by Chickamauga Lake. The Lower third of the of the county is divided by the Hiwassee River.
Highest Elevation
McMinn Ridge at an elevation of 1,296 feet. Topographical map of location[1]
Transportation
State Route 58 - The principal North/South highway, runs the entire length of the county dividing the county down the middle. The only link via the Hiwassee River Bridge to the Southern Most part of the county.
State Route 30 - The Principal East/West highway. This highway divides the county into North and South and intersects Highway 58 in Decatur, Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Transportation is in the process of upgrading Highway 30 from a 2 lane highway to a 4 lane divided highway. allowing for more major east/west traffic and faster connection to Interstate 75.
State Route 68 - A North/South Main highway for the county, that actually runs East/West though the Northern county. This Highway crosses the Tennessee River at Watts Bar Dam.
State Route 60 - A principal East/West Highway forming the Southern Border of the County.
State Route 304 - An important local road, mainly for local residents that live off of the highway, and its northern portions allows access to Watts Bar Lake's many Marinas, Resorts, and Campgrounds. Also Connects the unincorporated Community of Ten Mile, Tennessee with the County Seat of Decatur, Tennessee
State Route 305 - An important local road, connecting Interstate 75 with State Route 68 and State Route 58. This also connects the north-central part of the County with the neighboring city of Athens, Tennessee in McMinn County.
Adjacent counties
- Roane County, Tennessee (North)
- McMinn County, Tennessee (East)
- Bradley County, Tennessee (Southeast)
- Hamilton County, Tennessee (South)
- Rhea County, Tennessee (West)
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 11,086 people, 4,304 households, and 3,262 families residing in the county. The population density was 22/km² (57/mi²). There were 5,188 housing units at an average density of 10/km² (27/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.65% White, 1.24% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.11% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. 0.57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 4,304 households out of which 32.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.70% were married couples living together, 9.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.20% were non-families. 20.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the county, the population was spread out with 25.10% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 26.30% from 45 to 64, and 11.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 100.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,354, and the median income for a family was $34,114. Males had a median income of $29,521 versus $20,419 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,551. About 15.80% of families and 18.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.50% of those under age 18 and 14.60% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Cities and towns
The town of Decatur, the county seat, is the only incorporated municipality in Meigs County. Unincorporated communities include:
- Ten Mile
- Georgetown
- Cottonport
