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Pickett County, Tennessee facts for kids

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Pickett County
Pickett County Courthouse in Byrdstown
Pickett County Courthouse in Byrdstown
Map of Tennessee highlighting Pickett County
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Map of the United States highlighting Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Tennessee
Founded 1879
Named for Howard L. Pickett, state legislator
Seat Byrdstown
Largest town Byrdstown
Area
 • Total 174 sq mi (450 km2)
 • Land 163 sq mi (420 km2)
 • Water 12 sq mi (30 km2)  6.6%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 5,001 Decrease
 • Density 31/sq mi (12/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 6th

Pickett County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,001, making it the least populous county in Tennessee. Its county seat is Byrdstown. The city of Byrdstown and the Kentucky town of Albany, 11 miles (18 km) to the northeast, are positioned between two Army Corps of Engineers lakes: Dale Hollow Lake, mainly in Tennessee, and Lake Cumberland, in Kentucky. The area is known as "Twin Lakes" and Byrdstown is noted as "The Gateway To Dale Hollow Lake". Every year thousands of people vacation at the many resorts situated along the lakes.

History

Pickett County was created in 1879 from sections of Overton and Fentress counties. It was named for Howell Lester Pickett (1847 - 1914), a member of the state legislature representing Wilson County who had been instrumental in the county's formation. Nobel Peace Prize winner Cordell Hull had been born in one of the parcels of land set aside to create the new county. Hull would be honored for his role in organizing the World War II diplomatic alliance that became the United Nations.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 174 square miles (450 km2), of which 163 square miles (420 km2) is land and 12 square miles (31 km2) (6.6%) is water. It is the fourth-smallest county in Tennessee by land area and third-smallest by total area. The eastern part of the county, much of which is part of Pickett State Forest, lies atop the Cumberland Plateau, while the western, more populated half is located on the Highland Rim. The Wolf River and the Obey River, the lower parts of which are part of Dale Hollow Lake, pass through the county. The rivers converge just west of the county's border with Clay County.

Pickett-hazard-cave-entrance-tn1
Hazard Cave at Pickett State Park

Streams in the far eastern section of the county are part of the watershed of the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River.

Adjacent counties

National protected area

  • Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area (very small part)

State protected areas

Highways

  • US 127
  • SR 111
  • SR 154
  • SR 295
  • SR 325

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1890 4,736
1900 5,366 13.3%
1910 5,087 −5.2%
1920 5,205 2.3%
1930 5,615 7.9%
1940 6,213 10.7%
1950 5,093 −18.0%
1960 4,431 −13.0%
1970 3,774 −14.8%
1980 4,358 15.5%
1990 4,548 4.4%
2000 4,945 8.7%
2010 5,077 2.7%
2020 5,001 −1.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020 2020
USA Pickett County, Tennessee.csv age pyramid
Age pyramid Pickett County

2020 census

Pickett County racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 4,811 96.2%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 8 0.16%
Native American 8 0.16%
Asian 15 0.3%
Pacific Islander 1 0.02%
Other/Mixed 75 1.5%
Hispanic or Latino 83 1.66%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 5,001 people, 2,281 households, and 1,600 families residing in the county.

Education

  • Pickett County High School - High school
  • Pickett County K-8 - Elementary school/Junior high school

Communities

Byrdstown-Hwy-325-tn1
Main Street in Byrdstown
Static-tn-ky-crossroads-tnky1
Static, at the Tennessee-Kentucky state line

Town

Unincorporated communities

Ghost town

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Pickett para niños

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