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Sunbright, Tennessee
US 27 passing through Sunbright
US 27 passing through Sunbright
Location of Sunbright in Morgan County, Tennessee.
Location of Sunbright in Morgan County, Tennessee.
Country United States
State Tennessee
County Morgan
Settled 1810s
Incorporated 1990
Area
 • Total 3.53 sq mi (9.14 km2)
 • Land 3.53 sq mi (9.14 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
1,394 ft (425 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 519
 • Density 147.11/sq mi (56.80/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
37872
Area code(s) 423
FIPS code 47-72140
GNIS feature ID 2405547

Sunbright is a city in Morgan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 519 at the 2020 census.

History

The Sunbright area was first settled in the early 19th century. It was originally known as "Pine Top", but was renamed "Stapleton" after the Staples family set up the town's first post office in the mid-19th century. When the railroad was constructed through the area in 1879, the Stapleton depot was named "Sunbright," and the name was eventually applied to the entire town.

In 1916, an oil field was discovered in the hills immediately west of Sunbright, and the city thrived for several years as an oil shipping hub. An oil well was in operation within a year, and 15 wells were in operation in the Sunbright area by 1927.

Geography

Sunbright is situated atop the Cumberland Plateau approximately 25 miles (40 km) west of the plateau's Walden Ridge escarpment. Sunbright is surrounded by low mountains and hills that comprise the fringe of the Cumberland Mountains.

White Oak Creek, which drains Sunbright, is part of the upper watershed of the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River. The Big South Fork's watershed meets the watershed of the Emory River atop Pilot Mountain, immediately south of Sunbright.

Sunbright is centered along U.S. Route 27, which connects the city to Wartburg and Harriman to the south and Huntsville, Tennessee and Lexington, Kentucky to the north. US 27 intersects State Route 329 in the center of town, which connects Sunbright to Deer Lodge. US 27 also intersects Interstate 40 approximately 25 miles (40 km) south of Sunbright.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.8 km2), all of it land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1890 214
2000 577
2010 552 −4.3%
2020 519 −6.0%
Sources:

2020 census

Sunbright racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 495 95.38%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 1 0.19%
Native American 1 0.19%
Other/Mixed 18 3.47%
Hispanic or Latino 4 0.77%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 519 people, 203 households, and 124 families residing in the city.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Sunbright (Tennessee) para niños

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