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Sevier County, Tennessee

Sevier County (/səˈvɪər/ sə-VEER) is a county of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 98,380.[2] Its county seat and largest city is Sevierville.[3] Sevier County comprises the Sevierville, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Knoxville-Morristown-Sevierville, TN Combined Statistical Area.

Sevier County
Sevier County Courthouse in Sevierville
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°47′N 83°31′W / 35.78°N 83.52°W / 35.78; -83.52
Country United States
State Tennessee
FoundedSeptember 28, 1794
Named forJohn Sevier[1]
SeatSevierville
Largest citySevierville
Area
 • Total598 sq mi (1,550 km2)
 • Land593 sq mi (1,540 km2)
 • Water5.2 sq mi (13 km2)  0.9%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total98,380
 • Density152/sq mi (59/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.seviercountytn.gov

History

Prior to the arrival of white settlers in present-day Sevier County in the mid-18th century, the area had been inhabited for as many as 20,000 years by nomadic and semi-nomadic Native Americans. In the mid-16th century, Spanish expeditions led by Hernando de Soto (1540) and Juan Pardo (1567) passed through what is now Sevier County, reporting that the region was part of the domain of Chiaha, a minor Muskogean chiefdom centered around a village located on a now-submerged island just upstream from modern Douglas Dam. By the late 17th-century, however, the Cherokee, whose ancestors were living in the mountains at the time of the Spaniards' visit, had become the dominant tribe in the region. Although they used the region primarily as hunting grounds, the Chicakamauga faction of the Cherokee vehemently fought white settlement in their territory, frequently leading raids on households, even through the signing of various peace treaties, alternating short periods of peace with violent hostility, until forcibly marched from their territory by the U.S. government on the "Trail of Tears".[4]

Sevier County was formed on September 18, 1794, from part of neighboring Jefferson County, and has retained its original boundaries ever since. The county takes its name from John Sevier, governor of the failed State of Franklin and first governor of Tennessee, who played a prominent role during the early years of settlement in the region.[5] Since its establishment in 1795, the county seat has been situated at Sevierville (also named for Sevier), the eighth-oldest city in Tennessee.

Sevier County was strongly pro-Union during the Civil War. When Tennessee held a vote on the state's Ordinance of Secession on June 8, 1861, Sevier Countians voted 1,528 to 60 in favor of remaining in the Union.[6] In November 1861, William C. Pickens, Sheriff of Sevier County, led a failed attempt to destroy the railroad bridge at Strawberry Plains as part of the East Tennessee bridge-burning conspiracy.[7]

Prior to the late 1930s, Sevier County's population, economy, and society, which relied primarily on subsistence agriculture, held little significance vis-à-vis any other county in the rural South. However, with the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the early 1930s, the future of Sevier County (within which lies thirty percent of the total area of the national park) changed drastically. Today, tourism supports the county's economy.

Geography

 
Mountains over Sevier County at sunset from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 598 square miles (1,550 km2), of which 593 square miles (1,540 km2) is land and 5.2 square miles (13 km2) (0.9%) is water.[8] The southern part of Sevier County is located within the Great Smoky Mountains, and is protected by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The northern parts of the county are located within the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians. Sevier contains the highest point in Tennessee, Clingmans Dome, which rises to 6,643 feet (2,025 m) along the county's border with North Carolina. Mount Guyot, located in the Eastern Smokies in the extreme eastern part of the county, is the state's second-highest mountain at 6,621 feet (2,018 m). The 6,593-foot (2,010 m) Mount Le Conte, a very prominent mountain visible from much of the central part of the county, is the state's third-highest.

Sevier County is drained primarily by the French Broad River, which passes through the northern part of the county. A portion of the French Broad is part of Douglas Lake, an artificial reservoir created by Douglas Dam in the northeastern part of the county. The three forks of the Little Pigeon River (East, Middle, and West) flow northward from the Smokies, converge near Sevierville, and empty into the French Broad north of Sevierville. The West Fork is the best known, as it flows through the popular tourist areas of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

The maximum elevation differential in Sevier County is the greatest in Tennessee, ranging from a high of 6,643 feet (2,025 m) at Clingmans Dome to a low of 850 feet (260 m) at the French Broad River.[9]

 
Sunset over Bluff Mountain

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

State protected area

  • Roundtop Mountain State Natural Area

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
18003,419
18104,59534.4%
18204,7723.9%
18305,71719.8%
18406,44212.7%
18506,9207.4%
18609,12231.8%
187011,02820.9%
188015,54140.9%
189018,76120.7%
190022,02117.4%
191022,2961.2%
192023,3844.9%
193020,480−12.4%
194023,29113.7%
195023,3750.4%
196024,2513.7%
197028,24116.5%
198041,41846.7%
199051,04323.2%
200071,17039.4%
201089,88926.3%
202098,3809.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
1790-1960[11] 1900-1990[12]
1990-2000[13] 2010-2014[2]
 
Age pyramid Sevier County[15]

2020 census

Sevier County racial composition[16]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 83,801 85.18%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 766 0.78%
Native American 312 0.32%
Asian 1,103 1.12%
Pacific Islander 24 0.02%
Other/Mixed 3,760 3.82%
Hispanic or Latino 8,614 8.76%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 98,380 people, 37,933 households, and 26,538 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the census[17] of 2010, there were 89,889 people, 37,583 households, and a homeownership rate of 68.7 percent, below the state average. The population density was 120 inhabitants per square mile (46/km2). There were 37,252 housing units at an average density of 63 per square mile (24/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.80% White, 0.86% Asian, 0.80% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.02% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. 5.33% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 28,467 households, out of which 30.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.30% were married couples living together, 10.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.80% were non-families. 22.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.00% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 29.80% from 25 to 44, 26.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,719, and the median income for a family was $40,474. Males had a median income of $27,139 versus $20,646 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,064. About 8.20% of families and 10.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.10% of those under age 18 and 10.10% of those age 65 or over.

Sevier County was Tennessee's third fastest-growing county by percentage change in population between the 1990 census and 2000 census.[18]

Government

The head of the Sevier County government, the county mayor (known as county executive until 2003), is elected in county-wide elections. The mayor serves along with a 25-member board of elected commissioners representing districts covering the many small communities spread across the county.

Presidential elections

United States presidential election results for Sevier County, Tennessee[19]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 33,783 77.60% 8,721 20.03% 1,031 2.37%
2016 28,629 78.84% 6,297 17.34% 1,386 3.82%
2012 25,984 76.73% 7,418 21.91% 462 1.36%
2008 24,922 73.43% 8,604 25.35% 415 1.22%
2004 22,143 71.50% 8,621 27.84% 206 0.67%
2000 16,734 65.97% 8,208 32.36% 423 1.67%
1996 11,847 56.83% 7,136 34.23% 1,863 8.94%
1992 11,714 55.08% 6,719 31.60% 2,833 13.32%
1988 11,920 76.26% 3,643 23.31% 68 0.44%
1984 12,517 78.03% 3,384 21.10% 140 0.87%
1980 10,576 73.25% 3,450 23.89% 413 2.86%
1976 7,608 64.40% 3,993 33.80% 213 1.80%
1972 8,273 86.38% 1,128 11.78% 177 1.85%
1968 7,629 74.67% 1,112 10.88% 1,476 14.45%
1964 6,821 69.49% 2,995 30.51% 0 0.00%
1960 7,818 85.05% 1,341 14.59% 33 0.36%
1956 6,950 86.46% 1,043 12.98% 45 0.56%
1952 7,244 87.17% 1,066 12.83% 0 0.00%
1948 5,049 84.11% 840 13.99% 114 1.90%
1944 4,930 87.24% 711 12.58% 10 0.18%
1940 4,569 79.46% 1,181 20.54% 0 0.00%
1936 4,126 77.73% 1,144 21.55% 38 0.72%
1932 3,075 77.01% 887 22.21% 31 0.78%
1928 3,858 92.50% 308 7.38% 5 0.12%
1924 3,517 88.17% 448 11.23% 24 0.60%
1920 6,006 93.60% 404 6.30% 7 0.11%
1916 2,837 90.38% 301 9.59% 1 0.03%
1912 967 26.00% 341 9.17% 2,411 64.83%

Sevier County, like most of East Tennessee, votes strongly Republican in Presidential elections. The last election in which a Republican failed to carry it was in 1912, when the Progressive Theodore Roosevelt carried it. It has not been carried by a Democrat since 1832, when it went for Andrew Jackson. In 1916 it gave Charles Hughes 90.38 percent of the vote—reportedly his highest percentage of any county in the nation.[20] In 1932 Herbert Hoover received 77.01% of the vote[21] and in 1936 Alf Landon received 77.73%.[22] Since 1916 no Republican candidate has received less than 55% of the county's vote and in 2008 John McCain received 73.4%.[23] All of the county's state legislators are Republicans, and Republican candidates routinely garner well over 70 percent of the vote on the occasions they face opposition at all.

At local elections, the county is similarly Republican. However, the county backed Senator Al Gore in 1990 and Governor Phil Bredesen in 2006 in landslides.[24][25]

Economy

 
Rental cabins in the Smokies
 
Overlooking Walden Creek Road in Sevier County, Tennessee

From its beginnings as a traditional subsistence-based farming society, Sevier County has grown into a major tourist destination since the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which dominates the southern portion of the county. One of the very reasons for the park's creation, however, was also one of the county's first major economic engines: the lumber industry. Establishments in what is now the national park felled large amounts of timber in the early 1900s. Though the park effectively killed the logging industry in the late 1930s, it spurred the development of one of the largest tourist resorts in the United States of America, as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is now the most visited national park in the country.[26] In recent years the tourism bubble has expanded beyond the city of Gatlinburg, which borders the northwestern segment of the national park, and into the nearby cities of Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. Sevier County now has the third largest tourism economy in Tennessee, ranking behind Nashville and Memphis, the state's two largest cities.[27]

The commercial cabin rental industry has grown tremendously in recent years.

Tourist attractions

The tourism industry drives the county's economy. The following destinations are among the most lucrative for the area:

  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park, southern Sevier County: Established in 1936 and propelling the tourism industry in Sevier County ever since, the national park is the most visited in the entire system, welcoming over 10 million nature enthusiasts every year, most of whom arrive through Sevier County.[28]
  • Dollywood, Pigeon Forge: The theme park named for part-owner Dolly Parton (who was born in Locust Ridge) admits nearly 3 million guests a year, making it both the most popular theme park and most frequented attraction (after the Great Smoky Mountains National Park) in Tennessee.[29]
  • Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, Gatlinburg: Opened in 2000 and designated the most visited aquarium in the United States in 2001, when over 2 million tourists passed through its galleries, Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies is the largest single tourist draw in Gatlinburg.[30]
  • Ober Gatlinburg, Gatlinburg: The Ober Gatlinburg ski resort sits above Gatlinburg, offering numerous attractions for visitors unique to the county, including winter ski slopes and an indoor ice skating rink. The tramway that takes visitors to and from the resort is touted as "America's Largest Aerial Tramway."[31]
  • Smoky Mountain Opry, Pigeon Forge: A musical revue stage show that debuted in 2011. It offers both that program during the majority of the year, as well as the "Christmas Spectacular" during the winter months.
  • Foxfire Mountain Themed Adventure Park, Sevierville: A 150-acre wilderness theme park located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains offers a wide range of outdoor adventures including: zip lining, ATV tours, climbing walls, free-fall jumps, aerial adventure courses, hiking trails and the longest swinging bridge in the United States.
  • TopJump Trampoline & Extreme Arena, Pigeon Forge: a trampoline park located at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers a safe and extreme adventure for people of all ages. Considered Pigeon Forge's top Indoor Attraction,[citation needed] TopJump offers 21 Cliffhanger climbing challenges, a Boneyard Stunt Tower, AirStrike Dodgeball, Fire & Ice Ninja Course, a 5000 square foot arcade, a Hologate Virtual Reality gaming system.
  • Crave Golf Club, Pigeon Forge: features the only 19-hole indoor golf course in the Smokies, as well as a 19-hole Rooftop Course. Also contains a candy land theme and candy store. The course also features the only mini-bowling alley in Pigeon Forge and 2 state-of-the-art escape rooms. Is ranked Pigeon Forge's Best Mini-Golf & Ranked Top 13 Mini-Golf Courses in the Country.[citation needed]

Education

The Sevier County school system is composed of thirty-two public and private institutions ranging from Head Start programs through a number of secondary schools. In addition, two post-secondary institutions have campuses within the county.

Colleges and universities

There are two post-secondary institutions in the county, both located in Sevierville. The first is a satellite campus of the Morristown-based Walters State Community College.[32] The second is a satellite campus of Johnson City-based East Tennessee State University.[33]

Parks

In addition to the federally operated Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Sevier County is home to numerous smaller community parks, primarily within the cities of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg. The most significant of them are listed as follows:

  • Holt Park (Gatlinburg)
  • Mills Park (Gatlinburg)
  • Mynatt Park (Gatlinburg)
  • Northview Optimist Park (Kodak)
  • Patriot Park (Pigeon Forge)
  • Pigeon Forge City Park
  • Sevierville City Park

Transportation

The massive development of the tourism industry in Sevier County in recent years, while blessing the county with good economic fortunes, has put a major stress on the county's roadways. In an effort to control this the county has put forth numerous projects to widen existing highways, and the cities of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg have also implemented a bus service oriented towards visitors, which ferries tourists to and from various popular destinations throughout the towns via decorated buses referred to as "trolleys."[34][35]

Highways

 
This Rock City Barn is located just off of U.S. 411, in northeast Sevier County

The Great Smoky Mountains Parkway connects Interstate 40 (Exit 407) to the national park via the cities of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg. From the exit, the Parkway follows Tennessee State Route 66 ("Winfield Dunn Parkway") into Sevierville, where it becomes U.S. Route 441/Tennessee State Route 71 as TN-66 terminates at a four-way intersection where US-441 splits from U.S. Route 411 and changes direction. It continues along US-441 through Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, before entering the national park, where it ascends to the crest of the Smokies at Newfound Gap and crosses into North Carolina (although by this time it is no longer known as the "Great Smoky Mountains Parkway"). The Parkway is joined U.S. Route 321 in Pigeon Forge and they run concurrently until US-321 splits away in downtown Gatlinburg. Along this stretch of U.S. and Tennessee highways, a nearly continuous tourist sprawl (separated only by a spur route of the Foothills Parkway, known as "the spur") has emerged in the three communities.

Airports

Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport (KGKT)

Communities

Sevier County, like much of rural Southern Appalachia, consists of relatively few incorporated municipalities and numerous unincorporated settlements.

Cities

Town

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Notable people

In popular culture

See also

References

  1. ^ Beulah Duggan Linn, "Sevier County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: March 29, 2013.
  2. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ Trail of Tears, National Park Service. Retrieved: March 29, 2013.
  5. ^ Origins of Tennessee County Names, Tennessee Blue Book, 2005, p. 512.
  6. ^ Oliver Perry Temple, East Tennessee and the Civil War (R. Clarke Company, 1899), p. 199.
  7. ^ Temple, East Tennessee and the Civil War, pp. 381-383.
  8. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  9. ^ Tom Dunigan, "Tennessee County High Points," Tennessee Landforms, November 2, 2012. Retrieved: March 29, 2013.
  10. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  11. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  12. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  13. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  14. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  15. ^ Based on 2000 census data
  16. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  17. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  18. ^ Census data for Tennessee counties in 1990 and 2000
  19. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  20. ^ "1916 Presidential Election Statistics".
  21. ^ "1932 Presidential Election Statistics".
  22. ^ "1936 Presidential Election Statistics".
  23. ^ "President Map - Election Results 2008 - The New York Times". www.nytimes.com.
  24. ^ "1990 Senatorial General Election Results - Tennessee".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  25. ^ "2006 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Tennessee".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  26. ^ Great Smoky Mountains National Park-infoplease.com Ten Most Visited National Parks. Infoplease.com. Retrieved: March 29, 2013.
  27. ^ 2019 Economic Impact of Travel on Tennessee (PDF) (Report). Tennessee Department of Toursit Development. August 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  28. ^ Hetter, Katia (April 19, 2020). "Most visited national parks and sites in 2019". CNN. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  29. ^ Debczak, Michele (December 27, 2019). "12 Fun Facts About Dollywood". Mental Floss. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  30. ^ David Williams, "Will Fish Lure Tourists to Atlanta?" CNN.com, November 21, 2005. Retrieved: March 29, 2013.
  31. ^ Mike Doyle, "Ober Gatlinburg Ski Area February 9, 2007, at the Wayback Machine," About.com. Retrieved: March 29, 2013.
  32. ^ "Sevier County Campus". ws.edu.
  33. ^ "Sevierville Center". www.etsu.edu. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  34. ^ Pigeon Forge Trolley. Retrieved: March 29, 2013.
  35. ^ Gatlinburg Trolley Department July 4, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved: March 29, 2013.
  36. ^ "Tennessee prosecutor scrubbed evidence of attendance at DC rally ahead of Capitol riot". The Tennessean.
  37. ^ Richard B. Woodward, Cormac McCarthy's Venomous Fiction, The New York Times, April 19, 1992

External links

  • Official site
  • Sevier County at Curlie
  • Sevier county landforms

Coordinates: 35°47′N 83°31′W / 35.78°N 83.52°W / 35.78; -83.52

sevier, county, tennessee, sevier, county, ɪər, veer, county, state, tennessee, 2020, census, population, county, seat, largest, city, sevierville, sevier, county, comprises, sevierville, micropolitan, statistical, area, which, included, knoxville, morristown,. Sevier County s e ˈ v ɪer se VEER is a county of the U S state of Tennessee As of the 2020 census the population was 98 380 2 Its county seat and largest city is Sevierville 3 Sevier County comprises the Sevierville TN Micropolitan Statistical Area which is included in the Knoxville Morristown Sevierville TN Combined Statistical Area Sevier CountyU S countySevier County Courthouse in SeviervilleLocation within the U S state of TennesseeTennessee s location within the U S Coordinates 35 47 N 83 31 W 35 78 N 83 52 W 35 78 83 52Country United StatesState TennesseeFoundedSeptember 28 1794Named forJohn Sevier 1 SeatSeviervilleLargest citySeviervilleArea Total598 sq mi 1 550 km2 Land593 sq mi 1 540 km2 Water5 2 sq mi 13 km2 0 9 Population 2020 Total98 380 Density152 sq mi 59 km2 Time zoneUTC 5 Eastern Summer DST UTC 4 EDT Congressional district1stWebsitewww wbr seviercountytn wbr gov Contents 1 History 2 Geography 2 1 Adjacent counties 2 2 National protected areas 2 3 State protected area 3 Demographics 3 1 2020 census 3 2 2010 census 4 Government 4 1 Presidential elections 5 Economy 5 1 Tourist attractions 6 Education 6 1 Colleges and universities 7 Parks 8 Transportation 8 1 Highways 8 2 Airports 9 Communities 9 1 Cities 9 2 Town 9 3 Census designated places 9 4 Unincorporated communities 10 Notable people 11 In popular culture 12 See also 13 References 14 External linksHistory EditPrior to the arrival of white settlers in present day Sevier County in the mid 18th century the area had been inhabited for as many as 20 000 years by nomadic and semi nomadic Native Americans In the mid 16th century Spanish expeditions led by Hernando de Soto 1540 and Juan Pardo 1567 passed through what is now Sevier County reporting that the region was part of the domain of Chiaha a minor Muskogean chiefdom centered around a village located on a now submerged island just upstream from modern Douglas Dam By the late 17th century however the Cherokee whose ancestors were living in the mountains at the time of the Spaniards visit had become the dominant tribe in the region Although they used the region primarily as hunting grounds the Chicakamauga faction of the Cherokee vehemently fought white settlement in their territory frequently leading raids on households even through the signing of various peace treaties alternating short periods of peace with violent hostility until forcibly marched from their territory by the U S government on the Trail of Tears 4 Sevier County was formed on September 18 1794 from part of neighboring Jefferson County and has retained its original boundaries ever since The county takes its name from John Sevier governor of the failed State of Franklin and first governor of Tennessee who played a prominent role during the early years of settlement in the region 5 Since its establishment in 1795 the county seat has been situated at Sevierville also named for Sevier the eighth oldest city in Tennessee Sevier County was strongly pro Union during the Civil War When Tennessee held a vote on the state s Ordinance of Secession on June 8 1861 Sevier Countians voted 1 528 to 60 in favor of remaining in the Union 6 In November 1861 William C Pickens Sheriff of Sevier County led a failed attempt to destroy the railroad bridge at Strawberry Plains as part of the East Tennessee bridge burning conspiracy 7 Prior to the late 1930s Sevier County s population economy and society which relied primarily on subsistence agriculture held little significance vis a vis any other county in the rural South However with the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the early 1930s the future of Sevier County within which lies thirty percent of the total area of the national park changed drastically Today tourism supports the county s economy Geography Edit Mountains over Sevier County at sunset from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park According to the U S Census Bureau the county has a total area of 598 square miles 1 550 km2 of which 593 square miles 1 540 km2 is land and 5 2 square miles 13 km2 0 9 is water 8 The southern part of Sevier County is located within the Great Smoky Mountains and is protected by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park The northern parts of the county are located within the Ridge and Valley Appalachians Sevier contains the highest point in Tennessee Clingmans Dome which rises to 6 643 feet 2 025 m along the county s border with North Carolina Mount Guyot located in the Eastern Smokies in the extreme eastern part of the county is the state s second highest mountain at 6 621 feet 2 018 m The 6 593 foot 2 010 m Mount Le Conte a very prominent mountain visible from much of the central part of the county is the state s third highest Sevier County is drained primarily by the French Broad River which passes through the northern part of the county A portion of the French Broad is part of Douglas Lake an artificial reservoir created by Douglas Dam in the northeastern part of the county The three forks of the Little Pigeon River East Middle and West flow northward from the Smokies converge near Sevierville and empty into the French Broad north of Sevierville The West Fork is the best known as it flows through the popular tourist areas of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge The maximum elevation differential in Sevier County is the greatest in Tennessee ranging from a high of 6 643 feet 2 025 m at Clingmans Dome to a low of 850 feet 260 m at the French Broad River 9 Sunset over Bluff Mountain Adjacent counties Edit Jefferson County Tennessee north Cocke County Tennessee east Haywood County North Carolina southeast Swain County North Carolina south Blount County Tennessee west Knox County Tennessee northwestNational protected areas Edit Appalachian Trail part Foothills Parkway part Great Smoky Mountains National Park part State protected area Edit Roundtop Mountain State Natural AreaDemographics EditHistorical populationCensus Pop 18003 419 18104 59534 4 18204 7723 9 18305 71719 8 18406 44212 7 18506 9207 4 18609 12231 8 187011 02820 9 188015 54140 9 189018 76120 7 190022 02117 4 191022 2961 2 192023 3844 9 193020 480 12 4 194023 29113 7 195023 3750 4 196024 2513 7 197028 24116 5 198041 41846 7 199051 04323 2 200071 17039 4 201089 88926 3 202098 3809 4 U S Decennial Census 10 1790 1960 11 1900 1990 12 1990 2000 13 2010 2014 2 Age pyramid Sevier County 15 2020 census Edit Sevier County racial composition 16 Race Number PercentageWhite non Hispanic 83 801 85 18 Black or African American non Hispanic 766 0 78 Native American 312 0 32 Asian 1 103 1 12 Pacific Islander 24 0 02 Other Mixed 3 760 3 82 Hispanic or Latino 8 614 8 76 As of the 2020 United States census there were 98 380 people 37 933 households and 26 538 families residing in the county 2010 census Edit As of the census 17 of 2010 there were 89 889 people 37 583 households and a homeownership rate of 68 7 percent below the state average The population density was 120 inhabitants per square mile 46 km2 There were 37 252 housing units at an average density of 63 per square mile 24 km2 The racial makeup of the county was 95 80 White 0 86 Asian 0 80 Black or African American 0 19 Native American 0 02 Pacific Islander 1 02 from other races and 1 31 from two or more races 5 33 of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race There were 28 467 households out of which 30 70 had children under the age of 18 living with them 59 30 were married couples living together 10 10 had a female householder with no husband present and 26 80 were non families 22 00 of all households were made up of individuals and 7 90 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older The average household size was 2 48 and the average family size was 2 88 In the county the population was spread out with 23 00 under the age of 18 8 30 from 18 to 24 29 80 from 25 to 44 26 30 from 45 to 64 and 12 60 who were 65 years of age or older The median age was 38 years For every 100 females there were 95 90 males For every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92 20 males The median income for a household in the county was 34 719 and the median income for a family was 40 474 Males had a median income of 27 139 versus 20 646 for females The per capita income for the county was 18 064 About 8 20 of families and 10 70 of the population were below the poverty line including 13 10 of those under age 18 and 10 10 of those age 65 or over Sevier County was Tennessee s third fastest growing county by percentage change in population between the 1990 census and 2000 census 18 Government EditThe head of the Sevier County government the county mayor known as county executive until 2003 is elected in county wide elections The mayor serves along with a 25 member board of elected commissioners representing districts covering the many small communities spread across the county Presidential elections Edit United States presidential election results for Sevier County Tennessee 19 Year Republican Democratic Third partyNo No No 2020 33 783 77 60 8 721 20 03 1 031 2 37 2016 28 629 78 84 6 297 17 34 1 386 3 82 2012 25 984 76 73 7 418 21 91 462 1 36 2008 24 922 73 43 8 604 25 35 415 1 22 2004 22 143 71 50 8 621 27 84 206 0 67 2000 16 734 65 97 8 208 32 36 423 1 67 1996 11 847 56 83 7 136 34 23 1 863 8 94 1992 11 714 55 08 6 719 31 60 2 833 13 32 1988 11 920 76 26 3 643 23 31 68 0 44 1984 12 517 78 03 3 384 21 10 140 0 87 1980 10 576 73 25 3 450 23 89 413 2 86 1976 7 608 64 40 3 993 33 80 213 1 80 1972 8 273 86 38 1 128 11 78 177 1 85 1968 7 629 74 67 1 112 10 88 1 476 14 45 1964 6 821 69 49 2 995 30 51 0 0 00 1960 7 818 85 05 1 341 14 59 33 0 36 1956 6 950 86 46 1 043 12 98 45 0 56 1952 7 244 87 17 1 066 12 83 0 0 00 1948 5 049 84 11 840 13 99 114 1 90 1944 4 930 87 24 711 12 58 10 0 18 1940 4 569 79 46 1 181 20 54 0 0 00 1936 4 126 77 73 1 144 21 55 38 0 72 1932 3 075 77 01 887 22 21 31 0 78 1928 3 858 92 50 308 7 38 5 0 12 1924 3 517 88 17 448 11 23 24 0 60 1920 6 006 93 60 404 6 30 7 0 11 1916 2 837 90 38 301 9 59 1 0 03 1912 967 26 00 341 9 17 2 411 64 83 Sevier County like most of East Tennessee votes strongly Republican in Presidential elections The last election in which a Republican failed to carry it was in 1912 when the Progressive Theodore Roosevelt carried it It has not been carried by a Democrat since 1832 when it went for Andrew Jackson In 1916 it gave Charles Hughes 90 38 percent of the vote reportedly his highest percentage of any county in the nation 20 In 1932 Herbert Hoover received 77 01 of the vote 21 and in 1936 Alf Landon received 77 73 22 Since 1916 no Republican candidate has received less than 55 of the county s vote and in 2008 John McCain received 73 4 23 All of the county s state legislators are Republicans and Republican candidates routinely garner well over 70 percent of the vote on the occasions they face opposition at all At local elections the county is similarly Republican However the county backed Senator Al Gore in 1990 and Governor Phil Bredesen in 2006 in landslides 24 25 Economy Edit Rental cabins in the Smokies Overlooking Walden Creek Road in Sevier County Tennessee From its beginnings as a traditional subsistence based farming society Sevier County has grown into a major tourist destination since the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park which dominates the southern portion of the county One of the very reasons for the park s creation however was also one of the county s first major economic engines the lumber industry Establishments in what is now the national park felled large amounts of timber in the early 1900s Though the park effectively killed the logging industry in the late 1930s it spurred the development of one of the largest tourist resorts in the United States of America as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is now the most visited national park in the country 26 In recent years the tourism bubble has expanded beyond the city of Gatlinburg which borders the northwestern segment of the national park and into the nearby cities of Pigeon Forge and Sevierville Sevier County now has the third largest tourism economy in Tennessee ranking behind Nashville and Memphis the state s two largest cities 27 The commercial cabin rental industry has grown tremendously in recent years Tourist attractions Edit The tourism industry drives the county s economy The following destinations are among the most lucrative for the area Great Smoky Mountains National Park southern Sevier County Established in 1936 and propelling the tourism industry in Sevier County ever since the national park is the most visited in the entire system welcoming over 10 million nature enthusiasts every year most of whom arrive through Sevier County 28 Dollywood Pigeon Forge The theme park named for part owner Dolly Parton who was born in Locust Ridge admits nearly 3 million guests a year making it both the most popular theme park and most frequented attraction after the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee 29 Ripley s Aquarium of the Smokies Gatlinburg Opened in 2000 and designated the most visited aquarium in the United States in 2001 when over 2 million tourists passed through its galleries Ripley s Aquarium of the Smokies is the largest single tourist draw in Gatlinburg 30 Ober Gatlinburg Gatlinburg The Ober Gatlinburg ski resort sits above Gatlinburg offering numerous attractions for visitors unique to the county including winter ski slopes and an indoor ice skating rink The tramway that takes visitors to and from the resort is touted as America s Largest Aerial Tramway 31 Smoky Mountain Opry Pigeon Forge A musical revue stage show that debuted in 2011 It offers both that program during the majority of the year as well as the Christmas Spectacular during the winter months Foxfire Mountain Themed Adventure Park Sevierville A 150 acre wilderness theme park located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains offers a wide range of outdoor adventures including zip lining ATV tours climbing walls free fall jumps aerial adventure courses hiking trails and the longest swinging bridge in the United States TopJump Trampoline amp Extreme Arena Pigeon Forge a trampoline park located at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers a safe and extreme adventure for people of all ages Considered Pigeon Forge s top Indoor Attraction citation needed TopJump offers 21 Cliffhanger climbing challenges a Boneyard Stunt Tower AirStrike Dodgeball Fire amp Ice Ninja Course a 5000 square foot arcade a Hologate Virtual Reality gaming system Crave Golf Club Pigeon Forge features the only 19 hole indoor golf course in the Smokies as well as a 19 hole Rooftop Course Also contains a candy land theme and candy store The course also features the only mini bowling alley in Pigeon Forge and 2 state of the art escape rooms Is ranked Pigeon Forge s Best Mini Golf amp Ranked Top 13 Mini Golf Courses in the Country citation needed Education EditThe Sevier County school system is composed of thirty two public and private institutions ranging from Head Start programs through a number of secondary schools In addition two post secondary institutions have campuses within the county Head Start Boyds Creek Headstart on Boyds Creek Highway Douglas Dam Headstart in Sevierville Harrisburg Headstart on Old Harrisburg Road Wearwood Headstart in Sevierville Underwood Headstart in KodakPreschool Trula Lawson Early Childhood Center in SeviervilleElementary middle schools Boyds Creek Elementary in Sevierville Caton s Chapel Elementary on Caton s Chapel Road Jones Cove Elementary on Jones Cove Road New Center School in Sevierville Northview Primary in Kodak Northview Intermediate in Kodak Pi Beta Phi Elementary in Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge Middle in Pigeon Forge Pigeon Forge Primary in Pigeon Forge Pittman Center School in Pittman Center Sevierville Intermediate in Sevierville Sevierville Middle in Sevierville Sevierville Primary in Sevierville Seymour Middle Seymour Seymour Intermediate Seymour Seymour Primary Seymour Wearwood Elementary Sevierville High schools Gatlinburg Pittman High School in Gatlinburg Northview Academy in Kodak Pigeon Forge High School in Pigeon Forge Sevier County High School in Sevierville Seymour High School in Seymour Vocational Center at Sevier County High School in SeviervilleOther schools Covenant Christian Academy on Old Newport Highway Day School in Sevierville King s Academy in Seymour My Audie s Place in Pigeon Forge New Hope Church of God in Sevierville Raggedy Andy s Playhouse Inc in Sevierville Colleges and universities Edit There are two post secondary institutions in the county both located in Sevierville The first is a satellite campus of the Morristown based Walters State Community College 32 The second is a satellite campus of Johnson City based East Tennessee State University 33 Parks EditIn addition to the federally operated Great Smoky Mountains National Park Sevier County is home to numerous smaller community parks primarily within the cities of Sevierville Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg The most significant of them are listed as follows Holt Park Gatlinburg Mills Park Gatlinburg Mynatt Park Gatlinburg Northview Optimist Park Kodak Patriot Park Pigeon Forge Pigeon Forge City Park Sevierville City ParkTransportation EditThe massive development of the tourism industry in Sevier County in recent years while blessing the county with good economic fortunes has put a major stress on the county s roadways In an effort to control this the county has put forth numerous projects to widen existing highways and the cities of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg have also implemented a bus service oriented towards visitors which ferries tourists to and from various popular destinations throughout the towns via decorated buses referred to as trolleys 34 35 Highways Edit This Rock City Barn is located just off of U S 411 in northeast Sevier County Interstate 40 U S Route 321 U S Route 411 U S Route 441 State Route 35 State Route 66 State Route 71 State Route 73 State Route 73 Scenic State Route 139 State Route 338 State Route 339 State Route 416 State Route 448 State Route 449 State Route 454 The Great Smoky Mountains Parkway connects Interstate 40 Exit 407 to the national park via the cities of Sevierville Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg From the exit the Parkway follows Tennessee State Route 66 Winfield Dunn Parkway into Sevierville where it becomes U S Route 441 Tennessee State Route 71 as TN 66 terminates at a four way intersection where US 441 splits from U S Route 411 and changes direction It continues along US 441 through Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg before entering the national park where it ascends to the crest of the Smokies at Newfound Gap and crosses into North Carolina although by this time it is no longer known as the Great Smoky Mountains Parkway The Parkway is joined U S Route 321 in Pigeon Forge and they run concurrently until US 321 splits away in downtown Gatlinburg Along this stretch of U S and Tennessee highways a nearly continuous tourist sprawl separated only by a spur route of the Foothills Parkway known as the spur has emerged in the three communities Airports Edit Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge Airport KGKT Communities EditSevier County like much of rural Southern Appalachia consists of relatively few incorporated municipalities and numerous unincorporated settlements Cities Edit Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge Sevierville county seat Town Edit Pittman CenterCensus designated places Edit Fairgarden Seymour partial Unincorporated communities Edit Alder Branch Beech Springs Boyds Creek Catlettsburg Caton Cherokee Hills DuPont Kodak Locust Ridge Oldham Reagantown Richardson Cove Shady Grove Strawberry Plains partial Wears Valley census county division Notable people EditIrene Baker 1901 1994 U S Congresswoman David Baker Assistant District Attorney General for Greene County and participant in the January 6 United States Capitol attack 36 Reese Bowen Brabson 1817 1863 U S Congressman Edwin Cunningham 1868 1953 United States Consul General in Shanghai 1920 1935 Robert H Hodsden 1806 1864 Southern Unionist and state legislator Leonidas C Houk 1836 1891 U S Congressman Charles Inman 1810 1899 Southern Unionist and state legislator John P McCown 1815 1879 Confederate general Bashful Brother Oswald 1911 2002 country musician and entertainer Dolly Parton born 1946 country music singer songwriter actress philanthropist author businesswoman Ambassador To The Great Smoky Mountains Randy Parton 1953 2021 country music singer songwriter actor and businessman Stella Parton born 1949 country music singer songwriter and businesswoman John Henninger Reagan 1818 1905 U S Senator and Confederate cabinet member Benny Sims 1924 1994 bluegrass musician William Stone 1791 1853 U S Congressman John Tipton 1786 1839 U S Senator Cas Walker 1902 1998 grocery store magnate and politicianIn popular culture EditSevier County is the setting for the novels The Orchard Keeper and Child of God by Cormac McCarthy 37 Gatlinburg was the site of the showdown between Sue and his father in the Johnny Cash hit A Boy Named Sue Country singer Ronnie Milsap s Smoky Mountain Rain refers to a truck driver taking the heartbroken narrator as far as Gatlinburg from KnoxvilleSee also EditNational Register of Historic Places listings in Sevier County TennesseeReferences Edit Beulah Duggan Linn Sevier County Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture Retrieved March 29 2013 a b State amp County QuickFacts United States Census Bureau Retrieved December 7 2013 Find a County National Association of Counties Retrieved June 7 2011 Trail of Tears National Park Service Retrieved March 29 2013 Origins of Tennessee County Names Tennessee Blue Book 2005 p 512 Oliver Perry Temple East Tennessee and the Civil War R Clarke Company 1899 p 199 Temple East Tennessee and the Civil War pp 381 383 2010 Census Gazetteer Files United States Census Bureau August 22 2012 Retrieved April 14 2015 Tom Dunigan Tennessee County High Points Tennessee Landforms November 2 2012 Retrieved March 29 2013 U S Decennial Census United States Census Bureau Retrieved April 14 2015 Historical Census Browser University of Virginia Library Retrieved April 14 2015 Forstall Richard L ed March 27 1995 Population of Counties by Decennial Census 1900 to 1990 United States Census Bureau Retrieved April 14 2015 Census 2000 PHC T 4 Ranking Tables for Counties 1990 and 2000 PDF United States Census Bureau April 2 2001 Archived PDF from the original on October 9 2022 Retrieved April 14 2015 Population and Housing Unit Estimates Retrieved July 20 2019 Based on 2000 census data Explore Census Data data census gov Retrieved December 26 2021 U S Census website United States Census Bureau Retrieved May 14 2011 Census data for Tennessee counties in 1990 and 2000 Leip David Dave Leip s Atlas of U S Presidential Elections uselectionatlas org Retrieved March 12 2018 1916 Presidential Election Statistics 1932 Presidential Election Statistics 1936 Presidential Election Statistics President Map Election Results 2008 The New York Times www nytimes com 1990 Senatorial General Election Results Tennessee a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link 2006 Gubernatorial General Election Results Tennessee a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Great Smoky Mountains National Park infoplease com Ten Most Visited National Parks Infoplease com Retrieved March 29 2013 2019 Economic Impact of Travel on Tennessee PDF Report Tennessee Department of Toursit Development August 2020 Archived PDF from the original on October 9 2022 Retrieved April 18 2021 Hetter Katia April 19 2020 Most visited national parks and sites in 2019 CNN Retrieved April 28 2020 Debczak Michele December 27 2019 12 Fun Facts About Dollywood Mental Floss Retrieved April 28 2020 David Williams Will Fish Lure Tourists to Atlanta CNN com November 21 2005 Retrieved March 29 2013 Mike Doyle Ober Gatlinburg Ski Area Archived February 9 2007 at the Wayback Machine About com Retrieved March 29 2013 Sevier County Campus ws edu Sevierville Center www etsu edu Retrieved March 11 2018 Pigeon Forge Trolley Retrieved March 29 2013 Gatlinburg Trolley Department Archived July 4 2006 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved March 29 2013 Tennessee prosecutor scrubbed evidence of attendance at DC rally ahead of Capitol riot The Tennessean Richard B Woodward Cormac McCarthy s Venomous Fiction The New York Times April 19 1992External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sevier County Tennessee Official site Sevier County at Curlie Sevier county landforms Coordinates 35 47 N 83 31 W 35 78 N 83 52 W 35 78 83 52 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sevier County Tennessee amp oldid 1131657036, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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