Macon County, Tennessee

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Macon County, Tennessee
County
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
Founded	1842
County seat	Lafayette
Area
• Total	307 sq mi (800 km2)
• Land	307 sq mi (800 km2)
• Water	0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	25,168
• Density	82/sq mi (32/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5

Macon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,168. Its county seat is Lafayette. The county was founded in 1842 and named in honor of Nathaniel Macon, a North Carolina politician who served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

History

Macon County was established in 1842 from parts of Smith and Sumner counties. The county was named after Nathaniel Macon, a prominent statesman from North Carolina. The area was originally inhabited by Native American tribes, including the Cherokee.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 307 square miles (800 km²), of which 307 square miles (800 km²) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²) (0.1%) is water. The county is part of the Highland Rim region of Tennessee.

Adjacent counties

• Monroe County, Kentucky (north)
• Clay County, Tennessee (east)
• Jackson County, Tennessee (southeast)
• Smith County, Tennessee (south)
• Trousdale County, Tennessee (southwest)
• Sumner County, Tennessee (west)
• Allen County, Kentucky (northwest)

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, there were 25,168 people, 9,711 households, and 6,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 82 people per square mile (32/km²). The racial makeup of the county was predominantly White, with small percentages of African American, Native American, and other races.

Communities

Cities

• Lafayette

Towns

• Red Boiling Springs

Unincorporated communities

• Willette
• Westmoreland

Education

Macon County is served by the Macon County School District, which includes several elementary, middle, and high schools.

Notable people

• Cordell Hull, U.S. Secretary of State and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was born in Macon County.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Macon County, Tennessee
• List of counties in Tennessee