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Wilson County, Tennessee
Wilson County Courthouse in Lebanon
Seal
Location in the U.S. state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location in the U.S.
Founded	October 26, 1799
Named for	David Wilson, early statesman[1]
Seat	Lebanon
Largest city	Lebanon
Area
• Total	583 sq mi (1,510 km2)
• Land	571 sq mi (1,479 km2)
• Water	12 sq mi (31 km2), 2.1%
Population (est.)
• (2016)	132,781
• Density	232/sq mi (90/km2)
Congressional district	6th
Time zone	Central: UTC−6/−5
Website	www.wilsoncountytn.com

Wilson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 113,993.^[2] Its county seat is Lebanon.^[3] The largest city in the county is Mt. Juliet.

Wilson County is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Wilson County was created in 1799 from a portion of Sumner County, and named for Major David Wilson, a Revolutionary War veteran and statesman.^[1] The county remained predominantly agrarian throughout the 19th century. The arrival of the railroad after the Civil War boosted the county's timber sector, and several large factories were constructed in the county during the early 20th century.^[1]

Wilson County was the site of an important saltpeter mine. Saltpeter is the main ingredient of gunpowder and was obtained by leaching the earth from Valley Cave. Valley Cave is located near Statesville. Numerous saltpeter hoppers still inside the cave indicate that this was a relatively large mining operation. These saltpeter vats may date from either the War of 1812 mining era or the Civil War mining era, or perhaps both. Further research is needed to determine when this mine was active.^[4]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 583 square miles (1,510 km²), of which 571 square miles (1,480 km²) is land and 12 square miles (31 km²) (2.1%) is water.^[5] The Cumberland River flows along the county's northern border with Trousdale and Sumner counties. This section of the river is part of Old Hickory Lake. Several streams in the western part of the county are part of the Stones River basin.

Wilson County is home to a large concentration of cedar glades, a unique ecosystem where the soil is too rocky or shallow for trees to grow. Many of these glades are found in Cedars of Lebanon State Park.

Adjacent counties

Cedar glade in Wilson County

• 
  Trousdale County (north)


• 
  Smith County (northeast)


• 
  DeKalb County (east)


• 
  Cannon County (southeast)


• 
  Rutherford County (south)


• 
  Davidson County (west)


• 
  Sumner County (northwest)

State protected areas

• Cedars of Lebanon State Forest


• Cedars of Lebanon State Park

• Couchville Cedar Glade State Natural Area (part)


• Gattinger's Cedar Glade and Barrens State Natural Area (part)


• John and Hester Land Cedar Glades State Natural Area


• Old Hickory Wildlife Management Area (part)


• Percy Priest Wildlife Management Area (part)


• Vesta Cedar Glade State Natural Area


• Vine Cedar Glade State Natural Area

Major highways

• 
  I-40
  


• 
  I-840
  


• 
  US 70
  


• 
  US 70N
  


• 
  
  US 70 Bus.
  


• 
  US 231
  


• 
  SR 96
  


• 
  SR 109
  


• 
  SR 141
  


• 
  SR 171
  


• 
  SR 265
  


• 
  SR 266
  


• 
  SR 267
  


• 
  SR 452
  

Demographics

Age pyramid Wilson County^[11]

As of the census^[12] of 2000, there were 88,809 people, 32,798 households, and 25,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 156 people per square mile (60/km²).

There were 34,921 housing units at an average density of 61 per square mile (24/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.50% White, 6.26% Black or African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. 1.27% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 32,798 households out of which 37.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.20% were married couples living together, 10.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.00% were non-families. 18.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the county, the population was spread out with 26.20% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 31.70% from 25 to 44, 24.70% from 45 to 64, and 9.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $50,140, and the median income for a family was $56,650. Males had a median income of $39,848 versus $26,794 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,739. About 4.60% of families and 6.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.80% of those under age 18 and 11.50% of those age 65 or over.

In the 2004 U.S. presidential election, 65 percent of voters supported the reelection of President of the United States George W. Bush.
In the 2008 U.S. presidential election, 68 percent of voters favored Republican Senator John McCain.

By 2008 the population of Wilson County had risen to nearly 110,000.^[13]

By 2014, 330 children were homeless in Wilson County.^[14]

Education

Wilson County Schools oversees 22 public schools, including 2 adult education centers and a technical education center. The county has four high schools: Lebanon High School, Wilson Central High School, Watertown High School and Mount Juliet High School.

Cumberland University is located in Lebanon.

Communities

Cities

• 
  Lebanon (county seat)


• 
  Mt. Juliet (largest city)

Statesville

Town

• Watertown

Census-designated places

• Green Hill


• Rural Hill

Other unincorporated communities

Former community

• Big Spring

Notable people

Politics

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Wilson County, Tennessee

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wilson County, Tennessee.

• Official site


• Lebanon-Wilson County Chamber of Commerce


• Wilson County Schools


• Wilson County Convention and Visitors Bureau


• Tennessee Central Economic Alliance for Wilson County


• Wilson County at TNGenWeb


• 
  Wilson County at Curlie (based on DMOZ)

Coordinates: 36°10′N 86°18′W / 36.16°N 86.30°W / 36.16; -86.30