Unicoi

Formed March 23, 1875 (93^rd county)

Unicoi County (17,924), Erwin (6,085)

The Modern red/brown brick courthouse was built in 1975.  It is located at Main, Tucker, Church, and Gay streets.  Tennessee State Highway 107 passes three blocks northeast of the location.  Hart-Freeland-Roberts are the architects.  The building has been enlarged.  The structure features concrete columns.  There were also 1876 and 1915 versions in Erwin, the only county seat.  The county was created on March 23, 1875 from parts of Washington and Carter counties as the 93^rd county.  Unicoi County’s name is a Native American word meaning “fog draped.”  The county seat is named for a settler, D. J. N. Ervin, and misspelled. 

The area of the county is 186 square miles.  It is 90 out of 95 in the state.  It ranks 71 out of 95 in population in the state.  It has a density of 96.4 persons per square mile making it 35 out of 95 in the state.  Unicoi County has 55.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 26 crosses the county from north to south from Washington County to North Carolina.  United States Highway 19 West is joined with Interstate Highway 26 from Washington County, splits and continues southeast into North Carolina.  United States Highway 23 is joined with Interstate Highway 26 from Washington County to North Carolina.  The county is shaped like a race car facing southwest.  Erwin is located near the geographical center of the county.  Erwin is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 34.0% of the county population. 

Unicoi County government consists of a sheriff, a County Mayor, and 9 Commissioners.  Four Circuit Court Judges, One Chancery Court Judge, and One General Court Judge serve Unicoi, Carter, Johnson, and Washington counties.  The county is on the northeast border with North Carolina.  Knoxville, Tennessee is southwest and Asheville, North Carolina is southeast of the county.  The county center is 8.7 miles Southwest of Erwin nearer Temple Hill.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Washington and Carter counties and North Carolina and Greene County.  This county is in the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area.