Benton

Formed December 1, 1835 (63^rd county)

Benton County (15,863), Camden (3,673)                

The Modern brown brick structure was constructed in 1974.  The building is located on a square at Main Street, Forest Avenue, Church Street, and Lake Avenue.  Main Street is United States Highway 70 Business in this part of the town.  Hart-Freeland-Roberts are the facility designers.  The courthouse grounds have veterans’ memorials.  The county was established from Humphreys County on December 1, 1835 as the 63^rd county with Camden as the only county seat.  There were 1877 and 1917 courthouses previously.  The county is named for settler David Benton.  Camden is named for Camden, South Carolina.  Benton County was the birthplace of 1 Tennessee Governors, Thomas C. Rye. 

Benton County government consists of a sheriff, a County Mayor, and 18 Commissioners.  Two Circuit Court Judges and One General Court Judge serve Benton, Carroll, Decatur, Hardin, and Henry counties.  The county is in the northwest part of Tennessee.  The Tennessee River forms its eastern border.  Nashville, Tennessee is east and Memphis, Tennessee is southwest of the county.  The county center is 5.5 miles Northeast of Camden.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Stewart, Houston, Humphreys, Perry, Decatur, Carroll, and Henry counties. 

The area of the county is 394 square miles.  It is 59 out of 95 in the state.  It ranks 76 out of 95 in population in the state.  It has a density of 40.3 persons per square mile making it 80 out of 95 in the state.  Benton County has 26.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 40 clips the southeast corner of the county from Humphreys County, east, to Decatur County, south.  United States Highway 70 crosses east to west from Humphreys County to Carroll County.  United States Highway 641 enters from the northwest, Henry County, and terminates.  The county looks like a bottle of soda.  Camden is located in the southern third of the county.  Camden is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 23.2% of the county population.