Formed November 6, 1801 (22nd county)
Jackson County (11,638), Gainesboro (962)
The light tan brick courthouse was erected in 1927 in a square at Hull Avenue, Main Street, Gore Avenue, and Union Street. Tennessee State Highway 53 is Hull Avenue. Tisdale, Pinson & Stone designed this Modern Art Deco courthouse. The structure has a clock tower. Jackson County was created on November 6, 1801 from part of Smith County as the 22nd county. Fount Blount, Williamsburg, and Gainesboro have all served as the county seat. The county is named for Senator and later United States President Andrew Jackson. He is also the namesake for the county seat of Madison County. The county seat is named for War of 1812 hero Edmund Pendleton Gaines.
Jackson County government consists of a sheriff, a County Mayor, and 18 Commissioners. Two Circuit Court Judges, One Chancery Court Judge, and One General Court Judge serve Jackson, Macon, Smith, Trousdale, and Wilson counties. The county is located in northern Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee is west and Chattanooga, Tennessee is southeast of the county. The county center is in Gainesboro .3 miles Northeast of the city center. The county is surrounded clockwise by Clay, Overton, Putnam, Smith, and Macon counties.
The area of the county is 320 square miles. It is 72 out of 95 in the state. It ranks 86 out of 95 in population in the state. It has a density of 36.37 persons per square mile making it 83 out of 95 in the state. Jackson County has 8.3% of its population in its incorporated areas. There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county. The county is a rectangle tipping toward the southeast. Gainesboro is located in the southern third of the county. Gainesboro is the county seat and, as the only incorporated city, it is the largest city. It is 8.3% of the county population. This county is in the Cookeville Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Gainesboro
