Formed January 31, 1836 (67th county)
Johnson County (17,950), Mountain City (2,415)
The 1958 Modern courthouse serves Johnson County. There was an 1894 version earlier in Mountain City, the only county seat. The courthouse is on Main Street at Court Street. Tennessee State Highway 418 is Main Street. The structure was enlarged in 2007. Clarence B. Kearfott is the building designer. Veterans’ memorials are on the grounds. The county was established on January 31, 1836 from Carter County as the 67th county. It is named for Judge Thomas Johnson. Mountain City is a geographical term for its location.
Johnson County government consists of a sheriff, a County Mayor, and 15 Commissioners. Four Circuit Court Judge, One Chancery Court Judge, and One General Court Judge serve Johnson, Carter, Unicoi, and Washington counties. Johnson County is in the northeast corner of the state on the border with both Virginia and North Carolina. Knoxville, Tennessee is southwest and Asheville, North Carolina is southeast of the county. The county center is 3.7 miles Southwest of Mountain City. The county is surrounded clockwise by Virginia and North Carolina and Carter and Sullivan counties.
The area of the county is 299 square miles. It is 75 out of 95 in the state. It ranks 70 out of 95 in population in the state. It has a density of 60.0 persons per square mile making it 55 out of 95 in the state. Johnson County has 13.5% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 321 clips the southern tip of the county from North Carolina, east, to Carter County, west. United States Highway 421 goes east to west from North Carolina to Sullivan County, northwest. The county resembles an arrow head. Mountain City is located in the northern third of the county. Mountain City is the county seat and the largest city since it is the only incorporated city. It is 13.5% of the county population.
Mountain City
