Formed June 11, 1792 (8th county)
Knox County (432,226), Knoxville (178,874)
The concrete and glass Modern courthouse for Knox County was erected in 1979. It replaced the classy 1885 courthouse. It is located on Main Street at Gay Street. United States Highway 70 is Main Street in this part of the city. McCarty-Bullock-Holsaple and Lindsay & Maple combined on the designs. A city-county Office Building supports the courthouse. The old courthouse has former governors’ memorials and cannons. The county was formed June 11, 1792 from parts of Greene and Hawkins as the 8th county with Knoxville as the only county seat. Knox County and its county seat are named United States Secretary of War Henry Knox. Knox County was the birthplace of 1 Tennessee Governor, William E. Haslam.
The area of the county is 526 square miles. It is 36 out of 95 in the state. It ranks 3 out of 95 in population in the state. Knox County has 46.2% of its population in its incorporated areas. Interstate Highway 40 passes northeast to southwest in the county from Jefferson County to Loudon County. Interstate Highway 75 comes from Anderson County, north, and joins Interstate Highway 70 into Loudon County. United States Highway 11 originates and parallels Interstate Highway 75 into Loudon County. United States Highway 11 East enters from Jefferson County and terminates. United States Highway 11 West comes from Grainger County, northeast, and terminates. United States Highway 25 West enters from Anderson County and exits east into Jefferson County. United States Highway 70 parallels Interstate Highway 40 from Jefferson to Loudon counties. United States Highway 129 originates and passes south into Blount County. United States Highway 441 travels from north to south from Anderson County to Blount County. Knox County is shaped like a light bulb leaning northeast. Knoxville dominates the center of the county. Knoxville is the county seat and the largest city. It is 41.4% of the county population. It has a density of 821.72 persons per square mile making it 3 out of 95 in the state.
Knox County government consists of a sheriff, a County Mayor, and 11 Commissioners. Four Circuit Court Judges, Three Chancery Court Judges, Seven General Court Judges, and Eight Juvenile Court Judges serve Knox County. Knox County is in northeast Tennessee. The Tennessee River originates in the county. Chattanooga, Tennessee is southwest and Nashville, Tennessee is west of the county. The county center is in Knoxville 2.6 miles Northwest of the city center. The county is surrounded clockwise by Union, Grainger, Jefferson, Sevier, Blount, Loudon, Roane, and Anderson counties. This county is in the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Knoxville
Farragut
