Macon

Formed January 1, 1842 (74^th county)

Macon County (25,215), Lafayette (5,604)

The red brick Modern and Art Deco courthouse was constructed in 1933 and enlarged/renovated in 1972.  It is located in a square surrounded by College Street, Times Avenue, Locust Street, and Church Avenue.  Tennessee State Highway 10 is College Street in this part of the town.  George D. Waller is the building designer.  The structure grounds feature a fountain and veterans’ memorials.  A local quilt is inside the courthouse.  A Justice Center has been added in 2002.  There were 1844, 1861, 1901 courthouses earlier in Lafayette, the only county seat.  The county was created on January 1, 1842 from parts of Smith and Sumner counties as the 74^th county.  The county is named for North Carolina politician Nathaniel Macon.  Lafayette is named for Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette.  He is also the namesake for Fayette County and for the county seat of Lincoln County. 

Macon County government consists of a sheriff, a County Mayor, and 19 Commissioners.  Two Circuit Court Judges, One Chancery Court Judge, and One General Court Judge serve Macon, Jackson, Smith, Trousdale, and Wilson counties.  Macon County is on the northern border with Kentucky.  Nashville, Tennessee is southwest and Chattanooga, Tennessee is southeast of the county.  The county center is 3.9 miles Northeast of Lafayette.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Kentucky and Clay, Jackson, Smith, Trousdale, and Sumner counties. 

The area of the county is 307 square miles.  It is 72 out of 95 in the state.  It ranks 58 out of 95 in population in the state.  It has a density of 82.1 persons per square mile making it 43 out of 95 in the state.  Macon County has 27.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The county is an overall rectangle.  Lafayette is located in the southern third of the county.  Lafayette is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 22.2% of the county population.  This county is in the Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin Metropolitan Statistical Area.