McMinn

Formed October 25, 1819 (44^th county)

McMinn County (52,266), Athens (13,458)

The Colonial Revival style red brick courthouse was erected in 1966.  The facility is sited on a square at Madison Avenue, White Street, Washington Avenue, and Jackson Street.  United States Highway 11 Business passes one block south of the structure.  Galloway and Guthrie are the architects.  The courthouse features a working clock tower, columns, and shutters.  A Justice Center was added in 2014.  There was an 1875 version earlier in Athens.  Calhoun was the county seat until 1822 when Athens became the county seat.  The county was founded on October 25, 1819 as the 44^th county.  McMinn County was named for Governor Joseph McMinn.  He is also the namesake for the county seat of Warren County.  The county seat is named for Athens, Greece.  McMinn County was the birthplace of 1 Tennessee Governor, DeWitt C. Senter. 

McMinn County government consists of a sheriff, a County Mayor, and 10 Commissioners.  Four Circuit Court Judges, One Chancery Court Judge, and One General Court Judge serve McMinn, Bradley, Monroe, and Polk counties.  The county is in the southeast part of Tennessee.  Knoxville, Tennessee is northeast and Chattanooga, Tennessee is southwest of the county.  The county center is 5.2 miles Southwest of Athens nearer Riceville.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Roane, Loudon, Monroe, Polk, Bradley, and Meigs counties. 

The area of the county is 432 square miles.  It is 55 out of 95 in the state.  It ranks 28 out of 95 in population in the state.  It has a density of 120.99 persons per square mile making it 28 out of 95 in the state.  McMinn County has 37.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 75 crosses the county from Monroe County, northeast, to Bradley County, southwest.  United States Highway 11 parallels Interstate Highway 75 from Monroe to Bradley counties.  The county resembles a triangle.  Athens is located slightly east of center in the county.  Athens is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 25.8% of the county population.  This county is in the Athens Micropolitan Statistical Area.