Monroe

Formed November 13, 1819 (46^th county)

Monroe County (44,519), Madisonville (4,577), Sweetwater (5,764)

The red brick Romanesque and Italianate courthouse was erected in 1897.  The courthouse is located on a square at College, Warren, Tellico, and Main streets.  United States Highway 411 is five blocks east of the location.  Bauman Brothers are the architects.  A Justice Center was built in 2019 and a Judicial Building augment the courthouse.  The structure has a working clock tower and veterans’ memorials on the grounds.  The county was organized on November 13, 1819 as the 46^th county with Madisonville as the only county seat.  Earlier courthouses dated from 1830, 1834, and 1868.  Monroe County is named for United States President James Monroe.  The county seat is named for local politician James Madison Greenway. 

Monroe 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 Monroe, Bradley, McMinn, and Polk counties.  The county is on the southeast border with North Carolina.  Knoxville, Tennessee is north and Chattanooga, Tennessee is southwest of the county.  The county center is 2.7 miles East-Southeast of Madisonville.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Loudon and Blount counties and North Carolina and Polk and McMinn counties. 

The area of the county is 653 square miles.  It is 6 out of 95 in the state.  It ranks 34 out of 95 in population in the state.  It has a density of 68.18 persons per square mile making it 48 out of 95 in the state.  Monroe County has 28.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 75 clips the northwest corner of the county from Loudon County, northwest, to McMinn County, west.  United States Highway 11 parallels Interstate Highway 75 from Loudon to McMinn counties.  United States Highway 411 enters from Loudon County, north, and exits to McMinn County, south.  The county resembles a tear drop falling to the southeast.  Madisonville is located in the northwest quarter of the county.  Sweetwater is in the northwest corner of the county and extends into McMinn County.  Madisonville is the county seat and Sweetwater is the largest city.  Madisonville is 10.3% of the county population while Sweetwater is 13.0% of the county population.

Sweetwater