Formed January 1, 1879 (94th county)
Pickett County (5,006), Byrdstown (793)
The stone Federalist structure was constructed in 1935. The courthouse is on Courthouse Square at South, West, North, and East Main streets. Tennessee State Highway 325 is Main Street in the town. Marr & Holman provided the designs. The courthouse features a tower. The county was organized on January 1, 1879 from parts of Fentress and Overton counties as the 94th county. Byrdstown has always been the county seat. The county was named for Legislator Howard L. Pickett. Byrdstown is named for Colonel Robert Byrd.
Pickett County government consists of a sheriff, a County Executive, and 15 Commissioners. Four Circuit Court Judges, One Chancery Court Judge, One General Court Judge, and One Juvenile Court Judge serve Pickett, Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, Putnam, and White counties. The county is located on the northern border with Kentucky. Nashville, Tennessee is southwest and Knoxville, Tennessee is southeast of the county. The county center is 3.1 miles Southeast of Byrdstown. The county is surrounded clockwise by Kentucky and Scott, Fentress, Overton, and Clay counties.
The area of the county is 163 square miles. It is 92 out of 95 in the state. It ranks 95 out of 95 in population in the state. It has a density of 30.7 persons per square mile making it 90 out of 95 in the state. Pickett County has 15.8% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 127 crosses north to south in the county from Kentucky to Fentress County. The county resembles a thumb tack. Byrdstown is located in the western quarter of the county. Byrdstown is the county seat and, as the only incorporated city, it is the largest city. It is 15.8% of the county population.
Byrdstown
