Formed December 7, 1807 (34th county)
Rhea County (31,809), Dayton (7,191)
The dark red brick courthouse was built in 1891 on the square surrounded by Market Street, 2nd Avenue, Court Street, and 3rd Avenue. Tennessee State Highway 378 is Market Street in the town. W. Chamberlin & Company designed this Italianate courthouse. The building was restored in 1979. A Courthouse Annex was added in 1997. The courthouse has a working clock tower, veterans’ memorials, and service flags. The Scopes Trial was conducted in this facility. Rhea County was created on December 7, 1807 from Roane County as the 34th county. The county is named for American Revolutionary hero John Rhea. Washington was the first county seat. Dayton is named for Congressman Jonathan Dayton.
Rhea County government consists of a sheriff, a County Executive, and 9 Commissioners. Three Circuit Court Judges, One Chancery Court Judge, and One General Court Judge serve Rhea, Bledsoe, Franklin, Grundy, Marion, and Sequatchie counties. The county is in eastern Tennessee. Knoxville, Tennessee is northeast and Chattanooga, Tennessee is southwest of the county. The Tennessee River forms its eastern border. The county center is 10.2 miles North-Northeast of Dayton nearer Evensville. The county is surrounded clockwise by Cumberland, Roane, Meigs, Hamilton, and Bledsoe counties.
The area of the county is 336 square miles. It is 67 out of 95 in the state. It ranks 47 out of 95 in population in the state. It has a density of 94.67 persons per square mile making it 34 out of 95 in the state. Rhea County has 33.6% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 27 crosses through the county from Roane County, northeast, to Hamilton County, southwest. The county is overall shaped like a diagonal. Dayton is located in the southwest quarter of the county. Dayton is the county seat and the largest city. It is 22.6% of the county population. The county is pronounced RAE.
Dayton
Graysville
Spring City
