White

Formed September 11, 1806 (28^th county)

White County (27,356), Sparta (4,997)

The light tan stone Modern facility was erected in 1975 is on a square at Bockman Way at Main Street.  Bockman Way is United States Highway 70 in this part of the town.  Martin J. Lide is the building designer.  The structure sits on Liberty Square with veterans’ memorials on the grounds.  The inside of the building has marble walls.  The county was created on September 11, 1806 from parts of Jackson and Smith counties as the 28^th county.  There was previously an 1894 version.  Rock Island was the first county seat followed by Sparta in 1809.  The county is named for settler John White.  Sparta is named for Sparta, Greece. 

White County government consists of a sheriff, a County Executive, and 15 Commissioners.  Four Circuit Court Judges, One Chancery Court Judge, Two General Court Judges, and One Juvenile Court Judge serve White, Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Overton, Pickett, and Putnam counties.  The county is in the central part of Tennessee.  Nashville, Tennessee is northwest and Chattanooga, Tennessee is southeast of the county.  The county center is in Sparta .7 miles Northeast of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Putnam, Cumberland, Bledsoe, Van Buren, Warren, and De Kalb counties. 

The area of the county is 377 square miles.  It is 60 out of 95 in the state.  It ranks 54 out of 95 in population in the state.  It has a density of 72.6 persons per square mile making it 48 out of 95 in the state.  White County has 20.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 70 crosses east to west in the county from Cumberland County to De Kalb County.  United States Highway 70 South originates and heads southwest into Van Buren County.  The county resembles a hay pile.  Sparta is located slightly south of center in the county.  Sparta is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 18.3% of the county population.