Tennessee - Welcome to U.S. County Courthouses!

Entered Union June 1, 1796 (16^th state)

Tennessee (6,346,105), Nashville (545,524), Memphis (650,100)

The stone capitol was originally completed in 1859 using the designs of William Strickland. It is located on Charlotte Avenue at Rosa L. Parks Boulevard. Interstate States Highway 40 is 6 blocks southwest of the capitol. The Capitol is designed in Greek Revival style. The Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Building in Nashville, the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Eastern District Building in Knoxville, and the Supreme Court Western District in Jackson are all supporting buildings. The state was officially created as the 16^th state on June 1, 1796 from Native American lands, North Carolina, and the Southwest Territory. Nashville has been the capital since 1826 succeeding Knoxville and Murfreesboro. The state name could be the Native American for “meeting place” or “winding river.” Nashville is named for General Francis Nash. Memphis is named for Memphis, Egypt. Clingmans Dome in Sevier County is the highest point and the lowest point is the Mississippi River at the border with Mississippi.

Tennessee government, in the Executive, consists of a Governor with all other cabinet positions appointed by the Governor. The Lieutenant Governor position is the Speaker of the Senate who is elected by the Senators. There are 33 Senators and 99 Representatives in the Legislature. Five Supreme Court Justices, Twelve Court of Appeals Justices, and Twelve Court of Criminal Appeals Justices serve Tennessee in the Judicial. Tennessee is located in the southeastern part of the United States. The geographic center is in Rutherford County 3 miles northeast of Murfreesboro. The state is surrounded clockwise by Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri.

The area is 41,217 square miles. It is 36^th largest state in the country. It is the 16^th most populated state in the country. It has a density of 159 persons per square mile making it 20^th in the country. Its major rivers are the Mississippi, the Tennessee, the Cumberland, the Clinch, and the Holston. Pierre is located in the north center part of the state. Memphis is in the southwest quarter of the state on the border with Mississippi and Arkansas.