Cannon County is a county in Tennessee, United States, in the rolling hills of the Barrens region east of Murfreesboro. It had a population of 14,506 at the 2020 census and covers 266 square miles (690 km2) centred near 35°49′N 86°04′W.
Woodbury is the county seat, and its postal code is 37190. The county has two incorporated towns (Woodbury and Auburntown) and roughly two dozen unincorporated communities, no Census-designated places. Cannon County sits in the Central time zone and is part of the Nashville–Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin metropolitan area.
Towns & Villages in Cannon County
Cannon County has 38 named places on record: 2 incorporated towns and roughly 36 unincorporated communities and crossroads, most dating to the 19th century. Only Woodbury and Auburntown have their own municipal governments; the rest are informal place names on rural roads, several sharing a Woodbury or Auburntown mailing address.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodbury | City · seat | 2,703 | 37190 |
| Auburntown | Town | 272 | 37016 |
| Amity | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bluewing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bradyville | Unincorp. | — | 37026 |
| Brysonville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Burgen | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Burt | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cateston | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Center Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cross Roads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Culpepper | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Curlee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gassaway | Unincorp. | — | 37095 |
| Geedville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Half Acre | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hardscrabble | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hollow Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Iconium | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ivy Bluff | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Leoni | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McMahan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Midway | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mooretown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Ararat | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Hope | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Parker Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant View | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Porterfield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Readyville | Unincorp. | — | 37149 |
| Red Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sheybogan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Simmons Chapel | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stringtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sugar Tree Knob | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sunny Slope | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wildwood Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Woods | Unincorp. | — | — |
Readyville straddles the Cannon–Rutherford county line about halfway between Woodbury and Murfreesboro; its 37149 ZIP serves households on both sides. Most of the county’s other unincorporated communities have no dedicated post office; they take mail through Woodbury, Auburntown, Bradyville, or Gassaway depending on which is closest by road.
ZIP Codes
- 37190 — Woodbury (also serves most rural unincorporated communities)
- 37016 — Auburntown
- 37026 — Bradyville
- 37095 — Gassaway
- 37149 — Readyville (shared with Rutherford County)
The remaining named communities on the list above draw mail through one of these five post offices rather than having their own ZIP code.
Geography
Cannon County lies in the Barrens, a plateau-edge landscape of low ridges and cedar glades between the Highland Rim and the Cumberland Plateau. The East Fork of the Stones River crosses the county through Woodbury, and Short Mountain rises in the county’s southeastern corner. Land use is a mix of cattle pasture, hay ground, and the county’s long-standing folk-craft trade, chair-making, centred on Cannon County white oak.
Cannon County borders Rutherford County to the west, Wilson County to the north, Smith County to the northeast, DeKalb County to the east, Warren County to the southeast, and Coffee County to the south.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 14,506 residents, up from 13,801 in 2010. Woodbury (2,703) and Auburntown (272) are the county’s only incorporated places; the rest of the population lives in unincorporated rural communities. Median household income runs below the Tennessee median of $67,631, consistent with the county’s rural, agricultural economic base. Population density is about 55 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture and small manufacturing anchor the local economy, alongside the county’s nationally known handmade-chair industry — several multi-generation shops in and around Woodbury still build ladder-back and rocking chairs from local white oak. Cannon County High School and Woodbury’s downtown square, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, are the county’s civic center. The county hosts an annual Chair Fest each summer, celebrating that craft heritage.
History
The Tennessee state legislature created Cannon County on January 31, 1836, from parts of Rutherford, Smith, Wilson, and Warren counties. It was named for Newton Cannon, then governor of Tennessee. Woodbury was laid out as the county seat the same year and incorporated in 1838. The county’s economy was built on subsistence and small-scale farming, including thoroughbred horse breeding, through the 19th and early 20th centuries, before the chair-making trade grew into the export industry it is today.
Getting There
US Route 70S runs through Woodbury, and State Routes 53 and 145 connect the county’s rural communities to it.
- Murfreesboro — 19 miles west
- McMinnville — 20 miles southeast
- Nashville — 55 miles northwest
- Smithville — 20 miles northeast
The nearest commercial airport is Nashville International Airport (BNA), about an hour’s drive from Woodbury.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Cannon County?
It is in Middle Tennessee, about 55 miles southeast of Nashville, between Murfreesboro and McMinnville.
What is the population of Cannon County?
14,506 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Cannon County?
266 square miles (690 km2), almost entirely land.
What is the county seat of Cannon County?
Woodbury is the county seat and largest town.
How many towns are in Cannon County?
Two incorporated towns, Woodbury and Auburntown, plus roughly three dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Cannon County?
37190 (Woodbury), 37016 (Auburntown), 37026 (Bradyville), 37095 (Gassaway), and 37149 (Readyville).
What is Cannon County known for?
Its handmade white-oak chair industry, centred on multi-generation Woodbury-area shops, and the East Fork Stones River valley.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Tennessee.