Johnson County is a county in Tennessee, United States, the state’s easternmost county, tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains along the borders with Virginia and North Carolina. It had a population of 17,948 at the 2020 census and covers 303 square miles (780 km2), of which 298 square miles is land and 4.2 square miles is water, centred near 36°28′N 81°52′W.
Mountain City is the county seat, and its postal code is 37683. The county has one incorporated town (Mountain City), one census-designated place (Butler), and roughly three dozen smaller unincorporated communities. Johnson County sits in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Johnson County
Johnson County has one incorporated municipality — Mountain City — alongside the CDP of Butler and a long list of unincorporated crossroads and mountain communities scattered through its hollows and coves. Tennessee has no civil townships, so places here are organized only by incorporation status: City · seat, CDP, or Unincorp.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain City | City · seat | — | 37683 |
| Butler | CDP | — | 37640 |
| Shady Valley | Unincorp. | — | 37688 |
| Trade | Unincorp. | — | 37691 |
| Laurel Bloomery | Unincorp. | — | 37680 |
| Neva | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shouns | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Buntontown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Center View | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cold Spring | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crackers Neck | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crandull | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Damascus | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Doeville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dry Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eureka | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fuller | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Harmon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Heath | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Holy Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Little Doe | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Maymead | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Midway | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mill Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Norris | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Osborn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pandora | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Red Tail Mountain | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sandy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shingletown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Silver Lake | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sugar Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sutherland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Upper Shady | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Walnut Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Willen Gap | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Winchester | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 37683 — Mountain City (county seat)
- 37640 — Butler
- 37688 — Shady Valley
- 37691 — Trade
- 37680 — Laurel Bloomery
Most of the smaller mountain communities listed above share a Mountain City or Butler mailing address rather than carrying a ZIP code of their own.
Geography
Johnson County lies entirely within the Blue Ridge Mountains, with the Iron Mountain and Stone Mountain ranges crossing the county and Snake Mountain, its highest point, reaching 5,574 feet. Watauga Lake, at 1,959 feet, marks the county’s lowest elevation. The Appalachian Trail crosses the county, and a portion of Cherokee National Forest lies within its borders. Watauga Lake and the headwaters of the Watauga River are the county’s principal water features.
Johnson County borders Washington County, Virginia to the north, Grayson County, Virginia to the northeast, Ashe County, North Carolina to the east, Watauga County, North Carolina to the southeast, Avery County, North Carolina to the south, Carter County to the southwest, and Sullivan County to the west.
Demographics
Johnson County’s population was 17,948 at the 2020 census. Mountain City is by far the largest community, followed by the Butler CDP. Median household income in the county runs well below the Tennessee median of $67,631, reflecting the county’s rural, mountain economy. Population density works out to roughly 60 people per square mile, one of the lower figures in upper East Tennessee.
Economy & Local Life
Government, healthcare, education, and light manufacturing anchor the local economy, alongside farming and forestry in the surrounding hollows. Tourism tied to Watauga Lake, the Appalachian Trail, and the Cherokee National Forest brings seasonal visitors and cabin-rental income. Mountain City hosts the Johnson County offices, the county’s schools, and the annual Butler Old Time Days celebration in the Butler community, which marks the town’s history on the shore of Watauga Lake after the original town of Butler was flooded by the lake’s creation in the 1940s.
History
Johnson County was formed in 1836 from part of Carter County, after a dispute over the location of Carter County’s seat. It was named for Thomas Johnson, an early settler in the area. Mountain City, originally known as Taylorsville, was renamed and grew as the county’s trade and government center. The community of Butler has a distinctive history of its own: the original town was submerged when the Tennessee Valley Authority built Watauga Dam and impounded Watauga Lake in the 1940s, and residents relocated to a new town site on higher ground nearby.
Getting There
U.S. Route 421 is the county’s main highway, linking Mountain City to Boone, North Carolina to the east and to Elizabethton and the Tri-Cities area of Tennessee to the west. State Route 91 runs north through Shady Valley toward Damascus, Virginia.
- Boone, North Carolina — 24 miles east
- Elizabethton, Tennessee — 25 miles southwest
- Abingdon, Virginia — 27 miles northwest
- Johnson City, Tennessee — 33 miles southwest
The nearest commercial airport is Tri-Cities Airport (TRI), serving the Bristol-Johnson City-Kingsport area of Tennessee and Virginia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Johnson County, Tennessee?
It is Tennessee’s easternmost county, in the Blue Ridge Mountains bordering Virginia to the north and North Carolina to the east and south.
What is the population of Johnson County?
Johnson County had a population of 17,948 at the 2020 census.
How big is Johnson County?
The county covers 303 square miles (780 km2), of which 298 square miles is land and 4.2 square miles is water.
What is the Johnson County seat?
Mountain City is the county seat and the county’s only incorporated town.
How many towns are in Johnson County?
Johnson County has one incorporated town, Mountain City, one census-designated place, Butler, and roughly three dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Johnson County?
Mountain City is 37683, Butler is 37640, Shady Valley is 37688, Trade is 37691, and Laurel Bloomery is 37680.
Why was the original town of Butler abandoned?
The original Butler was flooded when the Tennessee Valley Authority built Watauga Dam and created Watauga Lake in the 1940s; the community relocated to higher ground nearby.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Tennessee.