Wayne County, Tennessee

Wayne County is a county in Tennessee, United States, in the south-central part of the state on
the Alabama line, about 105 miles south of Nashville. It had a population of 16,232 at the 2020
census, an estimated 16,168 by 2024, and covers 734 square miles (1,900 km2) of land centred near
35°14′N 87°47′W.

Waynesboro is the county seat and the county’s only city with a Wayne County-only ZIP; its
postal code is 38485. The county holds 3 cities and roughly 29 unincorporated communities, and it
runs on Central Time. Its FIPS code is 47181.

Towns & Villages in Wayne County

Wayne County has 32 named places on record: 3 incorporated cities and 29 unincorporated
communities with no local government of their own. Unincorp. covers crossroads, former rail
stops and rural communities with no formal boundary; none of them have their own ZIP code unless
noted.

Two entries on the old version of this list were dropped as duplicates: a second, unexplained
“Crossroads” entry and a repeated “Highland” line. McGlamery Stand, on the
Natchez Trace Parkway near Collinwood, is a genuine historic stand site, not a scrape error —
it still marks a milepost on the Parkway today.

ZIP Codes

• 38485 — Waynesboro
• 38425 — Clifton
• 38450 — Collinwood
• 38452 — Cypress Inn
• 38471 — Lutts

The county’s other 24 unincorporated communities have no ZIP of their own; mail there is
delivered under one of these five codes depending on which post office serves the area.

Geography

Wayne County sits in Tennessee’s Western Highland Rim, a hilly plateau of ridges and
narrow valleys between the Tennessee and Duck river systems. Of its roughly 736 square miles,
734 are land and 1.6 are water, about 0.2 percent — the county has no large lake, and its
water surface is mostly the Tennessee River along its western edge and the Green River, which
flows north through Waynesboro to the Buffalo River.

Perry County lies to the north, Lewis County to the northeast, Lawrence County to the east,
Hardin County to the west, and Decatur County to the northwest. Lauderdale County, Alabama,
borders the county to the south, across the state line. Perry County, Lewis County, Lawrence County, Hardin County and Decatur County all border
Wayne County directly on the Tennessee side.

Demographics

Wayne County had a population of 16,232 at the 2020 census, and the 2024 estimate puts the
county near 16,168 residents, a slight decline. Clifton and Waynesboro are the two largest
communities, together holding roughly a third of the county’s population. Median household
income runs $52,294, well below Tennessee’s statewide 2023 ACS figure of $67,631.
Population density works out to about 22 people per square mile of land, low even for rural
Middle Tennessee.

Economy & Local Life

Health care and social assistance employs the most workers in the county, about 1,124 people,
followed by construction at 787 and manufacturing at 769. The South Central Correctional
Facility in Clifton, a medium-security prison run by CoreCivic under contract with the Tennessee
Department of Correction, holds up to 1,676 inmates and is one of the county’s largest single
employers. Clifton also hosts the T. S. Stribling Museum, honoring the Clifton-born author who
won the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1933. The Natchez Trace Parkway crosses the county near
Collinwood, with a welcome center and the historic McGlamery Stand site along its route.

History

The Tennessee General Assembly formed Wayne County in 1817, carving it out of Hickman County
and Humphreys County. It was named for General Anthony Wayne, a military leader in the American
Revolutionary War known to his troops as “Mad Anthony.” Waynesboro was laid out as the
county seat in 1821 and incorporated in 1850.

In the June 8, 1861 secession referendum, Wayne County voted against Tennessee leaving the
Union by a margin of 905 to 409, one of only a handful of Middle and West Tennessee counties to
oppose secession. By the mid-1800s Clifton had grown into an important Tennessee River port,
shipping cotton and timber before the railroad era shifted trade elsewhere.

Getting There

US 64 and State Route 15 run together through the county, bypassing Waynesboro to the west and
north before continuing east toward Lawrence County. State Route 13 crosses the county
north–south from the Alabama line, through Waynesboro and on to Clifton.

• Nashville — about 105 miles north
• Memphis — about 135 miles west
• Florence, Alabama — about 35 miles south
• Columbia — about 50 miles northeast

Nashville International Airport, roughly 105 miles north of Waynesboro, is the nearest major
commercial airport. Amtrak does not serve Wayne County; the closest station is Memphis Central
Station on the City of New Orleans route, about 135 miles west.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Wayne County located?
It sits in Tennessee’s Western Highland Rim, on the Alabama state line, about 105 miles
south of Nashville, bordered by Perry, Lewis, Lawrence, Hardin and Decatur counties.

What is the population of Wayne County?
16,232 at the 2020 census, with a 2024 estimate near 16,168.

How big is Wayne County?
About 736 square miles (1,910 km2) total, of which 734 square miles (1,900 km2) are land.

What is the county seat of Wayne County?
Waynesboro, laid out in 1821 and incorporated in 1850, is the county seat.

How many towns and cities are in Wayne County?
Three incorporated cities — Waynesboro, Clifton and Collinwood — plus 29
unincorporated communities including Cypress Inn, Lutts, Ashland and McGlamery Stand.

What ZIP codes does Wayne County use?
38485 for Waynesboro, 38425 for Clifton, 38450 for Collinwood, 38452 for Cypress Inn and 38471
for Lutts.

What is Wayne County known for?
The Natchez Trace Parkway, the T. S. Stribling Museum in Clifton, and its 1861 vote against
Tennessee’s secession from the Union.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Tennessee.