White County is a county in Tennessee, United States, on the Eastern Highland Rim at the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau. It had a population of 27,351 at the 2020 census and covers 379 square miles (982 km2), of which 377 square miles (976 km2) are land and 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2) are water, centred near 35°53′N 85°28′W.
Sparta is the county seat, and its postal code is 38583. The county has three incorporated municipalities — one city and two towns — alongside roughly four dozen unincorporated communities. White County sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in White County
White County has one incorporated city (Sparta, the county seat), two incorporated towns (Doyle and Walling), and a scatter of unincorporated crossroads communities and rural neighborhoods across the rest of the county. Tennessee has no civil-township government, so the table below has no township column; place names are carried over from the county’s own community list.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparta | City · seat | — | 38583 |
| Doyle | Town | — | 38559 |
| Walling | Town | — | 38587 |
| Bakers Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bethesda | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Black Oak | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Board Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bon Air | Unincorp. | — | 38553 |
| Cassville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Center Point | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cherry Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clarktown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clifty | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cummings | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Darkey Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| De Rossett | Unincorp. | — | 38501 |
| Dibrell | Unincorp. | — | 38578 |
| Dixieland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dodson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eastland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fanchers Mills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Findlay | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Greenwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gum Spring | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hamptons Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hickory Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Joppa | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lost Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Macedonia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mobra | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Pisgah | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Vernon Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| O’Conner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oakdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Old Zion | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Peeled Chestnut | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Quebeck | Unincorp. | — | 38579 |
| Rainbow Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ravenscroft | Unincorp. | — | — |
| River Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rolling Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shady Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Simpsons | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sparta Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Spring Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stringtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Taylors | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Walnut Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Whispering Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Yankeetown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Yateston | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 38583 — Sparta (also serves most of central White County)
- 38559 — Doyle
- 38587 — Walling
- 38553 — Bon Air
- 38578 — Dibrell
- 38579 — Quebeck
- 38501 — De Rossett (shares the Cookeville ZIP)
Most of the smaller crossroads communities listed above have no post office of their own and are served by the Sparta ZIP.
Geography
White County lies on the Eastern Highland Rim where it meets the western escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau, giving the county a mix of rolling farmland in the west and steeper, forested bluffs toward the east. The Caney Fork River crosses the county and, along with the Collins River and Rocky River, forms the Center Hill Lake and Rock Island State Park area near the county’s southern edge, shared with Warren and Van Buren counties.
White County borders Putnam County to the north, Cumberland County to the east, Bledsoe County to the southeast, Van Buren County to the south, Warren County to the southwest, and DeKalb County to the west.
Demographics
White County’s 2020 census population was 27,351. Sparta and Doyle are the county’s two largest incorporated places; most residents live in the unincorporated crossroads communities surrounding Sparta rather than inside any municipal limit. Median household income in White County runs below the Tennessee median of $67,631, consistent with the county’s rural, agriculture- and manufacturing-based economy. Population density is roughly 73 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture — cattle, hay, corn, and nursery stock — remains a significant part of White County’s economy, alongside stone and limestone quarrying that has operated in the county for generations. Manufacturing and county-government employment are centered in and around Sparta. Rock Island State Park and Center Hill Lake draw visitors for boating, fishing, and hiking, and tourism tied to the lake and the Caney Fork River supports local businesses through the warmer months.
History
White County was formed in 1806 from land that had been part of Jackson County, and was named for Captain James White, an early Tennessee settler and soldier best remembered as a founder of Knoxville. Sparta was established as the county seat soon after the county’s formation. Like much of the Upper Cumberland, White County’s history is tied to small-farm agriculture, timber, and, in the 20th century, the damming of the Caney Fork River that created Center Hill Lake and reshaped the county’s southern landscape.
Getting There
White County is reached primarily via State Route 111 and State Route 70, which meet in Sparta. Nearby anchor towns:
- Cookeville — 20 miles north
- McMinnville — 20 miles southwest
- Crossville — 25 miles east
- Smithville — 20 miles west
The nearest commercial airport is Nashville International Airport, roughly 85 miles to the west.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is White County, Tennessee?
It is on the Eastern Highland Rim in the Upper Cumberland region of Middle Tennessee, between Cookeville and McMinnville.
What is the population of White County?
27,351 people, according to the 2020 census.
How big is White County?
379 square miles (982 km2), of which 2.8 square miles are water.
What is the county seat of White County?
Sparta is the county seat.
How many towns are in White County?
One city (Sparta) and two towns (Doyle and Walling), plus about four dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in White County?
The main ZIP codes are 38583 (Sparta), 38559 (Doyle), 38587 (Walling), 38553 (Bon Air), 38578 (Dibrell), and 38579 (Quebeck).
What lake is near White County?
Center Hill Lake and Rock Island State Park sit along the county’s southern edge, formed by a dam on the Caney Fork River.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Tennessee.