Wilson County is a county in Tennessee, United States, in the Nashville metropolitan area east of the state capital. It had a population of 147,737 at the 2020 census and covers 583 square miles (1,510 km2) centred near 36°10′N 86°17′W.
Lebanon is the county seat and its postal code is 37087. The county has two cities (Lebanon and Mt. Juliet, the latter Wilson County’s largest city) and one town (Watertown), plus more than sixty unincorporated communities. Wilson County sits in the Central time zone and carries FIPS code 47189.
Towns & Villages in Wilson County
The list below runs from Lebanon and Mt. Juliet down to small rural crossroads. Only Lebanon, Mt. Juliet and Watertown are incorporated; everything else is an unincorporated community or a Census-designated place with no city government of its own. Tennessee has no civil townships, so the county’s rural land is organized only into unincorporated communities, not township units.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lebanon | City · seat | 38,431 | 37087 |
| Mt. Juliet | City | 39,289 | 37122 |
| Watertown | Town | — | 37184 |
| Gladeville | Unincorp. | — | 37087 |
| Green Hill | Unincorp. | — | 37087 |
| Norene | Unincorp. | — | 37087 |
| Rural Hill | Unincorp. | — | 37087 |
| Statesville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tuckers Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cainsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cedar Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cherry Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Commerce | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Doaks Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Laguardo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Leeville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Numa | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shop Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Silver Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Suggs Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Taylorsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vine | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Belinda City | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bellwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Highland Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hurricane | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pleasant Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
Two names on the old list belong elsewhere: Monticello and Martha are not established Wilson County place names on record, and Lynn Christie is a family-name locale rather than a settlement; all three are omitted here rather than left unverified.
ZIP Codes
- 37087 — Lebanon (also serves Gladeville, Green Hill, Norene and Rural Hill)
- 37122 — Mt. Juliet
- 37184 — Watertown
Smaller communities such as Statesville, Cainsville, Leeville and Tuckers Crossroads have no post office of their own and use a neighboring town’s ZIP code.
Geography
Wilson County lies in the Central Basin of Middle Tennessee, a rolling limestone plain drained by the Cumberland River along its northern edge and by Spencer Creek and Cedar Creek through the interior. Percy Priest Lake, formed by a Cumberland River dam, clips the county’s southwest corner near the Davidson County line. The terrain is gently rolling farmland and cedar glades, rising toward low ridges in the east.
Wilson County borders Trousdale County to the north, Smith County to the northeast, DeKalb County to the east, Cannon County to the southeast, Rutherford County to the south, Davidson County to the west, and Sumner County to the northwest.
Demographics
Wilson County counted 147,737 residents at the 2020 census. Mt. Juliet, with 39,289 people, is now larger than the county seat, Lebanon, at 38,431. Wilson County’s median household income runs above the Tennessee median of $67,631, reflecting its position inside the Nashville commuter belt. Population density is about 259 people per square mile of land area.
Economy & Local Life
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is headquartered in Lebanon, and Cumberland University, a private four-year school founded in 1842, is also based there. Mt. Juliet’s growth has been driven by warehousing and distribution along the I-40 corridor, including an Amazon fulfillment center and an Under Armour distribution facility. The James E. Ward Agricultural Center in Lebanon hosts the Wilson County Fair every August, one of the largest county fairs in Tennessee.
History
Wilson County was formed on October 26, 1799, from part of Sumner County, and was named for David Wilson, a Revolutionary War veteran and Tennessee legislator. Lebanon was laid out as the county seat soon afterward, taking its name from the cedar forests once compared to the biblical Lebanon’s cedars. Near Statesville, Valley Cave held a large saltpeter-mining operation, most likely worked during the War of 1812 or Civil War era to supply gunpowder production.
Getting There
Interstate 40 crosses the county through Lebanon and Mt. Juliet, with Interstate 840 forming a southern bypass; US 70, US 70N and US 231 also run through the county.
- Nashville — 25 miles west
- Murfreesboro — 25 miles south
- Gallatin — 20 miles northwest
- Cookeville — 45 miles east
Nashville International Airport, about 15 miles from Mt. Juliet, is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Wilson County, Tennessee?
It sits in Middle Tennessee, directly east of Nashville and Davidson County, within the Nashville metropolitan area.
What is the population of Wilson County?
147,737 people, as of the 2020 census.
How big is Wilson County?
583 square miles (1,510 km2), of which 571 square miles is land and 12 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Wilson County?
Lebanon is the county seat.
How many towns are in Wilson County?
Two cities, Lebanon and Mt. Juliet, and one town, Watertown, plus dozens of unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Wilson County?
The main ZIP codes are 37087 (Lebanon), 37122 (Mt. Juliet) and 37184 (Watertown).
What is Wilson County’s largest city?
Mt. Juliet, with 39,289 residents at the 2020 census, is now larger than the county seat, Lebanon.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Tennessee.