Claiborne County is a county in Tennessee, United States, on the Kentucky and Virginia state lines in the northeast corner of the state. It had a population of 32,043 at the 2020 census and covers 442 square miles (1,140 km2) centred near 36°29′N 83°40′W.
Tazewell is the county seat, and its postal code is 37879. The county has two incorporated cities, two incorporated towns, and dozens of unincorporated communities. It observes Eastern Time.
Towns & Villages in Claiborne County
Claiborne County has four incorporated municipalities — Tazewell (the county seat), New Tazewell, Harrogate and Cumberland Gap — and roughly five dozen unincorporated communities and crossroads scattered through its ridges and hollows. Most of the unincorporated places below are historic mill sites, mining camps or rural crossroads rather than population centers; population figures are not separately tabulated by the Census Bureau for these places.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tazewell | Town · seat | — | 37879 |
| New Tazewell | City | — | 37825 |
| Harrogate | City | — | 37752 |
| Cumberland Gap | Town | — | 37724 |
| Arthur | Unincorp. | — | 37707 |
| Bacchus | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Big Barren | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bryson Mountain | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Caney Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Carr Branch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cave Spring | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chestnut Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chittum | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clairfield | Unincorp. | — | 37715 |
| Clouds | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Collins Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Combs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cupp Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Duo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eagan | Unincorp. | — | 37730 |
| Forge Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fork Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gibson Hall | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Goin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hamlin Town | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Head of Barren | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hoop Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hopewell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Howard Quarter | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hurst Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kidwell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lily Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Little Barren | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Little Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lone Mountain | Unincorp. | — | 37773 |
| Manring | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Marion | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mason Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Minton Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Motch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Murphy Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Old Cedar Fork | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Patterson Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Poplar Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Powell Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pruden | Unincorp. | — | 37851 |
| Raven Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Red Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Reliance | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Riley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ritchie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| River View | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Riverside | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Russell Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Saddle Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sandlick | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shawanee | Unincorp. | — | 37867 |
| Snodgrass | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Speedwell | Unincorp. | — | 37870 |
| Springdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tiprell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Town Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Valley Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vanbebber Spring | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vancel Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Williams Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wilson Gap | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Yellow Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Yoakum Crossroad | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 37879 — Tazewell (standard delivery, county seat)
- 37825 — New Tazewell (standard delivery; also PO Box only under 37824)
- 37752 — Harrogate (standard delivery)
- 37870 — Speedwell (standard delivery)
- 37724 — Cumberland Gap (standard delivery)
- 37715 — Clairfield (standard delivery)
- 37730 — Eagan (PO Box only)
- 37851 — Pruden (PO Box only)
- 37867 — Shawanee (PO Box only)
- 37707 — Arthur (PO Box only)
- 37773 — Lone Mountain (PO Box only)
The great majority of the county’s small unincorporated communities have no ZIP code of their own and are served by one of the standard-delivery post offices listed above.
Geography
Claiborne County sits in the ridge-and-valley country of northeast Tennessee, where the Powell River and the Clinch River — the latter feeding into Norris Lake — cut parallel valleys between long forested ridges. Bryson Mountain, Powell Mountain, Lone Mountain, Raven Hill and Wallen Ridge are the county’s main high points, and the Cumberland Gap, the historic pass through the Appalachians used by Daniel Boone and thousands of early settlers, sits on the county’s northern edge where Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia meet.
Claiborne County borders Whitley County, Kentucky, to the north; Lee County, Virginia, to the northeast; Hancock County to the east; Grainger County to the southeast; Union County to the south; and Campbell County to the west. It also touches Bell County, Kentucky, along a short stretch of the state line. Hancock and Bell counties are named here without a link, as no live sibling page for either verifies on this site at the moment.
Demographics
Claiborne County had a population of 32,043 at the 2020 census. Harrogate, home to Lincoln Memorial University, is the county’s largest city; Tazewell and New Tazewell, which sit directly across the Powell River from each other, are the next-largest incorporated places. Claiborne County’s median household income runs well below the Tennessee median of $67,631, consistent with its rural, mountainous economy. With 435 square miles of land, the county’s overall population density is roughly 74 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Historically a coal-mining and timber county, Claiborne County’s economy today centers on healthcare, education and light manufacturing, along with agriculture in its river valleys. Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, a private university with a college of medicine, is one of the county’s largest employers and anchors the Harrogate–Tazewell corridor. Cumberland Gap National Historical Park draws visitors to the county’s northern end for hiking and Appalachian history.
History
Claiborne County was formed on October 29, 1801, from parts of Grainger and Hawkins counties, with its southern boundary later extended to take in land from Anderson County. It was named for William C. C. Claiborne, a Virginia-born jurist who served on the Tennessee Superior Court and represented Tennessee in the U.S. Congress before going on to govern the Mississippi and Orleans territories. Unlike much of Middle and West Tennessee, Claiborne County opposed secession: in the June 1861 statewide referendum, its residents voted against leaving the Union by a wide margin, reflecting the strong Unionist sentiment across much of Tennessee’s eastern mountain counties.
Getting There
U.S. Route 25E is the county’s main north–south highway, running from the Cumberland Gap through New Tazewell and Tazewell toward Knoxville; State Route 63 crosses the county east–west toward Sneedville and the Kentucky line.
- Knoxville — 45 miles south
- Middlesboro, Kentucky — 15 miles north
- Morristown — 30 miles southeast
- Jacksboro (Campbell County) — 20 miles southwest
McGhee Tyson Airport in Alcoa, near Knoxville, is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Claiborne County, Tennessee?
It is in the northeast corner of Tennessee, on the Kentucky and Virginia state lines, centred near 36°29′N 83°40′W.
What is the population of Claiborne County?
Claiborne County had a population of 32,043 at the 2020 census.
How big is Claiborne County?
The county covers 442 square miles (1,140 km2), of which about 7 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Claiborne County?
Tazewell is the county seat.
How many towns are in Claiborne County?
The county has four incorporated municipalities — Tazewell, New Tazewell, Harrogate and Cumberland Gap — plus roughly five dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Claiborne County?
Standard-delivery ZIP codes include 37879 (Tazewell), 37825 (New Tazewell), 37752 (Harrogate), 37870 (Speedwell), 37724 (Cumberland Gap) and 37715 (Clairfield), plus several PO-Box-only ZIP codes.
What is Cumberland Gap known for?
It is the historic mountain pass on the county’s northern edge where Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia meet, used by Daniel Boone and thousands of early settlers crossing the Appalachians, and now preserved as Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.