Grundy County is a county in Tennessee, United States, on the Cumberland Plateau, in the south-central part of the state. It had a population of 13,529 at the 2020 census and covers 361 square miles (930 km2) centred near 35°23′N 85°43′W.
Altamont is the county seat, and its postal code is 37301. The county contains two cities, five towns, one census-designated place and roughly two dozen unincorporated coves and crossroads. Grundy County observes Central Time and carries FIPS code 47061.
Towns & Villages in Grundy County
Grundy County has two incorporated cities and five incorporated towns, plus one census-designated place (Pelham) and about thirty unincorporated communities with no municipal government of their own. Coalmont and Gruetli-Laager hold city charters; Altamont, Beersheba Springs, Monteagle, Palmer and Tracy City are towns. Entries marked Unincorp. are informal place names only.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Altamont | Town · seat | — | 37301 |
| Beersheba Springs | Town | — | 37305 |
| Coalmont | City | — | 37339 |
| Gruetli-Laager | City | — | 37339 |
| Monteagle | Town | — | 37356 |
| Palmer | Town | — | 37365 |
| Pelham | CDP | — | 37366 |
| Tracy City | Town | — | 37387 |
| Barkertown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bells Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bergmantown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chestnut Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clouse Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Collins | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cumberland Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dogtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elkhead | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Flat Branch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Freemont | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hixon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hobbs Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hubbards Cove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lankford Town | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Olive | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount View | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Northcutts Cove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Payne Cove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Piedmont | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Providence | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sanders Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sartain Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shadrick Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Summerfield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sweeton Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tarlton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tatesville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Torbet | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Valley Home | Unincorp. | — | — |
| White City | Unincorp. | — | — |
Monteagle straddles Grundy, Franklin and Marion counties; the figures and boundaries here cover only its Grundy County portion. Gruetli and Laager were once separate Swiss-founded settlements and are listed here only once, under their merged name Gruetli-Laager, to avoid double-counting.
ZIP Codes
- 37301 — Altamont
- 37305 — Beersheba Springs
- 37339 — Coalmont (also serves Gruetli-Laager)
- 37356 — Monteagle (a shared code with neighboring Franklin and Marion counties)
- 37365 — Palmer
- 37366 — Pelham
- 37387 — Tracy City
Most of the county’s unincorporated coves and crossroads carry the ZIP code of their nearest post-office town rather than one of their own.
Geography
Grundy County sits atop the Cumberland Plateau at roughly 1,800 feet elevation, a landscape of sandstone bluffs and deep, narrow gorges cut into the plateau’s edge. Much of the terrain is forested, and the county’s western escarpment drops sharply toward the Sequatchie Valley. Fiery Gizzard Creek and its canyon, part of South Cumberland State Park, are the county’s best-known natural feature, along with the Savage Gulf gorge system on the plateau’s southern rim. Water covers only about 0.6 square miles of the county’s total area.
Grundy County borders Warren County to the north, Sequatchie County to the east, Marion County to the south, Franklin County to the southwest, and Coffee County to the west: Warren County, Sequatchie County, Marion County, Franklin County and Coffee County.
Demographics
Grundy County had 13,529 residents at the 2020 census, spread across a mostly rural plateau landscape at a density of roughly 37 people per square mile. Gruetli-Laager and Tracy City are its two largest communities. Household income in Grundy County runs well below the Tennessee median of $67,631; the county has long ranked among the state’s lower-income counties, a legacy of the decline of its coal-mining economy through the 20th century.
Economy & Local Life
Coal mining built Grundy County’s early economy — the towns of Coalmont and Tracy City both grew up around 19th- and early-20th-century mines and the rail lines that hauled coal and coke off the plateau. That industry is gone, and today the county’s economy leans on Grundy County Schools and local government, tourism tied to South Cumberland State Park and the Fiery Gizzard Trail, and traffic along the Interstate 24 corridor through Monteagle, where truck stops and outlet-style retail serve travelers crossing the Cumberland Plateau. Beersheba Springs, once a 19th-century mineral-springs resort, still hosts a Methodist assembly ground and retreat center.
History
Grundy County was organized in 1844 from parts of Warren, Franklin and Marion counties and named for Felix Grundy, a Tennessee U.S. senator and U.S. attorney general under President Martin Van Buren. Swiss immigrants founded the settlement of Gruetli in 1869, one of several Swiss colonies planted on the Cumberland Plateau in the years after the Civil War; it later merged with the neighboring community of Laager to form present-day Gruetli-Laager. From the late 1800s through the mid-1900s, coal mining and coking operations around Tracy City and Coalmont drove the county’s population and economy, run in large part by the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company, before the industry wound down in the mid-20th century.
Getting There
Interstate 24 crosses Grundy County through Monteagle, alongside US Route 41 and US Route 64, which together carry most through traffic over the plateau.
- Winchester — 20 miles south
- McMinnville — 25 miles north
- Chattanooga — 45 miles southeast
- Nashville — 90 miles northwest
The nearest commercial airport is Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, about 45 miles away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Grundy County, Tennessee?
It sits atop the Cumberland Plateau in Middle Tennessee, close to the East Tennessee line, bordered by Warren, Sequatchie, Marion, Franklin and Coffee counties.
What is the population of Grundy County?
13,529 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Grundy County?
361 square miles (930 km2), almost entirely land.
What is the county seat of Grundy County?
Altamont, postal code 37301.
How many towns are in Grundy County?
Two cities (Coalmont and Gruetli-Laager), five towns (Altamont, Beersheba Springs, Monteagle, Palmer and Tracy City), one census-designated place (Pelham), and roughly thirty unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Grundy County?
37301 (Altamont), 37305 (Beersheba Springs), 37339 (Coalmont and Gruetli-Laager), 37356 (Monteagle), 37365 (Palmer), 37366 (Pelham) and 37387 (Tracy City).
Who is Grundy County named after?
Felix Grundy, a Tennessee U.S. senator and U.S. attorney general, when the county was organized in 1844.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Tennessee.