Lewis County is a county in Tennessee, United States, in the south-central part of the state, home to the burial site of explorer Meriwether Lewis. It had a population of 12,582 at the 2020 census and covers 282 square miles (730 km2) centred near 35°31′N 87°29′W.
Hohenwald is the county seat and the only incorporated city in the county; its postal code is 38462. Lewis County has 1 incorporated city and about a dozen unincorporated communities spread across its rural landscape, and it operates on Central time.
Towns & Villages in Lewis County
Lewis County has one incorporated city, Hohenwald, and a scatter of small unincorporated communities and crossroads settlements across its farmland and forest. All places listed below share the county’s single ZIP code, 38462, unless noted otherwise.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hohenwald | City · seat | 3,668 | 38462 |
| Aethra | Unincorp. | — | 38462 |
| Bachelder | Unincorp. | — | 38462 |
| Blondy | Unincorp. | — | 38462 |
| Buffalo Valley | Unincorp. | — | 38462 |
| Gordonsburg | Unincorp. | — | 38462 |
| Kimmins | Unincorp. | — | 38462 |
| Kitchens | Unincorp. | — | 38462 |
| Lomax Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | 38462 |
| Metal Ford | Unincorp. | — | 38462 |
| Napier | Unincorp. | — | 38462 |
| Oak Grove | Unincorp. | — | 38462 |
| Providence | Unincorp. | — | 38462 |
| Riverside | Unincorp. | — | 38462 |
| Ruppertown | Unincorp. | — | 38462 |
| Salem | Unincorp. | — | 38462 |
| Shubert | Unincorp. | — | 38462 |
| Sweetwater | Unincorp. | — | 38462 |
| Theodore | Unincorp. | — | 38462 |
| Voorhies | Unincorp. | — | 38462 |
ZIP Codes
- 38462 — post office town Hohenwald (also serves every other community in the county)
Lewis County is small and rural enough that the U.S. Postal Service routes the entire county through the single Hohenwald office; none of the outlying communities carry their own ZIP code.
Geography
Lewis County sits on the Highland Rim in south-central Tennessee, a landscape of rolling hills, hardwood forest and the upper Buffalo River watershed. Most of the county’s land is wooded or in pasture, with row-crop farming concentrated in the creek bottoms around Hohenwald. The Natchez Trace Parkway crosses the county and passes the Meriwether Lewis site, near the geographic center of the county, where the explorer is buried. Lewis County covers a total of 282 square miles, of which about 0.4 square miles is water, mostly small creeks and farm ponds rather than any single large lake. The county borders Hickman County to the north, Maury County to the east, Lawrence County to the south, Wayne County to the southwest, and Perry County to the west.
Demographics
Lewis County had 12,582 residents at the 2020 census, spread across a density of roughly 45 people per square mile. Hohenwald, the county seat, is by far the largest community; the rest of the population lives in unincorporated communities such as Buffalo Valley and Gordonsburg or on scattered farms. Tennessee’s statewide median household income is $67,631; Lewis County, a small rural county with limited industry, typically runs below that figure.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture, timber and small manufacturing anchor the local economy, along with government and school-system jobs based in Hohenwald, the only sizeable employment center in the county. Cattle farming and hay production are common on the county’s rural land, and logging remains active in its hardwood forests. The Natchez Trace Parkway draws visitors to the Meriwether Lewis National Monument, the county’s best-known landmark and a stop for travelers driving the historic route between Nashville and Natchez, Mississippi.
History
Lewis County was organized on December 23, 1843, from parts of Hickman, Maury, Lawrence, Wayne and Perry counties, and named for explorer Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, who died in 1809 and was buried near what is now Hohenwald at a site later called Grinder’s Stand. That grave sits close to the geographic middle of the county. On August 10, 1884, a mob attacked a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints worship service on Cane Creek in the county, an episode remembered as the Cane Creek Massacre, in which five people died.
Getting There
US Highway 412 and State Routes 99, 48 and 20 run through Hohenwald, and the Natchez Trace Parkway crosses the county’s eastern side.
- Columbia — about 30 miles northeast
- Lawrenceburg — about 25 miles south
- Waynesboro — about 25 miles southwest
- Nashville — about 80 miles northeast
The nearest commercial airport is Nashville International Airport (BNA).
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Lewis County, Tennessee?
It sits on the Highland Rim in south-central Tennessee, bordered by Hickman, Maury, Lawrence, Wayne and Perry counties.
What is the population of Lewis County?
Lewis County had a population of 12,582 at the 2020 census.
How big is Lewis County?
The county covers 282 square miles (730 km2) of land.
What is the county seat of Lewis County?
Hohenwald is the county seat and the only incorporated city.
How many towns are in Lewis County?
The county has one incorporated city, Hohenwald, plus roughly a dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Lewis County?
The entire county is served by a single ZIP code, 38462, based in Hohenwald.
Why is Lewis County named Lewis?
It is named for explorer Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, who is buried near Hohenwald at a site close to the county’s geographic center.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Tennessee.