Rhea County is a county in Tennessee, United States, on the west side of Watts Bar Lake in the southeastern part of the state. It had a population of 32,870 at the 2020 census and covers 336 square miles (870 km2) centred near 35°37′N 84°55′W.
Dayton is the county seat, and its postal code is 37321. The county has one city, two towns, and a handful of unincorporated lakeside communities; there are no civil townships. Rhea County is in the Eastern time zone and carries FIPS code 47143.
Towns & Villages in Rhea County
Rhea County has three incorporated municipalities — Dayton (the seat), Graysville, and Spring City — plus more than 40 named unincorporated communities scattered along Watts Bar Lake and the surrounding ridges. Most of the unincorporated names below are small lakeshore subdivisions or crossroads rather than population centers with their own census counts; population is shown only where a figure is confirmed.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dayton | City · seat | 7,065 | 37321 |
| Spring City | Town | 1,943 | 37381 |
| Graysville | Town | 1,402 | 37338 |
| Evensville | Unincorp. | — | 37332 |
| Grandview | Unincorp. | — | 37337 |
| Old Washington | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ogden | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Liberty Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Five Points | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Apollo Shores | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Balta | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bonham | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bryan Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| College Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Concord | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cranmore Cove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cumberland Spring | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eden of the Lake | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Edgewater | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Edgewood Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hideaway Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ideal Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kemmer Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lakeside | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lakewood Village | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Laurel Brook | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lorraine | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mars Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Montague | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Morgan Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Morgantown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Sulphur | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mountain View | Unincorp. | — | — |
| North Dayton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Paine Spring | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pennine | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Piney Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Piney Shores Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Reid Camp | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Roddy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Saint Clair | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sentinel Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Slabtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| South Dayton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Taylor Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Watts Bar Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wolf Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
Dayton absorbed most of the county’s population growth as its downtown redeveloped around Bryan College; Spring City and Graysville remain smaller river and rail towns on opposite ends of the county.
ZIP Codes
- 37321 — Dayton
- 37381 — Spring City
- 37338 — Graysville
- 37332 — Evensville
- 37337 — Grandview
The county’s smaller lakeside communities generally use the ZIP code of the nearest post office town rather than a code of their own.
Geography
Rhea County sits between the Cumberland Plateau and the Tennessee Valley, split by Walden Ridge and the Great Valley. Watts Bar Lake, a Tennessee Valley Authority reservoir on the Tennessee River, forms much of the county’s eastern and southern edge and is the source of most of its lake-community names; the Piney River and Richland Creek drain the western uplands. About 6 percent of the county’s area is water.
Rhea County borders Cumberland County to the northwest, Roane County to the northeast, Meigs County to the east, Hamilton County to the south, and Bledsoe County to the west.
Demographics
Rhea County had 32,870 residents at the 2020 census, for a density of about 98 people per square mile. Dayton, with 7,065 residents, is by far the largest community, followed by Spring City at 1,943. Median household income in the county runs below the Tennessee median of $67,631, reflecting its manufacturing- and retail-based economy rather than the larger job markets of nearby Chattanooga.
Economy & Local Life
Manufacturing anchors the county’s economy: La-Z-Boy, Nokian Tyres, and STULZ Air Technology Systems all operate plants in or near Dayton. The Tennessee Valley Authority’s Watts Bar Nuclear Generating Station, just across the river in neighboring Rhea-Meigs territory, is a major regional employer and taxpayer. Bryan College and a Chattanooga State Community College site give Dayton a small-college presence. Watts Bar Lake supports a steady recreational-boating and fishing economy along the shoreline communities.
History
Rhea County was formed in 1807 and named for John Rhea, a Tennessee congressman and Revolutionary War veteran. Dayton became the county seat in the 1870s as the railroad and coal trade developed. The county’s best-known event is the 1925 Scopes “Monkey Trial,” held at the Rhea County Courthouse in Dayton, in which schoolteacher John T. Scopes was tried for teaching evolution; prosecutor William Jennings Bryan died in Dayton days after the trial ended. Statues of Bryan and defense attorney Clarence Darrow now stand outside the courthouse.
Getting There
U.S. Route 27 runs the length of the county through Dayton and Spring City, connecting to Interstate 75 to the south.
- Chattanooga — 35 miles south
- Knoxville — 45 miles northeast
- Crossville — 30 miles northwest
- Cleveland, Tennessee — 40 miles southeast
Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Rhea County?
It is in southeastern Tennessee, on the west shore of Watts Bar Lake between Chattanooga and Knoxville.
What is the population of Rhea County?
32,870 at the 2020 census.
How big is Rhea County?
336 square miles (870 km2), including about 21 square miles of water.
What is the Rhea County seat?
Dayton is the county seat.
How many towns are in Rhea County?
Three incorporated municipalities — Dayton, Graysville, and Spring City — plus more than 40 unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Rhea County?
37321 (Dayton), 37381 (Spring City), 37338 (Graysville), 37332 (Evensville), and 37337 (Grandview).
What happened in Rhea County in 1925?
Dayton hosted the Scopes “Monkey Trial,” a landmark case over teaching evolution in public schools.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Tennessee.