Warren County is a county in Tennessee, United States, on the Eastern Highland Rim at the edge of the Cumberland Plateau. It had a population of 40,953 at the 2020 census and covers 434 square miles (1,124 km2) centred near 35°41′N 85°47′W.
McMinnville is the county seat, and its postal code is 37110. The county has one city, three towns, and about a dozen unincorporated communities, all in the Central time zone. Warren County’s FIPS code is 47177.
Towns & Villages in Warren County
Warren County has one incorporated city, three incorporated towns, and dozens of unincorporated communities scattered across its farmland and highland terrain. The table below marks the county seat as “City · seat” and unincorporated places as “Unincorp.”
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| McMinnville | City · seat | 13,412 | 37110 / 37111 |
| Centertown | Town | — | 37110 |
| Morrison | Town | — | 37357 |
| Viola | Town | — | 37394 |
| Bates Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Berea | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bethany | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blue Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bluff Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bratchers Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cambridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Campaign | Unincorp. | — | 38550 |
| Crisp Spring | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Curtistown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Daylight | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Devenport | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dibrell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Earleyville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fairview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fall City | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Faulkner Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Flatwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gath | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Goodbars | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Green Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Greens Crossroad | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hiawassee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Irving College | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Isleford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jessie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lawson Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lucky | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Midway | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Leo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Zion | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oakland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Old Well Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rock Island | Unincorp. | — | 38581 |
| Rowland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Safley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shady Rest | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shellsford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Smartt | Unincorp. | — | 37378 |
| Smyrna | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Spring Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Steppsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stewart Chapel | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Trousdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Union | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vervilla | Unincorp. | — | — |
| West Riverside | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Womack | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Yager | Unincorp. | — | — |
Tennessee has no civil townships, so this table has no township grouping — the small unincorporated communities are simply crossroads and rural neighborhoods spread across the county.
ZIP Codes
- 37110 — McMinnville (also serves Centertown)
- 37111 — McMinnville (PO box ZIP)
- 37357 — Morrison
- 37378 — Smartt
- 37394 — Viola
- 38550 — Campaign
- 38581 — Rock Island
Most of the county’s rural communities share McMinnville’s 37110 ZIP code, which alone covers roughly three-quarters of the county’s population.
Geography
Warren County sits on the Eastern Highland Rim, where the flat farmland of Middle Tennessee gives way to the Cumberland Plateau’s escarpment along the county’s eastern edge. The Barren Fork and Collins rivers cross the county and meet near McMinnville, and Rock Island State Park, on the Caney Fork River at the Great Falls Dam, sits in the county’s northeastern corner. Cumberland Caverns, one of the longest mapped cave systems in Tennessee, lies southeast of McMinnville.
Warren County borders DeKalb County to the north, White County to the northeast, Van Buren County to the east, Sequatchie County to the southeast, Grundy County to the south, Coffee County to the southwest, and Cannon County to the northwest.
Demographics
Warren County had 40,953 residents at the 2020 census. McMinnville, the county seat and only city, is by far the largest community, followed by the towns of Morrison and Centertown. The county’s median household income runs below the Tennessee median of $67,631, reflecting its rural, agriculture- and manufacturing-based economy. Population density is about 94 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
McMinnville has long billed itself the “Nursery Capital of the World,” and Warren County’s wholesale nursery industry — hundreds of growers producing trees, shrubs, and ornamental plants shipped across the country — remains the county’s signature business alongside general farming, poultry, and light manufacturing. Cumberland Caverns and Rock Island State Park draw tourism traffic, and the county hosts an annual Fall Fest and Warren County Fair in McMinnville.
History
Warren County was organized in 1807 from part of White County and named for Joseph Warren, the Massachusetts physician and Revolutionary War general killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775. McMinnville, founded soon after and named for Governor Joseph McMinn, became the county seat and grew as a market and mill town on the Barren Fork River. The nursery trade that now defines the county’s economy took root in the late 1800s and expanded through the 20th century into the county’s dominant industry.
Getting There
U.S. Route 70S and Tennessee Routes 8, 30, 55, 56, 108, and 136 cross the county, linking McMinnville to the interstate network at Manchester and Murfreesboro.
- Manchester — 25 miles southwest
- Murfreesboro — 45 miles northwest
- Chattanooga — 70 miles south
- Nashville — 75 miles northwest
The nearest commercial airport is Nashville International Airport (BNA), about 75 miles northwest of McMinnville; McMinnville also has a general-aviation airport, Warren County Memorial.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Warren County, Tennessee?
It sits in Middle Tennessee on the Eastern Highland Rim, at the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau, about 75 miles southeast of Nashville.
What is the population of Warren County?
Warren County had a population of 40,953 at the 2020 census.
How big is Warren County?
The county covers 434 square miles (1,124 km2), of which about 1.4 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Warren County?
McMinnville is the county seat.
How many towns are in Warren County?
The county has one city (McMinnville), three towns (Centertown, Morrison, and Viola), and about a dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Warren County?
Warren County’s ZIP codes include 37110 and 37111 (McMinnville), 37357 (Morrison), 37378 (Smartt), 37394 (Viola), 38550 (Campaign), and 38581 (Rock Island).
Why is McMinnville called the Nursery Capital of the World?
McMinnville and Warren County have hosted a concentration of wholesale tree and shrub nurseries since the late 1800s, an industry that remains the county’s economic signature today.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Tennessee.