Monroe County is a county in Tennessee, United States, on the state’s southeastern border with North Carolina, where the Unicoi Mountains form the boundary. It had a population of 46,250 at the 2020 census and covers 653 square miles (1,690 km2), of which 636 square miles (1,650 km2) is land, centred near 35°27′N 84°15′W.<\/p>\n
Madisonville is the county seat, and its postal code is 37354. The county has two incorporated cities, two incorporated towns, and dozens of unincorporated communities. Monroe County observes Eastern Time and carries FIPS code 47123.<\/p>\n
The table below lists Monroe County’s incorporated places and its best-documented unincorporated communities. “CDP” marks a Census-Designated Place with its own tabulated population; “Unincorp.” covers crossroads communities, former mill sites, and rural neighborhoods with no separate census count. Tennessee has no civil townships, so places are not grouped by township.<\/p>\n
| Place<\/th>\n | Type<\/th>\n | Pop.<\/th>\n | ZIP<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madisonville<\/td>\n | City · seat<\/td>\n | 5,132<\/td>\n | 37354<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Sweetwater<\/td>\n | City<\/td>\n | 6,312<\/td>\n | 37874<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Vonore<\/td>\n | Town<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 37885<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Tellico Plains<\/td>\n | Town<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 37385<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Coker Creek<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 37314<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Ballplay<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 37874<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Chestuee<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Citico<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| East Sweetwater<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 37874<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Fort Loudon<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Kahite<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Lakeside<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Notchy Creek<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Oak Grove<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Old Sweetwater<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 37874<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Rafter<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Rarity Bay<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 37885<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Riverside<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Rockville<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Sequoyah Estates<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 37885<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Tellico Beach<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 37385<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Toqua<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Belltown<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Bethlehem<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Big Creek<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Christianburg<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Ebenezer<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Holly Springs<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Ironsburg<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Jacktown<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Macedonia<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Mount Vernon<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Mount Zion<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Rocky Spring<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Smithfield<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Three Points<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Vonore and the community of Rarity Bay share the 37885 ZIP; East Sweetwater and Old Sweetwater are unincorporated neighborhoods just outside the Sweetwater city limits and share its 37874 ZIP. Coker Creek, in the county’s mountainous east, was the site of Tennessee’s first documented gold discovery in the 1820s–30s, decades before California’s rush.<\/p>\n ZIP Codes<\/h2>\nSmaller crossroads communities such as Ballplay, Kahite, and Notchy Creek use a neighboring town’s ZIP for mail delivery rather than one of their own.<\/p>\n Geography<\/h2>\nMonroe County sits in East Tennessee, where the Ridge-and-Valley terrain of the Tennessee Valley gives way to the Unicoi Mountains along the North Carolina line. The Unicois, part of the larger Blue Ridge chain, dominate the county’s southeast and hold its highest point, Haw Knob, at 5,472 feet (1,668 m). Tellico Lake, an impoundment of the Little Tennessee River, and the Cherokee National Forest cover much of the county’s eastern half; the Cherohala Skyway (State Route 165) crosses the mountains into North Carolina as a designated scenic byway.<\/p>\n Monroe County borders Loudon County<\/a> to the north, Blount County<\/a> to the northeast, Graham County, North Carolina, to the east, Cherokee County, North Carolina, to the southeast, Polk County<\/a> to the southwest, and McMinn County<\/a> to the west.<\/p>\n Monroe County’s population was 46,250 at the 2020 census. Sweetwater, with 6,312 residents, is the county’s largest city; Madisonville, the seat, had 5,132. The county’s median household income runs below the Tennessee median of $67,631, reflecting its rural and manufacturing-dependent economy. Population density is roughly 73 people per square mile.<\/p>\n Manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism anchor Monroe County’s economy. Sweetwater is home to the Lost Sea, an underground lake inside Craighead Caverns billed as the largest in North America and a longstanding regional tourist draw, plus a Walmart Supercenter and newer e-commerce distribution operations. Tellico Lake and the Cherokee National Forest draw boaters, anglers, and hikers to the county’s eastern half, while Coker Creek keeps a small recreational gold-panning trade alive. Hiwassee College, a two-year institution in Madisonville, operated in the county for over a century before closing its campus operations.<\/p>\n Monroe County was established November 13, 1819, from land ceded under the Calhoun Treaty, and named for James Monroe, then the fifth President of the United States. Gold was discovered on Coker Creek in the 1820s–30s, drawing prospectors to the county’s mountains well before the 1849 California rush. Fort Loudoun, an 18th-century British colonial fort and one of the earliest European outposts in what is now Tennessee, stood on the Little Tennessee River within the county and is preserved today as a state historic site.<\/p>\n U.S. Routes 11 and 411 cross Monroe County, along with State Routes 68, 39, 72, and the Cherohala Skyway (165).<\/p>\n McGhee Tyson Airport, near Knoxville, is the nearest commercial airport.<\/p>\n Where is Monroe County, Tennessee?<\/strong> What is the population of Monroe County?<\/strong> How big is Monroe County?<\/strong> What is the county seat of Monroe County?<\/strong> How many towns are in Monroe County?<\/strong> What ZIP codes are in Monroe County?<\/strong> |