Pickett County is a county in Tennessee, United States, on the Kentucky state line between Dale Hollow Lake and Lake Cumberland. It had a population of 5,001 at the 2020 census and covers 174 square miles (450 km2) centred near 36°34′N 85°05′W.<\/p>\n
Byrdstown is the county seat, and its postal code is 38549. The county has one incorporated town and six named unincorporated communities, and it observes Central time. Pickett is one of Tennessee’s smallest counties by population.<\/p>\n
Byrdstown is the only incorporated municipality in Pickett County; everywhere else listed below is an unincorporated community or rural locality. Population figures apply only to Byrdstown, which is the sole place with its own Census Bureau count — the rest share the county’s single ZIP code and have no separately tabulated population.<\/p>\n
| Place<\/th>\n | Type<\/th>\n | Pop.<\/th>\n | ZIP<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n |
|---|---|---|---|
| Byrdstown<\/td>\n | Town · seat<\/td>\n | 798<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Asbury<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Barnes<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Bloomington<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Boom<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Cedar Grove<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Chanute<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Davidson<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Eastport<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Etter<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Fairview<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Faix<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Green Brier<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Love Lady<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Midway<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Moodyville<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Mount Airy<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Mount Union<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Oak Hill<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Okra<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Parker<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Plain Grove<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Red Hill<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Smyrna<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Star Point<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Static<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Sulphur Springs<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Sunset<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Travisville<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 38549<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n Olympus, a former community in the county, has since become a ghost town and is not listed above. Several names on this list — Asbury, Barnes, Chanute, Etter, Faix, Okra, Parker, Star Point, Static and Travisville among them — are small rural crossroads and older post-office names rather than places with a separately tabulated census population; they are kept here as legitimate local place names but carry no individual population figure.<\/p>\n ZIP Codes<\/h2>\nPickett County is small and rural enough that the U.S. Postal Service routes the entire county through the single Byrdstown ZIP code; no other community has its own.<\/p>\n Geography<\/h2>\nPickett County sits on the Highland Rim in north-central Tennessee, hemmed in by two Army Corps of Engineers reservoirs: Dale Hollow Lake, most of which lies within the county, and Lake Cumberland just across the Kentucky line. The terrain is hilly and heavily wooded, drained toward the Cumberland River system. Byrdstown markets itself as the “Gateway to Dale Hollow Lake,” and the lakeshore draws large numbers of seasonal visitors to area resorts and marinas.<\/p>\n The county borders Clinton County, Kentucky to the north; Wayne County, Kentucky to the northeast; Scott County<\/a> to the east; Fentress County<\/a> to the southeast; Overton County<\/a> to the south and southwest; and Clay County, Tennessee to the west.<\/p>\n Pickett County had a population of 5,001 at the 2020 census, making it one of Tennessee’s least populous counties. Byrdstown, the county seat, is by far the largest community with 798 residents; every other place in the county is a rural, unincorporated locality with no town center of its own. Median household income in the county runs well below the Tennessee median of $67,631, reflecting its small population base and limited industrial employment. With roughly 163 square miles of land, the county’s overall density is under 31 people per square mile.<\/p>\n Tourism tied to Dale Hollow Lake anchors the local economy — marinas, cabins, campgrounds and fishing-guide services around the lake employ a large share of the workforce, especially in summer. Away from the lakefront, agriculture (cattle and hay) and small-scale local government and retail jobs in Byrdstown round out employment. The county’s remoteness and low population keep manufacturing and large private employers scarce compared with neighboring Overton and Fentress counties.<\/p>\n Pickett County was organized in 1879 and named for Howell Lester Pickett, a member of the Tennessee state legislature who helped secure the county’s creation. It was carved from parts of Fentress and Overton counties. The land that later became Pickett County includes the birthplace of Cordell Hull, the longtime U.S. Secretary of State and 1945 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The county’s history since has been shaped heavily by the mid-20th-century construction of Dale Hollow Dam, which flooded much of the Obey River valley and reoriented the local economy toward lake tourism.<\/p>\n US 127 is the county’s main north-south highway, with SR 111, SR 154, SR 295 and SR 325 providing secondary connections to surrounding counties.<\/p>\n The nearest commercial airport is Nashville International Airport, roughly two hours’ drive southwest.<\/p>\n Where is Pickett County, Tennessee?<\/strong> What is the population of Pickett County?<\/strong> How big is Pickett County?<\/strong> What is the county seat of Pickett County?<\/strong> How many towns are in Pickett County?<\/strong> |