Henderson County, Tennessee

County in Tennessee, United States

For the cities of a similar name, see Henderson, Tennessee and Hendersonville, Tennessee.

County in Tennessee

Henderson County

County

Henderson County Courthouse in Lexington

Seal

Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee

Tennessee's location within the U.S.

Coordinates: 35°39′N 88°23′W﻿ / ﻿35.65°N 88.39°W﻿ / 35.65; -88.39
Country|  United States
State|  Tennessee
Founded| 1821
Named after| James Henderson
Seat| Lexington
Largest city| Lexington
Area

• Total

| 526 sq mi (1,360 km2)
• Land| 520 sq mi (1,300 km2)
• Water| 5.8 sq mi (15 km2)  1.1%
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 27,842
• Density| 53/sq mi (20/km2)
Time zone| UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district| 8th
Website| hendersoncountytn.gov

Henderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee, with its county seat in Lexington,[1] and with a population of 27,842 as of the 2020 census.[2] The county was founded in 1821 and named after James Henderson, a soldier in the War of 1812.[3]

## History

[edit]

Henderson County was established in 1821; it was named after Lt. Colonel James Henderson,[4] Jr. (1775–1814), of the Tennessee State Militia, who was killed in late December 1814 below New Orleans during a clash with the British Army. Henderson is said to have served in earlier conflicts such as the Creek Indian war, which took place during the same overall time period as the War of 1812.

After the Battle of New Orleans, Major General William Carroll’s Tennessee brigade, which was the largest single force under General Andrew Jackson’s command in Louisiana, established their outgoing camp upriver from New Orleans and named it Camp Henderson.

General Carroll's first term as the Governor of Tennessee began the same year that Henderson County was established.

The county seat, Lexington, was laid out in 1822.[3] Like many Tennessee counties, Henderson was divided during the Civil War. Confederate sentiment was strongest in the western half of the county (where most of the county's plantations were located), while Union support was strongest in the hilly eastern half.[3] In Tennessee's Ordinance of Secession referendum on June 8, 1861, Henderson County voted to remain in the Union by a margin of 1,013 to 800,[5] being one of only eight counties in West or Middle Tennessee to vote against secession. Earlier on February 9, 1861, Henderson County voters had voted against holding a secession convention by a margin of 1,105 to 619.[6]

## Geography

[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 526 square miles (1,360 km2), of which 5.8 square miles (15 km2) (1.1%) are covered by water.[7]

The county straddles the Tennessee Valley Divide, with waters east of the divide flowing into the Tennessee River, and waters west of the divide flowing into the Mississippi River. Primary streams include the Beech River, which flows through the county's largest lake, Beech Lake, and the Forked Deer River.[3]

### Adjacent counties

[edit]

* Carroll County (north)
* Decatur County (east)
* Hardin County (southeast)
* Chester County (southwest)
* Madison County (west)

### National protected area

[edit]

* Shiloh National Military Park Parker's Crossroads Battlefield

### State protected areas

[edit]

* Natchez Trace State Forest (part)
* Natchez Trace State Park (part)

### Climate and weather

[edit]

Lexington, TN

Climate chart (explanation)

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4.5

4.6

4.4

5.8

3.7

4.1

3.1

3.5

4.2

4.3

4.9

█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches
Source: Applied Climate Information System[8]
| Metric conversion

102

114

117

113

146

105

107

108

125

█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm

The climate in Henderson County is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. In summer, these regions are largely under the influence of moist, maritime airflow from the western side of the subtropical anticyclonic cells over low-latitude ocean waters. Temperatures are high and can lead to warm, oppressive nights. Summers are usually a bit drier than winters, with much of the rainfall coming from convectional thunderstorm activity; tropical cyclones may also enhance warm-season rainfall. The coldest month is usually quite mild, although freezes are not uncommon, and winter precipitation is derived primarily from frontal cyclones along the polar front.

The Köppen climate classification subtype for this climate is Cfa (humid subtropical climate).[9]

### Major highways

[edit]

* I-40
* US 70
* US 412
* SR 22
* SR 22A
* SR 104

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1830| 8,748| | —
1840| 11,875| | 35.7%
1850| 13,164| | 10.9%
1860| 14,491| | 10.1%
1870| 14,217| | −1.9%
1880| 17,430| | 22.6%
1890| 16,336| | −6.3%
1900| 18,117| | 10.9%
1910| 17,030| | −6.0%
1920| 18,436| | 8.3%
1930| 17,655| | −4.2%
1940| 19,220| | 8.9%
1950| 17,173| | −10.7%
1960| 16,115| | −6.2%
1970| 17,291| | 7.3%
1980| 21,390| | 23.7%
1990| 21,844| | 2.1%
2000| 25,522| | 16.8%
2010| 27,769| | 8.8%
2020| 27,842| | 0.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
1790-1960[11] 1900-1990[12]
1990-2000[13] 2010-2014[2]

Age pyramid Henderson County[15]

### 2020 census

[edit]

Henderson County racial composition[16] Race | Number  | %

|
|

White (non-Hispanic)  | 23,890  | 85.81%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)  | 1,931  | 6.94%
Native American  | 53  | 0.19%
Asian  | 90  | 0.32%
Pacific Islander  | 2  | 0.01%
Other/mixed  | 1,157  | 4.16%
Hispanic or Latino  | 719  | 2.58%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 27,842 people, 10,711 households, and 7,113 families residing in the county.

### 2000 census

[edit]

As of the 2000 census,[17] 25,522 people, 10,306 households, and 7,451 families were residing in the county. The population density was 49 people per square mile (19 people/km2). The 11,446 housing units had an average density of 22 per square mile (8.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 90.45% White, 8.00% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.01% |Pacific Islander]], 0.34% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. About 0.97% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 10,306 households, 32.3% had children under 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.7% were not families. About 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the county, the age distribution was 24.3% under 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,057, and for a family was $38,475. Males had a median income of $28,598 versus $21,791 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,019. About 9.20% of families and 12.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.60% of those under 18 and 14.50% of those 65 or over.

## Transportation

[edit]

The Beech River Regional Airport is a public-use airport located five nautical miles (5.8 mi; 9.3 km) northwest of the central business district of Parsons, a city in Decatur County. The airport is located in Darden, Tennessee.

## Communities

[edit]

### City

[edit]

* Lexington (county seat)
* Parkers Crossroads

### Town

[edit]

* Sardis
* Scotts Hill

### Census-designated places

[edit]

* Chesterfield
* Darden
* Huron
* Luray
* Wildersville

### Unincorporated communities

[edit]

* Cedar Grove
* Crucifer
* Independence
* Juno
* Life
* Middle Fork
* Mount Gilead
* Reagan

## Politics

[edit]

Henderson County is overwhelmingly Republican, and even before the rapid trend of the upland South away from the Democratic Party, was a Unionist Republican enclave in historically Democratic West Tennessee. This is due to the shallow, humus-poor, and easily erodible Highland Rim soils, which were much less suitable for plantation farming than the rest of Middle and West Tennessee.[18] Henderson County has not voted for a Democratic candidate since Samuel Tilden in the 1876 election, and the last time it did not vote Republican was in 1912, when the county supported Progressive candidate Theodore Roosevelt; Henderson County was the only county in the state outside of East Tennessee to vote for Roosevelt in that election.

United States presidential election results for Henderson County, Tennessee[19] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No.  | % | No.  | % | No.  | %
2024 | 10,083  | 83.70% | 1,902  | 15.79%  | 62  | 0.51%
2020 | 9,797  | 81.51% | 2,092  | 17.40%  | 131  | 1.09%
2016 | 8,138  | 79.65% | 1,800  | 17.62%  | 279  | 2.73%
2012 | 7,421  | 73.80% | 2,517  | 25.03%  | 117  | 1.16%
2008 | 7,669  | 70.79% | 3,021  | 27.88%  | 144  | 1.33%
2004 | 6,585  | 65.22% | 3,448  | 34.15%  | 63  | 0.62%
2000 | 5,153  | 61.35% | 3,166  | 37.69%  | 80  | 0.95%
1996 | 4,002  | 54.96% | 2,841  | 39.01%  | 439  | 6.03%
1992 | 4,719  | 52.29% | 3,502  | 38.81%  | 803  | 8.90%
1988 | 5,418  | 69.29% | 2,296  | 29.36%  | 105  | 1.34%
1984 | 5,362  | 68.56% | 2,426  | 31.02%  | 33  | 0.42%
1980 | 5,108  | 64.45% | 2,702  | 34.09%  | 116  | 1.46%
1976 | 4,152  | 54.73% | 3,366  | 44.37%  | 68  | 0.90%
1972 | 5,122  | 77.64% | 1,313  | 19.90%  | 162  | 2.46%
1968 | 3,591  | 51.99% | 1,230  | 17.81%  | 2,086  | 30.20%
1964 | 3,133  | 61.58% | 1,955  | 38.42%  | 0  | 0.00%
1960 | 3,597  | 70.14% | 1,490  | 29.06%  | 41  | 0.80%
1956 | 3,294  | 66.91% | 1,613  | 32.76%  | 16  | 0.33%
1952 | 3,317  | 67.45% | 1,601  | 32.55%  | 0  | 0.00%
1948 | 2,278  | 62.53% | 1,155  | 31.70%  | 210  | 5.76%
1944 | 2,570  | 71.81% | 1,009  | 28.19%  | 0  | 0.00%
1940 | 2,653  | 62.84% | 1,560  | 36.95%  | 9  | 0.21%
1936 | 1,380  | 50.13% | 1,307  | 47.48%  | 66  | 2.40%
1932 | 1,058  | 52.14% | 958  | 47.22%  | 13  | 0.64%
1928 | 1,995  | 73.37% | 712  | 26.19%  | 12  | 0.44%
1924 | 1,616  | 60.37% | 1,009  | 37.69%  | 52  | 1.94%
1920 | 3,112  | 71.61% | 1,217  | 28.00%  | 17  | 0.39%
1916 | 1,387  | 57.72% | 979  | 40.74%  | 37  | 1.54%
1912 | 473  | 21.73%  | 738  | 33.90%  | 966  | 44.37%

## See also

[edit]

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Henderson County, Tennessee

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
2. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
3. ^ a b c d W.C. Crooks, "Henderson County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: October 17, 2013.
4. ^ Regimental Histories of Tennessee Units During the War of 1812; refer to 1st infantry regiment under Col. William Metcalf. Accessed February 8, 2017.
5. ^ "Tennessee Secession Referendum, 1861". Vote Archive.
6. ^ "Tennessee Vote on Secession Convention, 1861". Fayetteville Observer. March 21, 1861.
7. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
8. ^ "Monthly Climate Normals for Lexington, Tennessee". Applied Climate Information System. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
9. ^ "Lexington, Tennessee Climate Classification". Weatherbase. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
10. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
11. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
12. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
13. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
14. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved February 12, 2021.
15. ^ Based on 2000 census data
16. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
17. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
18. ^ Wright, John K.; ‘Voting Habits in the United States: A Note on Two Maps’; Geographical Review, vol. 22, no. 4 (October 1932), pp. 666-672
19. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 10, 2018.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Henderson County, Tennessee.

* Official site
* Henderson County Chamber of Commerce

Places adjacent to Henderson County, Tennessee

|  | Carroll County |

|
|

|  |
Madison County |

Henderson County, Tennessee

| Decatur County
|  |
Chester County |  | Hardin County

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Henderson County, Tennessee, United States

County seat: Lexington

Cities|

* Lexington
* Parkers Crossroads

Henderson County map

Towns|

* Sardis
* Scotts Hill‡

CDPs|

* Chesterfield
* Darden
* Huron
* Luray
* Wildersville

Other
communities|

* Cedar Grove
* Crucifer
* Independence
* Juno
* Life
* Middle Fork
* Mount Gilead
* Reagan

Footnotes|

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

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35°39′N 88°23′W﻿ / ﻿35.65°N 88.39°W﻿ / 35.65; -88.39

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