County outline
Where Campbell County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 96.4% of Campbell County’s measured area and water for 3.6%. Its combined area converts to 1,290.1 square kilometers or approximately 318,794 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 480.19 | 1,243.686 | 307,321.6 |
| Water | 17.925 | 46.426 | 11,472 |
| Total | 498.115 | 1,290.112 | 318,793.6 |
How Campbell County compares
By original Census land area, Campbell County ranks #42 of 95 in Tennessee and #2155 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.101 times the Tennessee county-equivalent median of 436.1 square miles. It accounts for 1.2% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Tennessee ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Campbell County
The Census Bureau estimates that 40,290 people lived in Campbell County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,205 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #40 of 95 in Tennessee. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 39,280, the population has grown by 1,010 (+2.6%), compared with +5.8% for Tennessee as a whole.
With 480.2 square miles of land, that is 84 people per square mile (32 per km²), placing Campbell County #1,117 nationally for density and #44 in Tennessee. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Tennessee median is 76. Put another way, there are about 7.6 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 39,310 | 39,483 | 39,576 | 40,228 | 40,325 | 40,290 |
| Change | — | +173 | +93 | +652 | +97 | −35 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Campbell County
5 incorporated places lie at least partly in Campbell County. Together they are home to 13,801 people (34.3%); the other 26,489 (65.7%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is La Follette city, with 7,176 residents in the county. The county seat, Jacksboro town, has 2,235 residents. By land, Jellico city is the largest at 6.219 mi². Among places with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Caryville town grew fastest since then (+0.3%).
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Follette city | 7,176 | −3.5% | 4.914 |
| Jacksboro townCounty seat | 2,235 | −3% | 2.581 |
| Caryville town | 2,217 | +0.3% | 5.557 |
| Jellico city | 2,126 | −1.3% | 6.219 |
| Rocky Top cityAlso in 1 other county | 47 | −2.1% | 1.619 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside Campbell County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Campbell County is an outlying county of the Knoxville, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its 9 county equivalents have 968,137 residents on 3,501 square miles of land; Campbell County accounts for 13.7% of the land and 4.2% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #81 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #61 by population. It belongs to the Knoxville-Morristown-Sevierville, TN Combined Statistical Area.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| Knox County | 511,453 | 508.4 |
| Blount County | 143,820 | 558.8 |
| Anderson County | 82,066 | 337.2 |
| Loudon County | 63,764 | 229.3 |
| Roane County | 57,395 | 360.8 |
| Campbell County | 40,290 | 480.2 |
| Grainger County | 25,739 | 280.6 |
| Morgan County | 22,160 | 522.2 |
| Union County | 21,450 | 223.6 |
ZIP codes
11 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Campbell County; 7 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
3771437715377293775637757377623776637769378193784737870
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Campbell County
Campbell County shares a land border with 6 county equivalents, including 2 in Kentucky. It has more land than 5 of them. The largest neighbor is Scott County (532.3 mi²) and the smallest is Union County (223.6 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Campbell County forms a block of 2,872.6 mi² of land, of which it holds 16.7%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Campbell | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott County | 532.3 | 1.1× larger | Compare |
| Whitley CountyKentucky | 437.9 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| Claiborne County | 434.6 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| McCreary CountyKentucky | 426.7 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| Anderson County | 337.2 | 1.4× smaller | Compare |
| Union County | 223.6 | 2.1× smaller | Compare |
How big is Campbell County compared with U.S. states?
Campbell County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 2.2 times as much. Tennessee’s county land could hold about 86 areas the size of Campbell County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 21.9 miles (35.3 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Campbell County?
Campbell County has more land than 1,067 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Campbell County at #2,191 nationally by total area, 36 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 3.6%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 2.4 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Campbell County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2154 | Putnam County, Indiana | 480.5 | Compare |
| #2155 | Campbell County, Tennessee | 480.2 | This county |
| #2156 | Marlboro County, South Carolina | 479.9 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 36.401592, -84.159249. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 1,243,685,319 m²; AWATER: 46,425,153 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Campbell County?
Campbell County, Tennessee has 480.2 square miles (1,243.7 km²) of land and 17.9 square miles of water, for a total area of 498.1 square miles. It ranks #2155 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Campbell County the largest county in Tennessee?
No. Campbell County ranks #42 of 95 in Tennessee by land area. The largest is Shelby County, with 752.8 square miles of land.
What counties border Campbell County?
Campbell County shares a land border with Scott County, Anderson County, Whitley County, Kentucky, Claiborne County, Union County, and McCreary County, Kentucky.
What is the population of Campbell County?
The Census Bureau estimates Campbell County had 40,290 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,205 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 84 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Campbell County?
The county seat of Campbell County is Jacksboro.
What cities and towns are in Campbell County?
Campbell County has 5 incorporated places. The most populous are La Follette city, Jacksboro town, Caryville town, Jellico city, and Rocky Top city; 26,489 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is Campbell County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is an outlying county of the Knoxville, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has 9 county equivalents and 968,137 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Campbell County?
11 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Campbell County, and 7 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Campbell County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 2.2 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Campbell County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 307,322 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 318,794 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.