County outline
Where Cannon County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 100% of Cannon County’s measured area and water for 0%. Its combined area converts to 688.1 square kilometers or approximately 170,045 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 265.635 | 687.991 | 170,006.4 |
| Water | 0.06 | 0.155 | 38.4 |
| Total | 265.695 | 688.147 | 170,044.8 |
How Cannon County compares
By original Census land area, Cannon County ranks #82 of 95 in Tennessee and #2874 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.609 times the Tennessee county-equivalent median of 436.1 square miles. It accounts for 0.6% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Tennessee ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Cannon County
The Census Bureau estimates that 15,296 people lived in Cannon County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #2,139 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #79 of 95 in Tennessee. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 14,508, the population has grown by 788 (+5.4%), compared with +5.8% for Tennessee as a whole.
With 265.6 square miles of land, that is 58 people per square mile (22 per km²), placing Cannon County #1,420 nationally for density and #61 in Tennessee. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Tennessee median is 76. Put another way, there are about 11 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 14,564 | 14,550 | 14,781 | 15,038 | 15,157 | 15,296 |
| Change | — | −14 | +231 | +257 | +119 | +139 |
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 Cannon County
2 incorporated places lie at least partly in Cannon County. Together they are home to 3,121 people (20.4%); the other 12,175 (79.6%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Woodbury town, with 2,828 residents in the county.
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodbury townCounty seat | 2,828 | +4.7% | 1.98 |
| Auburntown town | 293 | +5.4% | 0.578 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside Cannon County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Cannon County is an outlying county of the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its 14 county equivalents have 2,197,416 residents on 6,302.2 square miles of land; Cannon County accounts for 4.2% of the land and 0.7% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #31 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #34 by population. It belongs to the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro, TN Combined Statistical Area.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| Davidson County | 745,904 | 503.5 |
| Rutherford County | 386,352 | 619.5 |
| Williamson County | 272,061 | 582.9 |
| Sumner County | 215,538 | 529.5 |
| Wilson County | 175,033 | 571.1 |
| Maury County | 118,131 | 613.1 |
| Robertson County | 80,175 | 476.3 |
| Dickson County | 58,662 | 489.9 |
| Cheatham County | 42,778 | 302.5 |
| Macon County | 27,663 | 307.1 |
| Hickman County | 26,219 | 612.5 |
| Smith County | 20,981 | 314.3 |
| Cannon County | 15,296 | 265.6 |
| Trousdale County | 12,623 | 114.3 |
ZIP codes
9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Cannon County; 2 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
370163702637095371103711837149371663719037357
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 Cannon County
Cannon County shares a land border with 5 county equivalents. Each of them has more land than Cannon County. The largest neighbor is Rutherford County (619.5 mi²) and the smallest is DeKalb County (304.4 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Cannon County forms a block of 2,622.3 mi² of land, of which it holds 10.1%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Cannon | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rutherford County | 619.5 | 2.3× larger | Compare |
| Wilson County | 571.1 | 2.1× larger | Compare |
| Warren County | 432.7 | 1.6× larger | Compare |
| Coffee County | 429 | 1.6× larger | Compare |
| DeKalb County | 304.4 | 1.1× larger | Compare |
How big is Cannon County compared with U.S. states?
Cannon County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 3.9 times as much. Tennessee’s county land could hold about 155 areas the size of Cannon County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 16.3 miles (26.2 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 Cannon County?
Cannon County has more land than 348 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 Cannon County at #2,916 nationally by total area, 42 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 0%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 1.1 percentage points lower. 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 Cannon County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2873 | Sequatchie County, Tennessee | 265.9 | Compare |
| #2874 | Cannon County, Tennessee | 265.6 | This county |
| #2875 | Crockett County, Tennessee | 265.5 | 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 35.799896, -86.071223. 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: 687,992,372 m²; AWATER: 156,144 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 Cannon County?
Cannon County, Tennessee has 265.6 square miles (688 km²) of land and 0.06 square miles of water, for a total area of 265.7 square miles. It ranks #2874 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Cannon County the largest county in Tennessee?
No. Cannon County ranks #82 of 95 in Tennessee by land area. The largest is Shelby County, with 752.8 square miles of land.
What counties border Cannon County?
Cannon County shares a land border with Rutherford County, Warren County, Coffee County, DeKalb County, and Wilson County.
What is the population of Cannon County?
The Census Bureau estimates Cannon County had 15,296 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #2,139 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 58 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Cannon County?
The county seat of Cannon County is Woodbury.
What cities and towns are in Cannon County?
Cannon County has 2 incorporated places. The most populous are Woodbury town and Auburntown town; 12,175 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is Cannon County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is an outlying county of the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has 14 county equivalents and 2,197,416 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Cannon County?
9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Cannon County, and 2 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Cannon County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 3.9 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Cannon County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 170,006 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 170,045 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.