County outline
Where Jefferson County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 87.5% of Jefferson County’s measured area and water for 12.5%. Its combined area converts to 814.1 square kilometers or approximately 201,162 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 275.16 | 712.661 | 176,102.4 |
| Water | 39.156 | 101.414 | 25,059.8 |
| Total | 314.316 | 814.075 | 201,162.2 |
How Jefferson County compares
By original Census land area, Jefferson County ranks #79 of 95 in Tennessee and #2857 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.631 times the Tennessee county-equivalent median of 436.1 square miles. It accounts for 0.7% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Tennessee ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Jefferson County
The Census Bureau estimates that 60,024 people lived in Jefferson County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #903 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #26 of 95 in Tennessee. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 54,666, the population has grown by 5,358 (+9.8%), compared with +5.8% for Tennessee as a whole.
With 275.2 square miles of land, that is 218 people per square mile (84 per km²), placing Jefferson County #615 nationally for density and #17 in Tennessee. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Tennessee median is 76. Put another way, there are about 2.9 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 54,897 | 55,535 | 56,695 | 57,849 | 59,217 | 60,024 |
| Change | — | +638 | +1,160 | +1,154 | +1,368 | +807 |
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 Jefferson County
6 incorporated places lie at least partly in Jefferson County. Together they are home to 17,689 people (29.5%); the other 42,335 (70.5%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Jefferson City city, with 9,103 residents in the county. The county seat, Dandridge town, has 3,947 residents. By land, Morristown city is the largest at 28.3 mi² across all its counties. Among places with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Dandridge town grew fastest since then (+18%).
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson City city | 9,103 | +8.3% | 7.065 |
| Dandridge townCounty seat | 3,947 | +18% | 6.105 |
| White Pine townAlso in 1 other county | 2,619 | +5.6% | 2.872 |
| New Market town | 1,431 | +4.4% | 4.233 |
| Baneberry city | 585 | +11.6% | 1.781 |
| Morristown cityAlso in 1 other county | 4 | 0% | 28.3 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside Jefferson County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Jefferson County is a central county of the Morristown, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its 2 county equivalents have 128,867 residents on 436.3 square miles of land; Jefferson County accounts for 63.1% of the land and 46.6% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #370 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #322 by population. It belongs to the Knoxville-Morristown-Sevierville, TN Combined Statistical Area.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| Hamblen County | 68,843 | 161.2 |
| Jefferson County | 60,024 | 275.2 |
ZIP codes
10 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Jefferson County; 5 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
37725377603776437813378203782137871378763787737890
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 Jefferson County
Jefferson County shares a land border with 5 county equivalents. It has more land than 1 of them. The largest neighbor is Sevier County (592.5 mi²) and the smallest is Hamblen County (161.2 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Jefferson County forms a block of 2,254 mi² of land, of which it holds 12.2%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Jefferson | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sevier County | 592.5 | 2.2× larger | Compare |
| Knox County | 508.4 | 1.8× larger | Compare |
| Cocke County | 436.1 | 1.6× larger | Compare |
| Grainger County | 280.6 | about the same | Compare |
| Hamblen County | 161.2 | 1.7× smaller | Compare |
How big is Jefferson County compared with U.S. states?
Jefferson County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 3.8 times as much. Tennessee’s county land could hold about 150 areas the size of Jefferson County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 16.6 miles (26.7 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 Jefferson County?
Jefferson County has more land than 365 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 Jefferson County at #2,813 nationally by total area, 44 places closer to the top than its land rank. The water assigned to this geography moves it ahead of some county equivalents with more land.
Its water share is 12.5%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 11.3 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 Jefferson County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2856 | Habersham County, Georgia | 276.9 | Compare |
| #2857 | Jefferson County, Tennessee | 275.2 | This county |
| #2858 | King William County, Virginia | 273.9 | 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 36.048452, -83.441216. 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: 712,662,391 m²; AWATER: 101,413,014 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 Jefferson County?
Jefferson County, Tennessee has 275.2 square miles (712.7 km²) of land and 39.2 square miles of water, for a total area of 314.3 square miles. It ranks #2857 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Jefferson County the largest county in Tennessee?
No. Jefferson County ranks #79 of 95 in Tennessee by land area. The largest is Shelby County, with 752.8 square miles of land.
What counties border Jefferson County?
Jefferson County shares a land border with Sevier County, Grainger County, Hamblen County, Cocke County, and Knox County.
What is the population of Jefferson County?
The Census Bureau estimates Jefferson County had 60,024 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #903 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 218 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Jefferson County?
The county seat of Jefferson County is Dandridge.
What cities and towns are in Jefferson County?
Jefferson County has 6 incorporated places. The most populous five are Jefferson City city, Dandridge town, White Pine town, New Market town, and Baneberry city; 42,335 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is Jefferson County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Morristown, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has 2 county equivalents and 128,867 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Jefferson County?
10 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Jefferson County, and 5 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Jefferson County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 3.8 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Jefferson County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 176,102 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 201,162 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.