Editing Sevier County, Tennessee

{{short description|County in Tennessee, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county        = Sevier County
 | state             = Tennessee
 | flag                 = Flag of Sevier County, Tennessee.png
 | seal                 = Seal of Sevier County, Tennessee.png
 | logo                 = Logo of Sevier County, Tennessee.png
 | founded              = September 27, 1794<ref>[https://sos.tn.gov/tsla/pages/genealogical-fact-sheets-about-sevier-county], ''Genealogical "Fact Sheets" About Sevier County''</ref>
 | named for            = [[John Sevier]]<ref>Beulah Duggan Linn, "[http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=1189 Sevier County]," ''Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture''. Retrieved: March 29, 2013.</ref>
 | seat wl         = Sevierville
 | largest city wl = Sevierville
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 598
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 593
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 5.2
 | area percentage      = 0.9%
 | census yr            = 2020
 | pop                  = 98380
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2024
 | population_est       = 100024 {{gain}}
 | density_sq_mi        = auto
 | web                  = www.seviercountytn.gov
 | ex image             = Sevier County Courthouse.jpg
 | ex image cap         = Sevier County Courthouse in Sevierville
 | time zone           = Eastern
 | district             = 1st }}

'''Sevier County''' ({{IPAc-en|s|ə|ˈ|v|ɪər}} {{respell|sə|VEER}}) is a [[County (United States)|county]] of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Tennessee]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 98,380.<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/47/47155.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=December 7, 2013}}</ref> Its [[county seat]] and largest city is [[Sevierville, Tennessee|Sevierville]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> Sevier County comprises the Sevierville, TN [[Micropolitan Statistical Area]], which is included in the [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville]]-[[Morristown, Tennessee|Morristown]]-Sevierville, TN [[Knoxville metropolitan area|Combined Statistical Area]].

==History==
Prior to the arrival of white settlers in present-day Sevier County in the mid-18th century, the area had been inhabited for as many as 20,000 years by nomadic and semi-nomadic [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]]. In the mid-16th century, Spanish expeditions led by [[Hernando de Soto (explorer)|Hernando de Soto]] (1540) and [[Juan Pardo (explorer)|Juan Pardo]] (1567) passed through what is now Sevier County, reporting that the region was part of the domain of [[Chiaha]], a minor [[Muskogean language|Muskogean]] chiefdom centered around a village located on a now-submerged island just upstream from modern [[Douglas Dam]]. By the late 17th-century, however, the [[Cherokee]], whose ancestors were living in the mountains at the time of the Spaniards' visit, had become the dominant tribe in the region. Although they used the region primarily as hunting grounds, the [[Chickamauga Cherokee|Chicakamauga]] faction of the Cherokee vehemently fought white settlement in their territory, frequently leading raids on households, even through the signing of various peace treaties, alternating short periods of peace with violent hostility, until forcibly marched from their territory by the U.S. government on the "[[Trail of Tears]]".<ref>[http://www.nps.gov/trte/ Trail of Tears], National Park Service. Retrieved: March 29, 2013.</ref>

Sevier County was formed on September 18, 1794, from part of neighboring [[Jefferson County, Tennessee|Jefferson County]], and has retained its original boundaries ever since. The county takes its name from [[John Sevier]], governor of the failed [[State of Franklin]] and first governor of Tennessee, who played a prominent role during the early years of settlement in the region.<ref>[http://www.state.tn.us/sos/bluebook/online/section5/counties.pdf Origins of Tennessee County Names], ''Tennessee Blue Book'', 2005, p. 512.</ref> Since its establishment in 1795, the county seat has been situated at Sevierville (also named for Sevier), the eighth-oldest city in Tennessee.

Sevier County was strongly pro-Union during the Civil War. When Tennessee held a vote on the state's Ordinance of Secession on June 8, 1861, Sevier Countians voted 1,528 to 60 in favor of remaining in the Union.<ref>Oliver Perry Temple, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=g8xYAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22The+detailed+vote+of+the+several+counties+was+as+follows%22&pg=PA199 East Tennessee and the Civil War]'' (R. Clarke Company, 1899), p. 199.</ref>  In November 1861, William C. Pickens, Sheriff of Sevier County, led a failed attempt to destroy the railroad bridge at [[Strawberry Plains, Tennessee|Strawberry Plains]] as part of the [[East Tennessee bridge-burning conspiracy]].<ref>Temple, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=g8xYAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22C.+Pickens%2C+of+Sevier+county%2C+was+the+leader+selected%22&pg=PA381 East Tennessee and the Civil War]'', pp. 381-383.</ref>

Prior to the late 1930s, Sevier County's population, economy, and society, which relied primarily on [[subsistence agriculture]], held little significance vis-à-vis any other county in the rural South. However, with the creation of the [[Great Smoky Mountains National Park]] in the early 1930s, the future of Sevier County (within which lies thirty percent of the total area of the national park) changed drastically. Today, tourism supports the county's economy.

==Geography==
[[File:Sunset At Clingmans Dome.JPG|right|285px|thumb|Mountains over Sevier County at sunset from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park]]

According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|598|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|593|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|5.2|sqmi}} (0.9%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_47.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 14, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}</ref> The southern part of Sevier County is located within the [[Great Smoky Mountains]] and is protected by the [[Great Smoky Mountains National Park]]. The northern parts of the county are located within the [[Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians]]. Sevier contains the highest point in Tennessee, [[Kuwohi]], which rises to {{convert|6643|ft|m}} along the county's border with North Carolina. [[Mount Guyot (Great Smoky Mountains)|Mount Guyot]], located in the Eastern Smokies in the extreme eastern part of the county, is the state's second-highest mountain at {{convert|6621|ft|m}}. The {{convert|6593|ft|m|adj=on}} [[Mount Le Conte (Tennessee)|Mount Le Conte]], a very prominent mountain visible from much of the central part of the county, is the state's third-highest.

Sevier County is drained primarily by the [[French Broad River]], which passes through the northern part of the county. A portion of the French Broad is part of [[Douglas Lake]], an artificial reservoir created by [[Douglas Dam]] in the northeastern part of the county. The three forks of the [[Little Pigeon River (Tennessee)|Little Pigeon River]] (East, Middle, and West) flow northward from the Smokies, converge near Sevierville, and empty into the French Broad north of Sevierville. The West Fork is the best known, as it flows through the popular tourist areas of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

The maximum elevation differential in Sevier County is the greatest in Tennessee, ranging from a high of {{convert|6643|ft|m}} at Kuwohi to a low of {{convert|850|ft|m}} at the French Broad River.<ref>Tom Dunigan, "[http://tnlandforms.us/cohp/ Tennessee County High Points]," Tennessee Landforms, November 2, 2012. Retrieved: March 29, 2013.</ref>

[[File:Bluff Mountain TN sunset.jpg|thumb|right|285px|Sunset over Bluff Mountain]]

[[File:Ober trails.jpg|thumb|right|285px|Snowy Ober Trails in Gatlinburg]]

===Adjacent counties===
*[[Jefferson County, Tennessee]] - north
*[[Cocke County, Tennessee]] - east
*[[Haywood County, North Carolina]] - southeast
*[[Swain County, North Carolina]] - south
*[[Blount County, Tennessee]] - west
*[[Knox County, Tennessee]] - northwest

===National protected areas===
* [[Appalachian Trail]] (part)
* [[Foothills Parkway]] (part)
* [[Great Smoky Mountains National Park]] (part)

===State protected area===
* Roundtop Mountain State Natural Area

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1800= 3419
|1810= 4595
|1820= 4772
|1830= 5717
|1840= 6442
|1850= 6920
|1860= 9122
|1870= 11028
|1880= 15541
|1890= 18761
|1900= 22021
|1910= 22296
|1920= 23384
|1930= 20480
|1940= 23291
|1950= 23375
|1960= 24251
|1970= 28241
|1980= 41418
|1990= 51043
|2000= 71170
|2010= 89889
|2020= 98380
|estyear= 2024
|estimate= 100024
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2018">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2018.html|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|access-date=July 20, 2019}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 14, 2015}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=April 14, 2015}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/tn190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|editor-last=Forstall|editor-first=Richard L.|date=March 27, 1995|access-date=April 14, 2015}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=April 2, 2001|access-date=April 14, 2015}}</ref> 2010-2014<ref name="QF"/>
}}
{{Stack|[[File:USA Sevier County, Tennessee.csv age pyramid.svg|thumb|150px|left|Age pyramid Sevier County<ref>Based on 2000 [[census]] data</ref>]]}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Sevier County racial composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US47155&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 26, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
| 83,801
| 85.18%
|-
!scope="row"| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 766
| 0.78%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
| 312
| 0.32%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
| 1,103
| 1.12%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
| 24
| 0.02%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 3,760
| 3.82%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 8,614
| 8.76%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 98,380 people, 37,933 households, and 26,538 families residing in the county.

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR8">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=May 14, 2011|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2010, there were 89,889 people, 37,583 households, and a homeownership rate of 68.7 percent, below the state average. The [[population density]] was {{convert|120|PD/sqmi}}. There were 37,252 housing units at an average density of {{convert|63|/sqmi}}. The racial makeup of the county was 95.80% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 0.86% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.80% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.19% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.02% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.02% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.31% from two or more races. 5.33% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 28,467 households, out of which 30.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.30% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.80% were non-families. 22.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.00% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 29.80% from 25 to 44, 26.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,719, and the median income for a family was $40,474. Males had a median income of $27,139 versus $20,646 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $18,064. About 8.20% of families and 10.70% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 13.10% of those under age 18 and 10.10% of those age 65 or over.

Sevier County was Tennessee's third fastest-growing county by percentage change in population between the 1990 census and 2000 census.<ref>[http://bus.utk.edu/cber/census/2k/c902k.txt Census data for Tennessee counties in 1990 and 2000]</ref>

==Government==
The head of the Sevier County government, the county mayor (known as county executive until 2003), is elected in county-wide elections. The mayor serves along with a 25-member board of elected commissioners representing districts covering the many small communities spread across the county.

===Presidential elections===
{{PresHead|place=Sevier County, Tennessee|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 12, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|35,207|8,322|441|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|33,783|8,721|1,031|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|28,629|6,297|1,386|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|25,984|7,418|462|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|24,922|8,604|415|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|22,143|8,621|206|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|16,734|8,208|423|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|11,847|7,136|1,863|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|11,714|6,719|2,833|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|11,920|3,643|68|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|12,517|3,384|140|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|10,576|3,450|413|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|7,608|3,993|213|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|8,273|1,128|177|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|7,629|1,112|1,476|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1964|Republican|6,821|2,995|0|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|7,818|1,341|33|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|6,950|1,043|45|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|7,244|1,066|0|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|5,049|840|114|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|4,930|711|10|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|4,569|1,181|0|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1936|Republican|4,126|1,144|38|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1932|Republican|3,075|887|31|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|3,858|308|5|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|3,517|448|24|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|6,006|404|7|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1916|Republican|2,837|301|1|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1912|Progressive|967|341|2,411|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|3,130|291|2|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|2,886|300|5|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|2,595|382|6|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|3,376|428|4|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1892|Republican|2,463|461|73|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1888|Republican|2,830|489|50|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1884|Republican|2,242|468|16|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1880|Republican|2,052|431|0|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1876|Republican|1,540|342|0|Tennessee}}
{{PresRow|1872|Republican|1,176|138|0|Tennessee}}
{{PresFoot|1868|Republican|1,264|41|0|Tennessee}}
Sevier County, like most of East Tennessee, votes strongly [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] in Presidential elections. The only election in which a Republican failed to carry it was in [[1912 United States presidential election|1912]], when the [[Progressive Party (United States, 1912)|Progressive]] [[Theodore Roosevelt]] carried it. It has not been carried by a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] since [[1832 United States presidential election|1832]], when it went for [[Andrew Jackson]]. In 1916 it gave [[Charles Evans Hughes|Charles Hughes]] 90.38 percent of the vote—reportedly his highest percentage of any county in the nation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/stats.php?year=1916&f=1&off=0&elect=0|title=1916 Presidential Election Statistics}}</ref> In 1932 [[Herbert Hoover]] received 77.01% of the vote<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/stats.php?year=1932&f=1&off=0&elect=0|title=1932 Presidential Election Statistics}}</ref> and in 1936 [[Alf Landon]] received 77.73%.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/stats.php?year=1936&f=1&off=0&elect=0|title=1936 Presidential Election Statistics}}</ref> Since 1916 no Republican candidate has received less than 55% of the county's vote and in 2008 [[John McCain]] received 73.4%.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/elections/2008/results/president/map.html?scp=1&sq=%2522election+map&st=cse|title=President Map - Election Results 2008 - The New York Times|website=www.nytimes.com}}</ref>  All of the county's state legislators are Republicans, and Republican candidates routinely garner well over 70 percent of the vote on the occasions they face opposition at all.

At local elections, the county is similarly Republican. However, the county backed Senator [[Al Gore]] in [[1990 United States Senate election in Tennessee|1990]] and Governor [[Phil Bredesen]] in [[2006 Tennessee gubernatorial election|2006]] in landslides.<ref>{{Cite web|title=1990 Senatorial General Election Results - Tennessee|url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=1990&off=3&class=2&elect=0&fips=47&f=0}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=2006 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Tennessee|url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=47&year=2006&f=0&off=5&elect=0}}</ref>

==Economy==
[[File:Rental cabins in smokies.jpg|thumb|Rental cabins in the [[Great Smoky Mountains|Smokies]]]]
[[File:PANO 20160904 090301.jpg|thumb|300px|Overlooking Walden Creek Road in Sevier County, Tennessee]]
From its beginnings as a traditional subsistence-based farming society, Sevier County has grown into a major tourist destination since the establishment of the [[Great Smoky Mountains National Park]], which dominates the southern portion of the county. One of the very reasons for the park's creation, however, was also one of the county's first major economic engines: the lumber industry. Establishments in what is now the national park felled large amounts of timber in the early 1900s. Though the park effectively killed the logging industry in the late 1930s, it spurred the development of one of the largest tourist resorts in the United States of America, as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is now the most visited national park in the country.<ref>[http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004743.html Great Smoky Mountains National Park-infoplease.com Ten Most Visited National Parks]. Infoplease.com. Retrieved: March 29, 2013.</ref> Sevier County now has the third largest tourism economy in Tennessee, ranking behind [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] and [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]], the state's two largest cities.<ref>{{cite report|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=August 2020|title=2019 Economic Impact of Travel on Tennessee|url=https://industry.tnvacation.com/sites/industry/files/component/pod/2019%20Economic%20Impact.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://industry.tnvacation.com/sites/industry/files/component/pod/2019%20Economic%20Impact.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|publisher=Tennessee Department of Toursit Development|access-date=April 18, 2021}}</ref>

The commercial [[vacation rental|cabin rental]] industry has grown tremendously in recent years.

===Tourist attractions===
The tourism industry drives the county's economy. The following destinations are among the most lucrative for the area:

*[[Great Smoky Mountains National Park]], southern Sevier County: Established in 1936 and propelling the tourism industry in Sevier County ever since, the national park is the most visited in the United States, welcoming over 10 million nature enthusiasts every year, most of whom arrive through Sevier County.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hetter|first=Katia|date=April 19, 2020|title=Most visited national parks and sites in 2019|url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/most-popular-national-park-service-sites-2019/index.html|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=April 28, 2020}}</ref>
*[[Dollywood]], Pigeon Forge: The theme park named for part-owner [[Dolly Parton]] (who was born in Locust Ridge) admits nearly 3 million guests a year, making it both the most popular theme park and most frequented attraction (after the Great Smoky Mountains National Park) in Tennessee.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/56324/12-fun-facts-about-dollywood|title=12 Fun Facts About Dollywood
|last=Debczak|first=Michele|date=December 27, 2019|publisher=[[Mental Floss]]|access-date=April 28, 2020}}</ref>
*[[Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies]], Gatlinburg: Opened in 2000 and designated the most visited aquarium in the [[United States]] in 2001, when over 2 million tourists passed through its galleries, Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies is the largest single tourist draw in Gatlinburg.<ref>David Williams, "[http://www.cnn.com/2005/TRAVEL/DESTINATIONS/11/21/ga.aquarium.tourism/index.html Will Fish Lure Tourists to Atlanta]?"  CNN.com, November 21, 2005. Retrieved: March 29, 2013.</ref>
*[[Ober Gatlinburg]], Gatlinburg: The Ober Gatlinburg ski resort sits above Gatlinburg, offering numerous attractions for visitors unique to the county, including winter ski slopes and an indoor ice skating rink. The tramway that takes visitors to and from the resort is touted as "America's Largest Aerial Tramway."<ref>Mike Doyle, "[http://skiing.about.com/od/tennesseeskiresorts/p/obergatlinburg.htm Ober Gatlinburg Ski Area] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070209135028/http://skiing.about.com/od/tennesseeskiresorts/p/obergatlinburg.htm |date=February 9, 2007 }}," About.com. Retrieved: March 29, 2013.</ref>
*Smoky Mountain Opry, Pigeon Forge: A musical revue stage show that debuted in 2011. It offers both that program during the majority of the year, as well as the "Christmas Spectacular" during the winter months.
*[[Foxfire Mountain Themed Adventure Park]], Sevierville: A 150-acre wilderness theme park located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains offers a wide range of outdoor adventures including: zip lining, ATV tours, climbing walls, free-fall jumps, aerial adventure courses, hiking trails and the longest swinging bridge in the United States.

==Education==
The Sevier County school system is composed of thirty-two public and private institutions ranging from [[Head Start (education)|Head Start]] programs through a number of secondary schools. In addition, two post-secondary institutions have campuses within the county.

{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
'''Head Start''':
*Boyds Creek Headstart, on Boyds Creek Highway
*Douglas Dam Headstart, in Sevierville
*Harrisburg Headstart, on Old Harrisburg Road
*Wearwood Headstart, in Sevierville
*Underwood Headstart, in Kodak

'''Preschool''':
*Trula Lawson Early Childhood Center, in Sevierville

'''Elementary/middle schools''':
*Boyds Creek Elementary, in Sevierville
*Caton's Chapel Elementary, on Caton's Chapel Road
*Jones Cove Elementary, on Jones Cove Road
*New Center School, in Sevierville
*Northview Primary, in Kodak
*Northview Intermediate, in Kodak
*[[Pi Beta Phi]] Elementary, in Gatlinburg
*Pigeon Forge Middle, in Pigeon Forge
*Pigeon Forge Primary, in Pigeon Forge
*Pittman Center School, in Pittman Center
*Sevierville Intermediate, in Sevierville
*Sevierville Middle, in Sevierville
*Sevierville Primary, in Sevierville
*Seymour Middle, Seymour
*Seymour Intermediate, Seymour
*Seymour Primary, Seymour
*Wearwood Elementary, Sevierville

'''High schools''':
*[[Gatlinburg-Pittman High School]], in Gatlinburg
*  Northview Academy, in Kodak
*[[Pigeon Forge High School]], in Pigeon Forge
*[[Sevier County High School]], in Sevierville
*Seymour High School, in Seymour
*Vocational Center (at Sevier County High School), in Sevierville

'''Other schools''':
*Covenant Christian Academy, on Old Newport Highway
*Day School, in Sevierville
*King's Academy, in Seymour
*My Audie's Place, in Pigeon Forge
*New Hope Church of God, in Sevierville
*Raggedy Andy's Playhouse Inc., in Sevierville
{{col-end}}

===Colleges and universities===
There are two post-secondary institutions in the county, both located in Sevierville. The first is a [[satellite campus]] of the [[Morristown, Tennessee|Morristown]]-based [[Walters State Community College]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Sevier County Campus|url=http://ws.edu/campuses/sevier/|website=ws.edu}}</ref>  The second is a satellite campus of [[Johnson City, Tennessee|Johnson City]]-based [[East Tennessee State University]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Sevierville Center|url=https://www.etsu.edu/academicaffairs/scs/seviercenter/|website=www.etsu.edu|access-date=March 11, 2018|language=en}}</ref>

==Parks==
In addition to the federally operated Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Sevier County is home to numerous smaller community parks, primarily within the cities of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg. The most significant of them are listed as follows:

*Holt Park (Gatlinburg)
*Mills Park (Gatlinburg)
*Mynatt Park (Gatlinburg)
*Northview Optimist Park (Kodak)
*Patriot Park (Pigeon Forge)
*Pigeon Forge City Park
*Sevierville City Park

==Transportation==
The massive development of the tourism industry in Sevier County has put a major stress on the county's roadways. In an effort to control this the county has put forth numerous projects to widen existing highways, and the cities of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg have also implemented a bus service oriented towards visitors, which ferries tourists to and from various popular destinations throughout the towns via decorated buses referred to as "trolleys."<ref>[http://www.pigeonforgetrolley.org Pigeon Forge Trolley]. Retrieved: March 29, 2013.</ref><ref>[http://www.ci.gatlinburg.tn.us/transit/trolley.htm Gatlinburg Trolley Department] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060704183811/http://www.ci.gatlinburg.tn.us/transit/trolley.htm |date=July 4, 2006 }}. Retrieved: March 29, 2013.</ref>

===Highways===

[[File:Rock City Barn on U.S. Highway 411 South, in Sevier County, Tennessee.JPG|right|thumb|250px|This Rock City Barn is located just off of U.S. 411, in northeast Sevier County]]

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
*[[Interstate 40]]
*[[U.S. Route 321]]
*[[U.S. Route 411]]
*[[U.S. Route 441]]
*[[Tennessee State Route 35|State Route 35]]
*[[Tennessee State Route 66|State Route 66]]
*[[Tennessee State Route 71|State Route 71]]
*[[Tennessee State Route 73|State Route 73]]
*[[Tennessee State Route 73 Scenic|State Route 73 Scenic]]
*[[Tennessee State Route 139|State Route 139]]
*[[Tennessee State Route 338|State Route 338]]
*[[Tennessee State Route 339|State Route 339]]
*[[Tennessee State Route 416|State Route 416]]
*[[Tennessee State Route 448|State Route 448]]
*[[Tennessee State Route 449|State Route 449]]
*[[Tennessee State Route 454|State Route 454]]
{{div col end}}

The [[Great Smoky Mountains Parkway]] connects Interstate 40 (Exit 407) to the national park via the cities of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg. From the exit, the Parkway follows Tennessee State Route 66 ("[[Winfield Dunn]] Parkway") into Sevierville, where it becomes [[U.S. Route 441]]/[[Tennessee State Route 71]] as TN-66 terminates at a four-way intersection where US-441 splits from [[U.S. Route 411]] and changes direction. It continues along US-441 through Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, before entering the national park, where it ascends to the crest of the Smokies at [[Newfound Gap]] and crosses into [[North Carolina]] (although by this time it is no longer known as the "Great Smoky Mountains Parkway"). The Parkway is joined [[U.S. Route 321]] in Pigeon Forge and they run concurrently until US-321 splits away in downtown Gatlinburg. Along this stretch of U.S. and Tennessee highways, a nearly continuous tourist sprawl (separated only by a spur route of the [[Foothills Parkway]], known as "the spur") has emerged in the three communities.

===Airports===

[[Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport]] (KGKT)

==Communities==
Sevier County, like much of rural Southern [[Appalachia]], consists of relatively few incorporated municipalities and numerous [[unincorporated area|unincorporated settlements]].

===Cities===
*[[Gatlinburg, Tennessee|Gatlinburg]]
*[[Pigeon Forge, Tennessee|Pigeon Forge]]
*[[Sevierville, Tennessee|Sevierville]] (county seat)

===Town===
*[[Pittman Center, Tennessee|Pittman Center]]

===Census-designated places===
*[[Fairgarden, Tennessee|Fairgarden]]
*[[Seymour, Tennessee|Seymour]] (partial)

===Unincorporated communities===
{{div col|colwidth=12em}}
*[[Alder Branch, Tennessee|Alder Branch]]
*[[Beech Springs, Tennessee|Beech Springs]]
*[[Boyds Creek, Tennessee|Boyds Creek]]
* [[Catlettsburg, Tennessee|Catlettsburg]]
* [[Caton, Tennessee|Caton]]
*[[Cherokee Hills, Tennessee|Cherokee Hills]]
*[[Dupont, Tennessee|DuPont]]
*[[Kodak, Tennessee|Kodak]]
*[[Locust Ridge, Tennessee|Locust Ridge]]
* [[Oldham, Tennessee|Oldham]]
*[[Reagantown, Tennessee|Reagantown]]
*[[Richardson Cove, Tennessee|Richardson Cove]]
*[[Shady Grove, Sevier County, Tennessee|Shady Grove]]
*[[Strawberry Plains, Tennessee|Strawberry Plains]] (partial)
*[[Wears Valley, Tennessee|Wears Valley]] ([[census county division]])
*[[Whites School]]
{{div col end}}

==Notable people==
*[[Irene Baker]] (1901&ndash;1994), U.S. Congresswoman
* David Baker, Assistant District Attorney General for [[Greene County, Tennessee|Greene County]] and participant in the [[January 6 United States Capitol attack]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/15/tennessee-prosecutor-scrubbed-evidence-attendance-capitol-rally-before-riot/4163220001/|title = Tennessee prosecutor scrubbed evidence of attendance at DC rally ahead of Capitol riot|website = [[The Tennessean]]}}</ref>
*[[Reese Bowen Brabson]] (1817&ndash;1863), U.S. Congressman
*[[Edwin Cunningham (diplomat)|Edwin Cunningham]] (1868–1953), United States Consul General in Shanghai, 1920-1935
*[[Richard "Preacher Dick" Evans]] (1824&ndash;1901), Baptist preacher
*[[Robert H. Hodsden]] (1806&ndash;1864), Southern Unionist and state legislator
*[[Leonidas C. Houk]] (1836&ndash;1891), U.S. Congressman
*[[Charles Inman]] (1810&ndash;1899), Southern Unionist and state legislator
*[[John P. McCown]] (1815&ndash;1879), Confederate general
*[[Bashful Brother Oswald]] (1911&ndash;2002), country musician and entertainer
*[[Dolly Parton]] (born 1946), [[country music]] singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, author, businesswoman, Ambassador To The [[Great Smoky Mountains]]
*[[Randy Parton]] (1953–2021), country music singer-songwriter, actor, and businessman
*[[Stella Parton]] (born 1949), country music singer-songwriter and businesswoman 
*[[John Henninger Reagan]] (1818&ndash;1905), U.S. Senator and Confederate cabinet member
*[[Benny Sims]] (1924&ndash;1994), bluegrass musician
*[[William Stone (Tennessee politician)|William Stone]] (1791&ndash;1853), U.S. Congressman
*[[John Tipton]] (1786&ndash;1839), U.S. Senator
*[[Cas Walker]] (1902&ndash;1998), grocery store magnate and politician

==In popular culture==
*Sevier County is the setting for the novels ''[[The Orchard Keeper]]'' and ''[[Child of God]]'' by [[Cormac McCarthy]].<ref>Richard B. Woodward, [https://www.nytimes.com/books/98/05/17/specials/mccarthy-venom.html Cormac McCarthy's Venomous Fiction], ''[[The New York Times]]'', April 19, 1992</ref>
*Gatlinburg was the site of the showdown between Sue and his father in the [[Johnny Cash]] hit, "[[A Boy Named Sue]]".
*Country singer [[Ronnie Milsap]]'s "[[Smoky Mountain Rain]]" refers to a truck driver taking the heartbroken narrator "as far as Gatlinburg" from Knoxville

==See also==

*[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Sevier County, Tennessee]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.seviercountytn.gov/ Official site]
*Sevier county [http://tnlandforms.us/landforms/countylf.php?county=Sevier landforms]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Sevier County, Tennessee
|North     = [[Jefferson County, Tennessee|Jefferson County]]
|Northeast =
|East      = [[Cocke County, Tennessee|Cocke County]]
|Southeast = [[Haywood County, North Carolina]]
|South     = [[Swain County, North Carolina]]
|Southwest =
|West      = [[Blount County, Tennessee|Blount County]]
|Northwest = [[Knox County, Tennessee|Knox County]]
}}

{{Sevier County, Tennessee}}
{{Knoxville Metro}}
{{Tennessee}}
{{State of Franklin}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|35.78|-83.52|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-TN_source:UScensus1990}}

[[Category:Sevier County, Tennessee| ]]
[[Category:1794 establishments in the Southwest Territory]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1794]]
[[Category:Second Amendment sanctuaries in Tennessee]]
[[Category:East Tennessee]]