Dickson is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Located in Dickson County. It is part of the Nashville metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, Dickson's population was 16,058.

History

Dickson was named for Congressman William Dickson, as was Dickson County. The City started as a stop on the railroad line between Nashville and the Tennessee River. When Union Troops had finished the supply line during the Civil War, the area was known as Mile 42 post.

It is disputed on what the community was known as prior to being named Dickson. Various other sources also state that the city was at one point named Sneedsville. Other sources claim that the community was named Smeedsville rather than Sneedsville. One claim comes from a series of writings for the Dickson Free Press by former mayor Robert S. Clement From Mile Post 42… To City of Dickson 1980. In article 7 "Was it called Sneedsville or Smeedsville?" Clement writes about a 1867 Chancery Court decree that was brought to his attention by historian Henry Ragan that refers to the land as "Smeedsville, Dickson County, Tennessee.", and that Ragan interviewed various locals who remembered the town being named Smeedsville. It is bordered to the east by the town of Burns. U.S. Route 70 passes through the north side of the city as Henslee Drive; it leads east to Nashville and west to Huntingdon. Interstate 40 passes through the Dickson city limits south of the center of town, with access from Exit 172 (Tennessee State Route 46). I-40 leads east to Nashville from Exit 172 and west to Jackson.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Dickson has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.41%, is water. The city center sits on the Tennessee Valley Divide, with the southwest side of the city draining via the East Piney River to the Piney River, then to the Duck River, and then to the Tennessee River, while the northeast side drains via Turnbull Creek or Jones Creek to the Harpeth River and thence to the Cumberland River.

Climate

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, there was a population of 16,058, with 6,597 households and 3,690 families residing in the city.

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 12,709 || 79.1%

|-

| Black or African American || 1,240 || 7.7%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 102 || 0.6%

|-

| Asian || 170 || 1.1%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 1 || 0.0%

|-

| Some other race || 588 || 3.7%

|-

| Two or more races || 1,248 || 7.7%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 1,277 || 8.0%

|}

2020 census

The median age was 37.9 years, with 22.9% of residents under the age of 18 and 18.1% aged 65 or older; for every 100 females there were 87.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 83.5 males aged 18 and over.

Of the 6,597 households in Dickson, 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them; 37.2% were married-couple households, 19.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 35.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

City Council

The City of Dickson is divided into four wards, each of which elects two members to the City Council. Councillors are elected to staggered four-year terms, with one Councillor from each ward being elected every two years.

City Administrator

As the Mayor of Dickson is only a part-time job, a City Administrator is also appointed to oversee the day-to-day operations of the city government and its budget.

Parks and Recreation

The City of Dickson Parks and Recreation Department maintains and operates various green spaces in Dickson, including sports areas, playgrounds, lake areas, and community centers.

Media

thumb|right|The [[Hotel Halbrook Railroad & Local History Museum was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.]]

Television

  • WDHC-LD Channel 6 (The Family Channel)

Radio

AM

  • WDKN 1260 AM, Country, Gospel, Talk

FM

  • WLTD-LP 103.9 FM 3ABN Radio, Religious
  • WNRZ 91.5 FM Bott Radio Network

Notable people

  • Frank G. Clement, Governor of Tennessee
  • Francis Craig, songwriter, bandleader
  • Trevor Daniel, American Football punter for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League
  • Walter S. Davis, educator.
  • John Mitchell, baseball player
  • Craig Morgan, country singer
  • Anson Mount, actor
  • Sunita Mani, Indian-American actress
  • Anthony Wayne Van Leer, entrepreneur

See also

  • List of cities in Tennessee

References

  • City charter (Archived on March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine)