Hamblen County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 64,499. Its county seat and only incorporated city is Morristown. Hamblen County is the core county of the Morristown, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Hamblen and Jefferson counties. The county and the Morristown MSA are included in the Knoxville-Morristown-Sevierville, TN Combined Statistical Area.
History
Hamblen County was created in 1870 from parts of Jefferson, Grainger, and Hawkins counties. The county is named in honor of Hezekiah Hamblen (1775–1854), an early settler, landowner, attorney, and member of the Hawkins County Court for many years. Governor Dewitt Clinton Senter, a resident of the county, used his influence to assist in its establishment. The Hamblen County Courthouse was completed in 1874.
During World War I, Hamblen County was the only county in the United States to have two Medal of Honor recipients. Edward R. Talley and Calvin Ward both earned them while fighting on the Western Front.
During World War II, the attack transport naval ship USS Hamblen was named after the county.
Historic sites
- Bethesda Presbyterian Church
- Crockett Tavern Museum
- Morristown College, now Fulton-Hill Park
- Morristown Main Street Historic District
- Rose Center
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (8.3%) is water. It is the third-smallest county in Tennessee by land area and fourth-smallest by total area.
Adjacent counties
- Hawkins County (northeast)
- Greene County (east)
- Cocke County (south)
- Jefferson County (southwest)
- Grainger County (northwest)
State protected areas
- Panther Creek State Park
- Rankin Wildlife Management Area (partial)
Major highways
Waterways
The main source of water in Hamblen County is the man-made Cherokee Lake. Cherokee Lake was created during World War II as part of the TVA hydroelectric project. Multiple sources, including a series of natural creeks and runoff waters, feed the lake. The lake originates at its first source in Poor Valley Creek, Hawkins County, and extends through neighboring Grainger County and then Hamblen County. Cherokee Lake then ends with Cherokee Dam, where the water is drained into the Holston River. In total, Cherokee Lake has 28,780 acres of surface area and extends for 400 miles of shoreline, though only a portion of this resides in Hamblen County.