Humboldt is a city in Gibson and Madison counties, Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, Humboldt had a population of 7,874. It is the principal city of and is included in the Humboldt, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Jackson–Henderson–Humboldt, Tennessee Metropolitan Area.

History

The first settlers of what would become Humboldt, began moving into the area in the mid-1850s. The town was a Railroad town. Its history begins with the Crossing of the Mobile & Ohio and the Memphis & Ohio (later L&N) Railroads. This was completed in 1859. The town wasn't chartered until after the Civil War in 1866.

thumb|left|Downtown Humboldt in 1901

The city is named for German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt.

Geography

Humboldt is located at (35.822564, −88.911138). Most of the city lies in Gibson County, with only a small portion extending into Madison County. In the 2000 census, 9,442 of the city's 9,467 residents (99.7%) lived in Gibson County and 25 (0.3%) in Madison County.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which 9.7&nbsp;square&nbsp;miles (25.0&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) is land and 0.10% is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there was a population of 7,874, with 3,364 households and 2,052 families residing in the city.

The median age was 44.0 years. 22.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 23.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 84.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 79.8 males age 18 and over.

There were 3,364 households in Humboldt, of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 29.5% were married-couple households, 20.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 43.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 3,552 || 45.1%

|-

| Black or African American || 3,718 || 47.2%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 24 || 0.3%

|-

| Asian || 15 || 0.2%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 4 || 0.1%

|-

| Some other race || 241 || 3.1%

|-

| Two or more races || 320 || 4.1%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 352 || 4.5%

|}

2000 census

As of the census

Transportation

Road

U.S. Route 79 and U.S. Route 45W intersect in Humboldt. Interstate 40 is about away in Jackson, and Interstate 155 is about away in Dyersburg.

Air

The city-owned Humboldt Municipal Airport is located in Gibson County. The nearest airports with regularly scheduled commercial service are Memphis International, about away, and Nashville International, about away.

Rail

The Newbern–Dyersburg train station is about away in Newbern, and Memphis Central Station is about away.

Media

Newspaper

The local newspaper is called the Humboldt Chronicle.

Radio

  • WTJK 105.3 "K 105.3 FM"(Classic Hits).
  • WJPJ AM 1190 & 99.9 "La Poderosa 99.9 FM & 1190 AM"
  • WIRJ AM 740
  • WZDQ FM 102.3 "102.3 The Rocket"

Education

In the Gibson County portion, the majority of the area is in the Humboldt City School District. A small portion is in the Gibson County Special School District.

All areas of Madison County are in the Jackson-Madison County School System.

Special events

Since 1934, the city has hosted the West Tennessee Strawberry Festival, held the first full week of May.

Notable people

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  • Doug Atkins – NFL Hall of Fame football player
  • Chick Autry – baseball player
  • Tony Champion – CFL All Star football player
  • Fred Craddock – professor of preaching
  • Jesse Hill Ford – writer and playwright
  • Lew Jetton – musician, television personality
  • Valerie June – singer/songwriter
  • Wyatt Prunty – poet
  • Kacy Rodgers – NFL assistant football coach
  • T.G. Sheppard – singer/Songwriter
  • Trey Smith (offensive lineman) – NFL offensive lineman, Super Bowl LVII champion
  • Dale Sommers – radio personality
  • Bailey Walsh – politician
  • Murray Warmath – college football coach
  • Samuel Cole Williams – historian

References