Overton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,511. Its county seat is Livingston. Overton County is part of the Cookeville, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
On May 10, 1933, a half-mile wide F4 tornado struck the small community of Beatty Swamps (also referred to as Bethsadia). The tornado destroyed every structure in the town and either killed or injured nearly every inhabitant, with 33 of the 35 deaths occurring in the area. Much of the area was swept clean of debris, a reaper-binder was thrown , and cars were moved hundreds of feet.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.3%) is water.
Overton County straddles the Eastern Highland Rim, and generally consists of low, rolling hills divided by narrow creek valleys. The backwaters of Dale Hollow Lake, namely the Mitchell Creek and Big Eagle Creek sections, spill over into the northern part of the county. The county is located on the Cumberland Plateau.
Unlike most of Tennessee, a small part of northern Overton County is outside of the Sun Belt due to a past error surveying the northern border of Middle and East Tennessee. Overton County, neighboring Jackson County to the west and neighboring Fentress County to the east are the only three Tennessee counties to have areas north of the Sun Belt without bordering Kentucky nor Virginia. The Sun Belt is defined by the Kinder Institute as being south of 36°30'N latitude, which was intended to be the northern border of Tennessee and is the actual northern border of West Tennessee.
Adjacent counties
- Pickett County (northeast)
- Fentress County (east)
- Putnam County (south)
- Jackson County (west)
- Clay County (northwest)
State protected areas
- Alpine Mountain Wildlife Management Area
- Jackson Swamp Wildlife Management Area
- Standing Stone State Forest (part)
- Standing Stone State Park