Shelby County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 929,744, and was estimated to be 910,226 in 2025, a port on the Mississippi River and the second-most populous city in Tennessee and the 29th-most populous city in the United States. The county was named for Governor Isaac Shelby of Kentucky. It is one of only two remaining counties in Tennessee with a majority African American population, along with Haywood County. Shelby County is part of the Memphis metropolitan area. It is bordered on the west by the Mississippi River. Located within the Mississippi Delta, the county was developed as a center of cotton plantations in the antebellum era, and cotton continued as an important commodity crop well into the 20th century. The economy has become more diversified. It contains over 12.60% of the state's population.

History

This area along the Mississippi River valley was long occupied by varying cultures of indigenous peoples. In historic times, the Chickasaw controlled much of this area. They are believed to be descendants of the important Mississippian culture, which established fortified and complex cities. The largest of these was Cahokia, which was active from about 950CE into the 15th century. It was developed on the east side of the Mississippi in present-day southern Illinois, roughly on the same latitude as present-day St. Louis, Missouri.

The Shelby County area was part of the lands acquired by the United States government from the Chickasaw as part of the Jackson Purchase of 1818. Shelby County was established by European-American migrants in 1819 and named for Isaac Shelby, the former governor of Kentucky who had helped negotiate the land acquisition. After the American Civil War, in recognition of the growth of Memphis and its importance to the state economy, the seat was moved there (Raleigh has now been absorbed within the city limits of Memphis).

Most blacks were disenfranchised around the turn of the century when the state passed laws raising barriers to voter registration; the legislature also imposed Jim Crow laws, including racial segregation of public facilities. Blacks were mostly closed out of the political system for more than six decades. In the 20th century, mechanization of agriculture reduced the need for farm workers at a time when industries and railroads in the North were recruiting workers. The Great Migration resulted in many African Americans moving from rural areas into Memphis or out of state to northern cities for work and social and political opportunities.

After World War II, highways were constructed that led to development of much new housing on the outskirts of Memphis where land was cheap. Suburbanization, with retail businesses following new residents, took place in the county, drawing population out of the city. With continued residential and suburban development, the population of the metropolitan area became majority white. Six towns in the county have become incorporated; other communities are unincorporated. Residents enjoy many parks in the area as well as attractions in the city of Memphis.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.68%) is water. It is the largest county in Tennessee by total area. The lowest point in the state of Tennessee is located on the Mississippi River in Shelby County (just outside the Memphis city limits), where the river flows out of Tennessee and into Mississippi.

Rivers

  • Loosahatchie River
  • Mississippi River
  • Nonconnah Creek
  • Wolf River

Adjacent counties

  • Tipton County (north)
  • Fayette County (east)
  • Marshall County, Mississippi (southeast)
  • DeSoto County, Mississippi (south)
  • Crittenden County, Arkansas (west)

Demographics

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Education

Higher education

Shelby County is home to fourteen institutions of higher learning and satellite campuses of institutions whose main campus is in another county.

Memphis is home to Baptist Health Sciences University, Christian Brothers University, Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Worldwide (Memphis Campus), Harding School of Theology, LeMoyne–Owen College, Memphis College of Art, Memphis Theological Seminary, Rhodes College, Southern College of Optometry, Southwest Tennessee Community College, University of Memphis, and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Cordova is home to Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. Germantown is home to a satellite campus of Union University.

Primary and secondary education

Shelby County Schools (SCS) is a school district serving all of Memphis and most unincorporated areas.

Suburban school districts:

  • Arlington Community Schools
  • Bartlett City Schools
  • Collierville Schools
  • Germantown Municipal Schools
  • Lakeland School System
  • Millington Municipal Schools

Shelby County Schools was previously a school district that operated almost all public schools in non-Memphis areas of Shelby County, Tennessee, until the end of the 2012–2013 school year; almost all areas in Shelby County that were outside the city of Memphis were zoned to schools operated by SCS. Schools in Memphis were operated by Memphis City Schools. On June 30, 2013, Memphis city and Shelby County schools consolidated, forming a unified county school system (still called Shelby County Schools), this lasted one year.

In 2014, the incorporated suburbs of Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Lakeland, and Millington (other than Memphis) broke away from the Unified System and formed their own municipal districts. Their residents had previously voted in favor of creating municipal school districts, and all voted to pass the related sales tax hike except for Millington, which narrowly rejected the sales tax hike by three votes. On November 27, 2012, U.S. district court Judge Samuel Mays voided this vote since the state law passed at the time applied only to a specific area (which is unconstitutional). The Tennessee state legislature passed the law again, to include all of the state. All six suburbs voted again for the municipal districts and started classes on August 4, 2014.

Transportation

Local transit

Public transportation is provided by the Memphis Area Transit Authority, also known as MATA for short. In addition to MATA buses, the MATA operates the MATA Trolley. The city also has a suspended monorail known as the Memphis Suspension Railway connecting the city to Mud Island.

Intercity transit

  • Amtrak ()
  • Delta Bus Lines
  • Flixbus
  • Greyhound Lines
  • Jefferson Lines
  • Megabus

Roadways

  • Sam Cooper Boulevard

Air travel

Shelby County is the site of Memphis International Airport, located south of the center of Memphis.

Recreation

right|thumb|210px|Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park

Parks

  • Eagle Lake Refuge
  • T. O. Fuller State Park
  • Lichterman Nature Center
  • Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park
  • Memphis Parks and Recreation Centers
  • Overton Park
  • Piperton Wetland Complex (part)
  • President's Island Wildlife Management Area
  • Shelby Farms

Attractions

  • Beale Street, downtown Memphis
  • Chucalissa Indian Village, ancient Native American site
  • Gibson Guitar factory tour
  • Graceland, former home of Elvis Presley
  • Indie Memphis, film festival
  • Memphis Botanic Garden
  • Memphis in May, month-long festival
  • Memphis International Raceway
  • Memphis Zoo
  • Mud Island, Memphis
  • National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis
  • Orpheum Theatre, Memphis
  • Pink Palace Museum and Planetarium, Memphis

Sports

  • Memphis Grizzlies, NBA basketball team
  • Memphis Redbirds, Triple-A minor league baseball team

Communities

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Numbers refer to the map at right.

Cities

  • Bartlett – 2
  • Germantown – 6
  • Lakeland – 3
  • Memphis (county seat) – 5
  • Millington – 1

Towns

  • Arlington – 4
  • Collierville – 7

Unincorporated communities

  • Barretville
  • Benjestown
  • Brunswick
  • Cordova
  • Eads
  • Egypt
  • Ellendale
  • Fisherville
  • Kerrville
  • Lenow
  • Northaven
  • Rosemark
  • Shelby Forest
  • Whitehaven

Notable people

  • James Mortimer Crews, American Civil War veteran and brother of C.C. Crews.
  • Since 2010 country singer Bobbie Gentry has lived privately in the community.
  • Yo Gotti, hip-hop artist
  • 8ball & MJG, hip-hop artist
  • Young Dolph, hip-hop artist
  • Three 6 Mafia, hip-hop group
  • Julien Baker, singer-songwriter
  • Jonathan Bowlan (born 1996), Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Latasha Byears (born 1973), professional basketball player
  • Clay Crosse (born 1967), Christian music artist
  • Cody Fowler (1892–1978), attorney
  • James Ernest Karnes (1889–1966), U.S. Army Sergeant
  • Kenneth Walker III (born 2000), professional football player

See also

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Shelby County, Tennessee
  • Davies Manor, oldest home in Shelby County

References

  • County of Shelby – official website
  • Shelby County Chambers Alliance