Sweetwater is a city in Monroe and McMinn Counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the most populous city in Monroe County. As of the 2020 census, its population was 6,312.

History

A legend states that the town's name originated from settlers' descriptions of area springs.

Geography

left|thumb|Circle Park, September 2016

The city lies along Sweetwater Creek, which flows northeast for several miles before emptying into the Watts Bar Lake impoundment of the Tennessee River. The creek's drainage has created a lowland area known as Sweetwater Valley, which is surrounded by low hills.

Sweetwater is centered along U.S. Route 11 between its junction with State Route 68 to the south and State Route 322 to the north. Interstate 75 passes along the western boundary of Sweetwater.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Sweetwater is located in a valley amid the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, and is surrounded by farmland.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Sweetwater had a population of 6,312, 2,520 households, and 1,633 families.

The median age was 42.6 years. 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 86.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 83.2 males age 18 and over.

Of the 2,520 households in Sweetwater, 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 43.5% were married-couple households, 17.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.5% 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 || 5,324 || 84.3%

|-

| Black or African American || 333 || 5.3%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 23 || 0.4%

|-

| Asian || 47 || 0.7%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%

|-

| Some other race || 155 || 2.5%

|-

| Two or more races || 430 || 6.8%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 312 || 4.9%

|}

2000 census

As of the census

A Rural King store opened in Feb 2018.

On January 15, 2022, Red Stag Fulfillment announced plans to develop a 420-acre ecommerce distribution center along I-75, estimated to provide 3,500 jobs and annual tax revenue of $1.9 million to the city of Sweetwater.

Education

thumb|[[Tennessee Meiji Gakuin High School entrance sign, November 2014]]

Sweetwater City Schools operate public elementary and middle schools in the portion of the city in Monroe County, with Monroe County Schools operating high-school services. Sweetwater High School is part of the Monroe district.

The U.S. Census Bureau indicates the Sweetwater district is entirely in Monroe County, and that the small McMinn County portion of the city is in McMinn County Schools.

Tennessee Meiji Gakuin High School was located in Sweetwater from 1989 to 2007. It was located in the former Tennessee Military Institute.

Cross Creek Kindergarten - Grade 12 operates as a private Christian school. It was developed by Karen Darragh and Harold Jeffers Darragh, who also developed Willow Creek.

Notable people

  • Butch Baker, country music artist
  • Gerald Brown, NFL and collegiate coach
  • Kippy Brown, NFL and collegiate coach
  • Harry T. Burn (1895–1977), a Tennessee legislator, broke the deadlock on the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and gave women the right to vote in the United States.
  • North Callahan, historian and journalist
  • Dwight Henry, politician
  • Paul Dean Holt, former NASCAR Winston Cup driver
  • Frank North, collegiate coach
  • Gerald North, climatologist

See also

  • List of cities in Tennessee

References

  • Municipal Technical Advisory Service entry for Sweetwater — information on local government, elections, and link to charter