Tiptonville is a town in and the county seat of Lake County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2020 census, Tiptonville had a population of 3,976. It is also home to the Northwest Correctional Complex, a maximum security prison.
History
250px|thumb|left|Aerial view of Tiptonville in 1922
Tiptonville was established in 1857, but was not incorporated until 1900. It was designated the county seat when Lake County was created in 1870.
In 1904, the Dyersburg Northern Railroad was chartered. This line connected Dyersburg to Hickman, KY, via Tiptonville, and began operating in 1910. The company changed their name to the Chicago, Memphis, & Gulf Railroad in 1909.
2000s-present day
In July 2025, the city gained attention nationwide when a man killed four people and left an infant abandoned in a random person's yard.
Geography
Tiptonville is located at (36.377610, −89.476022), on a small rise known as the Tiptonville Dome
| align-fn = center
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Tiptonville had a population of 3,976. The median age was 41.4 years. 10.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 11.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 274.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 325.1 males age 18 and over.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 872 households in Tiptonville, of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 26.3% were married-couple households, 20.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 46.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 40.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.