Lake County, Tennessee

Lake County
Lake County Courthouse in Tiptonville
Lake County Courthouse in Tiptonville
Map of Tennessee highlighting Lake County
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Map of the United States highlighting Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°20′N 89°29′W / 36.34°N 89.49°W / 36.34; -89.49
Country United States
State Tennessee
Founded1870
Named forReelfoot Lake[1]
SeatTiptonville
Largest townTiptonville
Area
 • Total194 sq mi (500 km2)
 • Land166 sq mi (430 km2)
 • Water28 sq mi (70 km2)  14%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total7,005 Decrease
 • Density47/sq mi (18/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district8th
Websitewww.lakecountytn.com

Lake County is a county located in the northwest corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,005, making it the fifth-least populous county in Tennessee.[2] Its county seat is Tiptonville.[3] It shares a border with Kentucky to the north and is separated from Missouri to the west by the Mississippi River.

Reelfoot Lake, formed after the New Madrid earthquakes in the early 19th century, occupies much of the northern part of the county. Issues of control of the lake and the development of cotton plantations in this part of the county resulted in violence by local farmers against corporate owners in 1908; the state called in the militia to suppress night riding. Reelfoot Lake and surrounding property were finally acquired by the state beginning in 1914. It is now within the Reelfoot Lake State Park and preserved for public use. The Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, a state prison first opened in 1981, can house up to 2,391 male prisoners, a significant share of the county's population.[4]

  1. ^ Abigail Hyde, "Lake County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: October 21, 2013.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference 2020 Census was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ Tennessee Department of Correction (May 31, 2020). Tennessee Bed Space and Operating Capacities Report (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022.