Robertson County, Tennessee

Last updated

Robertson County
County
Springfield, TN Courthouse 2019.jpg
Robertson County Courthouse in Springfield
Robertson-county-tn.jpg
Seal
Map of Tennessee highlighting Robertson County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Tennessee in United States.svg
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°32′N86°52′W / 36.53°N 86.87°W / 36.53; -86.87
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Tennessee.svg Tennessee
FoundedApril 9, 1796;229 years ago (1796-04-09)
Named after James Robertson [1]
Seat Springfield
Largest citySpringfield
Government
 •  Mayor Billy Vogle (I)
Area
 • Total
476 sq mi (1,230 km2)
 • Land476 sq mi (1,230 km2)
 • Water0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2)  0.04%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
72,803
 • Estimate 
(2025)
79,532 Increase2.svg
 • Density150/sq mi (59/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 7th
Website robertsoncountytn.gov

Robertson County is a county located on the central northern border of Tennessee in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 72,803. Its seat of government is Springfield. [2] The county was named for James Robertson, an explorer, founder of Nashville, and a state senator, who was often called the "Father of Middle Tennessee." Robertson County is a component of the Nashville-Davidson – Murfreesboro – Franklin, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Contents

History

This was part of the Miro District (also spelled Mero), named after the Spanish Governor Esteban Rodríguez Miró of what was then Louisiana on the west side of the Mississippi River. Miró had served with Spanish troops that assisted the Americans during their war for independence. James Robertson, the explorer for whom this county was named, was trying to create an alliance with Miró that would allow free movement on the Mississippi River (which Spain controlled) to settlers on the Cumberland frontier. Before statehood, this territory was known as Tennessee County.

Thomas Kilgore, the first European settler in Robertson County, arrived in 1778 to establish a settlement in what is now present-day Cross Plains. Robertson County was organized in 1796, at the same time as Montgomery County, which had also been part of the Miro district. The county seat, Springfield, Tennessee, was laid out in 1798. Although initially, most settlers did not hold slaves, by the 1820s planters began to cultivate tobacco, a commodity crop that was labor-intensive and depended on enslaved African Americans. The planters bought slaves to work their plantations, as well as to care for the livestock they bred - thoroughbred horses and cattle.

By the time of the Civil War, African Americans comprised about one-quarter of the area's population, typical for Middle Tennessee, where tobacco and hemp were commodity crops. During the Civil War, Tennessee was occupied by the Union from 1862, which led to a breakdown in social organization in Middle Tennessee. [3]

By 1910 the county's population was 25,466, including 6,492 black citizens, who continued to make up one-quarter of the total. Most of the residents were still involved in farm work, and tobacco was the primary commodity crop, but agricultural mechanization was reducing the need for laborers. White Democrats had tried to restrict black voting; other southern states had excluded blacks from the political process. Many African Americans left rural Robertson County and other parts of Tennessee in the Great Migration to northern and midwestern cities for employment and social freedom. Combined with the later in-migration of whites to the county, by the early 21st century, African Americans comprised less than 10 percent of the county population. They live chiefly in its larger towns.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 476 square miles (1,230 km2), of which 476 square miles (1,230 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (0.04%) is water. [4]

Adjacent counties

State protected areas

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1800 4,280—
1810 7,27069.9%
1820 9,93836.7%
1830 13,37234.6%
1840 13,8013.2%
1850 16,14517.0%
1860 15,265−5.5%
1870 16,1665.9%
1880 18,86116.7%
1890 20,0786.5%
1900 25,02924.7%
1910 25,4661.7%
1920 25,6210.6%
1930 28,19110.0%
1940 29,0463.0%
1950 27,024−7.0%
1960 27,3351.2%
1970 29,1026.5%
1980 37,02127.2%
1990 41,49412.1%
2000 54,43331.2%
2010 66,23821.7%
2020 72,8039.9%
2025 (est.)79,532 [5] 9.2%
U.S. Decennial Census [6]
1790-1960 [7] 1900-1990 [8]
1990-2000 [9] 2010-2014 [10]
Age pyramid Robertson County USA Robertson County, Tennessee.csv age pyramid.svg
Age pyramid Robertson County

2020 census

Robertson County racial composition [12]
RaceNumberPercentage
White (non-Hispanic)57,04978.36%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)5,0916.99%
Native American 1390.19%
Asian 4470.61%
Pacific Islander 210.03%
Other/Mixed 3,1784.37%
Hispanic or Latino 6,8789.45%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 72,803 people, 26,577 households, and 20,378 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the census [13] of 2000, there were 54,433 people, 19,906 households, and 15,447 families residing in the county. The population density was 114 people per square mile (44 people/km2). There were 20,995 housing units at an average density of 44 per square mile (17/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.13% White, 8.62% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.83% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. 2.66% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In 2005 the racial makeup of the county was 85.4% non-Hispanic whites, 8.3% African Americans, and 5.3% Latinos.

There were 19,906 households, out of which 37.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.90% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.40% were non-families. 18.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.80% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 31.40% from 25 to 44, 22.50% from 45 to 64, and 10.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $43,174, and the median income for a family was $49,412. Males had a median income of $34,895 versus $24,086 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,054. About 6.40% of families and 9.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.90% of those under age 18 and 13.10% of those aged 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Hamlets

Unincorporated communities

Transportation

Highways

Interstate Highways

United States Numbered Highways

Tennessee State Routes

Interstate 65 runs along the eastern border of the county for about 20 miles (32 km), and Interstate 24 runs along the southwestern border of the county for about 10 miles (16 km). U.S. Routes 41 and 431 run through the county, intersecting and briefly forming a concurrency in Springfield. US 31W forms the eastern border with Sumner County and runs through White House and Cross Plains. Major state routes include 25, 49, 52, 76, and 109. Secondary state routes in Robertson County include 161, 256, and 257. [14]

Government and politics

County Government

The county mayor serves as the chief executive officer of Robertson County and is elected at-large. The office is responsible for overseeing county administration and finances and serves as a non-voting ex-officio member of the county commission, except in the case of a tie vote.The current county mayor is Independent [15] Billy Vogle, who first took office in 2018. [16]

Legislative authority is vested in the Robertson County Board of County Commissioners, which is composed of 24 members elected from 12 districts, with two commissioners representing each district. The commission is charged with adopting the county budget, setting the property tax rate, and overseeing county departments and services. [17] [18] Regular meetings are held at 7:00 p.m. on the third Monday of each month, except in January and February when they are scheduled for the fourth Monday. [19]

United States presidential election results for Robertson County, Tennessee [20]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
1912 51316.73%2,28774.57%2678.71%
1916 73325.08%2,10672.05%842.87%
1920 1,19128.04%3,04671.70%110.26%
1924 22911.94%1,64585.77%442.29%
1928 84835.30%1,54364.24%110.46%
1932 2528.31%2,75290.71%300.99%
1936 38812.70%2,62986.03%391.28%
1940 49013.01%3,25886.49%190.50%
1944 62216.77%3,07482.90%120.32%
1948 3769.53%3,04477.14%52613.33%
1952 1,83426.59%5,06373.41%00.00%
1956 1,51723.25%4,96176.02%480.74%
1960 1,77630.15%4,05368.80%621.05%
1964 1,79723.70%5,78476.30%00.00%
1968 1,80222.47%2,31528.86%3,90448.67%
1972 4,17556.43%2,98540.34%2393.23%
1976 2,50524.77%7,54774.62%620.61%
1980 3,56032.00%7,38166.34%1851.66%
1984 5,44548.34%5,75651.11%620.55%
1988 5,71448.95%5,88450.41%740.63%
1992 5,27133.41%8,49853.86%2,01012.74%
1996 6,68541.19%8,46552.16%1,0796.65%
2000 9,67547.98%10,24950.83%2401.19%
2004 15,33160.54%9,86538.96%1270.50%
2008 17,90364.83%9,31833.74%3931.42%
2012 17,64367.11%8,29031.53%3561.35%
2016 19,41071.59%6,63724.48%1,0663.93%
2020 24,53672.77%8,69225.78%4891.45%
2024 26,26074.88%8,42824.03%3821.09%

Political history

Robertson County was historically a "Solid South" Democratic stronghold, like much of Middle Tennessee, consistently supporting Democratic presidential candidates through much of the 20th century and even supporting segregationist George Wallace [21] in 1968. Republican candidates began gaining some traction in the latter half of the century, with Richard Nixon carrying the county in 1972 for the first time in recent memory. [f]

After 1972, Democrats continued to win Robertson County until the beginning of the 2000s. By 2004, Robertson County solidified as a Republican stronghold, when George W. Bush flipped the county and carried it by over 21 points.

Since then, the county has voted reliably Republican in every presidential election, with Donald Trump surpassing 70% of the vote in 2016, and Democrats have not approached one-third of the county’s vote share since. The last time Robertson County voted for a Democratic candidate in a statewide race was for Phil Bredesen in 2006, and the last time it voted for a Democratic candidate on a presidential level, was in 2000 when it voted for Al Gore, a Tennessee native.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Unsigned companion route of US 41
  2. ↑ Unsigned companion route of US 31W
  3. ↑ Unsigned companion route of US 431
  4. ↑ From Springfield to Adams, SR 76 runs concurrently with US 41 as an unsigned route
  5. ↑ Unsigned companion route of US 41A
  6. ↑ There is no county-level data available for the 1864 United States presidential election in Tennessee. Prior to that election, Republican candidates were not on the ballot in Tennessee, and Robertson County did not vote for a Republican presidential candidate again until 1972.

References

  1. ↑ Yolanda Reid, "Robertson County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: March 21, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  3. ↑ Durham, Walter T. Rebellion Revisited: A History of Sumner County, Tennessee from 1861 to 1870(Franklin, Tennessee: Hillsboro Press, 1999, 2nd ed.)
  4. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Robertson County, Tennessee Population 2025". World Population Review. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  6. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  8. ↑ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  10. ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  11. ↑ Based on 2000 census data
  12. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  13. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  14. ↑ Tennessee Department of Transportation Long Range Planning Division Office of Data Visualization (2018). Robertson County (PDF) (Map). Tennessee Department of Transportation.
  15. ↑ ohtadmin (August 5, 2022). "Vogle re-elected as Robertson County Mayor - Main Street Media of Tennessee". Main Street Media of Tennessee -. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Robertson County, TN". www.robertsoncountytn.gov. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Robertson County, TN". www.robertsoncountytn.gov. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Robertson | UT County Technical Assistance Service". www.ctas.tennessee.edu. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Robertson County, TN". www.robertsoncountytn.gov. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
  20. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  21. ↑ MADEO. "Jan. 14, 1963 | Newly Elected Governor George Wallace Calls For "Segregation Forever!"". calendar.eji.org. Retrieved September 8, 2025.

    36°32′N86°52′W / 36.53°N 86.87°W / 36.53; -86.87

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