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Robertson County
Robertson County
County
	Robertson County courthouse in Springfield
	Seal
	Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
	Tennessee's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 36°32′N 86°52′W / 36.53°N 86.87°W
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
Founded	April 9, 1796; 228 years ago
Named for	James Robertson
Seat	Springfield
Largest city	Springfield
Government
• Mayor	Billy Vogle
Area
• Total	476 sq mi (1,230 km2)
• Land	476 sq mi (1,230 km2)
• Water	0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2) 0.04%
Population (2020)
• Total	72,803
• Estimate (2023)	76,776
• Density	150/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 people. Its county seat 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.

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.

It was organized as Robertson County 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 conservative 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

Cedar Hill Swamp Wildlife Management Area
Port Royal State Park (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1800	4,280		—
1810	7,270		69.9%
1820	9,938		36.7%
1830	13,372		34.6%
1840	13,801		3.2%
1850	16,145		17.0%
1860	15,265		−5.5%
1870	16,166		5.9%
1880	18,861		16.7%
1890	20,078		6.5%
1900	25,029		24.7%
1910	25,466		1.7%
1920	25,621		0.6%
1930	28,191		10.0%
1940	29,046		3.0%
1950	27,024		−7.0%
1960	27,335		1.2%
1970	29,102		6.5%
1980	37,021		27.2%
1990	41,494		12.1%
2000	54,433		31.2%
2010	66,238		21.7%
2020	72,803		9.9%
2023 (est.)	76,776	^[5]	5.5%
U.S. Decennial Census^[6] 1790-1960^[7] 1900-1990^[8] 1990-2000^[9] 2010-2014^[10]

2020 census

Robertson County racial composition^[12]
Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	57,049	78.36%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	5,091	6.99%
Native American	139	0.19%
Asian	447	0.61%
Pacific Islander	21	0.03%
Other/Mixed	3,178	4.37%
Hispanic or Latino	6,878	9.45%

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. ⁹ 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

Coopertown

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]

Politics

Like many other rural southern counties, Robertson County has been historically a Democratic stronghold. Since the 2004 presidential election, however, the county (and the state as a whole) has sped rapidly toward the Republican Party. 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 Democrat Al Gore.

United States presidential election results for Robertson County, Tennessee^[15]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	26,260	74.96%	8,428	24.06%	345	0.98%
2020	24,536	72.77%	8,692	25.78%	489	1.45%
2016	19,410	71.59%	6,637	24.48%	1,066	3.93%
2012	17,643	67.11%	8,290	31.53%	356	1.35%
2008	17,903	64.83%	9,318	33.74%	393	1.42%
2004	15,331	60.54%	9,865	38.96%	127	0.50%
2000	9,675	47.98%	10,249	50.83%	240	1.19%
1996	6,685	41.19%	8,465	52.16%	1,079	6.65%
1992	5,271	33.41%	8,498	53.86%	2,010	12.74%
1988	5,714	48.95%	5,884	50.41%	74	0.63%
1984	5,445	48.34%	5,756	51.11%	62	0.55%
1980	3,560	32.00%	7,381	66.34%	185	1.66%
1976	2,505	24.77%	7,547	74.62%	62	0.61%
1972	4,175	56.43%	2,985	40.34%	239	3.23%
1968	1,802	22.47%	2,315	28.86%	3,904	48.67%
1964	1,797	23.70%	5,784	76.30%	0	0.00%
1960	1,776	30.15%	4,053	68.80%	62	1.05%
1956	1,517	23.25%	4,961	76.02%	48	0.74%
1952	1,834	26.59%	5,063	73.41%	0	0.00%
1948	376	9.53%	3,044	77.14%	526	13.33%
1944	622	16.77%	3,074	82.90%	12	0.32%
1940	490	13.01%	3,258	86.49%	19	0.50%
1936	388	12.70%	2,629	86.03%	39	1.28%
1932	252	8.31%	2,752	90.71%	30	0.99%
1928	848	35.30%	1,543	64.24%	11	0.46%
1924	229	11.94%	1,645	85.77%	44	2.29%
1920	1,191	28.04%	3,046	71.70%	11	0.26%
1916	733	25.08%	2,106	72.05%	84	2.87%
1912	513	16.73%	2,287	74.57%	267	8.71%

References

^ Yolanda Reid, "Robertson County," Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Retrieved: March 21, 2013.
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
^ Durham, Walter T. Rebellion Revisited: A History of Sumner County, Tennessee from 1861 to 1870(Franklin, Tennessee: Hillsboro Press, 1999, 2nd ed.)
^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
^ "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.
^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
^ Based on 2000 census data
^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
^ Tennessee Department of Transportation Long Range Planning Division Office of Data Visualization (2018). Robertson County (PDF) (Map). Tennessee Department of Transportation.
^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 12, 2018.