Benton County, Tennessee

Benton County Education, Geography, and History

Benton County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 16,489. Its county seat is Camden. The county was created in December 1835 and organized in 1836.

Etymology - Origin of Benton County Name

Named in honor of David Benton (1779-1860), member of the Third Regiment, Tennessee Militia in the Creek wars, early settler and farmer who was instrumental in establishing the county.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

History of Benton County

Created 1835 from Humphreys County; named in honor of David Benton (1779-1860), member of the Third Regiment, Tennessee Militia in the Creek wars, early settler and farmer who was instrumental in establishing the county.

Benton County was formed in 1835 from Humphreys County
(Private Acts of Tennessee 1835-36, Chapter 30).

Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture
The Tennessee General Assembly created Benton County on December 19, 1835, from portions of Humphreys and Henry Counties. Officials organized the county in February 1836 in a small log cabin at the site of a local post office in what is now West Camden. Initially, the county name honored Thomas Hart Benton, a leading Jacksonian Democrat, but in 1852 the state legislature approved an act that retained the original name but honored "David Benton, an old and respected citizen" of the county. Find more from the Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture: BENTON COUNTY

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 436 square miles (1,130 km²), of which, 395 square miles (1,023 km²) of it is land and 41 square miles (107 km²) of it (9.48%) is water.

Benton County is located in northwest Tennessee, bordering the western branch of the Tennessee River and 30 miles south of the Kentucky border.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Stewart County (northeast)
• Houston County (northeast)
• Humphreys County (east)
• Perry County (southeast)
• Decatur County (south)
• Carroll County (west)
• Henry County (northwest)

Education

Compare More Colleges and Universities

Find more schools to match to your needs.

Start Now