| Official Name: | Friendsville |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Tennessee |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Blount |
| Leader Name: | [[Andy Lawhorn] ] |
| Established Title: | Settled |
| Established Date: | 1790s |
| Established Title2: | Incorporated |
| Established Date2: | 1953[1] |
| Named For: | Friends Church (Quakers) |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [2] |
| Area Total Km2: | 7.35 |
| Area Land Km2: | 7.35 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.00 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 2.84 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 2.84 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.00 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 896 |
| Population Density Km2: | 121.89 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 315.72 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Elevation Ft: | 840 |
| Coordinates: | 35.7564°N -84.1319°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 37737 |
| Area Code: | 865 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 47-28060[3] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 2403666 |
Friendsville is a city in Blount County, Tennessee. Its population was 896 at the 2020 census.[4] It is included in the Knoxville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Friendsville was founded by Quakers from New Garden, North Carolina, who settled in the area in the 1790s. The town is still home to a Friends Meetinghouse.[5] In 1854, a group of British Quaker elders stayed here whilst promoting the abolitionist cause with American leaders. During this visit, abolitionist leader William Forster died and was buried here.[6]
In the 19th century, the Quakers wielded considerable influence in Blount County, and were partially responsible for the abolitionist movements arising in the county in the years leading up to the Civil War. Along with nearby Greenback and possibly Cades Cove, Friendsville provided a stop on the Underground Railroad.[7] A cave (since filled in) near the Friends Meetinghouse was stocked with provisions by Quakers such as William J. Hackney to provide a stopover for fugitive slaves and later soldiers en route to join the Union army.[8]
K-5 education in Friendsville is provided by Friendsville Elementary School (part of Blount County Schools), which was once Friendsville High School. Boat launch facilities along Fort Loudoun Lake can be found at Gallahar Creek and Whispering Cove.
Friendsville is home to the Pellissippi State Community College, Blount County Campus.
Friendsville is located in western Blount County. The town is situated along State Route 333 (Miser Station Road) and stretches from Fort Loudoun Lake in the north to U.S. Route 321 (Lamar Alexander Parkway). It lies at an elevation of .
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.8km2, all land.[4]
As of the census of 2000, there were 890 people, 362 households, and 271 families residing in the city. The population density was 281.3sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 395 housing units at an average density of 124.8sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the city was 97.42% White, 0.22% African American, 0.90% Native American, 0.90% Asian, and 0.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.01% of the population.
There were 362 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.1% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.1% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the city the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,833, and the median income for a family was $48,000. Males had a median income of $32,232 versus $26,382 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,871. About 5.0% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.