| County: | Robertson County |
| State: | Tennessee |
| Seal: | File:Robertson-county-tn.jpg |
| Named For: | James Robertson[1] |
| Seat Wl: | Springfield |
| Largest City Wl: | Springfield |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Billy Vogle |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 476 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 476 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.2 |
| Area Percentage: | 0.04% |
| Census Yr: | 2020 |
| Pop: | 72803 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2023 |
| Population Est: | 76776 |
| Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Time Zone: | Central |
| Web: | https://robertsoncountytn.gov |
| Ex Image: | Springfield, TN Courthouse 2019.jpg |
| Ex Image Cap: | Robertson County courthouse in Springfield |
| District: | 7th |
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.
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.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (0.04%) is water.[4]
| 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 census[5] of 2000, there were 54,433 people, 19,906 households, and 15,447 families residing in the county. The population density was 114/mi2. There were 20,995 housing units at an average density of 44/mi2. 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 3.06.⁹In 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.
United States Numbered Highways
Tennessee State Routes
Interstate 65 runs along the eastern border of the county for about 20miles, and Interstate 24 runs along the southwestern border of the county for about 10miles. 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.[6]
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.