Rockwood, Tennessee
Rockwood, Tennessee
Motto: "The place to be in Tennessee"
Location of Rockwood, Tennessee
Coordinates: 35°52′9″N 84°40′31″W / 35.86917, -84.67528
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	Roane
Area
- Total	7.9 sq mi (20.6 km²)
- Land	7.9 sq mi (20.4 km²)
- Water	0.1 sq mi (0.1 km²)
Elevation	892 ft (272 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	5,774
- Density	731.4/sq mi (282.4/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	37854
Area code(s)	865
FIPS code	47-64440[1]
GNIS feature ID	1299838[2]

Rockwood is a city in Roane County, Tennessee, United States. Its population was 5,774 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Harriman, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Rockwood is located at 35°52′9″N, 84°40′31″W (35.869147, -84.675176)^[3]. Rockwood is situated at the base of the eastern escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau, known locally as Walden Ridge. The Crab Orchard Mountains rise atop the plateau to the west. The boundary between the Eastern Time Zone and Central Time Zone runs along Rockwood's western boundary. The Watts Bar Lake impoundment of the Tennessee River provides much of Rockwood's southern boundary.

Rockwood is centered around U.S. Route 70 between its junction with State Route 29 in the northeast and State Route 27 to the southwest. In recent years, the town has expanded toward Interstate 40 to the northeast. Rockwood is a familiar site to travelers who frequent I-40 between Knoxville and Nashville, as dramatic views of Rockwood and the Tennessee Valley line the interstate just before it tops out at the edge of the Cumberland Plateau.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.9 square miles (20.6 km²), of which, 7.9 square miles (20.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.63%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 5,774 people, 2,478 households, and 1,558 families residing in the city. The population density was 731.4 people per square mile (282.6/km²). There were 2,729 housing units at an average density of 345.7/sq mi (133.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.86% White, 5.44% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic/Latino/Tejano of any race were 0.81% of the population.

There were 2,478 households out of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female households with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 83.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $23,986, and the median income for a family was $32,237. Males had a median income of $27,188 versus $20,755 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,106. About 17.4% of families and 21.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.4% of those under age 18 and 17.6% of those age 65 or over.

History

A Cherokee village situated in what is now Rockwood was the headquarters of Chief Tallentuskie, a Cherokee leader in the late 1700s and early 1800s.^[4]

Rockwood was founded in the late 1860s as the headquarters of the Roane Iron Company. The company was established by General John T. Wilder, who had noted the area's natural resources while conducting maneuvers atop Walden Ridge during the Civil War. Rockwood was named after William O. Rockwood, the first president of Roane Iron.^[5]

Notable Natives

• C. M. Newton (b. 1930), basketball player, coach and administrator, member of the Basketball Hall of Fame
• Megan Fox (b. 1986), Actress, best known for her role in the Summer 2007 blockbuster Transformers

References

External links

• Official City of Rockwood website

• Rockwood, Tennessee is at coordinates 35°52′09″N 84°40′31″W / 35.869147, -84.675176 (Rockwood, Tennessee)Coordinates: 35°52′09″N 84°40′31″W / 35.869147, -84.675176 (Rockwood, Tennessee)