County · code 47091
Johnson CountyTennessee
Johnson County is a county in Tennessee with its seat in Mountain City. It was created in 1836 and named after Thomas Johnson.
- Founded1836
- County seatMountain City
- Named forThomas Johnson
- Land area298 sq mi + 4.3 sq mi water
- Population17,948 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped14,180 checked 14 October 2026
Where it is
Johnson on the map of Tennessee
Tennessee has 95 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1836 from Carter County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Johnson County was created from Carter County in 1836. Its boundaries have changed several times through exchanges with Carter County, with adjustments made in 1852, 1854, 1895, and 1911.
- c. 1785Johnson County created The First General Assembly of the State of Franklin convened in Jonesborough, Tenn., and recognized the three existing North Carolina counties located in eastern Tennessee and created four new counties; the text of the acts is not extant and the precise boundaries of the counties are unknown. North Carolina did not recognize the legitimacy of these counties and sought to regain control of the area. Wayne (State of Franklin) created from Washington (Tennessee) and Wilkes in the vicinity of present Carter (Tennessee) and Johnson (Tennessee). · Jordan, "Evolution . . . Hawkins and Sumner," 4-5, 8; Ramsey, 293-295; Williams, Lost State of Franklin, 55-58
- 1836Johnson County created Johnson created from Carter. · Tenn. Acts 1835, 21st assy., 1st sess., loc., ch. 31, sec. 1/p. 137
- 1852Lost territory Johnson lost to Carter to accommodate local residents (later repealed). · Tenn. Acts 1851, 29th assy., ch. 249/p. 407
- 1854Gained territory Johnson gained from Carter to accommodate local residents (later repealed). · Tenn. Acts 1853, 30th assy., ch. 181/p. 250
- 1895Lost territory Johnson lost small area to Carter. · Tenn. Acts 1895, 49th assy., ch. 61/p. 98
- 1911Gained territory Johnson gained from Carter to accommodate local residents. · Tenn. Acts 1911, 57th assy., priv., ch. 275/p. 713
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Johnson
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Official
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 14,180 parcels from Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, Division of Property Assessments (published by the Office of Information Resources). Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 10 September 2026 · checked 14 October 2026 -
Address points Official
One point per address, 12,001 in all from TECB and local 911 districts via TNMap (tnmap_oir).
edited 6 October 2026 · checked 14 October 2026 -
Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Johnson by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Who to ask before you build, dig or sell
Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.
Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.
County government
- County government
The official website of Johnson County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Johnson County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Johnson County
- When was Johnson County founded?
- Johnson County was founded in 1836, formed from Carter County, and named after Thomas Johnson.
- What is the county seat of Johnson County?
- The county seat of Johnson County is Mountain City.
- Is there an online parcel map for Johnson County?
- Yes. Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, Division of Property Assessments (published by the Office of Information Resources) publishes a parcel map of 14,180 parcels, rated official here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Johnson County's boundary or name changed?
- Johnson County was created in 1785 from Carter County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 5 later changes, most of them small boundary adjustments, chiefly involving Carter County.
- Who issues septic and well permits in Johnson County?
- The county's page on septic systems and wells: Health department: septic and well.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Johnson County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby