County · code 47121
Meigs CountyTennessee
Meigs County is a county in Tennessee, formed in 1836 from Rhea County and seated in Decatur.
- Founded1836
- County seatDecatur
- Named forReturn J. Meigs, Sr.
- Land area195 sq mi + 22 sq mi water
- Population12,758 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped9,615 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Meigs 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 Rhea County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Meigs County was created on January 20, 1836, from Rhea County. The county was named after Return J. Meigs, Sr. Over its early history, Meigs exchanged land with neighboring counties multiple times to accommodate local residents: it lost territory to Bradley in 1867, gained and then lost land to and from McMinn County between 1871 and 1887, exchanged with Roane County in 1883, and gained land from the extinct James County in 1885. In the twentieth century, Meigs continued to adjust its boundaries, losing small amounts of land to Bradley County in 1917, 1931, and 1949.
- 1836Meigs County created Meigs created from Rhea. · Tenn. Acts 1835, 21st assy., 1st sess., loc., ch. 34, sec. 1/p. 146
- 1867Lost territory Meigs lost to Bradley to accommodate local residents. · Tenn. Acts 1866, 34th assy., 2d adj. sess., priv., ch. 76, sec. 3/p. 236
- 1883Exchanged territory Meigs exchanged with Roane. · Tenn. Acts 1883, 43d assy., ch. 89/p. 89
- 1885Gained territory Meigs gained from James (extinct) to accommodate local resident.from James· Tenn. Acts 1885, 44th assy., ch. 102/p. 199
- 1891Gained territory Meigs gained from Roane to accommodate local resident. · Tenn. Acts 1891, 47th assy., ch. 244/p. 467
Show all 11 changes
- 1836Meigs County created Meigs created from Rhea. · Tenn. Acts 1835, 21st assy., 1st sess., loc., ch. 34, sec. 1/p. 146
- 1867Lost territory Meigs lost to Bradley to accommodate local residents. · Tenn. Acts 1866, 34th assy., 2d adj. sess., priv., ch. 76, sec. 3/p. 236
- 1871Gained territory Meigs gained from McMinn to accommodate local residents. · Tenn. Acts 1871, 37th assy., 1st sess., ch. 91/p. 82; Tenn. Acts 1872, 37th assy., call sess., ch. 19/p. 42
- 1883Exchanged territory Meigs exchanged with Roane. · Tenn. Acts 1883, 43d assy., ch. 89/p. 89
- 1885Gained territory Meigs gained from James (extinct) to accommodate local resident.from James· Tenn. Acts 1885, 44th assy., ch. 102/p. 199
- 1887Lost territory Meigs lost to McMinn to accommodate local residents. · Tenn. Acts 1887, 45th assy., ch. 202/p. 333
- 1891Gained territory Meigs gained from McMinn to accommodate local residents. · Tenn. Acts 1891, 47th assy., ch. 33/p. 69
- 1891Gained territory Meigs gained from Roane to accommodate local resident. · Tenn. Acts 1891, 47th assy., ch. 244/p. 467
- 1917Lost territory Meigs lost to Bradley to accommodate local residents. · Tenn. Acts 1917, 60th assy., priv., ch. 188/p. 651
- 1931Lost territory Meigs lost to Bradley to accommodate local residents. · Tenn. Acts 1931, 67th assy., priv., ch. 812/p. 2132
- 1949Lost territory Meigs lost to Bradley to accommodate local residents. · Tenn. Acts 1949, 76th assy., priv., ch. 791/p. 2374
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Meigs
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 9,615 parcels from Meigs County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 21 March 2025 · checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Official
One point per address, 8,102 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
Meigs 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
Meigs County's official site
We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.
County government
- County government
The official website of Meigs County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Meigs 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 Meigs County
- When was Meigs County founded?
- Meigs County was founded in 1836, formed from Rhea County, and named after Return J. Meigs, Sr..
- What is the county seat of Meigs County?
- The county seat of Meigs County is Decatur.
- Is there an online parcel map for Meigs County?
- Yes. Meigs County publishes a parcel map of 9,615 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Meigs County's boundary or name changed?
- Meigs County was created in 1836 from Rhea County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 10 later changes, chiefly involving Bradley County, McMinn County and Roane County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Meigs County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby