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County · code 47179

Washington CountyTennessee

Washington County is located in Tennessee and is the county seat of Jonesborough. It was created on December 24, 1777, by North Carolina and named after George Washington.

  • Founded1777
  • County seatJonesborough
  • Named forGeorge Washington
  • Land area326 sq mi + 3.3 sq mi water
  • Population133,001 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped59,525 checked 15 October 2026
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Updated

UnicoiSullivanGreeneCarterHawkins Jonesborough Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Washington on the map of Tennessee

Tennessee has 95 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Anderson CountyBedford CountyBenton CountyBledsoe CountyBlount CountyBradley CountyCampbell CountyCannon CountyCarroll CountyCarter CountyCheatham CountyChester CountyClaiborne CountyClay CountyCocke CountyCoffee CountyCrockett CountyCumberland CountyDavidson CountyDecatur CountyDeKalb CountyDickson CountyDyer CountyFayette CountyFentress CountyFranklin CountyGibson CountyGiles CountyGrainger CountyGreene CountyGrundy CountyHamblen CountyHamilton CountyHancock CountyHardeman CountyHardin CountyHawkins CountyHaywood CountyHenderson CountyHenry CountyHickman CountyHouston CountyHumphreys CountyJackson CountyJefferson CountyJohnson CountyKnox CountyLake CountyLauderdale CountyLawrence CountyLewis CountyLincoln CountyLoudon CountyMcMinn CountyMcNairy CountyMacon CountyMadison CountyMarion CountyMarshall CountyMaury CountyMeigs CountyMonroe CountyMontgomery CountyMoore CountyMorgan CountyObion CountyOverton CountyPerry CountyPickett CountyPolk CountyPutnam CountyRhea CountyRoane CountyRobertson CountyRutherford CountyScott CountySequatchie CountySevier CountyShelby CountySmith CountyStewart CountySullivan CountySumner CountyTipton CountyTrousdale CountyUnicoi CountyUnion CountyVan Buren CountyWarren CountyWayne CountyWeakley CountyWhite CountyWilliamson CountyWilson CountyWashington County Washington
Counties of Tennessee · Washington highlighted

History

Founded in 1777

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Washington County was created by North Carolina from Washington District and western lands, originally covering all of present-day Tennessee and part of western North Carolina. Over the following years, it lost territory to the creation of Sullivan County in 1779, Davidson and Greene Counties in 1783, and Wayne County in 1785. When the United States created the Southwest Territory in 1790 from North Carolina's cession of its western lands, Washington County became a county in that territory. It became a county in the newly established state of Tennessee on June 1, 1796.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

  1. 1777
    Washington County created Washington created by North Carolina from Washington District and non-county area; included all of present Tennessee and part of North Carolina. Residents in North Holston and Carters Valley settlements (in present Tennessee) still considered themselves part of Washington (Virginia); the precise location of the boundary between Washington and Virginia was not demarcated. · N.C. St. Recs., 24:ch. 31/pp. 141-142
  2. 1779
    Lost territory Washington lost to creation of Sullivan.
    to Sullivan
    · N.C. St. Recs., 24:ch. 29/pp. 300-302
  3. 1783
    Lost territory Washington lost to creation of Davidson and Greene.
    to Davidsonto Greene
    · N.C. St. Recs., 24:ch. 51-52/pp. 539-540 and ch. 2, sec. 5/p. 479
  4. 1790
    Washington County created The United States created the Territory of the United States South of the River Ohio (Southwest Territory), covering the territory ceded in April 1790 by North Carolina (area of present Tennessee). Washington became a county in the Southwest Territory. Washington lost its eastern tip to the North Carolina side of the boundary. · Terr. Papers U.S., 4:18-19; U.S. Stat., vol. 1, ch. 14[1790], p. 123
  5. 1796
    Became part of Tennessee Washington became a county in the newly-established state of Tennessee. · U.S. Stat., vol. 1, ch. 47[1796], pp. 491-492; Folmsbee, Corlew, and Mitchell 110
Show all 28 changes (23 more, mostly small adjustments)
  1. 1777
    Washington County created Washington created by North Carolina from Washington District and non-county area; included all of present Tennessee and part of North Carolina. Residents in North Holston and Carters Valley settlements (in present Tennessee) still considered themselves part of Washington (Virginia); the precise location of the boundary between Washington and Virginia was not demarcated. · N.C. St. Recs., 24:ch. 31/pp. 141-142
  2. 1779
    Lost territory Washington lost to creation of Sullivan.
    to Sullivan
    · N.C. St. Recs., 24:ch. 29/pp. 300-302
  3. 1783
    Lost territory Washington lost to creation of Davidson and Greene.
    to Davidsonto Greene
    · N.C. St. Recs., 24:ch. 51-52/pp. 539-540 and ch. 2, sec. 5/p. 479
  4. 1785
    Lost territory Washington lost to creation of Wayne (State of Franklin); North Carolina did not recognize the legitimacy of Wayne and its precise boundaries are unknown.
    to Wayne
    · Jordan, "Evolution . . . Hawkins and Sumner," 4-5, 8; Ramsey, 293-295; Williams, Samuel C., Lost State of Franklin, 55-58
  5. 1788
    Lost territory Washington lost to Sullivan.
    to Sullivan
    · N.C. St. Recs., 24:ch. 29/p. 974
  6. 1790
    Washington County created The United States created the Territory of the United States South of the River Ohio (Southwest Territory), covering the territory ceded in April 1790 by North Carolina (area of present Tennessee). Washington became a county in the Southwest Territory. Washington lost its eastern tip to the North Carolina side of the boundary. · Terr. Papers U.S., 4:18-19; U.S. Stat., vol. 1, ch. 14[1790], p. 123
  7. 1796
    Lost territory Washington lost to creation of Carter.
    to Carter
    · Tenn. Acts 1796, 1st assy., 1st sess., ch. 31, sec. 1/p. 100
  8. 1796
    Became part of Tennessee Washington became a county in the newly-established state of Tennessee. · U.S. Stat., vol. 1, ch. 47[1796], pp. 491-492; Folmsbee, Corlew, and Mitchell 110
  9. 1809
    Lost territory Washington lost to Carter to accommodate local resident.
    to Carter
    · Scott, ch. 27/p. 1136
  10. c. 1835
    Changed Legislature authorized creation of Powell from Washington and three other counties; creation did not take effect.
    Powell
    · Tenn. Acts 1835, 21st assy., 1st sess., loc., ch. 29, secs. 1-3/pp. 129-130
  11. 1838
    Changed Legislature again authorized creation of Powell from Washington and three other counties; creation did not take effect.
    Powell
    · Tenn. Acts 1837, 22d assy., ch. 192, secs. 1-3, 15-16/pp. 277, 280-281 and ch. 199, sec. 4/p. 291
  12. 1839
    Changed Legislature again authorized creation of Powell from Washington and three other counties; this creation was disallowed by the Tennessee Supreme Court in 1841.
    Powell
    · Tenn. Acts 1839, 23d assy., ch. 15, secs. 1-2, 4-5, 16/pp. 25-27, 30; "Bradley v. Commissioners" in Tenn. Rpts., 21:428-433 [Humphreys, vol. 2]
  13. 1846
    Exchanged territory Washington exchanged with Sullivan to accommodate local residents.
    with Sullivan
    · Tenn. Acts 1845, 26th assy., ch. 47/p. 101
  14. 1854
    Changed Legislature again authorized creation of Powell from Washington and three other counties; creation did not take effect. It is unclear whether any of Washington was actually included within the boundaries as described.
    Powell
    · Tenn. Acts 1853, 30th assy., ch. 89, secs. 1-3, 8, 10, 14/pp. 158-163
  15. 1869
    Changed Legislature again authorized creation of Powell from Washington and three other counties; creation did not take effect; boundary description was identical to that proposed in 1854.
    Powell
    · Tenn. Acts 1869, 36th assy., 1st sess., pub., ch. 30, secs. 1-2, 4, 11-12, 19-20/pp. 33-38; McBride, 9
  16. 1870
    Lost territory Washington lost to Carter to accommodate local resident.
    to Carter
    · Tenn. Acts 1870, 36th assy., 2d sess., ch. 21/p. 36
  17. 1870
    Gained territory Washington gained from Sullivan to accommodate local residents.
    from Sullivan
    · Tenn. Acts 1870, 36th assy., 2d sess., ch. 1/p. 3
  18. 1875
    Lost territory Washington lost to creation of Unicoi.
    to Unicoi
    · Tenn. Acts 1875, 39th assy., ch. 68, secs. 14-15/p. 86; Goodspeed [K], 905
  19. 1881
    Gained territory Washington gained from Unicoi to accommodate local residents. Washington lost to Greene.
    from Unicoifrom Greene
    · Tenn. Acts 1881, 42d assy., 1st sess., ch. 147/p. 196; ch. 145/p. 194
  20. 1891
    Gained territory Washington gained from Greene to accommodate local residents.
    from Greene
    · Tenn. Acts 1891, 47th assy., ch. 142/p. 313
  21. 1895
    Gained territory Washington gained from Greene to accommodate local resident.
    from Greene
    · Tenn. Acts 1895, 49th assy., ch. 176/p. 375
  22. 1899
    Lost territory Washington lost to Carter to accommodate local resident (later repealed).
    to Carter
    · Tenn. Acts 1899, 51st assy., ch. 171/p. 319
  23. 1915
    Gained territory Washington gained from Carter to accommodate local resident (later repealed).
    from Carter
    · Tenn. Acts 1915, 59th assy., priv., ch. 646/p. 2114
  24. 1972
    Lost territory Washington lost to Greene to accommodate local resident.
    to Greene
    · Tenn. Acts 1972, 87th assy., 2d reg. sess., pub., ch. 450/p. 19
  25. 1973
    Lost territory Washington lost to Greene to accommodate local resident.
    to Greene
    · Tenn. Acts 1973, 88th assy., 1st reg. sess., pub., ch. 79, sec. 1/p. 186
  26. 1973
    Gained territory Washington gained from Greene to accommodate local residents.
    from Greene
    · Tenn. Acts 1973, 88th assy., 1st reg. sess., pub., ch. 102, sec. 1/p. 274
  27. 1980
    Gained territory Washington gained small areas from Greene.
    from Greene
    · Tenn. Acts 1980, 91st assy., 2d reg. sess., pub., ch. 795, sec. 1/p. 918
  28. 1982
    Gained territory Washington gained from Greene to accommodate local resident.
    from Greenefrom Washington-Greene
    · Tenn. Acts 1982, 92d assy., 2d reg. sess., pub., ch. 855/p. 514

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Washington

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

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

Washington by the Census

Population
133,001 2020 Census count
Housing units
60,546 2020 Census count
Land area
326 square miles
Water area
3.3 square miles
People per sq mi
407 population ÷ land area

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.

Records

Permits

Zoning and code

County government

See your own lot on these maps

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Questions

Common questions about Washington County

When was Washington County founded?
Washington County was founded in 1777, and named after George Washington.
What is the county seat of Washington County?
The county seat of Washington County is Jonesborough.
Is there an online parcel map for Washington County?
Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 59,525 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Washington County's boundary or name changed?
Washington County was created in 1777. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 27 later changes, most of them small boundary adjustments, chiefly involving Greene County, Carter County and Powell County.
Who issues building permits in Washington County?
The county's page on building permits: Electrical Permits & Inspections. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Washington County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door