| Official Name: | Smithville, Tennessee |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Mapsize: | 250x200px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Tennessee |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | DeKalb |
| Government Type: | Mayor-Aldermanic |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Title1: | Josh Miller |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1838[1] |
| Established Title2: | Incorporated |
| Established Date2: | 1843[2] |
| Named For: | Samuel Granville Smith, local politician |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [3] |
| Area Total Km2: | 15.16 |
| Area Land Km2: | 15.16 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.00 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 5.85 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 5.85 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.00 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 5004 |
| Population Density Km2: | 330.05 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 854.80 |
| Timezone: | Central (CST) |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Elevation M: | 316 |
| Elevation Ft: | 1037 |
| Coordinates: | 35.9572°N -85.8208°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 37166 |
| Area Code: | 615 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 47-69320[4] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 1313778[5] |
Smithville is a city in DeKalb County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 5,004 at the 2020 census,[6] up from 3,994 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of DeKalb County.[7] Smithville is home to the Smithville Fiddler's Jamboree, which it has hosted annually since 1972.[8]
Smithville is located in central DeKalb County at 35.9572°N -85.8208°W (35.957191, -85.820756).[9] U.S. Route 70 passes through the town as Broad Street, leading east to Sparta and northwest to Lebanon. Tennessee State Route 56 (Congress Boulevard) crosses US 70 a few blocks southeast of the center of town and leads north to Interstate 40 at Silver Point and south to McMinnville. Cookeville is to the northeast,[10] Murfreesboro is to the west-southwest,[11] and Nashville is to the west-northwest.[12]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.3km2, all land.[6]
| Number | Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 3,994 | 79.82% | |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 101 | 2.02% | |
| Native American | 11 | 0.22% | |
| Asian | 37 | 0.74% | |
| Pacific Islander | 5 | 0.1% | |
| Other/Mixed | 206 | 4.12% | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 650 | 12.99% |
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,994 people, 1,675 households, and 1,065 families residing in the city. The population density was 679.4sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 1,837 housing units at an average density of 312.5sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the city was 94.34% White, 2.73% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 1.65% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.06% of the population.
There were 1,675 households, out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% were married couples living together, 16.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $22,482, and the median income for a family was $30,179. Males had a median income of $29,231 versus $20,705 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,854. About 15.4% of families and 22.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.3% of those under age 18 and 25.8% of those age 65 or over.
Smithville is referred to by a local-boy Marine talking to a girl and pointing to labels on a map during a dance hall scene, 17 minutes into the 1949 World War II John Wayne film, Sands of Iwo Jima, where it is mentioned, apart from everybody in his family being related to much of Tennessee, as being famous for "corn tobacco" and "more fertilizer than any other place in the world".
| Smithville Fiddler's Jamboree & Crafts Festival | |
| Years Active: | 1972-present |
| Genre: | Bluegrass music, old-time music |
| Attendance: | 100,000+ |
Joe L. Evins helped start the world-famous Smithville Fiddler's Jamboree & Crafts Festival. The first Jamboree was held in July 1972 on a stage built on the steps of the DeKalb County Courthouse, and has been held there annually on the weekend nearest to July 4. The first Jamboree attracted 714 musicians from 16 states, and was attended by an estimated audience of 8,000. Present day audiences are estimated to be well over 100,000 from all over the U.S., and many from abroad. [13]