COOKEVILLE, TENNESSEE

'Cookeville' is a city in Putnam County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 23,923 at the 2000 census. The 2004 Census estimate of Cookeville's population is 27,648, and the combined total of those living in Cookeville's ZIP codes in 2000 is 55,448. It is the county seat of Putnam County and home to Tennessee Technological University. It is recognized as one of the country's micropolitan areas, smaller towns which nevertheless function as significant economic hubs. Ranked as having the strongest economy among Tennessee's twenty micropolitan areas, Cookeville is the largest in the state, with a 2006 population of 99,942.

Contents

Geography

Economy

Demographics

Education

Cookeville media

Newspapers links

Radio stations links

Television stations links

Weekly shoppers links

Web Sites

ZIP codes

Famous Residents

Points of interest

Cookeville government links

Cookeville museums

Cookeville performing arts

Cookeville maps

Geography

Cookeville is located at (36.164202, -85.504295).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 57.1 km² (22.0 mi²). 56.6 km² (21.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (0.77%) is water.
Average annual temperature, 57 degrees F. Monthly average high, January 52.9 degrees F. and July 88 degrees F. Monthly average low, January 67.2 degrees F. Average annual precipitation, 51", Average annual snowfall, 8". Prevailing wind, SE. Mean length of freeze free period, 211 days, Average relative humidity: 12:00 Midnight - 79%; 6 am - 85%; Noon - 48%; 6 p.m. - 62%. Altitude 1,140 feet above sea level.
Cookeville is located approximately 80 miles east of Nashville and 100 miles west of Knoxville on Interstate 40. Chattanooga is approximately 90 miles to the south on Appalachian Corridor J, or Tennessee Highway 111.
Located on the first tier of the Cumberland Plateau, Cookeville's elevation is a few hundred feet higher than either Nashville or Knoxville. As a result, temperatures and humidity levels are generally slightly lower in Cookeville than in either the Nashville Basin or in the Tennessee Valley.
Three man-made lakes maintained by the Corps of Engineers are located near Cookeville, created to help flood control in the narrow valleys of the Cumberland Plateau: Center Hill Lake, Cordell Hull Lake, and Dale Hollow Lake.

Economy

★ Approximately 25,000 people travel to Cookeville daily to work, shop, or attend school.

★ Cookeville's 2005 retail sales total of $1.16 billion was a 12.4 % increase from the 2004 retail sales total. The state's increase was 7.86 %.

★ The December 2006 unemployment rate was 4.7 %, down from a high of 6.8 % in August 2006 after the closing of two large manufacturing facilities with 1300 employees combined.

★ Manufacturing is the largest sector in Cookeville's economy with over 100 plants and 8,000 employees. Oreck is moving into the vacated TRW facility in Cookeville. TRW employed approximately 400 people at their Cookeville facility before closing in 2006. As of December 2006 Oreck had 120 employees in Cookeville and has announced its intention to move another 400 jobs from Mississippi to the Cookeville facility. Also in 2006,after nearly 30 years of being in business in Cookeville Russell Stover Candies laid off 900 employees, many of those employees were married couples. The former Russell Stover manufacturing facility is now used as a warehouse for candy and employs only 30 people.

★ Even with the loss of 900 Russell Stover and 400 TRW manufacturing jobs, over-all employment in Cookeville increased by over 1200 between August 2006 and March 2007, resulting in 33,510 jobs in Cookeville and a March 2007 unemployment rate of 4.5 percent.

★ With 13 % of the workforce, retail trade employs about 4,200 people and is the second largest sector in the Cookeville economy.

★ Health care workers comprise about 12 % of the work force with 3,840 employees.

★ Education is another major sector with nearly 2,000 employees at Tennessee Technological University and the public school system.

★ In June 2006 Cookeville banks had $1.215 billion in deposits, an increase of 10.2 percent over June 2005. In June 2006 there were 30 bank branches in Cookeville, an increase of three branches over June 2005.
Source: Tennessee Department of Labor and FDIC

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 23,923 people, 9,938 households, and 5,316 families residing in the city. The population density was 422.5/km² (1,094.5/mi²). There were 10,746 housing units at an average density of 189.8/km² (491.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 71.11% White, 2.91% African American, 0.16% Native American, 1.88% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 2.61% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.22% of the population.
There were 9,938 households out of which 22.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.5% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the city the population was spread out with 18.0% under the age of 18, 25.2% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 101.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,533, and the median income for a family was $39,623. Males had a median income of $28,013 versus $21,710 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,684. About 13.1% of families and 23.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.1% of those under age 18 and 18.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

★ Cookeville is home to Tennessee Technological University and its 9,600 students. Tennessee Tech is ranked among the Top Public Schools in the South and among the top 40 Best Universities-Master's in U.S. News & World Report's 2005 edition of "America's Best Colleges." TTU was also ranked among the Top Public Schools in the South in the 2003 and 2005 college guides. This year, The Princeton Review also listed TTU as "Best Southeastern College."

★ Cookeville High School is the largest non-metropolitan school in the state and is one of only five schools in Tennessee to offer the International Baccalaureate program. The other four Tennessee schools with the program are all in Nashville or Franklin.

★ Cookeville is home to a campus of Nashville State Community College.

★ Medvance Institute also provides higher education in medical and technical fields.

Cookeville media

Cookeville is home to one daily newspaper, a monthly business journal, 8 FM radio stations, 3 AM stations, 2 television stations, and several weekly shoppers.

Newspapers links

★ Herald-Citizen daily newspaper

★ Cumberland Business Journal monthly business newspaper for Cookeville and surrounding counties

★ Cumberland Courier online news and information publication continually updated

Radio stations links

★ WTTU 88.5 FM Tennessee Tech student alternative radio

★ WAYW 89.1 Christian Hit Radio

★ WHRS 91.7 NPR radio

★ WGSQ 94.7 FM Country Giant radio

★ WGIC 98.5 FM Magic 98.5 Today's Best Music

★ WKXD 106.9 Kicks FM Top 40 radio

★ WBXE B-Rock 93.7 FM Classic Rock radio

★ WLQK 95.9 FM Light Rock radio

★ WJNU 96.9 FM Life Talk radio

★ WATX 1600 AM Christian radio

★ WHUB AM 1400 Classic Country radio

★ WPTN AM 780 News Talk radio

Television stations links

★ WCTE TV 22 PBS television

★ CookevilleTV.com on-line version of local daily cable news show

★ WNPX 28 Pax television

Weekly shoppers links

★ The Peddler

★ Upper Cumberland Shopper

Web Sites

★ Cookeville City Website

★ Cookeville ROCKS! - Local events and concerts

★ Upper Cumberland Information

ZIP codes

Cookeville has five ZIP codes: 38501, 38502, 38503, 38505 (Tennessee Tech), and 38506

Famous Residents

Pink Elephant statue

Points of interest

★ Gerald D. Coorts Memorial Arboretum

★ The Cookeville Depot Museum

★ Cane Creek Park

★ Burgess Falls State Park

★ City Lake park

★ Cookeville Drama Center

★ Tennessee Tech University

★ Arda E. Lee's Hidden Hollow

★ Cookeville History Museum

Cookeville government links

★ City of Cookeville

★ Tennessee Tech University

★ Cookeville schools

★ Putnam County Libraries

★ Cookeville Chamber of Commerce

★ Downtown Cookeville

★ Arda E Lee's Hidden Hollow

★ Cookeville Clean Commission

★ Hyder-Burks Agricultural Pavilion

★ Cookeville Tennessee Community Guide

Cookeville museums

★ Cookeville Depot Museum

★ Cookeville History Museum

★ Cookeville Childrens Museum

★ Derryberry Art Gallery

★ Cumberland Art Society and Gallery

★ Appalachian Center for Craft Gallery

Cookeville performing arts

★ Cookeville Children's Theatre

★ Dogwood Outdoor Performance Pavilion

★ Bryan Symphony Orchestra

★ Bryan Fine Arts Center

★ Mastersingers

★ Cookeville Drama Center

★ Backdoor Playhouse

★ Drama Center Backstage

★ Wesley Arena Theatre

★ Shakespeare in the Park

★ Brown Bag Lunch Concerts

Cookeville maps

Sightseeing map of Cookeville (pdf)