Athens, Tennessee
Athens is a city of 14,471 people in McMinn County, Tennessee, founded in 1822.
Why visit Athens
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 10 parks and trails, 45 places to eat, 11 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Athens Movie Palace, Kelly Hill, Alexander H. Keith House and Niota Depot.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 28°F.
Weather in Athens
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Athens
Athens is the county seat of McMinn County, Tennessee, United States and the principal city of the Athens Micropolitan Statistical Area has a population of 53,569. The city is located almost equidistantly between the major cities of Knoxville and Chattanooga. The population was 14,084 at the 2020 census. The population estimate for 2024 was 15,050 for the U.S census
From the Wikipedia article Athens, Tennessee (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Museums and landmarks5
Alexander H. Keith House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Historic house in Athens, Tennessee, United States
Niota Depot
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.2 mi
Historic building in Niota, Tennessee
McMinn County Living Heritage Museum
Museum · 1.2 mi
522 West Madison Avenue, Athens
Tu-Fr 10:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-13:00; PH off
Parks, trails and playgrounds10
Eagle Trail
Park · 0.8 mi
Created by Eagle Scouts to provide a moderately strenuous hiking environment within the city limits.
Market Park
Park · 1.3 mi
Established in 2013, this park was built to house the local farmer's market, as well as public events.
Restaurants and cafes45
Lotus Thai Cuisine
Restaurant · Thai · 1.6 mi
420 South White Street, Athens
Mo-Fr 11:00-21:00; Sa 16:00-21:00, Su 11:30-21:00
Cracker Barrel
Restaurant · American, Burger, Chicken, Breakfast, Pancake · 2.7 mi
33 more on the map.
Where to stay11
Churches and places of worship31
Beth Salem Presbyterian Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 5.0 mi
First United Presbyterian Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Trinity United Methodist Church (Athens, Tennessee)
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Saint Paul's Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 1.4 mi
123 South Jackson Street, Athens
Shopping13
Gas and EV charging14
Schools, colleges and libraries25
McMinn County High School
School · 1.9 mi
2215 Congress Parkway Northwest, Athens
Healthcare6
Map of Athens
163 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49°F | 28°F | 5.6 in | 1.0 in |
| Feb | 53°F | 31°F | 5.1 in | 1.3 in |
| Mar | 62°F | 37°F | 5.5 in | 0.8 in |
| Apr | 71°F | 45°F | 5.5 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 79°F | 55°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 85°F | 63°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 68°F | 5.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 88°F | 66°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 83°F | 60°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 73°F | 47°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 61°F | 36°F | 4.9 in | 0.1 in |
| Dec | 52°F | 31°F | 5.9 in | 0.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Athens (2 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
McMinn County has had 11 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-02-06: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2025-04-02: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-04-02: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2015-04-02: Severe Winter Storm And Flooding (Severe Ice Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
McMinn County Airport (MMI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Niota 5 mi northeast, about 8 min by car
- Englewood 7 mi east, about 11 min by car
- Riceville 7 mi southwest, about 11 min by car
- Etowah 9 mi southeast, about 15 min by car
- Sweetwater 12 mi northeast, about 20 min by car
- Alcoa 44 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Chattanooga 45 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Knoxville 51 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Fort Oglethorpe 51 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Dalton 52 mi southwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Mcminn-county-courthouse1, Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0
- First Presby Church Athens FrontView, BethShalomRichard, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Beth-Salem-Presbyterian-Church-tn1, Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0
- Alexander-keith-house-tn1, Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0
- Trinity UMC in Athens, Nyttend, Public domain
- Old College, Tennessee Wesleyan College, Nyttend, Public domain
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