Why visit Jellico
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 3 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Heckler Knob, Queener Hill, U.S. Post Office and Mine Rescue Station and Indian Mountain State Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 26°F.
Weather in Jellico
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Jellico
Jellico is a city in Campbell County, Tennessee, United States, on the state border with Kentucky, 58 miles (93 km) by road north of Knoxville. As of the 2020 census, Jellico had a population of 200,154.
From the Wikipedia article Jellico, Tennessee (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks2
U.S. Post Office and Mine Rescue Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historic building built in 1915
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Restaurants and cafes3
History
The name "Jellico" is a local alteration of "angelica", the name of an herb that grows in abundance in the surrounding mountains. The name was first applied to the mountains to the west and to the mountains' main drainage, Jellico Creek, which passes 5 miles (8 km) west of the city of Jellico and empties into the Cumberland River near Williamsburg, Kentucky.
In the early 1880s, a high-quality bituminous coal vein was discovered in the Jellico Mountains, and with the completion of railroad tracks to the area in 1883, coal mines quickly sprang up throughout the area. The city of Jellico was initially founded as "Smithburg" in 1878, but changed its name to "Jellico" in 1883 to capitalize on the growing popularity of Jellico coal. The city was incorporated on March 7, 1883.
Throughout the 1890s and early 1900s, Jellico was one of the most productive coal fields in Kentucky and Tennessee. In 1906, a railroad car packed with dynamite exploded in Jellico, killing eight and destroying part of the town. The town quickly recovered, however, and many of the buildings in the Main Street area date from this period.
On July 6, 1944, at High Cliff (3 miles east of Jellico), a troop train carrying new recruits on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad derailed, causing the locomotive and four leading cars to fall 50 feet into Clear Fork; 35 people were killed and 100 more injured.
From the History section of Jellico, Tennessee on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship13
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries10
Map of Jellico
42 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°F | 26°F | 4.6 in |
| Feb | 50°F | 28°F | 5.0 in |
| Mar | 59°F | 34°F | 5.2 in |
| Apr | 69°F | 42°F | 5.1 in |
| May | 77°F | 52°F | 4.8 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 60°F | 5.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 64°F | 5.8 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 63°F | 3.8 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 57°F | 3.6 in |
| Oct | 70°F | 44°F | 2.8 in |
| Nov | 58°F | 33°F | 3.8 in |
| Dec | 49°F | 29°F | 5.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Newcomb (3 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
Campbell County has had 16 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)
- 2023-05-17: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornado (Severe Storm)
- 2021-05-08: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Tornado)
- 2020-04-24: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
London-Corbin Airport (LOZ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 35 miles away.
- Williamsburg 12 mi north, about 19 min by car
- Fincastle 12 mi south, about 20 min by car
- Jacksboro 17 mi south, about 27 min by car
- Caryville 19 mi south, about 30 min by car
- Middlesborough 22 mi east, about 35 min by car
- Stearns 22 mi northwest, about 35 min by car
- Barbourville 24 mi northeast, about 39 min by car
- Huntsville 24 mi southwest, about 39 min by car
- Corbin 25 mi north, about 40 min by car
- Harrogate 26 mi east, about 42 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
- Jellico-north-main-tn1, Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.