Why visit Loretto
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark and 3 parks and trails in and around town.
Highlights include St. Mary's Cemetery and Burke Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; January lows average 31°F.
Weather in Loretto
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Loretto
Loretto is a city in Lawrence County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,714 at the 2010 census, and 1,739 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Loretto, Tennessee (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks1
St. Mary's Cemetery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Cemetery in Lawrence County, Tennessee
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Churches and places of worship6
Sacred Heart of Jesus Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic church in Loretto, Tennessee, USA
Schools, colleges and libraries6
History
Loretto began as a stagecoach station known as "Glen Rock" in the early 19th century. In 1870, a number of German Catholic immigrants settled in the Loretto area, and a new city was established shortly afterward. Some sources suggest the name "Loretto" was inspired by the Loreto region in Italy, while others say the city was named for a sainted nun. The congregation the immigrants formed, the Sacred Heart Church of Jesus, still exists, and their church (built in 1912) is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. With the arrival of the railroad in the 1880s, Loretto thrived as a lumber town.
From the History section of Loretto, Tennessee on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Map of Loretto
16 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51°F | 31°F | 6.0 in |
| Feb | 55°F | 34°F | 5.5 in |
| Mar | 64°F | 41°F | 5.5 in |
| Apr | 73°F | 49°F | 5.3 in |
| May | 80°F | 58°F | 5.5 in |
| Jun | 87°F | 66°F | 4.6 in |
| Jul | 90°F | 69°F | 3.9 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 68°F | 4.0 in |
| Sep | 84°F | 62°F | 4.5 in |
| Oct | 74°F | 50°F | 3.6 in |
| Nov | 62°F | 40°F | 4.2 in |
| Dec | 53°F | 35°F | 6.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Lexington (9 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
Lawrence County has had 15 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)
- 2020-07-09: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-04-02: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 25 miles away.
- Lawrenceburg 13 mi northeast, about 21 min by car
- Killen 16 mi south, about 26 min by car
- Underwood-Petersville 20 mi southwest, about 33 min by car
- Rogersville 20 mi southeast, about 32 min by car
- Florence 21 mi southwest, about 35 min by car
- Muscle Shoals 26 mi southwest, about 42 min by car
- Sheffield 27 mi southwest, about 43 min by car
- Tuscumbia 29 mi southwest, about 47 min by car
- Hohenwald 33 mi north, about 53 min by car
- Athens 34 mi southeast, about 56 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
- Bank-of-Loretto-tn1, Brian Stansberry, CC BY 4.0
- Loretto-Sacred-Heart-tn1, Brian Stansberry, CC BY 4.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.