Rutledge, Tennessee
Rutledge is a town of 1,676 people in Grainger County, Tennessee, founded in 1798.
Why visit Rutledge
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 3 places to eat and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Buzzard Knob, Pine Mountain and Nance Building.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 29°F.
Weather in Rutledge
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Rutledge
Rutledge is a city in and the county seat of Grainger County, Tennessee. The city is part of both the Knoxville metropolitan area and the Morristown metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 1,321.
From the Wikipedia article Rutledge, Tennessee (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks2
Nance Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic building in Rutledge, Tennessee, United States
103 Marshall Avenue, Rutledge
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes3
History
Rutledge was established and incorporated in 1797 and named for General George Rutledge, a prominent citizen in nearby Sullivan County. At the time of its incorporation, it became the first municipality to have its own police department in Grainger County. In 1801, Rutledge became the official county seat of Grainger County, a distinction that had been shared by several communities since the county's formation in 1796. Rutledge prospered in the early 19th century in part due to its situation along the Federal Road (present day US 11W), which connected New Orleans and Virginia. The road intersected the Wilderness Road (present day US 25E) at Bean Station, just east of Rutledge.
In the 1820s, President Andrew Johnson, who worked as a tailor in Greeneville, briefly operated a tailor shop in Rutledge. In 1976, a replica of Johnson's tailor shop was erected on the Grainger County Courthouse lawn.
From the History section of Rutledge, Tennessee on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship6
Henderson Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Saint John Paul II Catholic Mission
Church · Roman Catholic
161 Bryan Road, Rutledge
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries10
Map of Rutledge
26 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°F | 29°F | 4.4 in | 3.5 in |
| Feb | 50°F | 32°F | 4.5 in | 3.3 in |
| Mar | 59°F | 40°F | 4.4 in | 1.2 in |
| Apr | 69°F | 48°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 76°F | 56°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 64°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 68°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 67°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 61°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 70°F | 50°F | 2.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 58°F | 39°F | 3.6 in | 0.3 in |
| Dec | 49°F | 33°F | 4.4 in | 1.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Morristown Wfo (10 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
Grainger 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)
- 2024-10-02: Tropical Storm Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2021-05-08: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Tornado)
- 2020-04-02: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Morristown Regional Airport (MOR) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 11 miles away.
- Jefferson City 11 mi south, about 18 min by car
- New Tazewell 12 mi north, about 19 min by car
- New Market 12 mi south, about 20 min by car
- Blaine 13 mi southwest, about 21 min by car
- Luttrell 13 mi west, about 21 min by car
- Morristown 14 mi east, about 22 min by car
- Bean Station 14 mi east, about 23 min by car
- Maynardville 15 mi west, about 25 min by car
- Dandridge 18 mi south, about 29 min by car
- Mascot 19 mi southwest, about 31 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
- Grainger-county-courthouse-tn1, Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0
- Nance-Building-Rutledge-tn1, Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0
- Henderson-Chapel-AME-Church-tn1, Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.