Why visit Spring City
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 6 parks and trails, 9 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Spring City Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 26°F.
Weather in Spring City
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Spring City
Spring City is a town in Rhea County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,949 at the 2020 census and 1,981 at the 2010 census. The town is located along Watts Bar Lake, and Watts Bar Dam and the Watts Bar Nuclear Generating Station are nearby.
From the Wikipedia article Spring City, Tennessee (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks2
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
Restaurants and cafes9
China Panda Buffet
Restaurant · Chinese
141 East Clinton Avenue
Mo off; Tu-Su 10:30-20:30
Nick's Lakeside Grill
Diner · American · 1.4 mi
2109 New Lake Road, Spring City
Tu-Fr 16:00-21:00, Sa-Su 15:00-21:00
History
Spring City began as a stop along the Cincinnati Southern Railroad in the 1870s. The town was originally named Sulphur Springs, because of the mass amount of sulphur in the water. Sometime later it became "Rheaville," and later became incorporated with nearby Rhea Springs, and took on the name Rhea Springs. Due to an explosion, much of the town flooded or burnt, and the town relocated to its current location and was renamed Spring City, in honor of the original settlement, Sulphur Springs. The original location now lies at the bottom of a nearby section of Watts Bar Lake. Spring City thrived as a railroad shipping hub during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its first railroad depot, a simple wooden building constructed in 1879, burned in 1892, and was replaced by a larger one. This second depot was in turn replaced by the current depot, which was completed by the Southern Railway in 1909.
From the History section of Spring City, Tennessee on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Howard Johnson by Wyndham Spring City
Motel and hotel · 0.4 mi
22500 Rhea County Highway, Spring City
Churches and places of worship12
New Beginning Church
Church · Presbyterian · 0.5 mi
170 Church Street, Spring City
Spring City Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 0.5 mi
245 Church Street, Spring City
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Spring City Middle School
School · 0.5 mi
751 Wasson Memorial Hwy 68, Spring City
Healthcare2
Map of Spring City
45 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°F | 26°F | 5.7 in | 0.4 in |
| Feb | 52°F | 29°F | 5.2 in | 0.7 in |
| Mar | 60°F | 35°F | 5.5 in | 0.1 in |
| Apr | 71°F | 44°F | 5.6 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 77°F | 54°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 62°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 66°F | 5.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 65°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 81°F | 58°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 71°F | 46°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 59°F | 35°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 50°F | 30°F | 6.0 in | 0.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Spring City (1 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
Rhea 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)
- 2023-09-27: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornado (Severe Storm)
- 2023-05-17: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornado (Severe Storm)
- 2020-04-02: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Rockwood Municipal Airport (RKW) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 19 miles away.
- Decatur 12 mi south, about 19 min by car
- Dayton 16 mi southwest, about 25 min by car
- Rockwood 17 mi northeast, about 27 min by car
- Pikeville 19 mi west, about 31 min by car
- Crossville 21 mi northwest, about 33 min by car
- Midtown 21 mi northeast, about 34 min by car
- Athens 22 mi southeast, about 35 min by car
- Fairfield Glade 22 mi north, about 35 min by car
- Harriman 24 mi northeast, about 38 min by car
- Kingston 24 mi northeast, about 38 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
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Spring-City-tn1, Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.