Why visit Sweetwater
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 4 parks and trails, 26 places to eat and 4 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Salt & Light and 3 Generation Art Studio.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 89°F; January lows average 28°F.
Weather in Sweetwater
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Sweetwater
Sweetwater is a city in Monroe and McMinn Counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the most populous city in Monroe County. As of the 2020 census, its population was 6,312. Sweetwater is the home of the Craighead Caverns which contains the Lost Sea, the United States' largest underground lake. In 2022, TravelMag named Sweetwater one of Tennessee's "Ten Most Charming Cities".
From the Wikipedia article Sweetwater, Tennessee (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks3
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes26
Cup Runneth Over Coffeehouse
Restaurant · Breakfast, Coffee Shop, Local · 0.6 mi
111 North Main Street
Mo-Fr 06:30-18:00; Sa 08:00-16:00
El Jacal Restaurante Mexicano
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.6 mi
210 South Main Street, Sweetwater
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Hunter's Bakery & Cafe
Restaurant · Deli, Local · 0.7 mi
101 North Main Street
Tu-Th 11:00-15:00; Fr 11:00-20:00; Sa 11:00-16:00
Vittorino’s Cucina Italian Restaurant
Restaurant · Pasta, Pizza · 0.6 mi
111 North Main Street
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
Davis Restaurant
Restaurant · American, Burger, Sandwich · 0.8 mi
310 Sweetwater Vonore Rd, Sweetwater
Mo-Fr 11:00-14:00
14 more on the map.
Where to stay4
History
A legend states that the town's name originated from settlers' descriptions of area springs.
Sweetwater was established in the 1850s on a series of lots sold by Isaac Lenoir (1807–1875), a local politician and son of the founder of Lenoir City (located a few miles to the northeast in Loudon County). Sweetwater was officially incorporated in 1875.
From the History section of Sweetwater, Tennessee on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship21
First Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
601 Church Street, Sweetwater
First United Church of Christ
Church · United Church Of Christ
1018 West Morris Street, Sweetwater
Shopping6
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries12
Healthcare2
Map of Sweetwater
80 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°F | 28°F | 5.6 in | 0.9 in |
| Feb | 53°F | 30°F | 5.2 in | 1.7 in |
| Mar | 62°F | 36°F | 5.3 in | 0.1 in |
| Apr | 71°F | 44°F | 5.4 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 79°F | 54°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 86°F | 63°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 89°F | 67°F | 5.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 89°F | 66°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 84°F | 59°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 73°F | 46°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 61°F | 35°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 51°F | 30°F | 5.7 in | 0.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Decatur 7Ne (11 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, 15 miles away.
- Madisonville 8 mi southeast, about 13 min by car
- Loudon 11 mi northeast, about 18 min by car
- Athens 12 mi southwest, about 20 min by car
- Englewood 12 mi south, about 20 min by car
- Greenback 17 mi east, about 28 min by car
- Lenoir City 18 mi northeast, about 29 min by car
- Kingston 19 mi north, about 30 min by car
- Etowah 19 mi south, about 30 min by car
- Decatur 19 mi west, about 30 min by car
- Tellico Plains 19 mi southeast, 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
- Sweetwater-tennessee-tracks1, Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0
- Uplne zatmenie slnka 2017 Sweetwater Tennessee, Jaro Nemčok, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First-presbyterian-church-sweetwater-tn1, Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0
- James M. Pardue House NRHP 100011553 Monroe County, TN, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- James M. Pardue House2 NRHP 100011553 Monroe County, TN, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- TMI Main Building late 1980s, MajiqueLady, CC BY-SA 4.0
- TMI Aireal, MajiqueLady, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ISS048-E-18770 - View of The State of Georgia, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-59447 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS052-E-84238 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Post Solar Eclipse traffic at I-75 in Tennessee, Jaro Nemčok, CC BY-SA 3.0
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