Westmoreland, Tennessee

Westmoreland
Town
Westmoreland, Tennessee
Watertower in Westmoreland
Watertower in Westmoreland
Location of Westmoreland in Sumner County, Tennessee.
Location of Westmoreland in Sumner County, Tennessee.
Coordinates: 36°33′43″N 86°14′53″W / 36.5619881°N 86.2480443°W / 36.5619881; -86.2480443
CountryUnited States
StateTennessee
CountySumner
Incorporated1901[1]
Named afterWestmoreland (lumberman)[2]
Area
[3]
 • Total
4.36 sq mi (11.29 km2)
 • Land4.34 sq mi (11.24 km2)
 • Water0.019 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation
[4]
925 ft (282 m)
Population
 (2020)[5]
 • Total
2,718
 • Density626.2/sq mi (241.78/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
37186
Area code615
FIPS code47-79420[6]
GNIS feature ID1304492[4]
Websitewestmorelandtn.gov

Westmoreland is a town in Sumner County, Tennessee, United States, and is bordering southern Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, Westmoreland had a population of 2,718.[7] The town name was inspired by a wealthy lumberman from North Carolina, sharing the same name.[8]

History

Despite being a relatively small town, Westmoreland is notable for several things, among them having the shortest railway tunnel in the world, at 42 feet long.[9]

Originally created in 1901 by a state charter, the town was officially incorporated to the State of Tennessee in February 1901.[10] In the years that followed, it slowly grew to the albeit small population it had today.

In the early 2000s, the Westmoreland Elementary school shut down, and relocated to a school closer to the Middle and High schools. The building today stands as Westmoreland Dream Center, and is a hub for can food drives and some boy scout activities.

The town claims to have the smallest railroad tunnel in the world, built in 1887, which is approximately 45 feet long.[11][12] It is sometimes called "Little Tunnel". However, a tunnel in Backbone Rock Recreation Area, Shady Valley, Tennessee, also claims to be the shortest.[13]

A mural in Town Square depicts the tunnel, along with a few other notable buildings and places.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.8 km2), of which 3.8 square miles (9.8 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) (0.52%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1960865—
19701,42364.5%
19801,75423.3%
19901,726−1.6%
20002,09321.3%
20102,2065.4%
20202,71823.2%
Sources:[14][15][5]

2020 census

Westmoreland racial composition[16]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 2,449 90.1%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 36 1.32%
Native American 4 0.15%
Asian 26 0.96%
Other/Mixed 128 4.71%
Hispanic or Latino 75 2.76%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,718 people, 990 households, and 646 families residing in the town.

2000 census

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 2,093 people, 804 households, and 561 families residing in the town. The population density was 547.5 inhabitants per square mile (211.4/km2). There were 874 housing units at an average density of 228.6 units per square mile (88.3 units/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.85% White, 0.55% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races, and 0.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.13% of the population.

There were 804 households, out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $28,958, and the median income for a family was $36,944. Males had a median income of $25,795 versus $19,366 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,185. About 8.7% of families and 13.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 17.6% of those age 65 or over.

References

  1. ↑ Tennessee Blue Book, 2005-2006, pp. 618-625.
  2. ↑ Nancy Capace, Encyclopedia of Tennessee (North American Book Distributors, 2000), p. 229.
  3. ↑ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  4. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Westmoreland, Tennessee
  5. 1 2 "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  6. 1 2 "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  7. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
  8. ↑ "City of Westmoreland - Official Website of Westmoreland, TN". Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  9. ↑ "City History". Westmoreland Chamber. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  10. ↑ "About Westmoreland - City of Westmoreland". Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Little Tunnel - Westmoreland, TN - Abandoned Train Tunnels on Waymarking.com". www.waymarking.com. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  12. ↑ J, Ken (August 29, 2019). "The Little Tunnel in Westmoreland". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Cherokee National Forest | Backbone Rock Recreation Area | Forest Service". www.fs.usda.gov. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing: Decennial Censuses". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.