Tennessee Facts for Kids

A Map of the U.S. state Tennessee
  • U.S. State: Tennessee
  • Abbreviation: TN
  • Joined the USA: June 1st, 1796 (16th State)
  • Located: Southeastern United States
  • Capital City: Nashville, TN
  • Most Populated City: Nashville. TN

34 Tennessee Facts for Kids

  1. Tennessee is a state in the United States of America.
  2. Tennessee is in the southeastern region of the United States.
  3. Tennessee became a U.S. state on Wednesday, June 1st, 1796.
  4. Tennessee was the 16th state to join the United States.
  5. The U.S. state of Tennessee covers 42,143 square miles.
  6. Tennessee is the 36th largest state by area in the United States.
  7. In 2019, the population of Tennessee was estimated to be 6,829,000 residents by the U.S. Census Bureau.
  8. In 2019, Tennessee was the 16th most populated state in the United States.
  9. A person who is from or lives in Tennessee is called a Tennessean.
  10. The capital city of Tennessee is Nashville.
  11. The six largest cities in Tennessee are Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Clarksville and Murfreesboro.
  12. The largest city in by population in Tennessee is Nashville.
  13. The largest metropolitan area in Tennessee is the Greater Nashville area.
  14. The U.S. state of Tennessee has 95 counties.
  15. The most populated county in Tennessee is Shelby County with 937,166 residents (2019, U.S. Census Bureau).
  16. The largest county by area in Tennessee is Shelby County with 755 square miles.
  17. The highest elevation point in Tennessee is Clingmans Dome at 6,643 feet above sea level.
  18. The lowest elevation point in Tennessee is the Mississippi River at 178 feet above sea level.
  19. The average precipitation (rain and snow) in Tennessee is 51.8 inches.
  20. Tennessee is the 5th wettest state by precipitation (rain and snow) in the United States.
  21. The average temperature in Tennessee is 58.1 °F.
  22. Tennessee is the 14th warmest state in the United States.
  23. The warmest temperature ever recorded in Tennessee was 113 °F on August 9th, 1930.
  24. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Tennessee was -32 °F on December 30th, 1917.
  25. A few natural disasters that can affect Tennessee are earthquakes, ice storms, lightning and thunderstorm.
  26. Tennessee is in two time zones, Eastern Time Zone (ET) and Central Time Zone (CT).
  27. The USPS abbreviation for Tennessee is TN.
  28. Tennessee is also known as the Volunteer State.
  29. The motto for the U.S. state of Tennessee is “Agriculture and Commerce”.
  30. The official state flower of Tennessee is the iris.
  31. The official state wildflower of Tennessee is the passionflower (Passiflora incarnata).
  32. The official state tree of Tennessee is the tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera).
  33. The official state bird of Tennessee is the mockingbird (Mimidae).
  34. The official state animal of Tennessee raccoon (Procyon lotor).

Additional Resources on Tennessee

  • About Tennessee – Discover more about Tennessee, United States on the National Geographic Kids website.
  • History of Tennessee – Learn about the history of the U.S. state of Tennessee on the Tennessee State Government website.
  • Facts About Tennessee – Find more awesome facts about Tennessee on the Awesome America website.
  • Tennessee – Wikipedia – Read the article about Tennessee on the Wikipedia website to learn more about it.

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