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Maps of Tennessee

Physical Map of Tennessee. It shows the physical features of Tennessee including its mountain ranges, major rivers and lakes.

Tennessee is a state covering 42,143.1 square miles located in the southeastern United States. Tennessee is bordered by eight states, including Kentucky in the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina to the east, Georgia and Alabama to the south, and Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri to the west. This state is positioned at the intersection of three major geographic regions - the Appalachian Mountain System, the Cumberland Plateau, and the Gulf Coastal plain. Therefore, the state is home to many iconic mountain ranges, large rivers, and artificial lakes.

The Appalachian Mountain System dominates Eastern Tennessee and includes six major mountain ranges; the Bald, Great Smoky, Holston, Stone, Unaka, and Unicoi mountains. The highest point in Tennessee is Clingmans Dome, 6643 feet above sea level, located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

The Cumberland Plateau and Gulf Coastal Plain region are west of the Appalachian Mountain System. This region consists of flat hills and valleys stretching north from Chattanooga to the Kentucky border. The Gulf Coastal Plain extends into southern Illinois, while hilly land west of the Tennessee River becomes a swampy lowland flood plain along bluffs fronting the Mississippi River Delta.

The Cumberland Plateau stretches across Middle Tennessee north from Chattanooga to the Kentucky border, and the Gulf Coastal Plain extends from southeast Tennessee into southern Illinois. Flat hills and valleys characterize this region with sandstone cliffs at varying heights cut through by deep river gorges such as Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. On the state's western side, you will find hilly land along the banks of the Tennessee River, which become swampy lowlands or flood plain along bluffs that front the Mississippi River Delta

Tennessee is also home to many significant rivers and artificial lakes used for storage basins across the state. The three main rivers are Cumberland, Tennessee, and Mississippi, but there are other rivers, such as Clinch and Duck. Artificial lakes include Norris Lake and Watts Bar Lake, some of the largest in terms of surface area.

Counties Map

The State of Tennessee is divided into 95 counties. In alphabetical order, these counties are: Anderson, Bedford, Benton, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Cannon, Carroll, Carter, Cheatham, Chester, Claiborne, Clay, Cocke, Coffee, Crockett, Cumberland, Davidson, Decatur, DeKalb, Dickson, Dyer, Fayette, Fentress, Franklin, Gibson, Giles, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardeman, Hardin, Hawkins, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Lake, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Loudon, Macon, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Maury, McMinn, McNairy, Meigs, Monroe, Montgomery, Moore, Morgan, Obion, Overton, Perry, Pickett, Polk, Putnam, Rhea, Roane, Robertson, Rutherford, Scott, Sequatchie, Sevier, Shelby, Smith, Stewart, Sullivan, Sumner, Tipton, Trousdale, Unicoi, Union, Van Buren, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Weakley, White, Williamson, Wilson.

With an area of 109,247 sq. km, the State of Tennessee is the 36th largest and the 16th most populous state in the USA. Located in the center of the state, in the Cumberland River valley is Nashville – the capital, the largest and the most populous city of Tennessee. Nashville serves as an educational hub of the state and is also known for its great music industry, which has produced several highly talented musicians.

Where is Tennessee?

Map showing location of Tennessee in the world.

The State of Tennessee is located in the South-Eastern region of the United States. The State of Tennessee is landlocked and shares its borders with 8 different states. It is bordered by the state of Arkansas in the west, by Missouri in the northwest, by Kentucky in the north, by Virginia in the northeast, by North Carolina in the east, and by the states of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi in the south.

Regional Maps: Map of North America

Outline Map of Tennessee

The above blank map represents the State of Tennessee, located in the South-Eastern region of the United States. The above map can be downloaded, printed and used for geography education purposes like map-pointing and coloring activities.

The above outline map represents the State of Tennessee, located in the South-Eastern region of the United States. Tennessee is aptly nicknamed as "The Volunteer State" as in the American Civil War, the state distinguished itself with military leadership, and by the brave, unwavering exploits of its native sons. 

Key Facts

Legal Name State of Tennessee
ISO 3166 Code US-TN
Capital City Nashville
Major Cities
  1. Nashville-Davidson (1,314,530)
  2. Memphis (1,170,492)
  3. Knoxville (784,290)
  4. Chattanooga (429,654)

This page was last updated on January 27, 2023

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