Rutledge, Tennessee
Rutledge is a city in and the county seat of Grainger County, Tennessee.[8] The city is part of both the Knoxville metropolitan area and the Morristown metropolitan area.[9] As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 1,321.
Geography[edit]
Rutledge is situated near the center of Richland Valley, a narrow valley that stretches for some 35 miles (56 km) along the southern base of Clinch Mountain between Blaine and Bean Station. Richland Creek traverses most of the valley en route to its confluence along the Cherokee Lake impoundment of the Holston River, approximately 20 miles (32 km) downstream from Rutledge. Cherokee Lake's Ray Creek embayment is located approximately 10 miles (16 km) east of Rutledge.
Rutledge is centered around the junction of U.S. Route 11W, which connects the city to Kingsport to the east and Knoxville to the west, and State Route 92, which connects the city to Jefferson County, Interstate 40, and Interstate 81 to the south. U.S. Route 25E, which traverses Clinch Mountain, intersects US-11W in nearby Bean Station.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.7 square miles (12 km2), all land.
Arts and culture[edit]
Tomato Festival[edit]
Rutledge Middle School in Rutledge is the location of the Grainger County Tomato Festival, which celebrates the tomato, Grainger County's most popular cash crop, annually since 1992. Around thirty-thousand festival-goers across the state of Tennessee and the United States gather to witness events about the county's heritage and its significant agricultural impact across the state of Tennessee, enjoy live music performances, purchase local produce and handmade gifts, and take part in arts and crafts events. The Grainger County Tomato Festival takes place during the final weekend in July.[19]