About Cookeville
The City of Cookeville, re-incorporated in 1903, is located 80 miles east of Nashville, 98 miles north of Chattanooga and 102 miles west of Knoxville at the intersection of I-40 and Highway 111. The 2025 estimated population of the city was 36,546, and the current land area is 23,173 acres, or 36.2 square miles. Cookeville is the county seat of Putnam County and is the largest City in the Upper Cumberland Region of Middle Tennessee.
Government
The City of Cookeville operates under the council-manager form of municipal government. The City Council consists of five members elected at large. The Mayor is selected by the Council and is traditionally the council member receiving the highest vote tally. The Council enacts local legislation, adopts budgets, determines policies, and appoints the City Manager, who executes the laws and administers the government of the City.
Workforce
Cookeville is a regional center for employment, education, retailing, health care, and recreational/cultural activities. It is the home of Tennessee Technological University, the top public university in the state. Also located in the City is the Cookeville Regional Medical Center, the largest hospital in the region. Approximately 20,000 Upper Cumberland Region residents travel to Cookeville each day to work, attend school, received health care, shop, or participated in leisure time activities.
Quality of Life
A wide variety of recreational and cultural opportunities are provided for Cookeville's residents and visitors. The City of Cookeville manages and maintains 10 scenic City parks, the jewel of which is Cane Creek Park, a 300-acre park with a 56-acre lake. Cookeville is known as the "World Capital of Waterfalls," for having over 150 within 40 miles. In addition, three Corps of Engineer lakes, with over 1,200 miles of shorelines, are within a 30-minute drive.
The Cookeville Performing Arts Center offers a full schedule of touring plays and performances plus presentations by the Cookeville Summer Theatre and the Cookeville Children’s Theatre. The Tech Community Symphony, in operation since 1963, presents several concerts each year. There are over 100 active civic clubs and community organizations in the county.
Schools
Cookeville and Putnam County have a consolidated school system. Six elementary schools, (grades Kindergarten to 4th), two middle schools, (grades 5 and 6 and grades 7 and 8), an alternative school, and a high school (grades 9 to 12), and an adult high school are located in Cookeville. Cookeville High School is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. It serves as a comprehensive vocational education center for all Putnam County Schools.