Scott County was established in 1849 from portions of Fentress, Morgan, and Campbell Counties. It was named in honor of General Winfield Scott, a veteran of the War of 1812 and the Mexican War, who served as the Chief of Staff for the Army and as an advisor to the President. The earliest known settlers came to Scott County in 1786 and settled along the New River and its tributaries. The mild climate, abundant rainfall, and prime agricultural land attracted settlers to stay.

Scott County is located in northeastern Tennessee on the Cumberland Plateau in the western foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in a rugged and scenic region. The eastern portion of Scott County contains the Appalachian Mountains and the western part contains the Big South Fork Cumberland River Gorge. Scott County is approximately 65 miles northwest of Knoxville, approximately 175 miles northeast of Nashville, and approximately 120 miles south of Lexington, KY. Scott County consists of 348,160 acres of land. It is bordered on the north by Kentucky, to the east by Campbell County, to the east southeast by Anderson County, to the south by Morgan County, and to the west by Fentress County.

Scott County is an Enterprise Community with a skilled labor force. Enterprise Zone programs are available to business or industry wishing to relocate, expand or embark upon a new business.

Scott County consists of approximately 536 square miles. In 1997 Scott County had an estimated population of 19,788. Thirty-nine percent of the Scott County population is under the age of 25, while 12 percent is 65 years old or older.

Scott County consists of five formal government jurisdictions-- the county and four incorporated municipalities. Helenwood is located along U.S. Highway 27, in the geographic center of Scott County. This town is Scott County's newest town, having been incorporated in August, 1998. Huntsville, the county seat, is located along Tennessee Highway 63 in the geographic center of the county. Huntsville was incorporated in 1965 being primarily a residential community. Huntsville contains the county's administrative offices and a limited number of retail establishments. Oneida is situated along U.S. Highway 27, about five miles south of the Tennessee-Kentucky border. It is the largest town in Scott County and was incorporated in 1913. Oneida serves as the residential, commercial, and industrial center of the county. The town's population grew from 2,602 in 1970 to 3,502 in 1990. Winfield is located along U.S. Highway 27 in the extreme northern part of Scott County and was incorporated in 1983. Winfield possesses a rural character and a small town atmosphere. Limited commercial and industrial development exist in Winfield with a 1990 population of 564. Most residents reside along the main roads of intersection U.S. Highway 27.

Rail service is provided by Norfolk Southern Railway. The rail line runs in a north-south direction. Norfolk Southern provides direct and indirect service to many major industrial cities in the eastern United States.

The closest interstate, Interstate 75, is approximately 20 miles east of Scott County. The primary highway serving Scott County is Highway 27 being a north-south highway from Lexington, Kentucky to Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The Scott County Airport has a 5,500 foot paved runway. Scheduled air service is available at the Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport approximately 90 miles south of Scott County.

The Tennessee Valley Authority, one of the nation's largest electric power systems, provides electrical power to Plateau Electric Cooperative who locally provides electricity to Scott County. Citizens Gas Utility District provides natural gas to the area. Highland Telephone Cooperative offers telephone, internet service, and long distance.

The Scott County School System and the Oneida Independent School System provides primary and secondary education to Scott County students. Also, Landmark Christian School offers non-public primary and secondary education. Roane State Community College provides the opportunity for adults of all ages to continue their education. Tennessee Technological University offers upper level courses. Vocation training is available at the Tennessee Technology Center. The University of Tennessee is located approximately 70 miles east of Scott County in Knoxville.

Scott County is blessed with an abundance of natural resources including timber, coal, oil, and natural gas. Timber has traditionally been a major economic activity in Scott County because of its abundant mixture of hardwood and softwood forests. Of Scott County's approximately 338,000 acres, 300,300 acres, or 88.9 percent, are in forests. Although coal production decreased dramatically during the 1980's, the area still has large coal reserves. Scott County is thought to have a large reserve of oil and natural gas. In recent years, Scott County has produced an annual average of over 500,000 barrels of oil and two million cubic feet of natural gas.

Wabash National Corporation and Team Apparel are located in a one hundred acre industrial park in Huntsville. The infrastructure is available for additional industrial development. Scott County Government, the Town of Oneida, and the Town of Winfield have industrial property available. Construction of a spec building will begin soon at the Helenwood Industrial Park. Plans are underway by the town of Oneida to erect a spec building at its industrial park.

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