Dyer County, Tennessee

Dyer County is a county located in the westernmost part of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 38,335. Its county seat is Dyersburg.

Dyer County comprises the Dyersburg, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Dyer County was founded by a Private Act of Tennessee, passed on October 16, 1823. The area was part of the territory in Tennessee that was previously legally occupied by Chickasaw Native American people ("Indian Lands").

The county was named for Robert Henry Dyer (circa 1774—1826). Dyer had been an army officer in the Creek War and War of 1812, and a cavalry colonel in the First Seminole War of 1818 before becoming a state senator. He was instrumental in the formation of the counties of Dyer and Madison County, Tennessee.

On April 2, 2006 a severe weather system passed through Dyer County, producing tornadoes that killed 16 in the county and 24 in Tennessee.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 527 square miles (1,360 km²), of which 512 square miles (1,330 km²) is land and 14 square miles (36 km²) (2.7%) is water.