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Mount Juliet is a city located in the western portion of Wilson County, Tennessee, U.S.A. It is a suburb of Nashville, and is approximately 17 miles east of downtown. It is located roughly between two major national east-west routes, Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 70. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 12,366. The city completed a special census in May of 2006, certified by the State of Tennessee, which revealed a population of 20,392. Another special census is ongoing throughout 2008. The city's official colors are the same as the town's high school: black and gold.
History
Mt. Juliet was formed in 1835 and became incorporated as a city in 1972. According to the Mt. Juliet Chamber of Commerce, the name of the town has two possible explanations. One theory is that the town was named for Julia Gleaves, a person who was renowned for taking care of those in need within the community. The most widely accepted story is that Mt. Juliet is named for a castle in County Kilkenny, Ireland.
Geography
Mount Juliet is located at 36°12'10" North, 86°30'49" West (36.202654, -86.513583).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.6 square miles (42.8 km²), of which, 16.2 square miles (42.1 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.9 km²) of it is water. The total area is 1.99% water. Recent annexations have increased the city's surface area to approximately 20 square miles.
Mount Juliet's official city slogan is "The City Between The Lakes", reflecting the city's proximity to Old Hickory Lake (Cumberland River) to its north and Percy Priest Lake (Stones River) to its south, both of which are man-made reservoirs.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,366 people, 4,341 households, and 3,576 families residing in the city. The population density was 761.2 people per square mile (293.8/km²). There were 4,673 housing units at an average density of 287.6/sq mi (111.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.86% Caucasian, 3.93% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. 1.17% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 4,341 households out of which 46.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.3% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.6% were non-families. Thirteen-point-eight percent of all households were made up of individuals and 3.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.5% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 35.3% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $58,600, and the median income for a family was $63,065. Males had a median income of $43,732 versus $28,515 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,567. Two-point-four per cent of the population and 1.7% of families were below the poverty line. 3.2% of those under the age of 18 and 4.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Mt. Juliet is currently the second-largest city in Wilson County, behind Lebanon. The city has claimed to be the "fastest-growing city in Tennessee", and it does qualify for this distinction if you consider growth from 1980–2000 for Tennessee cities with a population over 10,000. In recent years, LaVergne in Rutherford County and Spring Hill in Williamson County have grown by a larger percentage basis. Mt. Juliet remains one of the fastest growing places in all of Tennessee.
Government/Politics
Mt. Juliet was incorporated in 1972 and operates on a "City Manager" system. The city has five elected leaders: four commissioners (one from each of the city's four districts) and a mayor, elected at-large (mainly as a figurehead), who serves as chairperson of the City Commission. Elected officials, including the mayor, are not employed full-time by the city. The Commission selects and appoints a City Manager, who is employed full-time and runs the city's business on a day-to-day basis. The City Commission meets on the second and fourth Monday night of each month at 7:00pm at City Hall (2425 N. Mt. Juliet Rd). All meetings are open to the public and citizens are encouraged to make comments.
The current mayor is Linda Elam, elected in 2004. Commissioners include:
- District 1: Ray Justice (re-elected 2004)
- District 2: Will Sellers (elected 2006)
- District 3: Ed Hagerty (re-elected 2004)
- District 4: Jim Bradshaw (re-elected 2006)
All elected city officials serve 4-year terms.
The Mayor and District 1 & 3 commissioners are elected in Presidential Election years (2004, 2008, 2012, et al.). District 2 & 4 commissioners are elected in Tennessee Gubernatorial Election years (2006, 2010, 2014, et al.).
Danny Farmer held the post of City Manager from 1983 to 2000. Rob Shearer was City Manager from November, 2000 until May of 2007. On September 24, 2007, Randy Robertson was appointed City Manager after a five month search. Robertson, a 30 year veteran of the US Army, had served briefly (less than one year) as the city Manager of Ashland, Kentucky prior to coming to Mt. Juliet.
In November 2006 the citizens of Mt. Juliet converted the city's charter to home rule. This change will not immediately make any changes in the city charter. Rather, it would alter the manner in which future charter changes are approved. A city which has adopted "home rule" must now submit all proposed charter changes to the voters for approval.
Politically, Mt. Juliet leans heavily conservative. Party politics play no role in city elections, as city growth tends to be the central issue in every race. Mt. Juliet currently serves as the anchor city for Tennessee House of Representatives District 57 (occupied by Susan Lynn, a third-term Republican) and Tennessee Senate District 17 (occupied by Mae Beavers, a former house member and second-term senate Republican). Both were re-elected to their posts in 2006. In 2002, after many years in Tennessee's 6th Congressional District, Mt. Juliet was redistricted into the 5th Congressional District, which derives the bulk of its constituency from liberal-leaning Nashville-Davidson County. That seat is currently held by Jim Cooper, a third-term Democrat from Nashville, who has a branch office in Mt. Juliet.
Mt. Juliet prides itself on its city property tax rate, which currently sits at zero. It has been zero for all but two years since the city's incorporation.
Education
Mt. Juliet does not have a city school system. All schools are operated by the Wilson County School District.
One high school, Mt. Juliet High School (Golden Bears), is located within the city limits, although many students residing within the city are zoned to Wilson Central High School(Wildcats), located in nearby Gladeville.
Two middle schools are located within the city limits:
- Mt. Juliet Middle School (feeds to MJHS)
- West Wilson Middle School (feeds to WCHS)
Mt. Juliet students are zoned to several elementary schools:
Feeding to Mt. Juliet Middle School, and ultimately Mt. Juliet High School:
- Mt. Juliet Elementary
- W.A. Wright Elementary
- Lakeview Elementary
Feeding to West Wilson Middle School, and ultimately Wilson Central High School:
- Stoner Creek Elementary
- West Elementary
- Rutland Elementary
The city is home to one K-12 private school, Mount Juliet Christian Academy (Saints), located within First Baptist Church, although dozens of other private schools are located within a 30 minute drive, including Friendship Christian School (Commanders) in Lebanon, as well as Donelson Christian Academy(Wildcats) in Donelson. Other prep schools not affiliated with religious organizations can be found in Nashville. There are four "tutorial programs" which meet weekly in Mt. Juliet for home-schooled high school students.
Wilson County's only Montessori School, Mount Juliet Montessori Academy, opened in Fall 2007 and has been growing ever since. MJMA educates preschoolers and Kindergartners in the Montessori method. MJMA plans to open a 6-9 year old classroom in Fall 2008.
There are no colleges or universities within Mt. Juliet. The nearest community college (Volunteer State Community College) is 20 miles north in Gallatin. The nearest public college/university is Tennessee State University, located 20 miles west in Nashville. The nearest private college/university is Cumberland University, 14 miles east in Lebanon. Dozens of other public and private colleges and universities are nearby in Nashville and Murfreesboro.
Transportation
Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 70 (Lebanon Road) run east/west through Mt. Juliet, and State Route 171 (Mount Juliet Road) runs north-to-south connecting US-70 to I-40, before continuing toward Interstate 24 in the Antioch area.
Mt. Juliet serves as a stop on the recently-launched Music City Star commuter rail service into Nashville, operating over freight carrier Nashville and Eastern Railroad.
For commercial air traffic, Mt. Juliet is served by Nashville International Airport, located 9 miles west of the city via Interstate 40.
Entertainment/Shopping
A new, large-scale commercial and residential development called "Providence" is located on the city's southern side near Interstate 40. The first retail phase opened in March 2006. Hundreds of homes remain under construction, however. When completed, Providence is expected to create hundreds of new retail jobs and almost double the city's population. The retail development is called Providence MarketPlace, and is an open-air shopping plaza. Tenants include Target, Belk, JCPenney, Best Buy, PetSmart, Old Navy, and Kroger, among many others. Another large-scale retail project is underway less than a mile north. The new development will feature Wal-Mart, hhgregg, and Lowe's, among other large retail stores.
Mt. Juliet has no new-car dealers, but three dealers will be located within the City in the near future.
The city has two hotel/motel, Quality Inn & Suitesand the Hampton Inn is now open. A Holiday Inn Express is currently under construction.
In 1999, citizens voted to allow Liquor-By-The-Drink sales inside the city limits, in the hope of attracting major chain restaurants. Without this regulation in place, it is likely that Providence would have never been developed.
A new 14-screen multiplex opened as part of the Providence MarketPlace in June of 2006. The next nearest cinema is 12 miles east in Lebanon.
Several malls are located within a 30-minute drive, including RiverGate Mall in Madison/Goodlettsville, Hickory Hollow Mall in Antioch, Prime Outlets in Lebanon, Opry Mills in Donelson, and CoolSprings Galleria in Franklin.
Nashville Superspeedway, a 1.33-mile oval hosting NASCAR Busch Series, Craftsman Truck Series, and Indy Racing League events, is located in nearby Gladeville.
Several professional sports teams make their homes in nearby Nashville, including the NFL's Tennessee Titans, the NHL's Nashville Predators, and the Pacific Coast League's Nashville Sounds baseball team.
Recreation
Mt. Juliet has two public parks:
- Charlie Daniels Park (named in honor of the legendary musician who makes his home in Mt. Juliet) is home to tennis courts, a large children's playground, the city's youth football fields, and the Mt. Juliet Community Center (a public meeting place and gymnasium). The city also recently constructed a bandshell at the park for the purpose of hosting musical festivals.
- Sgt. Jerry Mundy Memorial Park (named in honor of a city police officer killed in the line of duty in July 9, 2003) features four softball fields, a soccer field, and a smaller playground. Prior to 2003, this park was called "Millennium Sportsplex."
Three state parks are located within a 30-minute drive of the city:
- Long Hunter State Park, 7 miles to the south
- Bicentennial Mall State Park, app. 18 miles to the west in downtown Nashville
- Cedars of Lebanon State Park, app. 20 miles to the southeast
Mt. Juliet is also home to one of the largest Little League baseball organizations in the state. The privately owned little league park features more than a dozen baseball and softball fields.
Fishing and boating are popular pastimes in Mt. Juliet, resultant of the city's proximity to Percy Priest and Old Hickory lakes.
Swimming is an up and coming sport in Mount Juliet and West Wilson County. Two Summer League Teams exist, one at Langford Farms and the other at Willoughby Station.
City Services
The City of Mt. Juliet operates a police department. Fire and ambulance service are provided by WEMA (the Wilson Emergency Management Agency - operated by county government). There is one fire/ambulance station within the city limits, with three other nearby stations serving city residents. Mount Juliet has two police stations: the main office at City Hall in the center of town, the other (a much smaller branch office) near W.A. Wright Elementary School on the city's northwest side.
Hospitals
There are no hospitals or surgery centers within the city limits. The nearest is Summit Medical Center, a member of the HCA family of hospitals, just off Interstate 40, 5 miles west of Mount Juliet. Another nearby hospital is University Medical Center 12 miles east in Lebanon, along U.S. Route 70.
Media/Communications
There are no radio or television stations licensed to Mt. Juliet, although one TV station (WHTN-TV 39) broadcasts from within the city. Mt. Juliet was originally the city of license for what is now WNFN 106.7 FM, but interference with radio communication at Nashville International Airport forced the city of license to be changed to nearby Belle Meade.
Mt. Juliet High School hosts a student-run news program called BNN (Bear News Network) on Channel 9 each school day for a short period with club meetings and announcements and the station runs the rest of the time with school and community information in the form of a slide presentation. The audio on Channel 9 is provided by WPLN-FM, Nashville's NPR affiliate.
Mt. Juliet is currently served by two weekly newspapers, The Mt. Juliet News (50¢) and The Chronicle of Mt. Juliet (free), both published on Wednesdays. Mt. Juliet also falls within the circulation areas of daily newspapers The (Nashville) Tennessean and The Lebanon Democrat.
Mt. Juliet's local phone services are provided by TDS Telecom, and not AT&T (formerly BellSouth), which serves the bulk of the Nashville area.
Cable television services are provided by Comcast, as part of its Nashville system.
Notable Residents
- Casey Atwood - NASCAR driver
- Adrian Belew - Rock guitarist and King Crimson member
- Charlie Daniels - country and Rock musician
- Andy Griggs - country
- Bobby Hamilton - 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion (deceased)
- Erika Jo Heriges - Country music singer, 2005 Nashville Star winner
- Tracy Lawrence- Country Music Singer
- Kings of Leon - Rock band
- Lucinda Williams - musician
- Ross Winn - Anarchist writer and publisher (deceased)
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