Mount Juliet, Tennessee
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| City nickname: "The City Between The Lakes" | |||
 Location in the state of Tennessee | |||
| County | Wilson County, Tennessee | ||
| Area - Total - Water | 42.9 km² (16.6 mi²) 0.9 km² (0.3 mi²) 1.99% | ||
| Population - 2000 census - Density | 12,366 293.8/km² | ||
| Time zone - Standard - Daylight Savings | Central: UTC-6 Central: UTC-5 | ||
| Latitude Longitude | 36°12' N 86°30' W | ||
| Major Highways | U.S. Highway 70 Interstate 40 Tenn. Route 171 | ||
| External link: cityofmtjuliet.org (http://www.cityofmtjuliet.org/) | |||
Mount Juliet is a city located in the western portion of Wilson County, Tennessee. It is a suburb of Nashville, located about 4 miles east of the metropolitan city/county limits and 15 miles east of downtown. It is located along two major national east-west routes, Interstate 40 and U.S. Highway 70. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 12,366. Its name is commonly abbreviated as Mt. Juliet, and informally as M.J. or Mt. J.. The city's official colors are the same as the town's high school: black, white, and gold.
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History
An urban legend states the town was named after the alcoholic drink Mint Julep, but in acutality, it was named after early settler Julie Gleaves. Mount Juliet served as a stop on the Nashville and Eastern Railroad beginning in the late 1800s, but did not see major growth until the mid-20th century, despite its close proximity to Nashville. A fair amount of people moved to the area after the damming of the nearby Cumberland River (Old Hickory Lake) and Stones River (Percy Priest Lake) in the 1930s, but the town's major boon came around the time Interstate 40 was constructed just south of the city's center in the early 1970s. Mount Juliet was incorporated as a city in 1972.
Geography
Mount Juliet is located at 36°12'10" North, 86°30'49" West (36.202654, -86.513583)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 42.9 km² (16.6 mi²). 42.1 km² (16.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.9 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.99% water.
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. The city also claims to be the "fastest-growing city in Tennessee".
The city has two ZIP codes: 37122 for general deliveries, and 37121 for P.O. Box deliveries. Within the 615 area code, Mt. Juliet occupies three prefixes: 758, 754, and 773.
Interstate 40 and U.S. Highway 70 (Lebanon Road) run east/west through the city, and TN-171 (Mount Juliet Road) runs north-to-south connecting US-70 to I-40 and continues toward Interstate 24 in the Antioch area.
Mount Juliet is considered a suburb of Nashville, whose metropolitan border is located 5 miles west, and whose city center is located 15 miles west via US-70 or Interstate 40.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 12,366 people, 4,341 households, and 3,576 families residing in the city. The population density is 293.8/km² (761.2/mi²). There are 4,673 housing units at an average density of 111.0/km² (287.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 93.86% White, 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 are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 4,341 households out of which 46.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.3% are married couples living together, 11.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 17.6% are non-families. 13.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 3.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.82 and the average family size is 3.12.
In the city the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 93.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $58,600, and the median income for a family is $63,065. Males have a median income of $43,732 versus $28,515 for females. The per capita income for the city is $22,567. 2.7% of the population and 1.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 3.2% of those under the age of 18 and 4.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Mt. Juliet is currently the second-largest city in Wilson County, behind Lebanon. Mt. Juliet is currently on pace to outgrow Lebanon by the 2020 census.
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) and given a single vote on the City Commission. The Commission then selects and appoints a City Manager (currently Rob Shearer), who is employed full-time and runs the city's business on a day-to-day basis. The City Commission meets each Monday night at 7:00 at City Hall. 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: Glen Linthicum (appointed 2005 to fill seat vacated by Mayor Elam)
- District 3: Ed Hagerty (re-elected 2004)
- District 4: Jim Bradshaw (re-elected 2002)
All elected city officials serve 4-year terms. The Mayor and commissioners from odd-numbered districts are elected in Presidential Election years (2004, 2008, 2012, et. al.). Commissioners from even-numbered districts are elected in Tennessee Gubernatorial Election years (2006, 2010, 2014, et. al.).
Politically, Mt. Juliet leans heavily conservative. City officials do not run on a party platform. Mt. Juliet currently serves as the anchor city for Tennessee House of Representatives District 57 (occupied by Susan Lynn, a second-term Republican) and Tennessee Senate District 17 (occupied by Mae Beavers, a former house member and first-term senate Republican). Beginning with the 2002 election, Mt. Juliet was redistricted into Tennessee's 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 second-term Democrat from Nashville, who has a branch office in Mt. Juliet.
Education
Mount Juliet does not have a city school system. All schools are operated by the Wilson County school system [1] (http://www.wcschools.com).
One high school, Mount 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.
Mount Juliet High School's girls basketball program recently won the 2005 3A State Championship, after a nearly perfect season. The team's only loss was to Wilson Central High School.
Two middle schools are located within the city limits:
- Mount 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 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.
Entertainment/Shopping
A new, large-scale commercial and residential development called "Providence" is being built on the city's southern terminus near Interstate 40 and will open in phases, beginning in 2006. When completed, Providence is expected to create hundreds of new retail jobs and almost double the city's population. The retail development is scheduled to open in early 2006 with a Kroger grocery store , Target and Belk department stores and restaurants Wendy's and Logan's Roadhouse confirmed as tenants. More stores and a cinema multiplex are planned for Providence's future.
Mount Juliet has no new-car dealers.
The city has only one hotel/motel, Microtel Inn.
In 1999, citizens voted to allow Liquor-By-The-Drink sales inside the city limits in hopes of attracting major chain restaurants. So far, only one (Ruby Tuesday) has opened, but more are likely with the emergence of Providence.
The nearest Wal-Mart is located 5 miles west in Hermitage.
The 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, and Opry Mills in Donelson.
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, the AFL's Nashville Kats, and the Pacific Coast League's Nashville Sounds baseball team.
Recreation
Mt. Juliet has two public parks: Charlie Daniels Park on the city's north side, and Sgt. Jerry Mundy Memorial Park on the city's south side. Charlie Daniels Park is home to tennis courts, a large children's playground, the city's youth football field, and the Mt. Juliet Community Center (a public meeting place and gymnasium). Mundy park features four softball fields, a soccer field, and a smaller playground.
Three state parks are located within a 30-minute drive of the city:
- Long Hunter State Park, 7 miles to the south (fee required)
- Bicentennial Mall State Park, app. 18 miles to the west in downtown Nashville
- Cedars of Lebanon State Park, app. 20 miles to the southeast (fee required)
Mt. Juliet is also home to the largest Little League baseball organizations in the state. The privately-owned little league park features more than a dozen baseball and softball fields.
City Services
The City of Mount Juliet operates a police department, but is dependent on Wilson County for fire and ambulance service. 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. Highway 70.
Notable Residents
- Charlie Daniels - country and Rock musician
- Erika Jo Heriges - Country music singer, 2005 Nashville Star winner
- Bobby Hamilton - 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion
- Casey Atwood - NASCAR driver
- Ross Winn - Anarchist writer and publisher (deceased)
External links
- Mt. Juliet Local City Government (http://www.cityofmtjuliet.org/)
- Mt. Juliet-West Wilson Chamber of Commerce (http://www.mtjulietchamber.com/)
- New "Providence" development (http://www.providencecommunity.net/)
