Mount Juliet, Tennessee

Mount Juliet's City Seal

Mount Juliet's City Seal

Mount Juliet is a city located in the western portion of Wilson County, Tennessee. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 12,366.

Geography

Location of Mount Juliet, Tennessee

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 US-70 (Lebanon Road) run west-to-east 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.

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, 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. Commissioners from even-numbered districts are elected in Tennessee Gubernatorial Election years.

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. Mt. Juliet is located within Tennessee Senate District 17, occupied by Mae Beavers, a first-term Republican. Beginning with the 2002 election, Mt. Juliet was gerrymandered 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.

There is currently a small movement across Wilson County to move to a Metropolitan form of government, which would dissolve the cities of Mt. Juliet, Lebanon, and Watertown and re-incorporate the entire county under one government. It is not seen as an immediate possibility.

Education

Mount Juliet does not have a city school system. All schools are operated by Wilson County.

One high school, Mount Juliet High School (Golden Bears), is located within the city limits, although some city students are zoned to Wilson Central High School (Wildcats), located in nearby Gladeville.

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:

• Mount Juliet Elementary (feeds to MJMS)
• W.A. Wright Elementary (feeds to MJMS)
• Lakeview Elementary (feeds to MJMS)
• Stoner Creek Elementary (feeds to WWMS)
• West Elementary (feeds to WWMS)
• Rutland Elementary (feeds to WWMS)

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 will open in early 2006 with a Kroger grocery store and Belk department store. More stores and a 20-screen cinema are planned for Providence's future.

Mount Juliet has no new-car dealers.

The city has only one motel, Microtel Inn.

In the late 1990s, 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.

The nearest Wal-Mart is located 5 miles west in Hermitage.

The nearest cinema is 12 miles east in Lebanon.

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 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.

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. Both feature softball and soccer fields. Charlie Daniels Park is also home to tennis courts, a large children's playground, and the Mt. Juliet Community Center (a public meeting place and gymnasium).

Notable Residents

• Charlie Daniels - Country and Rock musician
• 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
• Mt. Juliet-West Wilson Chamber of Commerce
• New "Providence" development