4th State of Tennessee


Tennessee has Three Grand Divisions. In fact, given the many references to West Tennessee, Middle Tennessee and East Tennessee, people outside the state could be excused if they got the impression that Tennessee is actually three states. And if commonality of geography, topography, culture, history, lifestyles and economic goals counts, we can add a fourth "state" to Tennessee: the Tennessee Highlands region encompassing Clay, Jackson, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Sequatchie, Warren, White, and Van Buren Counties.


This "4th State of Tennessee" extends from the Tennessee/Kentucky line in the north to just one county removed from the Tennessee/Georgia line in the south. U.S. Highway 111, a major north-south corridor, nearly halves the region vertically, while Interstate 40 makes an east-west traverse near the region's center. The intersection of these two being located in Cookeville, Tennessee the hub of the Upper Cumberlands. The Tennessee Highlands region is home to more than 155,000 people, breathtaking scenery, and great opportunities for business and industry.

It was these opportunities which led to the formation of the Tennessee Highlands Resource Association in late 1996, a public/private partnership created to market this region as an ideal location for business and industry. In the spirit of enthusiastic cooperation and with the THRA acting as a catalyst, the region's chamber of commerce, government agencies - state, city, and county - industrial boards, travel councils, civic organizations, existing business and industry, and other organizations seek to depict to others what we already know and appreciate - that our "4th State of Tennessee" is a great region on which to live and work and play.