The population of the zipcode area is at 23,726 [10] The Cherokee were living in McMinn County at the time of the arrival of the first Euro-American explorers.

In 1819, the Cherokee signed the Calhoun Treaty, selling the land north of the Hiwassee (including all of modern McMinn County) to the United States.

The Native American village, Pumpkintown (a corruption of Potemkin town), was located on a farm about two miles east of present-day Athens.

[13] Prominent early settlers included William Henry Cooke, who operated an iron forge near modern Etowah, and Samuel Clegg (or Cleage), a construction entrepreneur.

The railroad began construction in 1837, although financial and legal problems delayed its completion until 1851.

[12] In 1836, General John Wool arrived in Athens to help coordinate the Cherokee Removal.

Wool set up his headquarters at the Bridges Hotel, which was located across the street from the McMinn County Courthouse.

The well-established railroad brought numerous pro-secessionist and anti-secessionist speakers to the county, including Andrew Johnson, Horace Maynard, John Bell, and William "Parson" Brownlow.

General William Tecumseh Sherman was briefly headquartered at the Bridges Hotel in McMinn County while preparing his "March to the Sea.

On August 1, local authorities locked themselves in the county jail along with the ballot boxes.

Suspecting foul play, the veterans armed themselves in revolt and assembled on a hill across the street from the jail.

The ballots were counted, and the veterans' ticket was elected, ending the Battle of Athens.

[19] The city is situated amidst a series of narrow, elongate ridges and low hills that are characteristic of the Appalachian Ridge-and-Valley Province.

Starr Mountain, one of the more noticeable ridges in McMinn County, is located roughly 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Athens.

Oostanaula Creek (sometimes spelled "Eastanalle" or a similar variation) rises in the hills north of Athens and traverses the city approximately 30 miles (48 km) upstream from its mouth along Hiwassee River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.5 square miles (35 km2), all land.

The racial makeup of the city was 84.87% White, 9.12% Black, 0.35% Native American, 1.64% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, and 2.61% from two or more races.