Cheatham County was created by an Act of the Tennessee General Assembly in 1856, from lands formerly of Davidson, Dickson, Montgomery, and Robertson counties. Cheatham County was named for Edward Saunders Cheatham who was a state legislator. The county was bisected from its northwest region to its southeast region by the Cumberland River. Cheatham County to popular country hip-hop artist Ryan Upchurch. The county has a total area of 307 square miles with a population count of 40,667 residents.