Humboldt is a city in Gibson and Madison counties, Tennessee. The population was 8,452 at the 2010 census, a decline of 1,015 from 2000. It is the principal city of and is included in the Humboldt, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Jackson, Tennessee-Humboldt, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area. It is Gibson County's largest city.HistoryThe first settlers of what would become Humboldt, began moving into the area in the mid 1850s. The town was a Railroad town. Its history begins with the Crossing of the Mobile & Ohio and the Memphis & Ohio (later L&N) Railroads. This was completed in 1859. The town wasn't chartered until after the Civil War in 1866. (Source: www.humboldthistorical.com)The city is named for German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt.GeographyHumboldt is located at . Most of the city lies in Gibson County, with only a small portion extending into Madison County. In the 2000 census, 9,442 of the city's 9,467 residents lived in Gibson County and 25 in Madison County.According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.7 square miles, of which 9.7 square miles is land and 0.10% is water.