Warren County occupies a position nearly midway between the northern and southern boundaries of the State, and lies for the most part at the western base of the Cumberland table-land. Portions of the county have a high elevation, but most of it is from 900 to 1,000 feet above sea level. Ben Lomond, within about two miles of McMinnville, is the end of one of the spurs included within the county. Most of the county is based on the lithostrotion bed of the Lower Carboniferous. The lands situated on the lithostrotion bed have the characteristic chocolate color, and are naturally very fertile.

Three-fourths of the county are red or chocolate lands, and the remainder are mountainous. If you see a name like Red Banks in an old land record, it refers to the red banks of Collins River is the main stream of the county. This stream rises in Grundy County, passes near McMinnville, just below the town receives the waters of Barren Fork, and empties into Caney Fork. Hickory Creek is a branch of Barren Fork, and Charles Creek empties into Collins River, they with the two named and Mountain Creek composing the principal streams of the county