Johnson City, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Johnson City is a city in Carter
Carter County, Tennessee
Carter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 57,424. Its county seat is Elizabethton.Carter County is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined...

, Sullivan, and Washington counties in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

, with most of the city being in Washington County. The 2010 population for Johnson City was 63,152 by the United States Census, making it the eighth-largest city in the state.

Johnson City is currently ranked the #35 "Best Small Place for Business and Careers" in the USA by Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...

, and #8 "Best Place for African Americans to Retire" in the USA by Black Enterprise magazine. Kiplinger
Kiplinger
Kiplinger is a Washington, D.C.-based publisher of business forecasts and personal finance advice, available in print, online, audio, video and software products ....

ranked Johnson City #5 in "The 10 Least-Expensive Cities For Living in the U.S.A.", stating the low cost of living is attributed to affordable homes and below-average utility, transportation and health-care costs.

Johnson City is the principal city of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area
Johnson City metropolitan area
The Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in eastern Tennessee, anchored by the city of Johnson City...

, a metropolitan area
United States metropolitan area
In the United States a metropolitan statistical area is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are not legally incorporated as a city or town would be, nor are they legal administrative divisions like...

 that covers Carter, Unicoi, and Washington counties and which had a combined population of 195,849 as of 2008. The Johnson City MSA is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport
Kingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...

Bristol
Bristol, Tennessee
Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundaries of both cities run parallel to each other along State...

, TN-VA
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

 Combined Statistical Area
Combined Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...

 – commonly known as the "Tri-Cities
Tri-Cities, Tennessee
In Tennessee and Virginia the name "Tri-Cities" refers to the region comprising the cities of Kingsport, Johnson City and Bristol and the surrounding smaller towns and communities in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia...

" region. The Tri-Cities is the fifth largest CSA in Tennessee with an estimated 500,538 people in residence.

History

Founded in 1856 by Henry Johnson as a railroad station called "Johnson's Depot," Johnson City became a major rail hub for the southeast, as three railway lines crossed in the downtown area. In the late 19th and early 20th century, Johnson City served as headquarters for the narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...

 East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad
East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad
The East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad , affectionately called the "Tweetsie" in reference to the sound of its steam whistles, was primarily a railroad established in 1866 for the purpose of serving the mines at Cranberry, North Carolina.The narrow gauge portion of the ET&WNC was...

 (the ET&WNC, nicknamed "Tweetsie") and the standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...

  Clinchfield Railroad
Clinchfield Railroad
The Clinchfield Railroad was an operating and holding company for the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway . The line ran from the coalfields of Virginia and Elkhorn City, Kentucky, to the textile mills of South Carolina...

. Both rail systems featured excursion trips through scenic portions of the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...

 and were engineering marvels of railway construction. The Southern Railway
Southern Railway (US)
The Southern Railway is a former United States railroad. It was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined beginning in the 1830s, formally becoming the Southern Railway in 1894...

 (now Norfolk Southern
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...

) also passes through the city.

During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

, before it was formally incorporated in 1869, the name of the town was briefly changed to Haynesville in honor of Confederate Senator Landon Carter Haynes. Henry Johnson's name was quickly restored following the war, with Johnson elected as the city's first Mayor on January 3, 1870. The town grew rapidly from 1870 until 1890 as railroad and mining interests flourished. However, the national depression of 1893, which caused many railway failures and a resulting financial panic, halted Johnson City's boom town momentum in its tracks.

In 1901, the Mountain Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers
National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers
The National Asylum for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers was established on March 3, 1865, in the United States by Congress to provide care for volunteer soldiers who had been disabled through loss of limb, wounds, disease, or injury during service in the Union forces in the Civil War...

 (now the U.S. Veterans Affairs Medical Center and National Cemetery
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...

), Mountain Home, Tennessee
Mountain Home, Tennessee
Mountain Home, Tennessee, zip code 37684, is a separate postal zone consisting of the grounds of the Mountain Home VA hospital and Mountain Home National Cemetery, which also includes classrooms and administrative buildings of the medical and pharmacy school of East Tennessee State University. It...

 was created by an Act of the US Congress introduced by Walter P. Brownlow
Walter P. Brownlow
Walter P. Brownlow served Tennessee's First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1896 until 1910. Amazingly, a century after his service, the legacy established by Brownlow's Congressional work remains important in the First District...

. Construction on this 450 acres (1.8 km²) campus, designed to serve disabled Civil War veterans, was completed in 1903 at a cost of $3 million. Prior to completion of the facility, the assessed value of the entire town was listed at $750,000. The East Tennessee State Normal School
East Tennessee State University
East Tennessee State University is an accredited American university located in Johnson City, Tennessee. It is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents system of colleges and universities, the nation's sixth largest system of public education, and is the fourth largest university in the state...

 was authorized in 1911 and the new college campus located directly across from the National Soldiers Home. Johnson City began rapidly growing and became the fifth-largest city in Tennessee by 1930.

Together with neighboring Bristol, Tennessee
Bristol, Tennessee
Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundaries of both cities run parallel to each other along State...

, Johnson City was noted as a hotbed for old-time music
Old-time music
Old-time music is a genre of North American folk music, with roots in the folk music of many countries, including England, Scotland, Ireland and countries in Africa. It developed along with various North American folk dances, such as square dance, buck dance, and clogging. The genre also...

; it hosted noteworthy Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...

 recording sessions in 1928 known as the Johnson City Sessions
Johnson City sessions
The Johnson City Sessions were a series of recording auditions conducted in Johnson City, Tennessee, in 1928 and 1929 by Frank Buckley Walker, head of the Columbia Records “hillbilly” recordings division. They were part of a search for native Appalachian-Blue Ridge Mountains musical talent...

. Native son "Fiddlin' Charlie" Bowman
Charlie Bowman
Charles Thomas Bowman was an American old-time fiddle player and string band leader. He was a major influence on the distinctive fiddle sound that helped shape and develop early Country music in the 1920s and 1930s...

 became a national recording star via these sessions. The Fountain Square area in downtown featured a host of local and traveling street entertainers including Blind Lemon Jefferson
Blind Lemon Jefferson
"Blind" Lemon Jefferson was an American blues singer and guitarist from Texas. He was one of the most popular blues singers of the 1920s, and has been titled "Father of the Texas Blues"....

.

During the 1920s and the Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...

 era, Johnson City's ties to the bootlegging
Rum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...

 activity of the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...

 earned the city the nickname of "Little Chicago". Stories persist that the town was one of several distribution centers for Chicago gang boss Al Capone
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...

 during Prohibition. Capone had a well-organized distribution network within the southern United States for alcohol smuggling; it shipped his products from the mountain distillers to northern cities. Capone was, according to local lore, a part-time resident of Montrose Court, a luxury apartment complex now listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

.

The city is featured in a song and video by Travis Tritt
Travis Tritt
James Travis Tritt is an American country music singer from Marietta, Georgia. He signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1989, releasing seven studio albums and a greatest hits package for the label between then and 1999. In the 2000s, he released two albums on Columbia Records and one for the defunct...

 called "Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde," although the line "rollin' north on 95
Interstate 95
Interstate 95 is the main highway on the East Coast of the United States, running parallel to the Atlantic Ocean from Maine to Florida and serving some of the most populated urban areas in the country, including Boston, Providence, New Haven, New York City, Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore,...

" is fictionalized, as Interstate 81
Interstate 81
Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...

 and Interstate 26
Interstate 26
Interstate 26 is a nominally east–west main route of the Interstate Highway System in the Southeastern United States. I-26 runs from the junction of U.S. Route 11W and U.S. Route 23 in Kingsport, Tennessee, generally southeastward to U.S. Route 17 in Charleston, South Carolina...

 intersect near Johnson City. The city is mentioned in a song by Old Crow Medicine Show
Old Crow Medicine Show
Old Crow Medicine Show is an old-time string band based in Nashville, Tennessee. Their music has been called bluegrass, Americana, and alt-country, in addition to old-time. Along with original songs, the band performs many pre-World War II blues and folk songs...

 called "Wagon Wheel
Wagon Wheel
The Blue and Gold Wagon Wheel, now known simply as the Wagon Wheel, is awarded to the winner of the annual college football game between the University of Akron and Kent State University....

", in the lyric "Walkin' due south out of Roanoke, I caught a trucker out of Philly had a nice long toke. But he’s a heading west from the Cumberland Gap, to Johnson City, Tennessee.". The song gets the geography wrong, as Johnson City is southeast of the Cumberland Gap
Cumberland Gap
Cumberland Gap is a pass through the Cumberland Mountains region of the Appalachian Mountains, also known as the Cumberland Water Gap, at the juncture of the U.S. states of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia...

.

For many years, the city had a municipal 'privilege tax' on carnival shows, in an attempt to dissuade traveling circuses and other transient entertainment businesses from doing business in town. The use of drums by merchants to draw attention to their goods is prohibited. Title Six, Section 106 of the city's municipal code, the so-called Barney Fife
Barney Fife
Bernard "Barney" Fife is a fictional character in the American television program The Andy Griffith Show, portrayed by comic actor Don Knotts. Barney Fife is a deputy sheriff in the slow paced, sleepy southern community of Mayberry, North Carolina...

ordinance, empowers the city's police force to draft into involuntary service as many of the town's citizens as necessary to aid police in making arrests and in preventing or quelling any riot, unlawful assembly or breach of peace. Since 1985, Johnson City has prohibited the sale of air guns or air-propelled guns, though firearms sales are allowed.

Government

Johnson City is run by a five person commission. The commissioners as of May 2011 are as follows:
  • Mayor: Dr. Jeff Banyas
  • Vice Mayor: Phil Carriger
  • Commissioner: Jane Myron
    Jane Myron
    Jane Myron is an American politician and restaurateur who has been the Mayor and city commissioner of Johnson City, Tennessee. She is Johnson City's second female mayor. She became mayor after Phil Roe's resignation to become a congressman. Prior to becoming mayor, Myron was vice mayor...

  • Commissioner: Clayton Stout
  • Commissioner: Ralph Van Brocklin


M. Denis "Pete" Peterson is the current city manager.

Geography and Climate

Johnson City is located at 36°20′7"N 82°22′22"W (36.335399, -82.372760). Johnson City shares a contiguous southeastern border with Elizabethton, Tennessee
Elizabethton, Tennessee
Elizabethton is the county seat of Carter County, Tennessee, United States. Elizabethton is also the historical site both of the first independent American government located west of both the Eastern Continental Divide and the original thirteen British American colonies.Elizabethton is also the...

. Johnson City also shares contiguous borders with Kingsport
Kingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...

 to the far north along I-26 and Bluff City
Bluff City, Tennessee
Bluff City is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,733 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol –Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical...

 to the east along US 11E.

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 39.6 square miles (102.5 km²), of which 39.3 square miles (101.7 km²) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²; 0.78%) is water.

The steep mountains, rolling hills and valleys surrounding the region are part of the Appalachian Ridge-and-Valley Province
Ridge-and-valley Appalachians
The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division and are also a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending from southeastern New York through northwestern New...

, and Johnson City is just west of the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...

. Roan Mountain
Roan Mountain (Roan Highlands)
Roan Mountain is the highpoint of the Roan-Unaka Range of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, located in the Southeastern United States. The mountain is clad in a dense stand of Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest, and includes the world's largest natural rhododendron garden, and the longest...

, with an elevation of over 6000 feet (1,828.8 m), is approximately 20 miles (32.2 km) to the east of the city. Buffalo Mountain, a ridge over 2700 feet (823 m) high, is the location of a city park on the south side of town. Boone Lake
Boone Lake
Boone Lake is a reservoir in Sullivan and Washington counties in northeastern Tennessee, formed by the impoundment of the South Fork Holston River behind Boone Dam....

, a TVA
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected...

 reservoir on the Holston
Holston River
The Holston River is a major river system of southwestern Virginia and east Tennessee. The three major forks of the Holston rise in southwestern Virginia and have their confluence near Kingsport, Tennessee. The North Fork flows southwest from Sharon Springs in Bland County, Virginia...

 and Watauga River
Watauga River
The Watauga River is a large stream of western North Carolina and East Tennessee. It is 60 miles long with its headwaters on the slopes of Grandfather Mountain and Peak Mountain in Watauga County, North Carolina.-Hydrography:...

s, is also partly within the city limits.

The Nolichucky River
Nolichucky River
The Nolichucky River is a major stream draining the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina and east Tennessee. The river is long.-Hydrography:...

 flows reasonably close to Johnson City towards its southern side. Whitewater rafting and kayaking opportunities exist where that river flows from the North Carolina state line near Erwin, TN.

Nearby towns and cities

  • Bluff City
    Bluff City, Tennessee
    Bluff City is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,733 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol –Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical...

  • Bristol
    Bristol, Tennessee
    Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundaries of both cities run parallel to each other along State...

  • Elizabethton
    Elizabethton, Tennessee
    Elizabethton is the county seat of Carter County, Tennessee, United States. Elizabethton is also the historical site both of the first independent American government located west of both the Eastern Continental Divide and the original thirteen British American colonies.Elizabethton is also the...

  • Erwin
    Erwin, Tennessee
    Erwin is a town in and the county seat of Unicoi County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 5,610 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area...

  • Fall Branch
    Fall Branch, Tennessee
    Fall Branch is a census-designated place in Washington and Greene counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The population was 1,313 at the 2000 census....

     (Unincorporated)
  • Gray
    Gray, Tennessee
    Gray is a census-designated place in Washington County, Tennessee, United States and a rural suburb of Johnson City. It is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area –...

     (Unincorporated)
  • Jonesborough
    Jonesborough, Tennessee
    Jonesborough is a town in and the county seat of Washington County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The population was 4,168 at the 2000 census...

  • Kingsport
    Kingsport, Tennessee
    Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...

  • Limestone
    Limestone, Tennessee
    Limestone is an unincorporated community on the western border of Washington County and the eastern border of Greene County in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Tennessee. Its zip code is 37681...

     (Unincorporated)
  • Okolona (Unincorporated)
  • Piney Flats
    Piney Flats, Tennessee
    Piney Flats is an unincorporated community in Sullivan County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is part of the Kingsport–Bristol –Bristol Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area –...

     (Unincorporated)
  • Spurgeon
    Spurgeon, Tennessee
    Spurgeon is a census-designated place in Sullivan and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The population was 3,460 at the 2000 census....

     (Unincorporated)
  • Telford
    Telford, Tennessee
    Telford is an unincorporated community in Washington County, Tennessee, United States, between Jonesborough and Limestone. Originally, Millwood was the name of the Telford area, according to the map of Washington County, Tennessee Post Offices ....

     (Unincorporated)
  • Unicoi
    Unicoi, Tennessee
    Unicoi is a town in Unicoi County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 3,519 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area – commonly known as...

  • Watauga
    Watauga, Tennessee
    Watauga is a city in Carter and Washington Counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The population was 403 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area...


Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 55,469 people, 23,720 households, and 14,018 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 1,412.4 people per square mile (545.4/km²). There were 25,730 housing units at an average density of 655.1 per square mile (253.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.09% White, 6.40% African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.22% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.69% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.89% of the population.

There were 23,720 households out of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.9% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the city the population was spread out with 19.8% under the age of 18, 13.7% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,835, and the median income for a family was $40,977. Males had a median income of $31,326 versus $22,150 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $20,364. About 11.4% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Johnson City is served by Tri-Cities Regional Airport
Tri-Cities Regional Airport
Tri-Cities Regional Airport , also known as Tri-Cities Regional Airport, TN/VA, is a public airport located adjacent to Blountville, Tennessee...

 (IATA Code TRI).

Interstate highways

  • Interstate 26
  • Interstate 81
    Interstate 81 in Tennessee
    Interstate 81 is an long expressway stretching from Dandridge, Tennessee northward to the Thousand Islands Bridge at the United States-Canada border near Fishers Landing, New York...



Johnson City is bisected by Interstate 26, which connects the city to Kingsport to the north and Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...

 and Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...

 to the south. The city is also served by Interstate 81, which intersects I-26 a few miles north of the city limits, and carries drivers to Knoxville to the west and Bristol, TN/VA to the northeast.

Major federal and state routes

  • U.S. Route 19W runs through the city, signed partially on I-26, before joining 19E near Bluff City en route to Bristol, TN/VA.
  • U.S. Route 11E
    U.S. Route 11E
    U.S. Route 11E is a divided highway of US 11 in the U.S. states of Tennessee and Virginia. The U.S. Highway, which is complemented by US 11W to the north and west, runs from US 11, US 11W, and US 70 in Knoxville, Tennessee north and east to US 11, US 11E, US 19, and US 421 in Bristol, Virginia...

     connects Johnson City to Jonesborough and Greeneville to the west, and reunites with 11W
    U.S. Route 11W
    U.S. Route 11W is a divided highway of US 11 in the U.S. states of Tennessee and Virginia. The U.S. Highway, which is complemented by US 11E to the south and east, runs from US 11, US 11E, and US 70 in Knoxville, Tennessee north and east to US 11, US 11E, US 19, and US 421 in Bristol, Virginia...

     to the east in Bristol before continuing on to Roanoke, Virginia
    Roanoke, Virginia
    Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...

    . In Johnson City, route 11E forms a concurrency with North Roan Street, a major artery in the city.
  • U.S. Route 321
    U.S. Route 321
    U.S. Route 321 is a spur of U.S. Route 21. It runs for 526 miles from South Carolina to Tennessee. The northern terminus of U.S. 321 is between Lenoir City and Oak Ridge, Tennessee, at Interstate 40 exit 364, which is about 4 miles west of Interstate 40's junction with Interstate 75...

    , also partially located on the 11E route, connects Johnson City to Elizabethton (forming a high-speed, limited-access freeway) before continuing on to Hickory
    Hickory, North Carolina
    Hickory is a city in Catawba County, North Carolina. Hickory has the 162nd largest urban area in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 341,851, making it the 4th largest metropolitan area in North Carolina. The city's population was 37,222...

     and Gastonia
    Gastonia, North Carolina
    Gastonia is the largest city and county seat of Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. It is also the third largest suburb of the Charlotte Area, behind Concord and Rock Hill. The population was 71,226 as of Gastonia is the largest city and county seat of Gaston County, North Carolina,...

    , North Carolina.
  • U.S. Route 23 is concurrent with I-26 from North Carolina, through Johnson City, and north to the I-26 terminus in Kingsport.

Public transport

Johnson City Transport (JCT) operates a system of buses inside the city limits, including a route every fifteen minutes along Roan Street. The Johnson City Transit Center, located downtown on West Market Street, also serves as the transfer point for Greyhound lines running through the city. JCT operates the BucShot, a system serving the greater ETSU campus.

Colleges and universities

  • East Tennessee State University
    East Tennessee State University
    East Tennessee State University is an accredited American university located in Johnson City, Tennessee. It is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents system of colleges and universities, the nation's sixth largest system of public education, and is the fourth largest university in the state...

     has around 14,000 students in addition to a K-12 University School, a laboratory school of about 540 students. University School was the first laboratory school in the nation to adopt a year-round academic schedule.

  • Milligan College
    Milligan College
    Milligan College is a Christian liberal arts college founded in 1866 and located immediately outside of Elizabethton in Carter County, Tennessee, United States. The school has a student population of just over 1,100 students as well as a campus that is located just minutes from downtown Johnson City...

     is nearby in Elizabethton, TN

Private schools


Johnson City School System

Elementary Schools
  • Cherokee Elementary
  • Fairmont Elementary
  • Lake Ridge Elementary
  • Mt. View Elementary
  • North Side Elementary
  • South Side Elementary
  • Towne Acres Elementary
  • Woodland Elementary


  • Middle schools
    • Indian Trail Middle School


    High schools
    • Science Hill High School
      Science Hill High School
      Science Hill High School is a high school in Johnson City, Tennessee with an enrollment of approximately 2600 students. The school is split over three campuses: 9-12 Campus, Technical Center Campus, & Alternative School Campus. The school also shares space with Freedom Hall Civic Center...


    Economy and quality of life

    Johnson City is an economic hub largely fueled by East Tennessee State University and the medical "Med-Tech" corridor, anchored by the Johnson City Medical Center,Franklin Woods Community Hospital, ETSU's Gatton College of Pharmacy and ETSU's Quillen College of Medicine.

    Johnson City is currently ranked #35 "Best Small Place for Business and Careers" in the USA by people who have never been there before. Due to its climate, high quality health care and affordable housing, it is ranked #8 "Best Place for African Americans to Retire" by Black Enterprise magazine. Kiplinger
    Kiplinger
    Kiplinger is a Washington, D.C.-based publisher of business forecasts and personal finance advice, available in print, online, audio, video and software products ....

    ranked Johnson City #5 in "The 10 Least-Expensive Cities For Living in the U.S.A.", stating the low cost of living is attributed to affordable homes and below-average utility, transportation and health-care costs.

    Major companies headquartered in Johnson City

    • American Water Heater Company (owned by A.O. Smith Corp.)
    • R R Donnelley
    • Cantech Industries
    • General Shale Brick LLC
    • Mullican Flooring
    • NN, Inc.
    • TPI Corporation

    Top Employers in Johnson City
    Mountain States Health Alliance 3541
    East Tennessee State University 1990
    Citi Commerce Solutions 1700
    Washington County School System 1275
    James H. Quillen VA Medical Center 1259
    American Water Heater Company 1194
    AT&T (formerly Cingular) Wireless 1000

    Hospitals

    Johnson City serves as a regional medical center for northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia, along with parts of western North Carolina and Kentucky. Although there are two major hospital systems in the Tri-Cities, only one – Mountain States Health Alliance – has a presence in Johnson City.

    The Johnson City Medical Center, designated a Level 1 Trauma Center by the State of Tennessee, is MSHA's flagship institution. Also affiliated with the center are the Niswonger Children's Hospital, a domestic affiliate of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
    St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
    St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, founded in 1962, is a leading pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children's catastrophic diseases. It is located in Memphis, Tennessee. It is a nonprofit medical corporation chartered as a 501 tax-exempt organization under IRS regulations.In...

     and Woodridge Hospital, a mental health and chemical dependency facility.

    Franklin Woods Community Hospital is a LEED-certified facility located in North Johnson City. The "green" hospital (opened July 12, 2010) encloses approximately 240000 square feet (22,296.7 m²) on a 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) lot adjacent to The Wellness Center inside MedTech Park. The hospital has 80 licensed beds and a 22-room Emergency Department. Of the licensed beds, 20 are dedicated to Women’s and Children’s Services.

    The James H. & Cecile C. Quillen Rehabilitation Hospital, also located in North Johnson City, serves patients who have suffered debilitating trauma, including stroke and brain-spine injuries.

    Additionally, the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center, located in the Mountain Home
    Mountain Home, Tennessee
    Mountain Home, Tennessee, zip code 37684, is a separate postal zone consisting of the grounds of the Mountain Home VA hospital and Mountain Home National Cemetery, which also includes classrooms and administrative buildings of the medical and pharmacy school of East Tennessee State University. It...

     community in Johnson City's southside, serves veterans in the four-state region. The center is closely involved with the ETSU College of Medicine
    East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine
    The James H. Quillen College of Medicine is a medical school, part of East Tennessee State University located in Johnson City, Tennessee. It is one of two public medical schools in Tennessee, the other being the University of Tennessee College of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health...

    .

    Museums

    The Hands On! Museum, located in downtown Johnson City, houses an interactive gallery of exhibits and is a local favorite for school field trips.

    The corporate headquarters of General Shale Brick, between North Johnson City and Boones Creek, is home to a museum that showcases a collection of historically significant bricks including a 10,000-year-old specimen from the ancient city of Jericho.

    The Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site
    Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site
    Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site, known also as Tipton-Haynes House, is a Tennessee state-owned historic site near Johnson City, Tennessee. It includes a house originally built in 1784 by Col. John Tipton , enlarged by later owner Haynes, and 10 other buildings, including a smokehouse, pigsty,...

     is located in the south of the city. Along with a museum and education center, there are eleven other buildings on-site dedicated to preserving and sharing traditional Appalachian farming and craft methods. The site hosts the Bluegrass and Sorghum Making Festival every year, as well as other events during holidays and in the summer.

    Festivals

    The Little Chicago Blues Festival is an annual celebration of the legendary Prohibition-era speakeasies and railroad glory days of Johnson City. The festival is housed in the historic Down Home, a regional hub for Americana and bluegrass music performance. The event is also a fundraiser for WETS-FM
    WETS-FM
    WETS-FM is the National Public Radio member station for the Tri-Cities region of northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia. The station is operated by East Tennessee State University as a partnership between ETSU and the station’s listeners. WETS receives a little over half of its funding from...

    , the local NPR
    NPR
    NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...

     affiliate.

    The Umoja Unity Festival is held annually in downtown Johnson City. Initiated in 1978, Umoja, a Swahili
    Swahili language
    Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...

     word meaning unity, is a festival that spotlights the diverse societies of Johnson City, with an emphasis on African-American and Latino cultures. The downtown celebration includes musical performance as well as food and craft vendors.

    The Blue Plum Festival is a free art and music festival held outdoors in the downtown. Many regionally and nationally acclaimed musical artists perform each year, mostly from the bluegrass, folk and Americana genres. The Blue Plum Animation Festival is held in conjunction with the main festival and East Tennessee State University. The festival also hosts a Division I cycling event, the Sanofi Aventis Criterium.

    Each month the Downtown shopping district of Johnson City is home to "First Friday," a meandering art and music festival. Begun at Nelson Fine Art for introducing new artists to the public, First Friday has spread into the rest of the district. It features closed streets, restaurant specials, gallery receptions and shopping specials.

    On April 1, 2011, Johnson City hosted a First Friday game of zombie tag, "Survive Johnson City". Although the official roster listed 1,350 players, game organizers estimated closer to 3,000 attended. Host J. Carnevale claimed the event was an attempt to break a Guinness World Record, however, no Guinness World Record executives were present (or invited) as official witnesses. Although organizers originally claimed zombie tag would become an annual event in Johnson City, police cited a "serious safety risk" with "fall-related injuries, property damage, and traffic hazards... participants playing in busy streets and ignoring an oncoming train."

    Shopping

    As a regional hub for a four-state area, Johnson City is home to a large variety of retail business, from well-known national chains to local boutiques and galleries.

    The Mall at Johnson City
    Mall at Johnson City
    The Mall at Johnson City is an enclosed shopping mall in Johnson City, Tennessee, United States. The mall features over 70 stores and a food court. It is managed by Glimcher Realty Trust...

     is the city's only enclosed shopping mall. Anchor tenants include Belk
    Belk
    Belk is a department store chain founded in 1888 in Monroe, North Carolina, today part of the Charlotte metropolitan area. After the founding of the first Belk store, the company grew in size and influence throughout the South via the chain in the USA, with its stores primarily located in the...

    , JCPenney, Sears, and Dick's Sporting Goods
    Dick's Sporting Goods
    Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. , or Dick's, is a Fortune 500 American corporation in the sporting goods and retail industries.The company's headquarters are on the grounds of Pittsburgh International Airport in Findlay Township near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dick's has 451 stores in 42 states as of...

    . Abercrombie & Fitch
    Abercrombie & Fitch
    Abercrombie & Fitch is an American retailer that focuses on casual wear for consumers aged 18 to 22. It has over 300 locations in the United States, and is expanding internationally....

    , American Eagle
    American Eagle Outfitters
    American Eagle Outfitters is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1977 by Mark and Jerry Silverman as a subsidiary of Retail Ventures, Inc., a company which also owned and operated Silverman's Menswear...

    , Aeropostale
    Aéropostale (clothing)
    Aéropostale, Inc. is a mall-based, specialty retailer of casual apparel and accessories, principally targeting 14-to-17-year-old young women and men through its Aéropostale stores and 7-to-12-year-old kids through its P.S. from Aéropostale stores...

    , Gap
    Gap (clothing retailer)
    The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...

    , Victoria's Secret
    Victoria's Secret
    Victoria's Secret is an American retailer of women's wear, lingerie and beauty products. It is the largest segment of publicly-traded Limited Brands with sales of over US$5 billion and an operating income of $1 billion in 2006...

    , Hollister
    Hollister Co.
    Hollister Co., sometimes advertised as Hollister or HCo., is an American lifestyle brand by Abercrombie & Fitch Co. The concept was originally designed to attract consumers aged 14–18 through its SoCal-inspired image and casual wear. Goods are available in-store and through the company's online store...

     and Journeys are also located in the mall. Recently, California-based Forever 21
    Forever 21
    Forever 21 is an American chain of clothing retailers with branches in major cities in The United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East that offers fashion and accessories for young women and men....

     opened a XXI Forever flagship store in the mall's upper level, and Express opened in late 2010. The nearby Target
    Target Corporation
    Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...

     Center houses Target, TJ Maxx, Books-A-Million
    Books-A-Million
    Books-A-Million, Inc., also known as BAM!, is a company that owns the second largest U.S. bookstore chain and is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. The company operates over 200 stores in the South, Midwest, Northeast...

    , and Pier One.

    Much of the new retail development is located in North Johnson City, along State of Franklin Road. Johnson City Crossings, the largest of these developments, hosts Old Navy
    Old Navy
    Old Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...

    , Home Depot, PetSmart
    PetSmart
    PetSmart, Inc. is a retail chain doing business in the United States and Canada engaged in the sale of specialty pet supplies and services such as grooming and dog training, PetSmart PetsHotel dog and cat boarding facilities and Doggie Day Care.- History :...

    , Michaels
    Michaels
    Michaels is an arts and crafts retail chain. It currently operates more than 1040 Michaels Arts and Crafts Stores located in 49 U.S. states and in Canada. The company owns and operates the Aaron Brothers retail chain which consists of more than 140 stores...

    , and hhgregg
    Hhgregg
    hhgregg Inc. or Gregg Appliances Inc. is a publicly owned and operated appliance and electronics retailer in the Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast United States with over 3,100 employees operating stores in 16 states including Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky,...

    . On the other side of the highway are retailers Kohl's
    Kohl's
    Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...

    , Lowe's
    Lowe's
    Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...

    , Sam's Club
    Sam's Club
    Sam's Club is a chain of membership-only retail warehouse clubs owned and operated by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., founded in 1983 and named after Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. , the Sam's Club chain serves more than 47 million U.S. members...

     and Barnes and Noble.

    Downtown Johnson City is seeing an increased retail presence, including art galleries, boutiques, and antique sellers. Long-standing businesses include Main Street Antiques and Mercantile, Campbell's Morrell Music, Nelson Fine Art and Masengill's Specialty Shop. New businesses include Old Towne Treasures, Johnson City Beadworks and Atlantis.

    Print

    The area is served by the Johnson City Press, one of the three major newspapers in the northeast Tennessee region.

    The Loafer is the Tri-Cities' free weekly alternative arts and entertainment magazine.

    The Johnson City News and Neighbor is a free weekly community newspaper.

    The Business Journal of Tri-Cities, TN/VA, based out of Johnson City, is the region's largest business magazine.

    Television

    WJHL-TV
    WJHL-TV
    WJHL-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Tri-Cities area of Northeastern Tennessee and Southwestern Virginia that's licensed to Johnson City, Tennessee. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 11 from a transmitter on the southwest slope of Holston High Point...

     is a CBS affiliate licensed in Johnson City. The city is part of the Tri-Cities DMA.

    Radio

    Johnson City is part of the Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol Arbitron radio market
    Media market
    A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...

    . WETS-FM
    WETS-FM
    WETS-FM is the National Public Radio member station for the Tri-Cities region of northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia. The station is operated by East Tennessee State University as a partnership between ETSU and the station’s listeners. WETS receives a little over half of its funding from...

     89.5 FM, located on the campus of East Tennessee State University, is the region's NPR
    NPR
    NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...

     affiliate. WJCW
    WJCW
    WJCW is an AM radio station broadcasting in the Tri-Cities, Tennessee area under a News/Talk format. It broadcasts on AM frequency 910 kHz and is under ownership of Cumulus Media. The station is licensed to Johnson City, and shares a studio with Cumulus' other Tri-Cities stations in Gray,...

     910 AM and WQUT
    WQUT
    WQUT is a radio station in Tri-Cities, Tennessee. The station format is classic rock and is branded as "Tri-Cities Classic Rock 101.5 WQUT." As of the Fall 2008 Arbitron ratings book, WQUT is the third highest rated station in the Tri-Cities market behind country music station WXBQ-FM...

     101.5 FM are Citadel Broadcasting
    Citadel Broadcasting
    Citadel Broadcasting Corporation was a Las Vegas, Nevada-based broadcast holding company. Citadel owned 243 radio stations across the United States and was the third-largest radio station owner in the country...

     stations which are also licensed in Johnson City. The EDGE is a non-broadcasting student-run radio station at East Tennessee State University.

    Notable natives and residents

    • Bill Bain
      Bill Bain
      ----William Ernest Bain is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League.-College career:...

      , management consultant, one of the founders of the management consultancy Bain & Company
      Bain & Company
      Bain & Company is a global management consulting firm headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Bain is considered one of the most prestigious consulting firms in the world, with 47 offices in 30 countries and over 5,500 professionals on staff globally...

    • Sarah Bettens
      Sarah Bettens
      Sarah Bettens is the lead singer of the Belgian band K's Choice. Sarah and her brother Gert Bettens are the two popular faces of the band. She is known for her enigmatic, smoky voice. The band is popular in Belgium, the Netherlands and France, and had toured in the U.S...

      , lead singer of rock band
    • Joe Bowman
      Joe Bowman (marksman)
      Joe Bowman, born Joseph Lee Bowman , was a Houston bootmaker and marksman called "The Straight Shooter", considered to have been a guardian of Texas and western frontier culture. Shortly after his death, Bowman was inducted posthumously into the Texas Heroes Hall of Honor at the Frontier Times...

      , bootmaker
      Shoemaking
      Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or...

       and marksman
      Marksman
      A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision, or a sharpshooter shooting, using projectile weapons, such as with a rifle but most commonly with a sniper rifle, to shoot at long range targets...

      ; guardian of western
      Western (genre)
      The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...

       culture
    • Mike Brown
      Mike Brown (motorcyclist)
      Mike Brown is an American former AMA motocross national champion.Brown won his first professional race in 1994. In 1999, he finished third in the F.I.M. 125cc world championship. He followed that performance with another third place in the 2000 125cc world championship.Brown competed in the United...

      , American Motorcyclist Association
      American Motorcyclist Association
      The American Motorcyclist Association is an American not-for-profit organization of more than 300,000 motorcyclists that organizes numerous motorcycling activities and campaigns for motorcyclists' legal rights...

       rider
    • Timothy Busfield
      Timothy Busfield
      Timothy "Timmy B" Busfield is an American actor and director best known for his role as Eliot Weston on the television series Thirtysomething and his recurring role as Danny Concannon on the television series The West Wing...

      , actor, attended ETSU
      East Tennessee State University
      East Tennessee State University is an accredited American university located in Johnson City, Tennessee. It is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents system of colleges and universities, the nation's sixth largest system of public education, and is the fourth largest university in the state...

    • Jo Carson
      Jo Carson
      Josephine Catron "Jo" Carson was an American playwright, poet, fiction writer, and actor, as well as the author of three children's books. Her best-known play is Daytrips , and her poetry is collected in Stories I Ain't Told Nobody Yet...

      , playwright and author
    • David Cash, professional wrestler
    • Kenny Chesney
      Kenny Chesney
      Kenneth "Kenny" Arnold Chesney is an American country music singer and songwriter. Chesney has recorded 15 albums, 14 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S...

      , singer, attended and graduated from ETSU
    • David Cole
      David Cole (producer)
      David Cole was a songwriter and record producer, and was one half of the dance-music duo C+C Music Factory, which he founded with musical partner Robert Clivillés....

      , founding member of C+C Music Factory
      C+C Music Factory
      C+C Music Factory is a dance-pop and hip hop group formed in 1989 by David Cole and Robert Clivillés which stopped recording 1996, following Cole's death...

    • Patrick J. Cronin, television and film actor, currently a professor in English and Theater at ETSU.
    • Matt Czuchry, actor (Gilmore Girls
      Gilmore Girls
      Gilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW...

      ), attended Science Hill High School
      Science Hill High School
      Science Hill High School is a high school in Johnson City, Tennessee with an enrollment of approximately 2600 students. The school is split over three campuses: 9-12 Campus, Technical Center Campus, & Alternative School Campus. The school also shares space with Freedom Hall Civic Center...

    • David Davis, Tennessee State Senator and U.S. Congressman 2007-2009
    • Ray Flynn
      Ray Flynn (athlete)
      Raymond P. Flynn is a retired middle distance runner and sports agent. A native of Longford in Ireland, Flynn won the mile at the Great Britain Championships against other high school runners. He earned an athletic scholarship to East Tennessee State University where he ran cross country and track...

      , miler with 89 sub-four-minute miles. Graduated ETSU, president/CEO of Flynn Sports Management
    • Aubrayo Franklin
      Aubrayo Franklin
      -Baltimore Ravens:In his rookie year, he only appeared in one game recording one tackle. In his second season with the Ravens, he contributed to the team by making six appearances and two tackles. In 2005, Franklin played in 15 games and notched up 20 tackles and his first career sack at the Denver...

      , defensive tackle, San Francisco 49ers
      San Francisco 49ers
      The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...

    • Jake Grove
      Jake Grove
      Charles Jacob Grove is a retired American football center, most recently for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft...

      , born in Johnson City; played center for Virginia Tech, won the Rimington Trophy, currently plays for the Miami Dolphins
      Miami Dolphins
      The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

    • Del Harris
      Del Harris
      Delmer William Harris is a basketball coach, currently the head coach for the Texas Legends of the NBA Development League. He was an assistant coach for the NBA's New Jersey Nets, Chicago Bulls, and Dallas Mavericks...

      , NBA coach, attended Milligan College
      Milligan College
      Milligan College is a Christian liberal arts college founded in 1866 and located immediately outside of Elizabethton in Carter County, Tennessee, United States. The school has a student population of just over 1,100 students as well as a campus that is located just minutes from downtown Johnson City...

    • Catherine Marshall
      Catherine Marshall
      Catherine Wood Marshall was an American author of nonfiction, inspirational, and fiction works. She was the wife of well-known minister Peter Marshall.-Biography:...

      , author, was born in Johnson City, and later worked on her novel Christy
      Christy (novel)
      Christy is a historical fiction novel by Christian author Catherine Marshall set in the fictional Appalachian village of Cutter Gap, Tennessee, in 1912. The novel was inspired by the story of the journey made by her own mother, Leonora Whitaker, to teach the impoverished children in the...

      while staying with relatives in town
    • John Alan Maxwell
      John Alan Maxwell
      John Alan Maxwell was an American artist known primarily for his book and magazine illustrations, as well as historical paintings...

      , artist and illustrator, raised in Johnson City, spent many years in New York City illustrating for Pearl S. Buck
      Pearl S. Buck
      Pearl Sydenstricker Buck also known by her Chinese name Sai Zhenzhu , was an American writer who spent most of her time until 1934 in China. Her novel The Good Earth was the best-selling fiction book in the U.S. in 1931 and 1932, and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1932...

      , John Steinbeck
      John Steinbeck
      John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...

      , and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
      Arthur Conan Doyle
      Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...

      , spent his last 18 years back in Johnson City. His permanent collection is housed at the Carroll Reece Museum at ETSU
    • Johnny Miller
      Johnny Miller
      John Laurence Miller is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour. He was one of the top players in the world during the mid-1970s; he ranked second in the world on Mark McCormack's world golf rankings in both 1974 and 1975 behind Jack Nicklaus. He is currently the lead golf...

      , NASCAR
      NASCAR
      The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

       driver
    • Mike Potter, NASCAR
      NASCAR
      The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

       driver
    • David Phil Roe
      Phil Roe
      David Phillip "Phil" Roe is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is based in the Tri-Cities area in the northeastern portion of the state....

      , Mayor of Johnson City and Congressman for Tennessee's 1st congressional district
      Tennessee's 1st congressional district
      The Tennessee 1st Congressional District is the congressional district of northeast Tennessee, including all of Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington counties and parts of Jefferson County and Sevier County...

       in 2008
    • Connie Saylor
      Connie Saylor
      Connie Saylor was a journeyman NASCAR racecar driver. He did one-off events in the Winston Cup series during the 1980s and early '90s, and also raced in ARCA and Late Model sportsman series...

      , NASCAR
      NASCAR
      The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

       driver and Johnson City business owner
    • Mike Smith, head coach of the Atlanta Falcons
      Atlanta Falcons
      The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

      , played football at ETSU
    • Steve Spurrier
      Steve Spurrier
      Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...

      , coach of the University of South Carolina
      University of South Carolina
      The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...

       Gamecocks, also coached the University Of Florida
      University of Florida
      The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...

       and the Washington Redskins
      Washington Redskins
      The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...

      . He attended Science Hill High School
      Science Hill High School
      Science Hill High School is a high school in Johnson City, Tennessee with an enrollment of approximately 2600 students. The school is split over three campuses: 9-12 Campus, Technical Center Campus, & Alternative School Campus. The school also shares space with Freedom Hall Civic Center...

      . The city's football field is named after him
    • Robert Love Taylor
      Robert Love Taylor
      Robert Love Taylor was a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1879 to 1881, Governor of Tennessee from 1887 to 1891 and from 1897 to 1899, and subsequently a United States Senator from that state from 1907 until his death. He is notable for winning the governor's office in an election against...

       and Alfred A. Taylor
      Alfred A. Taylor
      Alfred Alexander Taylor, nickname Alf Taylor , was a lawyer and politician, serving as United States Congressman from 1889–1895, and later elected the Governor of Tennessee, serving from 1921 to 1923. Notably, in 1886 he lost the gubernatorial race to his younger brother Robert, a Democrat.- Early...

      , brothers who were both Governor of Tennessee; each owned and resided in Robins' Roost, an historic house on South Roan Street
    • Brad Teague
      Brad Teague
      Brad Teague is a veteran of the NASCAR Busch Series and the Nextel Cup Series. He was born November 9, 1947 in Buladean, North Carolina. He resides in Johnson City, Tennessee.- Nationwide Series :...

      , NASCAR
      NASCAR
      The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

       driver
    • Samuel Cole Williams
      Samuel Cole Williams
      Samuel Cole Williams was a noted 19th and 20th century Tennessee jurist, historian, educator, and businessman.-Early life:...

      , noted historian, jurist, and first dean of the Emory University School of Law
      Emory University School of Law
      Emory University School of Law is a first-tier US law school that is part of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. It is ranked #30 among ABA-approved law schools by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report...

    • Van Williams
      Van Williams (American football)
      George Van Williams is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants. He played college football at East Tennessee State University and Carson-Newman College and was drafted in the fourth round of the 1982 NFL Draft...

      , NFL running back and kick returner for Buffalo Bills, All-American at Carson Newman, attended Science Hill High School
    • Jill Andrews and Sam Quinn of folk/country band The Everybodyfields
      The Everybodyfields
      the everybodyfields were an independent folk/country band from Johnson City, Tennessee. The band was fronted by Sam Quinn and Jill Andrews who met when they were nineteen while both working at a summer camp. Most recently, they were joined by guitarist and keyboardist Josh Oliver, pedal steel...

       are natives of Johnson City and attended ETSU

    Points of interest

    • East Tennessee State University
      East Tennessee State University
      East Tennessee State University is an accredited American university located in Johnson City, Tennessee. It is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents system of colleges and universities, the nation's sixth largest system of public education, and is the fourth largest university in the state...

    • East Tennessee State University Arboretum
      East Tennessee State University Arboretum
      The East Tennessee State University Arboretum is an arboretum located across the East Tennessee State University campus, Johnson City, Tennessee.The arboretum was formally established in 2002, and currently includes nearly 200 labeled tree species....

    • Milligan College
      Milligan College
      Milligan College is a Christian liberal arts college founded in 1866 and located immediately outside of Elizabethton in Carter County, Tennessee, United States. The school has a student population of just over 1,100 students as well as a campus that is located just minutes from downtown Johnson City...

    • Emmanuel School of Religion
      Emmanuel School of Religion
      Emmanuel Christian Seminary is a graduate theological seminary near Johnson City, Tennessee. It was founded in 1965 by church leaders and scholars within the Christian Church and Churches of Christ and the Christian Church who recognized a need for a seminary deeply rooted in the heritage of the...

    • Hands On! Regional Museum
    • Rocky Mount Museum
      Rocky Mount, Tennessee
      Rocky Mount, in Piney Flats, Tennessee, was the first territorial capital of the Southwest Territory.The property of William Cobb, the original residence at Rocky Mount served as the territorial capital from 1790 to 1792...

    • Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site
      Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site
      Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site, known also as Tipton-Haynes House, is a Tennessee state-owned historic site near Johnson City, Tennessee. It includes a house originally built in 1784 by Col. John Tipton , enlarged by later owner Haynes, and 10 other buildings, including a smokehouse, pigsty,...

    • Montrose Court
    • The Mall at Johnson City
    • Johnson City Airport
    • Tri-Cities Regional Airport
      Tri-Cities Regional Airport
      Tri-Cities Regional Airport , also known as Tri-Cities Regional Airport, TN/VA, is a public airport located adjacent to Blountville, Tennessee...

    • Watauga River
      Watauga River
      The Watauga River is a large stream of western North Carolina and East Tennessee. It is 60 miles long with its headwaters on the slopes of Grandfather Mountain and Peak Mountain in Watauga County, North Carolina.-Hydrography:...

    • Boone Lake
      Boone Lake
      Boone Lake is a reservoir in Sullivan and Washington counties in northeastern Tennessee, formed by the impoundment of the South Fork Holston River behind Boone Dam....

    • Gray Fossil Site
      Gray Fossil Site
      The Gray Fossil Site is a Late Miocene-epoch assemblage of fossils located near the unincorporated town of Gray in Washington County, Northeast Tennessee, and dates from 7 to 4.5 million years BCE). The Gray Fossil Site was discovered by geologists in May 2000...


    See also

    • Jonesborough, Tennessee
      Jonesborough, Tennessee
      Jonesborough is a town in and the county seat of Washington County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The population was 4,168 at the 2000 census...

       (county seat of Washington County)
    • State of Franklin
      State of Franklin
      The State of Franklin, known also as the Free Republic of Franklin or the State of Frankland , was an unrecognized autonomous United States territory created in 1784 from part of the territory west of the Appalachian Mountains that had been offered,...

       ("Lost State" would have been U.S. 14th state)
    • Johnson City Cardinals
      Johnson City Cardinals
      The Johnson City Cardinals are a rookie league team based in Johnson City, Tennessee. The Cardinals are affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals organization and play with the Appalachian League, of which they are currently the two-time defending champions. The team plays its home games at Howard...

      , Appalachian League
      Appalachian League
      The Appalachian League is a Rookie-class minor league that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956. From 1937 to 1962, it was a Class D League. Teams are located in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee...

       baseball
    • Johnson City sessions
      Johnson City sessions
      The Johnson City Sessions were a series of recording auditions conducted in Johnson City, Tennessee, in 1928 and 1929 by Frank Buckley Walker, head of the Columbia Records “hillbilly” recordings division. They were part of a search for native Appalachian-Blue Ridge Mountains musical talent...

      , early Country music
      Country music
      Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

      recording sessions

    External links


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