Johnson City | |
---|---|
Motto: Go. All. Out. | |
Coordinates: 36°20′N82°22′W / 36.333°N 82.367°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Tennessee |
Counties | Washington, Carter, Sullivan |
Founded | 1856 |
Incorporated | 1869 [1] |
Founded by | Henry Johnson |
Government | |
• Type | Council-manager government |
• Mayor | Dr. Todd Fowler |
• Vice Mayor | Aaron T. Murphy |
• City Manager | Cathy Ball |
• City Commissioners | Jenny Brock Joe Wise John Hunter |
Area | |
43.75 sq mi (113.32 km2) | |
• Land | 43.44 sq mi (112.52 km2) |
• Water | 0.31 sq mi (0.80 km2) |
Elevation | 1,634 ft (498 m) |
Population | |
71,046 | |
• Estimate (2023) | 73,337 |
• Rank | 8th in Tennessee |
• Density | 1,635.38/sq mi (631.42/km2) |
• Urban | 128,519 (US: 261st) [4] |
• Metro | 207,285 (US: 215th) |
• CSA | 514,899 (US: 87th) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
ZIP codes | 37601-37604, 37614, 37615 & 37684 |
Area code | 423 |
FIPS code | 47-38320 [5] |
GNIS feature ID | 1328579 [6] |
Website | www |
Johnson City is a city in Washington, Carter, and Sullivan counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, mostly in Washington County. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 71,046, making it the eighth-most populous city in Tennessee. [7] Johnson City is the principal city of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Carter, Unicoi, and Washington counties [8] and had a population of 207,285 as of 2020. The MSA is also a component of the Tri-Cities region. This CSA is the fifth-largest in Tennessee, with a population of 514,899 as of 2020.
William Bean, traditionally recognized as Tennessee's first white settler, built his cabin along Boone's Creek near Johnson City in 1769. [9] In the 1780s, Colonel John Tipton (1730–1813) established a farm (now the Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site) just outside what is now Johnson City. During the State of Franklin movement, Tipton was a leader of the loyalist faction, residents of the region who wanted to remain part of North Carolina rather than form a separate state. In February 1788, an armed engagement took place at Tipton's farm between Tipton and his men and the forces led by John Sevier, the leader of the Franklin faction. [10]
Founded in 1856 by Henry Johnson as a railroad station called "Johnson's Depot", [11] Johnson City became a major rail hub for the Southeast, as three railway lines crossed in the downtown area. [12]
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Johnson City served as headquarters for the narrow gauge East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (the ET&WNC, nicknamed "Tweetsie") and the standard gauge Clinchfield Railroad. Both rail systems featured excursion trips through scenic portions of the Blue Ridge Mountains and were engineering marvels of railway construction. The Southern Railway (now Norfolk Southern) also passes through the city. [13]
During the American Civil War, 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. [14]
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 (including the Charleston, Cincinnati and Chicago Railroad or "3-Cs", a predecessor of the Clinchfield) and resulting financial panic, halted Johnson City's boom town momentum. [15]
In 1901, the Mountain Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers (now the U.S. Veterans Affairs Medical Center and National Cemetery), Mountain Home, Tennessee [16] [17] was created by an act of Congress introduced by Walter P. Brownlow. Construction on this 450-acre (1.8 km2) campus, which was designed to serve disabled Civil War veterans, was completed in 1903 at a cost of $3 million. Before the completion of this facility, the assessed value of the entire town was listed at $750,000. The East Tennessee State Normal School was authorized in 1911 and the new college campus directly across from the National Soldiers Home.[ citation needed ] Johnson City began growing rapidly and became the fifth-largest city in Tennessee by 1930. [18]
Together with neighboring Bristol, Johnson City was a hotbed for old-time music. It hosted noteworthy Columbia Records recording sessions in 1928 known as the Johnson City Sessions. Native son "Fiddlin' Charlie" Bowman became a national recording star via these sessions. [19] The Fountain Square area in downtown featured a host of local and traveling street entertainers including Blind Lemon Jefferson.
During the 1920s and the Prohibition era, Johnson City's ties to the bootlegging activity of the Appalachian Mountains earned the city the nickname of "Little Chicago". [20] Stories persist that the town was one of several distribution centers for Chicago gang boss Al Capone 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.[ citation needed ]
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. [21] 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" 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. [22]
Johnson City is in northeastern Washington County, [23] with smaller parts extending north into Sullivan County and east into Carter County. Johnson City shares a contiguous southeastern border with Elizabethton. Johnson City also shares a small contiguous border with Kingsport to the far north along I-26 and a slightly longer one with Bluff City to the northeast along US 11E.[ citation needed ]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 43.3 square miles (112.1 km2), of which 42.9 square miles (111.2 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km2), or 0.75 percent, is water.
Buffalo Mountain, a ridge over 2,700 feet (820 m) high, is a city park on the south side of town. The Watauga River arm of Boone Lake, a Tennessee Valley Authority reservoir, is partly within the city limits.[ citation needed ]
Johnson City has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), with warm summers and cool winters. Temperatures in Johnson City are moderated somewhat by its elevation and proximity to the Appalachian Mountains. Precipitation is abundant, with an average of 45.22 in (1,149 mm). Summer is typically the wettest part of the year, while early autumn is considerably drier. Snowfall is moderate and sporadic, with an average of 15.6 in (40 cm).
Climate data for Johnson City, Tennessee | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 78 (26) | 80 (27) | 83 (28) | 89 (32) | 94 (34) | 102 (39) | 99 (37) | 99 (37) | 97 (36) | 90 (32) | 84 (29) | 76 (24) | 102 (39) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 45 (7) | 50 (10) | 59 (15) | 68 (20) | 76 (24) | 83 (28) | 86 (30) | 85 (29) | 79 (26) | 69 (21) | 59 (15) | 48 (9) | 67 (19) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 25 (−4) | 28 (−2) | 34 (1) | 42 (6) | 51 (11) | 60 (16) | 64 (18) | 63 (17) | 55 (13) | 44 (7) | 35 (2) | 28 (−2) | 44 (7) |
Record low °F (°C) | −21 (−29) | −12 (−24) | −1 (−18) | 20 (−7) | 28 (−2) | 39 (4) | 46 (8) | 36 (2) | 34 (1) | 22 (−6) | 11 (−12) | −9 (−23) | −21 (−29) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.42 (87) | 3.69 (94) | 3.59 (91) | 3.50 (89) | 4.44 (113) | 4.56 (116) | 5.44 (138) | 4.15 (105) | 3.03 (77) | 2.44 (62) | 3.34 (85) | 3.62 (92) | 45.22 (1,149) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 5.2 (13) | 4.2 (11) | 2.3 (5.8) | 0.4 (1.0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0.9 (2.3) | 2.6 (6.6) | 15.6 (40) |
Average relative humidity (%) | 59.0 | 71.5 | 69.0 | 67.0 | 69.5 | 73.0 | 75.0 | 76.5 | 76.5 | 74.0 | 68.5 | 69.5 | 74.0 |
Source 1: [24] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: [25] |
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1880 | 685 | — | |
1890 | 4,161 | 507.4% | |
1900 | 4,645 | 11.6% | |
1910 | 8,502 | 83.0% | |
1920 | 12,442 | 46.3% | |
1930 | 25,080 | 101.6% | |
1940 | 25,332 | 1.0% | |
1950 | 27,864 | 10.0% | |
1960 | 31,187 | 11.9% | |
1970 | 33,770 | 8.3% | |
1980 | 39,753 | 17.7% | |
1990 | 49,381 | 24.2% | |
2000 | 55,469 | 12.3% | |
2010 | 63,152 | 13.9% | |
2020 | 71,046 | 12.5% | |
2023 (est.) | 73,337 | [26] | 3.2% |
[3] |
Race | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic) | 55,950 | 78.75% |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 4,809 | 6.77% |
Native American | 164 | 0.23% |
Asian | 1,710 | 2.41% |
Pacific Islander | 37 | 0.05% |
Other/mixed | 3,878 | 5.46% |
Hispanic or Latino | 4,498 | 6.33% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 71,046 people, 30,724 households, and 15,904 families residing in the city.
As of the census [5] of 2000, there were 55,469 people, 23,720 households, and 14,018 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,412.4 per square mile. There were 25,730 housing units at an average density of 655.1 units per square mile (252.9 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 90.09 percent white, 6.40 percent African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.22 percent Asian, 0.02 percent Pacific Islander, 0.69 percent from other races, and 1.32 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.89 percent of the population.
There were 23,720 households, out of which 25.0 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1 percent were married couples living together, 11.6 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.9 percent were non-families. 33.9 percent of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5 percent 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 percent under the age of 18, 13.7 percent from 18 to 24, 28.1 percent from 25 to 44, 22.5 percent from 45 to 64, and 15.9 percent 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 for the city was $20,364. About 11.4 percent of families and 15.9 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9 percent of those under age 18 and 12.7 percent of those age 65 or over.
Johnson City is an economic hub largely fueled by East Tennessee State University and the medical "Med-Tech" corridor, [14] anchored by the Johnson City Medical Center and Niswonger Children's Hospital, Franklin Woods Community Hospital, ETSU's Gatton College of Pharmacy, and ETSU's Quillen College of Medicine.
The popular citrus soda Mountain Dew traces its origins to Johnson City. In 2012, PepsiCo announced a new malt-flavored version of the drink named Mountain Dew Johnson City Gold in honor of the city. [28]
Johnson City and its metropolitan area had a gross metropolitan product of US$9.1 billion in 2019. [29]
Employer | Number of employees |
---|---|
Ballad Health | 3541 |
East Tennessee State University | 1990 |
Washington County School System | 1275 |
James H. Quillen VA Medical Center | 1259 |
American Water Heater Company | 1194 |
AT&T Mobility | 1000 |
Public art includes 12 to 15 sculptures that change every two years. [31] Also, 24 bronze statuettes of animals indigenous to the Appalachian Highlands, cast by faculty and students at ETSU, are installed in various downtown locations; staff at the Johnson City Public Library created a list of clues to aid in the search for all the animals. [32] Other public art includes banners and art on light poles and traffic boxes, and quote stones along sidewalks and paths. [33] [34] Two annual art events take place in the city. [35]
As a regional hub for a four-state area, Johnson City is home to a large variety of retail businesses, from well-known national chains to local boutiques and galleries.
The Mall at Johnson City is the city's only enclosed shopping mall. Much of the new retail development is in North Johnson City, along State of Franklin Road. Johnson City Crossings is the largest of these developments.
Several Minor League Baseball teams have been based in Johnson City. Professional baseball was first played in the city by the Johnson City Soldiers in the Southeastern League in 1910. [38] The city's longest-running team was the Johnson City Cardinals, who played in the Appalachian League as the Rookie affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals from 1975 to 2020. [38] In conjunction with a contraction of Minor League Baseball beginning with the 2021 season, the Appalachian League was reorganized as a collegiate summer baseball league, and the Cardinals were replaced by the Johnson City Doughboys, a new franchise in the revamped league designed for rising college freshman and sophomores. [39] [40]
In the United States House of Representatives, Johnson City is represented by Republican Diana Harshbarger of the 1st district.
Johnson City is run by a five-person board of commissioners. [41] The mayor is Todd Fowler, the vice mayor is Aaron Murphy, and the commissioners are Jenny Brock, Joe Wise, and John Hunter. The city manager is Cathy Ball. [42]
East Tennessee State University has around 16,000 students in addition to a K-12 University School, a laboratory school of about 540 students. [43] University School was the first laboratory school in the nation to adopt a year-round academic schedule. [44]
Milligan University is just outside the city limits in Carter County, and has about 1,200 students in undergraduate and graduate programs.
Northeast State Community College has renovated a building in downtown Johnson City for use as a new satellite teaching site. [45]
Tusculum College has a center on the north side of Johnson City in the Boones Creek area.
Within Washington County, the vast majority of the city is in the Johnson City School District, while small parts of the city are in the Washington County School District. [46]
The portion in Carter County is within the Carter County School District. [47] The portion in Sullivan County is within the Sullivan County School District. [48]
Schools in the Johnson City School System include:
Elementary schools
|
|
Middle schools
High schools
Johnson City is served by Tri-Cities Regional Airport (IATA Code TRI) and Johnson City Airport (0A4) in Watauga.
Johnson City Transit operates a system of buses inside the city limits, [50] including BucShot, a system serving the greater ETSU campus.
The Southern Railway used to serve Johnson City with several trains: the Birmingham Special (ended 1970), the Pelican (ended 1970) and the Tennessean (ended 1968). [51]
Johnson City serves as a regional medical center for northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia, along with parts of western North Carolina and southeastern Kentucky.[ citation needed ]
Johnson City Medical Center includes a level 1 trauma center, [52] the Niswonger Children's Hospital, and Woodridge Hospital, an inpatient psychiatric hospital.
Franklin Woods Community Hospital is an 80-bed hospital with emergency services. [53]
James H. and Cecile C. Quillen Rehabilitation Hospital serves patients who have suffered debilitating trauma, including stroke and brain-spine injuries.[ citation needed ]
This section needs additional citations for verification .(April 2008) |
Johnson City's sister cities are: [68] [69]
Bristol is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,219. It is the twin city of Bristol, Tennessee, just across the state line, which runs down the middle of its main street, State Street. It is surrounded on three sides by Washington County, Virginia, which is combined with the city for statistical purposes. It is a principal city in the Kingsport–Bristol metropolitan area, which had a population of 307,614 in 2020. The metro area is a component of the larger Tri-Cities region of Tennessee and Virginia, with a population of 508,260 in 2020.
Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 133,001. Its county seat is Jonesborough. The county's largest city and a regional educational, medical and commercial center is Johnson City. Washington County is Tennessee's oldest county, having been established in 1777 when the state was still part of North Carolina. Washington County is part of the Johnson City, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area, commonly known as the "Tri-Cities" region.
Unicoi County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,928. Its county seat is Erwin. Unicoi is a Cherokee word meaning "white," "hazy," "fog-like," or "fog draped," and refers to the mist often seen in the foothills and mountains of this far northeast county. Unicoi County 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 the "Tri-Cities" region.
Sevier County is a county of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 98,380. Its county seat and largest city is Sevierville. Sevier County comprises the Sevierville, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Knoxville-Morristown-Sevierville, TN Combined Statistical Area.
Johnson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,948. Its county seat is Mountain City. It is the state's northeasternmost county, sharing borders with Virginia and North Carolina.
Greene County is a county located on the eastern border of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 70,152. Its county seat is Greeneville. Greene County comprises the Greeneville, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Carter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 56,356. Its county seat is Elizabethton. The county is named in honor of Landon Carter (1760–1800), an early settler active in the "Lost State of Franklin" 1784-1788 secession from the State of North Carolina. Carter County is part of the Johnson City, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area, located in northeastern Tennessee.
Elizabethton is a city in, and the county seat of Carter County, Tennessee, United States. Elizabethton is the historical site of the first independent American government located west of both the Eastern Continental Divide and the original Thirteen Colonies.
Roan Mountain is a census-designated place (CDP) in Carter County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,360 at the 2010 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 the Tri-Cities region.
Greeneville is a town in and the county seat of Greene County, Tennessee, United States. The population as of the 2020 census was 15,479. The town was named in honor of Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene, and it is the second oldest town in Tennessee. It is the only town with this spelling in the United States, although there are numerous U.S. towns named Greenville. The town was the capital of the short-lived State of Franklin in the 18th-century history of East Tennessee.
Mountain City is a town in and the county seat of Johnson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,415 at the 2020 census. It is the northeasternmost county seat in Tennessee. In addition, at an elevation of 2,418 feet (737 m), it has the distinction of being the highest incorporated city in the state.
Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 27,147 at the 2020 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundary between the two cities is also the state line, which runs along State Street in their common downtown district. It is a principal city in the Kingsport–Bristol metropolitan area, which had a population of 307,614 in 2020. The metro area is a component of the larger Tri-Cities region of Tennessee and Virginia, with a population of 508,260 in 2020.
Erwin is a town in and the county seat of Unicoi County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 6,083 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Johnson City metropolitan area, which is a component of the "Tri-Cities" region.
Jonesborough is a town in, and the county seat of, Washington County, Tennessee, in the Southeastern United States. Its population was 5,860 as of 2020. It is "Tennessee's oldest town".
Morristown is a city in and the county seat of Hamblen County, Tennessee, United States. Morristown also extends into Jefferson County on the western and southern ends. The city lies within the Ridge and Valley region of the Appalachians, along Cherokee Lake on the Holston River. The city's population was recorded to be 30,431 at the 2020 United States census. It is the principal city of the Morristown Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Grainger, Hamblen, and Jefferson counties. The Morristown metropolitan area is also part of the Knoxville-Morristown-Sevierville Combined Statistical Area.
Kingsport is a city in Sullivan and Hawkins counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, its population was 55,442. Lying along the Holston River, Kingsport is commonly included in what is known as the Mountain Empire, which spans a portion of southwest Virginia and the mountainous counties in northeastern Tennessee. It is the largest city in the Kingsport–Bristol metropolitan area, which had a population of 307,613 in 2020. The metro area is a component of the larger Tri-Cities region of Tennessee and Virginia, with a population of 508,260 in 2020.
The State of Franklin was an unrecognized proposed state located in present-day East Tennessee, in the United States. Franklin was created in 1784 from part of the territory west of the Appalachian Mountains that had been offered by North Carolina as a cession to Congress to help pay off debts related to the American War for Independence. It was founded with the intent of becoming the 14th state of the new United States.
East Tennessee State University (ETSU) is a public research university in Johnson City, Tennessee. It was historically part of the State University and Community College System of Tennessee under the Tennessee Board of Regents, but since 2016, the university has been transitioning to governance by its own board of trustees. As of May 2017, it is the fourth largest university in the state and has off-campus centers in nearby Kingsport, Elizabethton, and Sevierville.
Hampton is an unincorporated community and Census-designated place in Carter County, Tennessee, United States. Located a few miles southeast of Elizabethton and northwest of Roan Mountain, Hampton is surrounded on all sides by the Unaka Mountains. 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 the "Tri-Cities" region.
Carroll County is a United States county located in the southwestern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Roughly one fifth of the county lies in the Virginia Piedmont region, while the rest is part of the Appalachian Mountains. The county seat and only town is Hillsville.