:Morristown, Tennessee

Before its settlement by European-Americans, the area of Morristown was inhabited by Native Americans, predominately members of the Cherokee tribe.{{cite web |last1=Haun |first1=Berwin |title=Hamblen County |url=https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/hamblen-county/ |website=Tennessee Encyclopedia |publisher=Tennessee Historical Society |access-date=December 23, 2023 |date=October 8, 2017}} During the Cherokee's inhabitance, the area was based around two major pathways, an east-west route that was later developed into the Great Stage Road in the settlement era, and a north-south route known as Buffalo Trail, named for a legend stating the path was formed from herds of buffalo traveling from Asheville, North Carolina to the Powell River near the Cumberland Gap for the river's salt licks.{{cite news |last1=Davis Brooks |first1=Cora |title=History of Morristown: 1787-1936 |url=https://newspapers.com/image/586788638/ |access-date=December 26, 2023 |work=The Morristown Sun |date=September 4, 1955 |page=9}}

The settlement of Morristown was established by trans-Appalachian pioneer Gideon Morris, a farmer who arrived with his brothers Daniel and Absalom from the Watauga Settlement, a semi-autonomous government based on land that was leased to European-American settlers from the inhabiting Cherokee tribes.{{cite book |last1=Brooks |first1=Cora |title=History of Morristown, 1787-1936 |date=1940 |publisher=WPA Publishers |url=https://www.sos.tn.gov/products/tsla/bibliography-tennessee-local-history-sources-hamblen-county |access-date=August 8, 2020}} Prior to his settlement, Morris had fought alongside John Sevier in the Cherokee Expedition in 1776, and obtained land grants after serving in the American Revolutionary War at the Battle of Kings Mountain.{{cite web |last1=Tuller |first1=Roberta |title=Gideon Morris |url=https://www.anamericanfamilyhistory.com/TennesseeFamilies&Places/Morris%20Family/MorrisGideon1750.html |website=An American Family History |access-date=December 26, 2023 |date=2020}}{{cite web |last1=Tuller |first1=Roberta |title=1776 Cherokee Expedition |url=https://www.anamericanfamilyhistory.com/TennesseeFamilies&Places/1776%20Cherokee%20Expedition.html |website=An American Family History |access-date=December 26, 2023 |date=2020}}

Morris, along with his siblings, petitioned to have the Watauga Settlement annexed in the State of North Carolina. With the petition's success, the settlement was named Morristown, and land grants containing present-day Hamblen and Jefferson counties were assigned to Morris and his brothers in 1787 by North Carolina state officials. The Morris household built their first home off of present-day South Cumberland Street in Morristown, which remained occupied by descendants of the Morris family for several generations.{{cite news |title=History of Morristown Continued |url=https://newspapers.com/image/586790092/?terms=%22Morristown%22%20%22Cumberland%20Street%22&match=1 |access-date=December 26, 2023 |work=The Morristown Sun |date=September 4, 1955 |page=12}}

From 1792 to 1793, the community's main street was added onto a major stagecoach route connecting it to Knoxville and Abingdon, Virginia, aiding further early settlement efforts.{{cite web |title=National Register of Historic Places Registration Form |url=https://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/pdfs/16000120.pdf |website=National Register of Historic Places |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=September 15, 2020 |date=March 22, 2016 }}{{cite web |title=Introduction to Hamblen County History |url=https://tngenweb.org/hamblen/records/history.php |website=Hamblen County, TNGenWeb |publisher=THE GOODSPEED PUBLISHING CO |access-date=December 25, 2023 |date=1887}} Among these settlers was frontiersman John Crockett, who arrived and settled east of the Morris residence in 1794 with his son, famed pioneer and folk-hero Davy Crockett who was seven years old at the time. John Crockett constructed a log cabin that later served as a tavern, and a hospital treating smallpox during the American Civil War. After the Civil War, the Crockett Tavern was destroyed to prevent further infections of smallpox. The current-day Crockett Tavern Museum sits at the approximate location of the former tavern and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.{{cite web|title=Abbreviated History|url= http://www.crocketttavernmuseum.org/history.html|website=CrockettTavernMuseum.org|access-date=November 1, 2018}} John's son, Davy resided in Morristown until 1809, when he relocated to Middle Tennessee to go into Tennessee state politics.

By 1833, Morristown developed into a small village, consisting of a post office, a general store, a blacksmith and machine shop which was the first major enterprise in the town, and several log cabin residences along the main stagecoach route known as the Great Stage Road that divided the community into two counties, Grainger to the north, and Jefferson to the south.{{cite news |last1=Hill |first1=Howard |title=Old Friends and Neighbors of the Morris Family |url=https://newspapers.com/image/587594060/?terms=%22Stage%20Road%22%20%22Morristown%22&match=1 |access-date=December 26, 2023 |work=Morristown Gazette Mail |date=June 9, 1957 |page=2}} Morristown Academy, the community's first documented school, opened to students in 1830. In 1855, Morristown was incorporated into a city to provide new services to the community's growing population. Railroad access became available to Morristown when construction completed on the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad in 1858, which was the first railroad line to be operational in the state of Tennessee. Morristown was serviced by its first newspaper, the American Statesman, in 1857 after relocating to Morristown from Dandridge, the seat of Jefferson County. By 1860, Morristown was recorded by the United States Census Bureau to have an initial population of 500 as an incorporated city.

Between 1855 and 1870, Morristown's municipal limits were divided along Main Street into Grainger and Jefferson counties. Many residents brought concerns regarding transportation and communication access in Morristown, and neighboring communities such as Russellville and Panther Springs raised concerns as well regarding accessibility to Morristown. After working with government officials from the neighboring counties and the state government, Hamblen County was formed from portions of Grainger, Jefferson, Hawkins, and Greene counties.{{cite web |title=Tradition Tells How Hamblen County Came Into Being |url=https://www.tngenweb.org/hamblen/records/history.php#Tradition |website=Hamblen County, Tennessee Genealogy |access-date=September 14, 2020}} Morristown was chosen as the county seat of Hamblen County shortly after its formation in 1870.

{{Main|Battle of Morristown}}

{{See also|Tennessee in the American Civil War}}

As the Civil War approached, the town's sympathies were divided between the Union and secessionist sides. In December 1863, some 25,000 Confederate Army soldiers under the command of General James Longstreet arrived at Bethesda Presbyterian Church, northeast of the town, to spend the winter, after the Battle of Bean's Station. They remained there until February 1864 and used the Bethesda Church building as a hospital.{{cite web |url=http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=35659 |title=Bethesda Presbyterian Church: A Church Divided |work=The Historical Marker Database |access-date=January 12, 2014}}{{cite web|url= http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/apr/01/bethesda-was-war-hospital-casualty/ |title=Bethesda Church was first a hospital, then a casualty |first=Amy |last=McRary |date= April 1, 2012 |newspaper=Knoxville News Sentinel}} Military engagements occurred near the church in both October and November 1864. On October 28, 1864, Union General Alvan C. Gillem attacked Confederate forces under General John C. Vaughn in the Battle of Morristown. They fought in and around the town with Gillem routing Vaughn's Confederates in what became known as "Vaughn's Stampede." Vaughn was forced to retreat to Carter's Station on the Watauga River in northeastern Tennessee. The battle resulted in about 335 total casualties.{{cite web|title=The Battle of Morristown, 1864|url=http://www.lcs.net/users/sdc/battle.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110920081822/http://www.lcs.net/users/sdc/battle.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 20, 2011|author=Campbell, S.|date=April 30, 2010|access-date=May 13, 2020}}{{cite web |url=http://www.tnvacation.com/civil-war/place/2089/affair-at-morristown/ |title=Affair at Morristown |publisher=Tennessee Department of Tourist Development |access-date=January 13, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116071230/http://www.tnvacation.com/civil-war/place/2089/affair-at-morristown/ |archive-date=January 16, 2014 }}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6YH-AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA72 |title=The Dreaded 13th Tennessee Union Cavalry: Marauding Mountain Men |first=Melanie |last=Storie |publisher=The History Press |year=2013 |isbn=9781626191129 |pages=72–75|via=Google Books}} In the Battle of Bull's Gap ("Gillem's Stampede") in November, Confederate forces under General John C. Breckinridge prevailed over Gillem's troops, chasing the Union forces westward to a defensive position at Strawberry Plains near Knoxville. During one of these skirmishes, a cannonball penetrated one of the church walls, causing structural damage that was repaired by reinforcing the walls with large iron rods. The Union Army used the church as a hospital for soldiers wounded in these operations.{{cite web |url=http://www.tnvacation.com/civil-war/place/2098/bethesda-church-and-cemetery/ |title=Bethesda Church and Cemetery |publisher=Tennessee Department of Tourist Development |access-date=January 13, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116071314/http://www.tnvacation.com/civil-war/place/2098/bethesda-church-and-cemetery/ |archive-date=January 16, 2014 }} Many soldiers from both sides are interred in the Bethesda Church cemetery. Eighty of the wartime burials are unidentified.

Morristown saw a steady shift into an industrially-based economy in the early beginnings of the Industrial Revolution, around the early to late 19th century. The first industry in the area was the Shields Paper Mill, located on the Holston River, operating from 1825 to 1861.{{cite web |last1=Haun |first1=Burwin |title=Hamblen County |url=https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/hamblen-county/ |website=Tennessee Encyclopedia |access-date=August 8, 2020}} Other prominent early businesses included the Morristown Manufacturing Company and the later Knoxville-based J. F. Goodson Coffee Company in 1882.{{cite web |title=JFG Coffee Company Building |url=http://knoxheritage.org/our-work/neighborhood-tours/historic-downtown-knoxville-walking-tour/jfg-coffee-company-building/ |website=Knox Heritage |access-date=August 8, 2020 |quote=JFG Coffee Company was founded in Morristown in 1882 by James Franklin Goodson as a wholesale grocery company. JFG was one of the best-known regional roasters and marketers of ground coffee, tea, mayonnaise, and peanut butter. }}

From 1891 to 1928, Morristown was a terminal on the Knoxville and Bristol Railroad, commonly known by locals as the "Peavine Railroad." The railroad was a branch line of the Southern Railway that ran from downtown Morristown on Main Street to Corryton, a bedroom community outside of Knoxville.{{cite journal |last1=Faulkner |first1=Charles |title=Industrial Archaeology of the "Peavine Railroad": An Archaeological and Historical Study of an Abandoned Railroad in East Tennessee |journal=Tennessee Historical Quarterly |date=1985 |volume=44 |issue=1 |pages=40–58 |publisher=Tennessee Historical Society|jstor=42626500 }}{{cite web |author1=Middle Tennessee State University Center for Historic Preservation |author2=Crossroads Downtown Partnership |title=Morristown, Tennessee Walking and Driving Tours |url=https://www.mtsuhistpres.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Morristown-Walking-and-Driving-Tours.pdf |website=Middle Tennessee State University Center for Historic Preservation |access-date=August 8, 2020 |date=2019 }} The Peavine Railroad had first operated between Morristown and Bean Station, with plans to connect north to the Cumberland Gap, but instead extended west through Grainger County towards Knoxville due to feasibility concerns regarding construction through the Clinch Mountain valley.{{cite news |last1=Hill |first1=Howard |title=The Old Peavine Railroad |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40768906 |page=6 |access-date=August 7, 2020 |work=Morristown Daily Gazette and Mail |date=January 20, 1957|via=Newspapers.com}}

File:Morristown, Tennessee (circa 1904-1906).jpg

In 1944, the American Enka Company, a rayon fiber producer based out of Asheville, North Carolina, began construction on a 230-acre plant in the Lowland region of Morristown, beginning operations in 1947.{{cite web |last1=Buerki |first1=Karen |title=Liberty Fibers |url=https://response.epa.gov/site/site_profile.aspx?site_id=5986#:~:text=On%20April%2021%2C%202010%2C%20Region%204%20ERRB%20responded,1992%20when%20it%20was%20sold%20to%20Lenzing%20AG. |website=EPA ON-SCENE COORDINATOR (OSC) RESPONSE WEBSITE |publisher=Environmental Protection Agency |access-date=November 16, 2020}}{{cite web |title=Lenzing - Lowland |url=https://lenzinglowland.blogspot.com/ |website=Lenzing - Lowland |access-date=November 16, 2020}}

In March 1950, workers at the facility walked out on strike. Officials from American Enka Company then advertised for replacements of the striking workers. Tensions soon built when residents of Morristown and Lowland appeared at the gates of the Enka plant to apply for the listed jobs. Violence then followed, with shots fired, cars damaged, and one adjacent house destroyed by dynamite. The then-governor of Tennessee, Gordon Browning, dispatched National Guard troops to restore order at the Enka factory. By the end of the strike, and following acts of violence and vandalism, its story had become national front-page news, and on-site congressional hearings regarding labor relations and the labor movement were held in Morristown, led by Democratic Senator Hubert Humphrey.{{cite news |title=SENATE INQUIRY SET IN TENNESSEE STRIKE |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1950/06/14/archives/senate-inquiry-set-in-tennessee-strike.html |access-date=November 17, 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=June 14, 1950}}{{cite web |last1=Henderson |first1=Cherel |title=American Enka and the Modern Labor Movement |url=https://www.easttnhistory.org/sites/default/files/traveling_enka.pdf |website=Museum of East Tennessee History |publisher=East Tennessee Historical Society |access-date=November 16, 2020}}

In 1985, the American Enka facility was acquired by BASF and continued under their operations until 1992, when it was sold to Lenzing AG. The plant closed in 2005, after the company that operated the plant, Liberty Fibers, filed for bankruptcy. The plant site and its adjacent wastewater treatment plant have since been annexed into the Morristown city limits.{{Cite news|date=October 1, 2005|title=Liberty Fibers Corp. Closes Plant, Files For Bankruptcy Protection|work=The Greeneville Sun|url=https://www.greenevillesun.com/news/liberty-fibers-corp-closes-plant-files-for-bankruptcy-protection/article_34f9f483-3a5b-5581-82ba-058b2a40d81d.html|url-status=live|access-date=July 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729170303/https://www.greenevillesun.com/news/liberty-fibers-corp-closes-plant-files-for-bankruptcy-protection/article_34f9f483-3a5b-5581-82ba-058b2a40d81d.html|archive-date=July 29, 2020}}

Beginning in 1959, following then presidential candidate John F. Kennedy's exposure to poverty in Appalachia, Morristown officials began a joint effort with Tennessee economic development representatives to establish the city as a major industrial hub, and the program began with the construction and completion of the East Tennessee Valley Industrial District (ETVID) industrial park in eastern Morristown near Russellville.{{cite journal |last1=Newman |first1=Anne |editor1-last=Kendrick |editor1-first=Elise |title=The Recruiters and the Recruited: How One Town Filled an Industrial Park |journal=Appalachia |date=1981 |volume=15 |issue=1 |pages=6–19 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eJMHJyHZ6V8C&q=Morristown |access-date=September 14, 2020 |publisher=Appalachian Regional Commission |location=University of California, Berkeley |language=en}} In 1962, the world's largest manufacturer of chains, the Jeffrey Manufacturing Company opened a plant to manufacture its steel thimble roller chains.{{cite news |title=Big chain maker chose Morristown over fifty possible plant sites, started in February |work=Morristown Gazette Mail |date=8 July 1962|page=14}}

By 1978, the {{convert|375|acre|km2}} ETVID industrial park had reached its estimated capacity, prompting city officials to develop a second industrial park. After acquiring a {{convert|670|acre|km2}} site in western Morristown near Morristown Regional Airport in the same year, city officials developed the site into the Morristown Airport Industrial District (MAID) industrial park in 1981. Five months after the park's completion, two companies opened facilities at the MAID. As overall economic prosperity continued to make gains in Morristown, city officials and development representatives have cited Morristown's industrial development initiative as an example of economic growth:

In the 1990s, the City of Morristown acquired over {{convert|900|acre|km2}} near Interstate 81 exit 8 for its third industrial park, the East Tennessee Progress Center (ETPC).{{cite web |title=Hamblen County - East Tennessee Progress Center |url=https://www.tn.gov/rural/resources/best-practices/site-development/hamblen-county---east-tennessee-progress-center.html |website=State of Tennessee |access-date=September 14, 2020}} Initial site development such as roadway and utility upgrades were completed in 2001. Several large manufacturers opened facilities at the site, but further infrastructure upgrades, grading work, and property acquisition was done on the site throughout the 2000s and 2010s.

Following the 2007-2012 global economic crisis, Morristown saw the loss of one of its largest employers, Berkline, which closed after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2011.{{cite news |last1=Thomas |first1=Larry |title=Sudden exit for Berkline |url=https://www.furnituretoday.com/business-news/sudden-exit-for-berkline/ |access-date=October 1, 2020 |work=FurnitureToday |date=May 2, 2011}} The furniture manufacturer, which relocated to the city in 1937, eliminated 602 jobs and ended an era of Morristown being known as a predominately furniture manufacturing hub:{{cite news |last1=Marcum |first1=Ed |title=Furniture maker Berkline closing Morristown operation |url=http://archive.knoxnews.com/news/local/furniture-maker-berkline-closing-morristown-operation-ep-405343135-357963621.html |access-date=October 1, 2020 |work=Knoxville News Sentinel |date=March 30, 2011}}

{{Blockquote

|text="For two or three generations, Morristown has been considered a furniture town, and this is the last of the major furniture operations here."

|author=Hamblen County Mayor Bill Brittain

|title="Furniture maker Berkline closing Morristown operation"

|source=Knoxville News Sentinel (2011)

}}

In 2018, Belgian bus manufacturer Van Hool announced the construction of a {{convert|500,000|sqft|m2}} facility at the ETPC (East Tennessee Progress Center), one of the largest industrial development projects in the history of Morristown.{{cite web |title=Governor Haslam, Commissioner Rolfe announce Van Hool NV to establish first US manufacturing facility in Morristown |url=https://tnecd.com/news/governor-haslam-commissioner-rolfe-announce-van-hool-nv-to-establish-first-us-manufacturing-facility-in-morristown/ |website=Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development |publisher=State of Tennessee |access-date=September 14, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Howington |first1=Glenna |title=Anatomy of A Deal: Meet the Van Hools |url=https://www.citizentribune.com/special_sections/progress_edition_2019/anatomy-of-a-deal-meet-the-van-hools/article_8aa97afa-56fb-11e9-8e3a-8365a6f5ce48.html |access-date=September 14, 2020 |work=Citizen Tribune |date=April 4, 2019}} The project expects to create an estimated 650 jobs, over $47 million in private investment and an influx of interest of further industrial development in the Morristown area.{{cite web |title=Van Hool builds bus factory in Morristown, Tennessee, US |url=https://www.vanhool.be/en/news/van-hool-builds-bus-factory-in-morristown-tennessee-us |website=Van Hool |access-date=September 14, 2020 |date=April 12, 2018 }}

{{See also|Morristown Main Street Historic District}}

By 1833, Morristown had its first post office and store located along Main Street. Fourteen years later, railroad lines were built, stimulating further commercial growth until the beginning of the American Civil War. Morristown's Main Street district, measuring approximately {{convert|1|sqmi|km2}}, arose from the intersection of two railroad lines, gradually turning Morristown into wholesale/retail hub after the end of the Civil War.

At the start of the 20th century, new buildings were erected in the downtown area, including the Henry Street Post Office, the First National Bank Building, and the Princess Theater. The Princess Theater was the first theater in Morristown and showcased touring musical acts, ministerial shows, pageants, films, and special Grand Ole Opry performances. Following the opening of theaters in neighboring shopping complexes, the Princess Theater closed in 1982, and was demolished in 1995.

Following the 1950s, the downtown district saw losses in revenue, as a suburban shopping mall on the city's west side jeopardized businesses downtown. The city developed a plan to modernize Main Street by creating an "overhead sidewalk" as part of the nationwide push for urban renewal projects, enabling businesses to form on the second floor of existing buildings while serving as a canopy for passage below. Building owners spent nearly $2 million ($16 million today) upgrading their properties and linking them to ramps, while the government contributed over $5 million to build the elevated walkways. The underground channel for Turkey Creek was also enlarged and rerouted. In 1962, Turkey Creek, which bisects the street, flooded and damaged the downtown commercial district. The project was completed in 1967, becoming the first second-story sidewalk system in an American city.{{cite news |title=Second-Story Sidewalks Are Built in Tennessee City; Downtown Skymart in Morristown Held First in Nation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1967/05/21/archives/secondstory-sidewalks-are-built-in-tennessee-city-downtown-skymart.html |access-date=January 1, 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=May 21, 1967}} Over time, the Skymart has served as little more than a remnant of the idealism of 1960s urban renewal projects. Despite the aftermath of the project, the overhead sidewalks still stand in the downtown area.{{cite web|title=Morristown Main Street Historic District|url= https://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/16000120.htm|access-date=November 1, 2018|website=NPS.gov}}{{cite web |title=History and Heritage |url=https://www.visitmorristowntn.com/history-heritage |website=Visit Morristown, Tennessee |access-date=July 23, 2020}}

Morristown is embarking on a resurrection of the Skymart, eyeing the structure as a key redevelopment tool for turning downtown into a social and commercial hub. It has been made a key element in a greenway master plan along Turkey Creek, with plans to connect downtown Morristown to Cherokee Park and Cherokee Lake.{{cite web |title=Turkey Creek Greenway |url=https://www.mymorristown.com/departments/community_development/special_projects/turkey_creek_greenway.php |website=City of Morristown |access-date=September 14, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Moore |first1=Robert |title=Greenway path relocation resulted in contract extension |url=https://www.citizentribune.com/news/local/greenway-path-relocation-resulted-in-contract-extension/article_1ff83128-4cbb-11e9-ac91-0323d987a580.html |access-date=September 17, 2020 |work=Citizen Tribune |date=March 22, 2019}} In an effort to renew public interest, city officials, the Crossroads Downtown Partnership, and the Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce hold events in the city's downtown or the "Skymart District" throughout the year, mainly during the warmer months of May to September.{{cite web|title=Our Story {{!}} Historic Downtown Morristown, TN - Timeless Shopping. Dining. & Entertainment.|url=https://downtownmorristown.city/historic-downtown-morristown-tn/|website=downtownmorristown.city|access-date=February 6, 2018}}

Morristown is situated in the upper region of East Tennessee in the Tennessee Valley between the Great Smoky Mountains to the south and Clinch Mountain to the north.{{cite book |last1=Hobby |first1=Larry |title=Morristown |date=2012 |publisher=Arcadia |isbn=9780738594347 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gZIzMDX6KUIC |access-date=July 23, 2020 |language=en |format=paperback}} It is considered part of a region known as the "Lakeway Area", consisting of a land area surrounding Cherokee and Douglas lakes. The city lies within the Southern Limestone/Dolomite Valleys & Low Rolling Hills ecoregion (ecoregion 67f) within the Ridge and Valley of the Appalachians.{{Cite web |title=Ecoregions of Tennessee |url=https://gaftp.epa.gov/EPADataCommons/ORD/Ecoregions/tn/tn_eco_lg.pdf |access-date=September 3, 2023 |publisher=Environmental Protection Agency}} Natural vegetation cover within this region is typically Appalachian oak forest, consisting of mixed oaks, hickory, pine, poplar, birch, maple; bottomland oak and mesophytic forests; and cedar barrens.{{Cite web |title=Level IV Ecoregions of Tennessee |url=https://gaftp.epa.gov/EPADataCommons/ORD/Ecoregions/tn/tn_back.pdf |access-date=2024-09-18 |website=US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)}}

According to the 2010 census, the city has a total area of {{convert|72.4|sqkm|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|0.1|sqkm|order=flip|2}}, or 0.19%, are water. Cherokee Lake, an artificial reservoir built by the Tennessee Valley Authority in the 1940s, is north of the city.

Morristown falls in the humid subtropical climate zone (Köppen climate classification Cfa), although it is not quite as hot as areas to the south and west of Tennessee due to the higher elevations. Summers are hot and humid, with July highs averaging {{convert|85|°F|°C}}, lows averaging {{convert|66|°F|°C}}, and an average of eight days per year with temperatures above {{convert|90|°F|°C}}.{{Cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=022837&refer=&cityname=Morristown-Tennessee-United-States-of-America/|title=Morristown, Tennessee Travel Weather Averages (Weatherbase)|website=Weatherbase}} Winters are generally cool, with occasional small amounts of snow. January averages a high of around {{convert|45|°F|°C}} and a low of around {{convert|28|°F|°C}}, although low temperatures in the single digits and teens are not uncommon. The record high for Morristown, since 1994, is {{convert|103|°F|°C}}, while the record low is {{convert|-2|°F|°C}}. Annual precipitation averages around {{convert|44.3|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}, and average winter snowfall is {{convert|11.7|in|cm}}. The average monthly relative humidity is around 70 percent.

{{Weather box

|location = Morristown, TN (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1982–present)

|single line = Y

|Jan record high F = 77

|Feb record high F = 80

|Mar record high F = 84

|Apr record high F = 90

|May record high F = 91

|Jun record high F = 103

|Jul record high F = 103

|Aug record high F = 100

|Sep record high F = 96

|Oct record high F = 95

|Nov record high F = 84

|Dec record high F = 78

|year record high F = 103

|Jan high F = 46.2

|Feb high F = 50.8

|Mar high F = 59.7

|Apr high F = 69.2

|May high F = 76.8

|Jun high F = 83.3

|Jul high F = 86.4

|Aug high F = 85.6

|Sep high F = 80.6

|Oct high F = 70.3

|Nov high F = 58.7

|Dec high F = 49.0

|year high F = 68.0

|Jan mean F = 36.6

|Feb mean F = 40.4

|Mar mean F = 48.0

|Apr mean F = 57.0

|May mean F = 65.7

|Jun mean F = 73.1

|Jul mean F = 76.6

|Aug mean F = 75.4

|Sep mean F = 69.6

|Oct mean F = 58.5

|Nov mean F = 47.1

|Dec mean F = 39.9

|year mean F = 57.3

|Jan low F = 27.1

|Feb low F = 30.1

|Mar low F = 36.2

|Apr low F = 44.7

|May low F = 54.5

|Jun low F = 63.0

|Jul low F = 66.9

|Aug low F = 65.2

|Sep low F = 58.6

|Oct low F = 46.6

|Nov low F = 35.6

|Dec low F = 30.9

|year low F = 46.6

|Jan record low F = −19

|Feb record low F = −13

|Mar record low F = 0

|Apr record low F = 21

|May record low F = 31

|Jun record low F = 41

|Jul record low F = 49

|Aug record low F = 46

|Sep record low F = 35

|Oct record low F = 24

|Nov record low F = 14

|Dec record low F = −4

|year record low F = -19

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 4.05

|Feb precipitation inch = 4.49

|Mar precipitation inch = 4.88

|Apr precipitation inch = 4.44

|May precipitation inch = 3.75

|Jun precipitation inch = 4.53

|Jul precipitation inch = 4.73

|Aug precipitation inch = 3.33

|Sep precipitation inch = 3.24

|Oct precipitation inch = 2.76

|Nov precipitation inch = 3.37

|Dec precipitation inch = 4.57

|year precipitation inch = 48.14

|Jan snow inch = 2.1

|Feb snow inch = 2.9

|Mar snow inch = 2.0

|Apr snow inch = 0.0

|May snow inch = 0.0

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 0.0

|Nov snow inch = 0.2

|Dec snow inch = 1.6

|year snow inch = 8.8

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 12.2

|Feb precipitation days = 12.6

|Mar precipitation days = 12.9

|Apr precipitation days = 11.4

|May precipitation days = 12.4

|Jun precipitation days = 12.2

|Jul precipitation days = 12.5

|Aug precipitation days = 10.0

|Sep precipitation days = 8.9

|Oct precipitation days = 9.0

|Nov precipitation days = 9.4

|Dec precipitation days = 12.2

|year precipitation days = 135.7

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 1.7

|Feb snow days = 1.8

|Mar snow days = 0.8

|Apr snow days = 0.1

|May snow days = 0.0

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.0

|Nov snow days = 0.1

|Dec snow days = 1.1

|year snow days = 5.6

| source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=mrx

| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = May 28, 2021}}

{{cite web

| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00406271&format=pdf

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| title = Station: Morristown Radio WCRK, TN

| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020)

| access-date = May 28, 2021}}

}}

{{US Census population

|1860= 500

|1870= 950

|1880= 1350

|1890= 1999

|1900= 2973

|1910= 4007

|1920= 5875

|1930= 7305

|1940= 8050

|1950= 13019

|1960= 21267

|1970= 20318

|1980= 19570

|1990= 21385

|2000= 24965

|2010= 29137

|2020= 30431

| estyear = 2023

| estimate = 32099

|footnote=Sources:{{cite web|url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4750280|title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Morristown city, Tennessee|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|work=American Factfinder|access-date=January 26, 2018|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213104642/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4750280|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 4, 2012|title=Census of Population and Housing: Decennial Censuses}}{{cite web|title=Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions Datasets: Subcounty Resident Population Estimates: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|work=Population Estimates|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=December 11, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611010502/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012.html|archive-date=June 11, 2013}}{{cite web|title=Morristown-Hamblen County Growth Plan|url=http://attachment.tacir.tn.gov/Growth/GrowthPlans/Hamblen.pdf|website=Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations|publisher=State of Tennessee|access-date=August 21, 2020|date=2008 }}{{cite web|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=P1_001N,NAME&for=place:*&in=state:47&key=5ccd0821c15d9f4520e2dcc0f8d92b2ec9336108|title=Census Population API|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}

}}

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 30,431 people, 11,639 households, and 6,985 families residing in the city.

As of the census of 2010, there were 29,137 people, 11,412 households, and 7,278 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,194.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 12,705 housing units at an average density of {{convert|528.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 86.52% White, 6.63% African American, 0.87% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander, and 2.15% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origins were 19.37% of the population.

There were 11,412 households, out of which 22.5% had children under 17 years of age living with them, 45.2% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 31% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.85% under 17 years of age, 9.45% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 16% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,005, and the median income for a family was $33,391. Males had a median income of $26,724 versus $20,515 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,894. About 14.6% of families and 19.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.9% of those under age 18 and 17.3% of those age 65 or over.

Being centrally located in the East Tennessee region, Morristown serves at the hub for a labor market area pulling most of its labor force from a surrounding seven-county area of 337,000 people. Morristown and its metropolitan area in 2019 was reported to have a gross metropolitan product of {{US$|5.1 billion}}.{{cite web |title=Best Small Places for Business and Careers 2019: Morristown, TN |url=https://www.forbes.com/places/tn/morristown/#3093270e38a1 |work=Forbes |access-date=October 22, 2020 |date=October 2019}}

The town is also home to a National Weather Service forecast office serving much of East Tennessee as well as several southwestern mountain counties in the neighboring states of Virginia and North Carolina.{{Cite web |last=US Department of Commerce |first=NOAA |title=Morristown, TN |url=https://www.weather.gov/mrx/ |access-date=2024-05-07 |website=www.weather.gov |language=EN-US}}

According to a March 2021 survey by the Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce,{{cite web |title=Top 20 Employers |url=https://selectmorristowntn.com/top-20-employers/ |website=Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce |access-date=April 14, 2021}} the top 15 employers in the city are:

As of August 2020, Morristown has seen a high demand for both single-family and multi-family residential developments.{{cite news |last1=Moore |first1=Robert |title=Subdivision planned for South Cumberland |url=https://www.citizentribune.com/news/subdivision-planned-for-south-cumberland/article_eb48b812-de4a-11ea-8c43-1365763ebf95.html |access-date=August 17, 2020 |work=Citizen Tribune |date=August 14, 2020 |quote=As residential growth – mostly apartments – in Morristown is proceeding at breakneck speed.. Kramps says the demand for single-family homes in Morristown in all price ranges remains high.}}{{cite news |last1=Stevens |first1=Blake |title=Red-hot housing market in Morristown area highlights need for new construction |url=https://www.wate.com/news/top-stories/red-hot-housing-market-in-morristown-area-highlights-need-for-new-construction/ |access-date=January 11, 2021 |work=WATE-TV |date=December 30, 2019}} Morristown reported a 110% increase in residential construction in the city's annual economic and community development report in 2020.{{cite news |last1=Hightower |first1=Clff |title=Morristown in midst of housing boom |url=https://www.citizentribune.com/news/local/morristown-in-midst-of-housing-boom/article_5cfbce7e-828b-11eb-a9a2-0f55970f9812.html |access-date=March 12, 2021 |work=The Citizen Tribune |date=March 11, 2021}}

A study by Middle Tennessee State University found that the Morristown metropolitan area saw an 8.1% increase in housing prices in the third quarter of 2019 compared to the same period in 2018.{{cite web |last1=Hart |first1=Jimmy |title=BERC report: Positive trends continue in Q3 with rising home prices across TN |url=https://mtsunews.com/berc-housing-report-q3-2019/ |website=MTSU News |date=December 20, 2019 |publisher=Middle Tennessee State University |access-date=January 11, 2021}}

As of 2010, the median price for a home in the Morristown-Hamblen area was $125,600, compared with $142,000 in the Knoxville metropolitan area, and $177,900 nationally.{{cite web |title=Ambition 2030 Plan |url=http://cms.revize.com/revize/morristown/Dev&Planning/Ambition%202030%20Plan-%20original.pdf |website=Morristown Regional Planning Commission |access-date=July 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727215822/http://cms.revize.com/revize/morristown/Dev%26Planning/Ambition%202030%20Plan-%20original.pdf |archive-date=July 27, 2020 |url-status=live }}

In 2010, the Morristown-Hamblen area was home to over 1,000 businesses, employing over 25,000 people. Total property tax revenue was almost equally divided amongst residential, commercial, and industrial properties, with residential property tax supplying 50.1%, commercial at 26.1%, and industrial at 20.1%.

Morristown is considered to be one of the largest manufacturing and industrial hubs in the state of Tennessee.{{cite web |last1=Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce |title=Why Morristown? |url=https://selectmorristowntn.com/why-morristown/ |website=selectmorristowntn.com |access-date=June 7, 2020}} There are several industrial parks located in the eastern, western and southern parts of the city,{{cite web |last1=City of Morristown |title=East TN Progress Center Receives State Grant |url=https://www.mymorristown.com/news_detail_T2_R303.php |website=mymorristown.com |access-date=June 7, 2020}} and over 100 manufacturers have based their facilities in Morristown, ranging from food processing, aerospace technology, machine and parts production, plastics engineering, and many other industries.{{cite web |last1=Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce |title=Existing Industry |url=https://selectmorristowntn.com/why-morristown/existing-industry/ |website=selectmorristowntn.com |access-date=June 7, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Jordan |first1=Miriam |title=ICE Came for a Tennessee Town's Immigrants. The Town Fought Back. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/06/11/us/tennessee-immigration-trump.html |access-date=July 1, 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=June 8, 2018}}

In 2019, the Morristown area was reported to be home to 109 manufacturing companies, with projections showing Morristown could gain 3,000 jobs and over $600,000,000 in investment in the manufacturing sector alone by the year 2024.

Morristown's manufacturing market employs nearly 10,000 or 24% of the workforce in Hamblen County, and an extra 11,000 commuting from surrounding counties such as Jefferson, Grainger, Cocke, and Hawkins for employment.{{cite web |last1=Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce |title=Labor Market & Workforce |url=https://selectmorristowntn.com/why-morristown/labor-market-workforce/ |website=selectmorristowntn.com |access-date=June 7, 2020}}

Morristown is considered a hub for retail, with the indoor regional College Square Mall serving an area of 300,000 people, and a diverse array of locally owned shops and franchised stores in retail developments dispersed around Morristown and in its downtown area.{{Cite web|title=Economic Development|url=https://www.mymorristown.com/departments/community_development/economic_development.php|access-date=July 12, 2020|website=City of Morristown}}{{cite web |url= http://www.visitmorristowntn.com/accommodations/where-to-shop |title= Where to Shop |work= Morristown Chamber of Commerce |access-date= August 12, 2015}} In 2016, the city saw nearly $1.4 billion in retail sales.{{cite web |title=About Morristown |url=https://www.morristownchamber.com/about/about-morristown |website=Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce |access-date=July 30, 2020}}

There are several annual festivals and events held in Morristown,{{cite web |title=Annual Events |url=https://www.visitmorristowntn.com/annual-events |website=Visit Morristown, Tennessee |access-date=July 12, 2020}} some of the more notable events include:

• Morristown Strawberry Festival – festival held every May celebrating strawberries harvested in Morristown.{{cite web |title=Morristown Strawberry Festival |url=https://www.wcrk.com/strawberry-festival/ |website=WCRK |access-date=July 12, 2020}}
• Morristown Craft Beer Festival – Craft beer festival with live music held at the Morristown Farmers Market every September.{{cite web |title=Morristown Craft Beer Festival |url=https://morristowncraftbeerfestival.com |website=Morristown Craft Beer Festival |access-date=July 12, 2020}}
• Mountain Makins Festival – Arts and crafts festival held at the Rose Center every October.{{cite web |title=Mountain Makins |url=https://www.rosecenter.org/mountain-makins |website=Rose Center Council For The Arts |access-date=July 12, 2020}}

File:Crockett Tavern Museum.jpg in East Morristown, which is replica of the original tavern owned by John Crockett and boyhood home of Davy Crockett on the original site.]]

• Bethesda Presbyterian Church
• Crockett Tavern Museum
• General Longstreet's Headquarters Museum{{cite web|title=General Longstreet Museum: Visit Us|url=http://www.longstreetmuseum.com/visit.htm|access-date=October 28, 2018}}
• Morristown Main Street Historic District{{cite web |url= http://www.visitmorristowntn.com/what-to-do/history-heritage |title= History Heritage |work= Morristown Chamber of Commerce |access-date= August 12, 2015}}
• Rose Center

Morristown hosted several Minor League Baseball teams from 1910 to 1961 at Sherwood Park.{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/venues/v-1775|title=Sherwood Park|work=Stats Crew|access-date=June 1, 2020}} The Morristown Jobbers became charter members of the Southeastern League in 1910.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Morristown&state=TN&country=US|title=Morristown, Tennessee Encyclopedia|work=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=June 1, 2020}} The Jobbers continued in the Appalachian League in 1911 and played each season through 1914.{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/sports/places/m-4191249|title=Sports in Morristown, Tennessee|work=Stats Crew|access-date=June 1, 2020}} From 1923 to 1925, the city's entry in the league was called the Morristown Roosters. In 1948, the Morristown Red Sox became charter members of the Mountain States League in which they played through 1954. The team won the league championship in their first season.{{cite web|url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-MTSS/y-1948|title=1948 Mountain States League Standings|work=Stats Crew|access-date=June 1, 2020}} The Red Sox folded early in the 1954 season and were replaced in the league by the Morristown Reds.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52240807/sox-officially-out-of-msl/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Sox Officially Out of MSL|work=Morristown Sun|location=Morristown|date=May 19, 1954|page=1}}{{cite news|last=Hodges|first=Bill|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52237834/morristown-back-in-msl-league/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Morristown Back in MSL League|work=Morristown Gazette Mail|location=Morristown|date=June 20, 1954|page=8}} The Morristown Cubs, the city's final professional baseball team played in the Appalachian League from 1959 to 1961 and won the 1959 pennant.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52640883/morristown-takes-flag/|via=Newspapers.com|title=Morristown Takes Flag|work=The Knoxville News-Sentinel|location=Knoxville|date=September 3, 1959|page=32}}

Little League softball and baseball in Morristown dates back to the late 20th century. In 1985 and 1987, Morristown had baseball teams qualify for the Little League World Series; the 1985 team finished in third place. The Morristown teams are two of eleven Tennessee teams that have advanced to the series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Morristown would see podium placement by the 2000s, placing fourth in the 2006 Little League Softball World Series,[http://www.softballworldseries.com/teams2006/south.htm 2006 Southern Region Champions] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924103416/http://www.softballworldseries.com/teams2006/south.htm |date=September 24, 2015 }}. Retrieved July 1, 2014. and winning it the following year.[http://www.softballworldseries.com/champs.htm/ LLSWS Past World Champions] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980524084640/http://www.softballworldseries.com/champs.htm |date=May 24, 1998 }}. Retrieved December 10, 2011.

Municipal and county recreation areas include Cherokee Park, Frank Lorino, Fred Miller, and Fulton-Hill. Public access for boating and swimming to Cherokee Reservoir is available in the northern area of the city and county. Morristown is also home to several golf and disc golf courses.{{cite web |url= http://www.visitmorristowntn.com/what-to-do/outdoor |title= Outdoor |work= Morristown Chamber of Commerce |access-date= August 12, 2015}}

{{see also|List of mayors of Morristown, Tennessee}}

Morristown uses the mayor-council government system, which was established in 1855 when the city was incorporated. Morristown is governed by a seven-member city council composed of the mayor and six council members, four members are elected from single-member districts and two members are elected at-large for the entire city.{{cite web |last1=City of Morristown |title=Council |url=https://mymorristown.com/government/council/index.php |website=mymorristown.com |access-date=June 9, 2020}} The citizens elect the mayor to a four-year term and the six council members to two-year terms.

The City Council meets every first and third Tuesday of each month at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at the City Center building.

Morristown is represented in the Tennessee House of Representatives in the 10th district by Representative Rick Eldridge, a Republican.{{cite web |last1=State of Tennessee |title=Representative Rick Eldridge |url=http://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/members/h10.html |website=www.capitol.tn.gov |access-date=June 9, 2020}}

In the Tennessee State Senate, Morristown is represented by the 1st district by Senator Steve Southerland, also a Republican.{{cite web |last1=State of Tennessee |title=Senator Steve Southerland |url=http://www.capitol.tn.gov/senate/members/s1.html |website=www.capitol.tn.gov |access-date=June 9, 2020}}

Morristown is represented in the United States House of Representatives by Republican Diana Harshbarger of the 1st congressional district.{{cite web |title=Our District |url=https://harshbarger.house.gov/about/our-district |website=Representative Diana Harshbarger |date=January 3, 2021 |access-date=January 10, 2021}}

File:WSCC Campus.jpg in East Morristown]]

Public schools in Morristown are operated by the Hamblen County Department of Education. There are four middle schools: East Ridge, Lincoln, Meadowview, and Westview. Morristown has two high schools: Morristown-Hamblen High School East and Morristown-Hamblen High School West.{{cite web |url= http://www.hamblencounty.schoolinsites.com/?PN=Schools2 |title= Schools |work= Hamblen County Department of Education |access-date= August 12, 2015}}

The main campus of Walters State Community College is located in Morristown.{{cite web|title=Campuses|url= https://ws.edu/campuses/morristown/|website=ws.edu|access-date=October 28, 2018}}

The main campus and the aviation technology expansion campus of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Morristown, are located in Morristown.

Satellite campuses of King University and Tusculum University are located in Morristown. Carson-Newman University is located 7 miles from Morristown in Jefferson City, TN.

• Citizen Tribune, daily news publication for Morristown and its greater area in operation since 1966.{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.citizentribune.com/site/about.html |website=Citizen Tribune |access-date=March 1, 2021}}

Morristown is home to the Morristown-Hamblen Hospital. The hospital has a 167-room capacity with 23 designated for emergency use. It is considered the main healthcare center in the Morristown metropolitan area.{{cite web |title=Welcome to Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System |url=https://www.morristownhamblen.com/ |website=Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System |access-date=July 6, 2020}}

Morristown Utilities System (MUS) provides electricity, water, sewer, and fiber broadband internet to the City of Morristown and several eastern Hamblen County residents and businesses. It provides services to approximately 15,000 customers.{{cite web |title=General Information |url=http://www.morristownutilities.org/about_us/general_information.php |website=Morristown Utility Systems |access-date=July 6, 2020}}

Appalachian Electric Cooperative (AEC), a utilities company based out of New Market in neighboring Jefferson County, provides electricity and fiber broadband internet for western and northern portions of Morristown, portions of Hamblen County, Jefferson County (including New Market, Baneberry, Jefferson City, Dandridge, and White Pine), and Grainger County (including Bean Station and Rutledge).{{cite web |title=Outage Map |url=https://www.outageentry.com/Outages/outage.php?Client=appalachian |website=Appalachian Electric Cooperative |access-date=August 8, 2020 }}{{cite web |title=Facts About Your Cooperative |url=http://appalachianelectric.coop/sites/aecoop/files/PDF/facts_about_coop_june_2018.pdf |website=Appalachian Electric Cooperative |date=June 30, 2018 |access-date=August 8, 2020}} AEC, as of June 2018, provides services to 46,000 customers.

File:Traffic congestion - US 11E - Morristown, TN.jpg infrastructure.]]

Morristown is an automobile-dependent city, almost entirely reliant on roadway infrastructure to support its large commuting-base residing inside the city and from surrounding counties.

All U.S. routes, state routes in Morristown, along with I-81,{{cite web |title=Morristown Zoning Map |url=https://mh-gis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=4e40ea1108db40c38545cfc1d178bf36 |website=Morristown-Hamblen GIS Department |access-date=December 26, 2023}} are maintained by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) in TDOT Region 1, which consists of 24 counties in East Tennessee.{{cite web |title=Lakeway Region 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan |url=http://cms.revize.com/revize/morristown/LAMTPO/LAMTPO%202040%20LRTP_adopted.pdf |website=Lake |publisher=Lakeway Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization |access-date=September 3, 2020 |date=May 25, 2017 }}{{cite web |title=Find Information |url=https://www.tn.gov/tdot/find-local-information.html |website=Tennessee Department of Transportation |access-date=July 22, 2020}} Streets, sidewalks, and greenways in the Morristown-Hamblen area are maintained by either the Hamblen County Highway Department or the City of Morristown Public Works Department.{{cite web |title=Morristown-Hamblen Official Street Name List |url=http://cms.revize.com/revize/morristown/GIS/Hamblen_County_Full_Roads_List_5_2020.pdf |website=City of Morristown |access-date=July 22, 2020 }}{{cite web |title=PUBLIC WORKS |url=https://www.mymorristown.com/departments/public_works/index.php |website=City of Morristown |access-date=July 22, 2020}}{{cite web |title=Highway & Garbage Departments |url=https://www.hamblencountytn.gov/highway-garbage-departments/ |website=Hamblen County, Tennessee |date=July 26, 2014 |access-date=July 22, 2020}}{{cite web |title=Morristown |url=https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/maps/city-maps/city-maps-l-o/map-city-Morristown.pdf |website=Tennessee Department of Transportation |publisher=Federal Highway Administration |access-date=November 20, 2020}}

In 2002, the United States Census Bureau declared the municipalities of Morristown, Jefferson City, White Pine, and portions of unincorporated Hamblen and Jefferson counties as a part of an urbanized area.{{cite web |title=History |url=https://www.lamtpo.com/history |website=Lakeway Area Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization |access-date=September 19, 2020}} The Lakeway Area Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization (LAMPTO) was created following the requirement of a designated MTPO for all urbanized areas in the United States. The LAMPTO plans and coordinates regional transportation projects in Morristown and its urbanized area.

The sole interstate highway serving Morristown is Interstate 81, which connects the city to Interstate 40 in nearby Dandridge to the west, and the Tri-Cities region in northeasternmost Tennessee to the east.{{citation |title=LAMTPO 2045 Metropolitan Transportation Plan |publisher=Lakeway Area Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization |date=January 19, 2021}}

U.S. Route 25E-Tennessee State Route 32 is the principal north–south route in Morristown, and connects the city from Interstate 81 at exit 8, to U.S. Route 11W in Bean Station. US 25E also extends to Interstate 75 in Corbin, Kentucky, serving as a popular alternate route of I-75 regarding construction and congestion in Knoxville.{{citation |title=U.S. 25E Corridor Study - Morristown, Tennessee |author=Lakeway Area Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization |publisher=Wilber Smith Associates}} The route is given the designation Appalachian Development Highway System Corridor S from I-81 in Morristown to the Tennessee-Kentucky state line at the Cumberland Gap, and as High-Priority Corridor 12 of the National Highway System.

U.S. Route 11E-Tennessee State Route 34 is the principal east–west route in Morristown, paralleling the I-40-I-81 corridor, and connecting the city to Jefferson City to the west, and Greeneville to the east.

Tennessee State Route 160 is a bypass route of US 11E, and serves the city with access to I-81 at exit 12, US 25E, and US 11E.

Tennessee State Route 66 is a connector route to serving Morristown, connecting the city to I-81 exit 4 in White Pine, and to SR 160 and US 11E in west Morristown.

• {{Jct|state=TN|I|81}}
• {{Jct|state=TN|US|11E}} (Morris Boulevard, West Andrew Johnson Highway)
• {{Jct|state=TN|US|25E}} (Davy Crockett Parkway)
• {{Jct|state=TN|TN|32}} (concurrent to US 25E)
• {{Jct|state=TN|TN|34}} (concurrent to US 11E)
• {{Jct|state=TN|TN|66}} (Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, East Andrew Johnson Highway, First North Street)
• {{Jct|state=TN|TN|160}} (Governor Dewitt Clinton Senter Parkway, Air Park Boulevard, Enka Highway)

{{See also|List of Tennessee state highways}}

• {{Jct|state=TN|Sec|113}}
• {{Jct|state=TN|Sec|341}} (Alpha Valley Home Road)
• {{Jct|state=TN|Sec|342}} (Panther Creek Road)
• {{Jct|state=TN|Sec|343}} (Cumberland Street, Buffalo Trail)
• {{Jct|state=TN|Sec|344}} (Old Russellville Pike)
• {{Jct|state=TN|Sec|474}} (Merchants Greene Boulevard)

Norfolk Southern Railway operates freight transport throughout Morristown along several lines, including the Crescent Corridor.{{cite web |title=Location & Logistics |url=https://selectmorristowntn.com/location-logistics/ |website=Select Morristown |access-date=September 27, 2020}}{{citation |title=LAMTPO Railroad Relocation Feasibility Study and Site Development for an Intermodal Freight Facility Report |publisher=Lakeway Area Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization }} 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).Southern Timetable, 1966, p. 6 http://streamlinermemories.info/South/SRR66-10TT.pdf

Public transportation is provided by Lakeway Transit. Three fixed bus routes connect to the downtown area, most residential areas, and major shopping centers throughout the city. Lakeway Transit operates using passenger fares, and city, state, federal funding.{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.lakewaytransit.com/home-1 |website=Lakeway Transit |access-date=July 6, 2020}}

{{main|Morristown Regional Airport}}

Morristown and the surrounding area is served by Morristown Regional Airport (IATA:MOR), a {{convert|160|acre|ha|adj=on}} airport equipped with one {{convert|5717|ft|m|adj=on}} runway. The airport is located southwest of Morristown's central business district near the neighborhood of Alpha, and is operated by the municipal government.{{cite web |title=Morristown Regional Airport |url=https://www.mymorristown.com/departments/airport/index.php |website=City of Morristown |access-date=July 6, 2020}}

• Ermal Allen, professional football player and coach{{cite web |title=Ermal Allen |url=http://tshf.net/halloffame/allen-ermal/ |website=Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame |access-date=January 8, 2021}}
• Darrius Blevins, professional football player{{cite web |title=Darrius Belvins |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BlevDa20.htm |website=Pro Football Reference |access-date=January 8, 2021}}
• James E. Bruce, Kentucky state representative{{cite web|url=http://www.kentuckynewera.com/multimedia/video/news/article_2d79f0ec-bcfc-56e4-bb17-7636b01a64fd.html|title=Longest serving state legislator James E. Bruce dies |date=November 3, 2008 |publisher=Kentucky New Era|access-date=July 10, 2015}}
• Arnold W. Bunch Jr., U.S. Air Force four-star general and current commander of Air Force Materiel Command{{cite news|url=https://www.citizentribune.com/newsnow/from-the-archives-morristown-s-bunch-becomes-brigadier-general/article_cdcdb874-73f7-11e8-bf60-179c07cc49b9.html|title=From the archives, 2010; Morristown's Bunch becomes Brigadier General|newspaper=Citizen Tribune|access-date=January 8, 2021}}
• Davy Crockett, pioneer; grew up in Morristown, born in nearby Greene County{{cite web |title=Welcome Page |url=http://crocketttavernmuseum.org/index.html |website=Crockett Tavern Museum |access-date=January 8, 2021}}
• Mike Ford, former NASCAR crew chief for Denny Hamlin{{cite web |last1=Callahan |first1=Terry |title=NASCAR WCUP: Mike Ford returns to east Tennessee with Elliott and Evernham |url=https://www.theautochannel.com/news/2001/08/22/027952.html |website=The Auto Channel |access-date=January 8, 2021 |date=August 23, 2001}}
• Elaine Hendrix, animal rights activist and actress{{cite web |title=Elaine Hendrix |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005006/ |website=IMDb |access-date=January 8, 2021}}
• Tim Horner, professional wrestler, politician{{cite news |title=Commission to have at least seven new members |url=https://www.citizentribune.com/news/local/commission-to-have-at-least-seven-new-members/article_cf3a050c-4e20-11e8-9f7a-5bd8d1bf4f92.html |access-date=November 3, 2020 |work=Citizen Tribune |date=May 2, 2018}}
• Evelyn Bryan Johnson, aviator, Morristown Regional Airport manager{{cite news |last1=Chappell |first1=Bill |title='Mama Bird' Evelyn Johnson Dies At 102; Logged 7 Years Of Flight Time |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2012/05/11/152504446/mama-bird-evelyn-johnson-dies-at-102-logged-7-years-of-flight-time |access-date=January 8, 2021 |work=National Public Radio |date=May 11, 2012}}
• Josiah Leming, American Idol contestant, alternative rock artistTerry Morrow, [http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jul/03/local-idol-teen-nabs-major-deal/ Local 'Idol' teen nabs major deal], Knoxville News Sentinel, July 3, 2008
• Brett Martin, professional baseball player{{cite news |title=Morristown native Brett Martin impresses in first MLB action |url=https://www.citizentribune.com/sports/local/morristown-native-brett-martin-impresses-in-first-mlb-action/article_dee8846c-63fd-11e9-b681-439b90e0eff6.html |access-date=January 8, 2021 |work=Citizen Tribune |date=April 21, 2019}}
• William McFarland, U.S. congressman, mayor of Morristown{{cite web|title=William McFarland|url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/mcfarland.html|publisher=The Political Graveyard|accessdate=April 10, 2013}}
• Rickey Parkey, champion boxer{{cite web |title=Rickey Parkey |url=https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/002402 |website=BoxRec |access-date=April 18, 2021}}
• Gideon Morris, trans-Appalachian pioneer and founder of Morristown
• Frankie Randall, world champion boxer{{Cite news|date=December 23, 2020|title=Morristown boxing legend Frankie Randall dies|work=Citizen Tribune|url=https://www.citizentribune.com/news/local/morristown-boxing-legend-frankie-randall-dies/article_c647f7fa-454a-11eb-b15b-57599b3417ba.html}}
• Randy Sanders, former quarterback for Morristown East High School and the Tennessee Volunteers; former head football coach of East Tennessee State University{{cite news |last1=Staff |title=Randy Sanders retires from ETSU |url=https://www.citizentribune.com/news/local/randy-sanders-retires-from-etsu/article_3fb3ac46-5c48-11ec-a65b-db07515b82a7.html |access-date=December 15, 2021 |work=Citizen Tribune |date=December 14, 2021}}
• Dewitt Clinton Senter, Governor of Tennessee, legislator{{cite web |last1=Thweatt |first1=John |title=Dewitt Clinton Senter |url=https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/dewitt-clinton-senter/ |website=Tennessee Encyclopedia |publisher=Tennessee Historical Society |access-date=January 8, 2021}}
• Joe Shipley, former professional baseball player and head coach of the East Tennessee State University baseball team{{cite web |title=Joe Shipley Stats |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=shipljo01 |website=Baseball Almanac |access-date=January 8, 2021}}
• James Stewart, professional football player{{cite web |title=FORMER NFL PLAYER JAMES "LITTLE MAN" STEWART TO LEAD GATLINBURG FOOTBALL CAMP |url=https://rockytopsportsworld.com/blog/james-little-man-stewart-to-lead-gatlinburg-football-camp/ |website=Rocky Top Sports World |access-date=January 8, 2021 |date=March 22, 2018}}
• Uncle Am Stuart, early country and folk music fiddle playerUncle Am Records, [http://www.uncleamrecords.com/more.htm Uncle Am Stuart – Biography], 2005. Retrieved: August 1, 2009.
• Nicholas Todd Sutton, Serial Killer
• Jane Wagner, playwright and actress{{cite web |title=Jane Wagner - Biography |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0905942/bio |website=IMDb}}
• Herbert S. Walters, Democratic United States Senator, namesake of Walters State Community College{{Cite news |author= |date=August 31, 1973 |title=Considered For Post |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24646741/herbert_s_walters/ |newspaper=Kingsport News |location=Kingsport, Tennessee |page=6 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=October 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181030020509/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/24646741/herbert_s_walters/ |archive-date=October 30, 2018 |url-status=live }} {{Open access}}
• Calvin Ward, soldier, Medal of Honor recipient{{Cite web|access-date=September 24, 2010 |url=http://www.etvma.org/docs/TNMedal.pdf |title=East Tennessee Medal of Honor winners |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929084153/http://www.etvma.org/docs/TNMedal.pdf |archive-date=September 29, 2007}}
• John A. Willis, Theatre World and film book editor, theatre awards producer, actor, and educator{{cite news |last1=Weber |first1=Bruce |title=John Willis, Ubiquitous Editor of Theatre World, Dies at 93 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/arts/29willis.html |access-date=January 8, 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=June 29, 2010}}

{{reflist}}

• Baker, Christopher Warren. “The Small Town in the Global Economy: A Case Study of Development and Resistance in a Southern Appalachian Industrial Center” University of Tennessee. 1995
• Brooks, Cora Davis. "History of Morristown 1787 - 1936" 1936.
• Hill, Howard. "The Morristown-Hamblen Library"
• Hobby, Larry. "Morristown" Arcadia Publishing 2013

{{commons category}}

• {{Official website|http://www.mymorristown.com}}
• [https://www.visitmorristowntn.com/ Convention and Visitors Bureau]

{{Geographic location

| Centre = Morristown

| North = Cherokee Lake

| Northeast = Bean Station

| East = Russellville

| Southeast = Lowland

| South = White Pine

| Southwest = Talbott

| West = Jefferson City

| Northwest = Panther Creek State Park

}}

{{Morristown, Tennessee}}

{{Hamblen County, Tennessee}}

{{Jefferson County, Tennessee}}

{{Morristown Metro}}

{{Knoxville Metro}}

{{Tennessee county seats}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Populated places established in 1787

Category:Cities in Tennessee

Category:Cities in Hamblen County, Tennessee

Category:Cities in Jefferson County, Tennessee

Category:County seats in Tennessee

Category:Cities in Morristown metropolitan area, Tennessee

Category:1787 establishments in North Carolina