Johnson City, Tennessee#Print

{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}

{{Lead too short|date=June 2022}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}

{{Infobox settlement

| name = Johnson City

| official_name =

| settlement_type = City

| image_skyline = Johnson_City.jpg

| imagesize =

| image_caption = Downtown Johnson City

| image_flag = Flag of Johnson City, Tennessee.svg

| image_seal = Seal_of_Johnson_City,_TN.png

| image_blank_emblem = City of Johnson City logo.png

| blank_emblem_type = Logo

| seal_size = 80px

| blank_emblem_size = 90px

| pushpin_map = Tennessee#USA

| pushpin_label = Johnson City

| pushpin_relief = yes

| coordinates = {{coord|36|20|N|82|22|W|region:US-TN|display=inline,title}}

| subdivision_type = Country

| subdivision_name = United States

| subdivision_type1 = State

| subdivision_type2 = Counties

| subdivision_name1 = Tennessee

| subdivision_name2 = Washington, Carter, Sullivan

| established_title = Founded

| established_date = 1856

| established_title2 = Incorporated

| established_date2 = 1869[http://www.state.tn.us/sos/bluebook/05-06/48-data.pdf Tennessee Blue Book], 2005-2006, pp. 618-625.

| founder = Henry Johnson

| government_footnotes =

| government_type = Council-manager government

| leader_title1 = Mayor

| leader_name1 = John F. Hunter II

| leader_title2 = Vice Mayor

| leader_name2 = Gregory C.G. Cox

| leader_title3 = City Manager

| leader_name3 = Cathy Ball

| leader_title4 = City Commissioners

| leader_name4 = Jenny Brock
Joe Wise
Todd Fowler

| unit_pref = Imperial

| area_footnotes = {{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/5/query?where=STATE='47'&outFields=NAME,STATE,PLACE,AREALAND,AREAWATER,LSADC,CENTLAT,CENTLON&orderByFields=PLACE&returnGeometry=false&returnTrueCurves=false&f=json|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}

| area_magnitude =

| area_total_km2 = 113.32

| area_total_sq_mi = 43.75

| area_land_km2 = 112.52

| area_land_sq_mi = 43.44

| area_water_km2 = 0.80

| area_water_sq_mi = 0.31

| elevation_footnotes =

| elevation_m = 498

| elevation_ft = 1634

| population_as_of = 2020

| population_rank = 8th in Tennessee

| population_density_km2 = 631.42

| population_density_sq_mi = 1635.38

| population_urban = 128,519 (US: 261st){{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/geo-areas/urban-rural.html|title=List of 2020 Census Urban Areas|website=census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 7, 2023}}

| population_metro = 207,285 (US: 215th)

| population_blank1_title = CSA

| population_blank1 = 514,899 (US: 87th)

| postal_code_type = ZIP codes

| postal_code = 37601-37604, 37614, 37615 & 37684

| area_code = 423

| website = {{URL|www.johnsoncitytn.org}}

| footnotes =

| timezone = Eastern (EST)

| utc_offset = −5

| timezone_DST = EDT

| utc_offset_DST = −4

| blank_name = FIPS code

| blank_info = 47-38320{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}

| blank1_name = GNIS feature ID

| blank1_info = 1328579{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=United States Geological Survey|date=October 25, 2007}}

| pop_est_footnotes =

| motto = Go. All. Out.

| image_map = File:Carter County Tennessee Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Johnson City Highlighted 4738320.svg

| map_caption = Location of Johnson City in Carter, Sullivan and Washington counties, Tennessee

| pop_est_as_of = 2023

| population_est = 73337

| population_footnotes =

| population_total = 71046

}}

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 Tennessee's eighth-most populous city.{{cite web |title=Johnson City city, Tennessee |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/johnsoncitycitytennessee |website=quickfacts.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau}} Johnson City is the principal city of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Carter, Unicoi, and Washington Counties[https://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metro_general/2006/List4.txt METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS AND COMPONENTS] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070526063716/http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metro_general/2006/List4.txt |date=May 26, 2007 }}, Office of Management and Budget, May 11, 2007. Accessed July 30, 2008. and had a population of 207,285 as of 2020. The MSA is also a component of the Tri-Cities region. This CSA is Tennessee's fifth-largest, with a population of 514,899 as of 2020.

History

William Bean, traditionally recognized as Tennessee's first white settler, built his cabin along Boone's Creek near Johnson City in 1769.Paul Hellman, [https://books.google.com/books?id=EQ-R4O2L3nEC&q=jacksboro,+tennessee+%22andrew+jackson%22 Historical Gazetteer of the United States] (Taylor and Francis, 2005), p. 1016. In the 1780s, Colonel John Tipton 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.[https://archive.org/stream/civilpoliticalhi00hayw/civilpoliticalhi00hayw_djvu.txt A civil and political history of the state of Tennessee"]; by John Haywood

Founded in 1856 by Henry Johnson as a railroad station called "Johnson's Depot",{{Cite web |last=Hoss |first=Fred W. |date=21 May 1922 |title=Henry Johnson Realized His Dream |url=http://www.stateoffranklin.net/johnsons/henry.pdf |website=The Sunday Chronicle}} Johnson City became a major rail hub for the Southeast, as three railway lines crossed in the downtown area.Graybeal, Johhny, [http://www.johnsonsdepot.com/tweetsie/graybeal.pdf "Riding the Rails: The Storied History of the ET&WNC Line"] {{webarchive | url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120619045154/http://www.johnsonsdepot.com/tweetsie/graybeal.pdf | date=June 19, 2012}}, Johnson City Press, April 18, 2005

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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.american-rails.com/etwnc.html|title=The East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad|work=American-Rails.com|access-date=March 26, 2018}}

During the American Civil War, before it was formally incorporated in 1869, the town's name was briefly changed to "Haynesville" in honor of Confederate Senator Landon Carter Haynes.Haskell, Jean. [http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=712 Johnson City]. Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. Accessed: December 25, 2009.

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. But 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."[http://www.johnsonsdepot.com/typical_city.pdf Johnson City is a Typical American City] {{webarchive | url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217063242/http://johnsonsdepot.com/typical_city.pdf | date=December 17, 2010}}", The Sunday Chronicle (Johnson City), 1922.

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{{cite web | url=http://www.mountainhome.va.gov/ | title=Mountain Home VA Healthcare System | author=((US Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Deputy Under Secretary for Operations and Management, Veterans Integrated Service Network 9, James H. Quillen VA Medical Center)) | website=www.mountainhome.va.gov}}{{cite web | url=http://www.cem.va.gov/CEM/cems/nchp/mountainhome.asp | title=Mountain Home National Cemetery | publisher=National Cemetery Administration | website=www.cem.va.gov}} was created by an act of Congress introduced by Walter P. Brownlow. {{citation needed span|Construction on this {{convert|450|acre|km2|adj=on}} 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.|date=January 2018}} Johnson City began growing rapidly and became Tennessee's fifth-largest city by 1930.[http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/10612982v3p2ch08.pdf Fifteenth Census of the United States – 1930 – Population: Volume III, Part 2: Montana-Wyoming], p890

Together with neighboring Bristol, Johnson City was a hotbed for old-time music. It hosted 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.[http://www.stateoffranklin.net/johnsons/oldtime/oldtime.htm "Old-Time Music Heritage"], Johnson's Depot Website The Fountain Square area 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".[http://www.stateoffranklin.net/johnsons/chicago/chicago.htm "Little Chicago"], Johnson's Depot Website {{citation needed span|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.|date=January 2018}}

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.[http://www.blueridgecountry.com/archive/mary-the-elephant.html "The Day They Hanged an Elephant in East Tennessee"] {{webarchive | url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100114104505/http://blueridgecountry.com/archive/mary-the-elephant.html | date=January 14, 2010}}, Blue Ridge Country, February 13, 2009 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 preventing or quelling riots, unlawful assemblies, or breaches of peace.{{cite web | url=http://www.mtas.utk.edu/public/municodesweb.nsf/5cde681dbdedc10f8525664000615fc4/07d9802362da8eb485256f9a006708a6?OpenDocument | title=Code of Ordinance for Johnson City | website=www.mtas.utk.edu | access-date=December 21, 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140320195421/http://www.mtas.utk.edu/public/municodesweb.nsf/5cde681dbdedc10f8525664000615fc4/07d9802362da8eb485256f9a006708a6?OpenDocument | archive-date=March 20, 2014 | url-status=dead }}

Geography

Image:Johnsoncityroanstreet.jpg

Johnson City is in northeastern Washington County,{{cite web| url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html| publisher=United States Census Bureau| access-date=April 23, 2011| date=February 12, 2011| title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}} {{citation needed span|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.|date=January 2018}}

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of {{convert|112.1|sqkm|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|111.2|sqkm|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.8|sqkm|order=flip|1}}, or 0.75 percent, is water.

Buffalo Mountain, a ridge over {{convert|2700|ft|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|date=July 2023}}

=Climate=

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 {{convert|45.22|in|mm|abbr=on}}. Summer is typically the wettest part of the year, while early autumn is considerably drier. Snowfall is moderate and sporadic, with an average of {{convert|15.6|in|cm|abbr=on}}.

{{Infobox weather

|single line= Yes

|location = Johnson City, Tennessee

| Jan high F =45 | Jan record high F =78

| Feb high F =50 | Feb record high F =80

| Mar high F =59 | Mar record high F =83

| Apr high F =68 | Apr record high F =89

| May high F =76 | May record high F =94

| Jun high F =83 | Jun record high F =102

| Jul high F =86 | Jul record high F =99

| Aug high F =85 | Aug record high F =99

| Sep high F =79 | Sep record high F =97

| Oct high F =69 | Oct record high F =90

| Nov high F =59 | Nov record high F =84

| Dec high F =48 | Dec record high F =76

|year high F =67 |year record high F =102

| Jan low F= 25 | Jan record low F =-21

| Feb low F= 28 | Feb record low F =-12

| Mar low F= 34 | Mar record low F =-1

| Apr low F= 42 | Apr record low F =20

| May low F= 51 | May record low F =28

| Jun low F= 60 | Jun record low F =39

| Jul low F= 64 | Jul record low F =46

| Aug low F= 63 | Aug record low F =36

| Sep low F= 55 | Sep record low F =34

| Oct low F= 44 | Oct record low F =22

| Nov low F= 35 | Nov record low F =11

| Dec low F= 28 | Dec record low F =-9

|year low F= 44 |year record low F =-21

|precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation inch =3.42

| Feb precipitation inch =3.69

| Mar precipitation inch =3.59

| Apr precipitation inch =3.50

| May precipitation inch =4.44

| Jun precipitation inch =4.56

| Jul precipitation inch =5.44

| Aug precipitation inch =4.15

| Sep precipitation inch =3.03

| Oct precipitation inch =2.44

| Nov precipitation inch =3.34

| Dec precipitation inch =3.62

|year precipitation inch =45.22

| Jan snow inch= 5.2

| Feb snow inch= 4.2

| Mar snow inch= 2.3

| Apr snow inch= 0.4

| May snow inch= 0

| Jun snow inch= 0

| Jul snow inch= 0

| Aug snow inch= 0

| Sep snow inch= 0

| Oct snow inch= 0

| Nov snow inch= 0.9

| Dec snow inch= 2.6

|year snow inch= 15.6

| Jan humidity= 59.0

| Feb humidity= 71.5

| Mar humidity= 69.0

| Apr humidity= 67.0

| May humidity= 69.5

| Jun humidity= 73.0

| Jul humidity= 75.0

| Aug humidity= 76.5

| Sep humidity= 76.5

| Oct humidity= 74.0

| Nov humidity= 68.5

| Dec humidity= 69.5

|year humidity= 74.0

|source 1= {{cite web | url=http://www.weather.com/outlook/health/fitness/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USTN0261 | title=Average Weather for Johnson City, TN | work=Weather.com | access-date=December 6, 2017}}

|source 2= {{cite web | url=http://www.climate-zone.com/climate/united-states/tennessee/bristol-johnson-city/ | title=Climate Information for Bristol - Johnson City - Tennessee | work=climate-zone.com | access-date=December 6, 2017}}

}}

Demographics

{{US Census population

| 1880 = 685

| 1890 = 4161

| 1900 = 4645

| 1910 = 8502

| 1920 = 12442

| 1930 = 25080

| 1940 = 25332

| 1950 = 27864

| 1960 = 31187

| 1970 = 33770

| 1980 = 39753

| 1990 = 49381

| 2000 = 55469

| 2010 = 63152

| 2020 = 71046

| estyear = 2024

| estimate = 73335

| estref = {{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/johnsoncitycitytennessee/AFN120217 |date=May 16, 2024|title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=May 16, 2024}}

| footnote = {{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}}

}}

=2020 census=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"

|+Johnson City racial composition{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4738320&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 26, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}

!scope="col"| Race

!scope="col"| Number

!scope="col"| Percentage

scope="row"| White (non-Hispanic)

| 55,950

| 78.75%

scope="row"| Black or African American (non-Hispanic)

| 4,809

| 6.77%

scope="row"| Native American

| 164

| 0.23%

scope="row"| Asian

| 1,710

| 2.41%

scope="row"| Pacific Islander

| 37

| 0.05%

scope="row"| Other/mixed

| 3,878

| 5.46%

scope="row"| 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.

=2000 census=

As of the census 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 {{convert|655.1|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units}}. 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.

Economy

File:Oldmtdewbottle.jpg traces its origins to the city.]]

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 and Niswonger Children's Hospital, Franklin Woods Community Hospital, ETSU's Gatton College of Pharmacy, and ETSU's Quillen College of Medicine.

The citrus soda Mountain Dew originated in Johnson City. In 2012, PepsiCo announced a new malt-flavored version of the drink named Mountain Dew Johnson City Gold.{{cite news|title=PepsiCo to test malt-flavored Mountain Dew in some US cities.|url=http://in.reuters.com/article/pepsico-mountaindew-idINL2E8ID7PG20120713|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102043412/http://in.reuters.com/article/pepsico-mountaindew-idINL2E8ID7PG20120713|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 2, 2016|access-date=July 14, 2012|newspaper=Reuters|date=July 13, 2012}}

Johnson City and its metropolitan area had a gross metropolitan product of {{US$|9.1 billion}} in 2019.{{cite web |title=Johnson City, TN |url=https://www.forbes.com/places/tn/johnson-city/#593838bc4901 |website=Best Small Places for Business and Careers 2019 |publisher=Forbes |access-date=October 28, 2020}}

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ Top employers in Johnson City (2008){{cite web | title = 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan | publisher = Johnson City Metropolitan Transport Planning Organization | url = http://www.jcmpo.org/lrtp/Johnson%20City%20Final%20High%20Res.pdf | access-date = July 3, 2009 | pages = 3–9 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110718183130/http://www.jcmpo.org/lrtp/Johnson%20City%20Final%20High%20Res.pdf | archive-date = July 18, 2011 }}

EmployerNumber of
employees
Ballad Health3541
East Tennessee State University1990
Washington County School System1275
James H. Quillen VA Medical Center1259
American Water Heater Company1194
AT&T Mobility1000

= Major companies headquartered in Johnson City =

  • American Water Heater Company (owned by A.O. Smith Corp.)
  • Advanced Call Center Technologies
  • Cantech Industries
  • General Shale (owned by Wienerberger)
  • LPI, Inc.
  • Moody Dunbar, Inc.
  • Mullican Flooring
  • R.A. Colby, Inc.
  • TPI Corporation
  • VCV Rack {{cite web |last1=Grosse |first1=Darwin |title=Open Source Synthesis: Behind the Scenes With CVC Rack Creator Andrew Belt |url=https://www.synthtopia.com/content/2018/01/22/open-source-synthesis-behind-the-scenes-with-vcv-rack-creator-andrew-belt/ |website=Synthopia |date=January 22, 2018 |access-date=19 March 2025}}

=Other companies=

  • JD Squared, manufacturer of tube and pipe benders and other fabrication tools

Arts and culture

File:JunaluskaSculptureOblique 20160313.JPG in Metro-Kiwanis Park, Johnson City]]

= Public art =

Public art includes 12 to 15 sculptures that change every two years.{{Cite web |last=Roberts |first=Jonathan |date=February 20, 2023 |title=New public art sculptures set to come to Johnson City |url=https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/news/local-news/new-public-art-sculptures-set-to-come-to-johnson-city/collection_6424bdae-aef4-11ed-b840-df6f146e44f9.html |access-date=June 2, 2023 |website=Johnson City Press |language=en}} 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.{{Cite web |last=khackney@johnsoncitypress.com |first=Kayla Hackney Press Staff Writer |date=March 15, 2021 |title=Downtown visitors go wild for Wildabout Walkabout scavenger hunt |url=https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/living/downtown-visitors-go-wild-for-wildabout-walkabout-scavenger-hunt/article_dfa2ccc2-827e-11eb-a837-2f27a38436eb.html |access-date=June 2, 2023 |website=Johnson City Press |language=en}} Other public art includes banners and art on light poles and traffic boxes, and quote stones along sidewalks and paths.{{Cite web |last=Digital |first=WCYB |date=December 30, 2021 |title=New artistic wraps installed on traffic control boxes in Johnson City |url=https://wcyb.com/news/local/new-artistic-wraps-installed-on-traffic-control-boxes-in-johnson-city |access-date=June 2, 2023 |website=WCYB |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=New lamppost banners in Founders Park feature local artwork |url=https://www.johnsoncitytn.org/news_detail_T11_R959.php |access-date=June 2, 2023 |website=www.johnsoncitytn.org |language=en}} Two annual art events take place in the city.{{Cite web |author=Staff reports |date=April 14, 2023 |title=Johnson City Public Art to host Art·Struck Festival |url=https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/lifestyles/entertainment/johnson-city-public-art-to-host-art-struck-festival/article_e2ac3ac4-db01-11ed-b53b-ebdc478162d5.html |access-date=June 2, 2023 |website=Johnson City Press |language=en}}

=Shopping=

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.

= Points of interest =

{{wide image|The Pavilion at Founder's Park .jpg|1100px|align-cap=center|The Pavilion at Founder's Park hosts the local farmer's market.}}

Sports

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Johnson+City&state=TN&country=US|title=Johnson City, Tennessee Encyclopedia|work=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=February 4, 2021}} 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. 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.{{cite web|title=MLB, USA Baseball Announce New Format for Appalachian League|url=https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-mlb-usa-baseball-announce-new-format-for-appalachian-league|website=Major League Baseball|date=September 29, 2020|access-date=September 29, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.wjhl.com/sports/local-sports/appy-league/johnson-citys-appy-league-team-to-be-known-as-the-doughboys/|title=Johnson City's Appy League Team to Be Known as the Doughboys|work=WJHL|date=February 2, 2021|access-date=February 3, 2021}}

Government

{{see also|List of mayors of Johnson City, Tennessee}}

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.[https://johnsoncitytn.civicweb.net/portal/members.aspx?id=10.] Retrieved October 18, 2022. The mayor is John Hunter, the vice mayor is Greg Cox, and the commissioners are Jenny Brock, Joe Wise, and Todd Fowler. The city manager is Cathy Ball.[https://www.johnsoncitytn.org/government/city_manager.php], Retrieved October 18, 2022.

Education

=Colleges and universities=

East Tennessee State University has around 16,000 students in addition to a K-12 University School, a laboratory school of about 540 students.{{cite web|url=http://www.etsu.edu/coe/uschool/us_about_the_school/history.asp |title=History |access-date=October 5, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090526003007/http://www.etsu.edu/coe/uschool/us_about_the_school/history.asp |archive-date=May 26, 2009 }} University School was the first laboratory school in the nation to adopt a year-round academic schedule.{{cite web|url=http://www.etsu.edu/coe/uschool/us_about_the_school/default.asp |title=About the School |access-date=October 5, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090828050409/http://www.etsu.edu/coe/uschool/us_about_the_school/default.asp |archive-date=August 28, 2009 }}

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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/news/class-is-now-in-session-at-downtown-johnson-citys-northeast-state-campus/article_8207f75b-c6a4-5c32-b3cc-9adfe4f6a46c.html|title=Class is now in session at downtown Johnson City's Northeast State campus|first=Tony|last=Casey|website=Johnson City Press|date=August 23, 2015 }}

After a dispute over the leasing amount being increased from $1,000/month to nearly $30,000/month, Northeast State decided not to renew their lease in 2023.{{cite web | url=https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/jcda-approves-2-year-downtown-centre-lease-with-etsu/ | title=JCDA approves 2-year Downtown Centre lease with ETSU | work=WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather | date=November 28, 2023 }}

This building is now being utilized by East Tennessee State University to house the Department of Biological Sciences whilst Brown Hall, the main academic hall for the department on ETSU's main campus, goes through a new phase of renovations. Classes will begin being offered at this downtown satellite campus by ETSU in the Fall 2025 semester.

Tusculum University has a center on the north side of Johnson City in the Boones Creek area.

=K-12 schools=

Within Washington County, the vast majority of the city is in the Johnson City Independent School District, while small parts of the city are in the Washington County School District.{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st47_tn/schooldistrict_maps/c47179_washington/DC20SD_C47179.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Washington County, TN|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=2024-10-08}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st47_tn/schooldistrict_maps/c47179_washington/DC20SD_C47179_SD2MS.txt Text list]

The portion in Carter County is within the Carter County School District.{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st47_tn/schooldistrict_maps/c47019_carter/DC20SD_C47019.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Carter County, TN|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=2024-10-08|page=2 (PDF p. 3/6)}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st47_tn/schooldistrict_maps/c47019_carter/DC20SD_C47019_SD2MS.txt Text list] The portion in Sullivan County is within the Sullivan County School District.{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st47_tn/schooldistrict_maps/c47163_sullivan/DC20SD_C47163.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Sullivan County, TN|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=2024-10-08|page=18 (PDF p. 19/21)}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st47_tn/schooldistrict_maps/c47163_sullivan/DC20SD_C47163_SD2MS.txt Text list]

Schools in the Johnson City School System include:

Elementary schools

width="200" valign="Top" |

  • Cherokee Elementary
  • Fairmont Elementary
  • Lake Ridge Elementary
  • Mt. View Elementary

| valign="Top" |

  • North Side Elementary
  • South Side Elementary
  • Towne Acres Elementary
  • Woodland Elementary

|

Middle schools

  • Indian Trail Middle School
  • Liberty Bell Middle School

High schools

=Private schools=

  • Ashley Academy (PreK-8)
  • St. Mary's (K-8)
  • Providence Academy (K-12)
  • Tri-Cities Christian Schools (PreK-12)
  • University School (K-12) {{Cite web|url=https://www.etsu.edu/uschool/aboutus.php|title = About Us}}

Infrastructure

=Transportation=

Image:jct.jpg

Johnson City is served by Tri-Cities Regional Airport (IATA Code TRI) and Johnson City Airport (0A4) in Watauga.

==Highways==

==Public transport==

Johnson City Transit operates a system of buses inside the city limits,{{cite web | url = http://www.johnsoncitytransit.org/general.html | title = Johnson City Transit, General Information | access-date = June 11, 2016}} 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).Southern Timetable, 1966, p. 6 http://streamlinermemories.info/South/SRR66-10TT.pdf

=Hospitals=

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|date=July 2023}}

Johnson City Medical Center includes a level 1 trauma center,{{cite web | url = https://www.balladhealth.org/jcmc | title=Emergency Services Johnson City Medical Center}} the Niswonger Children's Hospital, and Woodridge Hospital, an inpatient psychiatric hospital.

Franklin Woods Community Hospital is an 80-bed hospital with emergency services.{{cite web | title = Franklin Woods Community Hospital | publisher = Ballad Health | url = https://www.balladhealth.org/locations/hospitals/franklin-woods | accessdate = July 2, 2023}}

James H. and Cecile C. Quillen Rehabilitation Hospital serves patients who have suffered debilitating trauma, including stroke and brain-spine injuries.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

Notable people

{{more citations needed section|date=April 2008}}

{{See also|East_Tennessee_State_University#Notable_people|l1=List of East Tennessee State University notable people}}

{{div col}}

  • Bill Bain, management consultant, one of the founders of the management consultancy Bain & Company{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/09/24/magazine/counselor-to-the-king.html |title=Counselor To The King |newspaper=The New York Times |date=September 24, 1989}}
  • Sam Bettens, lead singer of rock band K's Choice; Johnson City firefighter for a year[http://www.newsandneighboronline.com/editions/680thedition.pdf "Johnson City Fire Department welcomes rookie firefighters"], Johnson City News and Neighbor, June 23, 2012, p1.
  • Jerry Blevins, Major League Baseball pitcher (New York Mets)
  • Ernie Bowman, Major League Baseball (San Francisco Giants, 1961–63)
  • Joe Bowman, bootmaker and marksman; guardian of western cultureWilliam Grimes, [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/us/06bowman.html "Joe Bowman, Sharpshooter, Dies at 84"], The New York Times, July 6, 2009.
  • Mike Brown, American Motorcyclist Association rider
  • Jonny Campbell, soccer player{{cite news |last1=Avento |first1=Joe |title=Campbell continuing pro soccer career in Philippines |url=https://www.timesnews.net/campbell-continuing-pro-soccer-career-in-philippines/article_ab864d78-8dd3-11eb-bb8e-a707a814ed90.html |access-date=March 4, 2025 |work=Kingsport Times-News |date=March 25, 2021}}
  • Jo Carson, playwright and author{{cite web|last=Barber|first=Rex|title=Jo Carson, ETSU grad and nationally known writer, storyteller dies at 64|url=http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?id=94496|publisher=Johnson City Press|date=September 21, 2011|access-date=February 8, 2013|archive-date=September 24, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924184843/http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?id=94496|url-status=dead}}
  • George Lafayette Carter, entrepreneur
  • David Cash, professional wrestler
  • David Cole, founding member of C+C Music Factory
  • Patrick J. Cronin, television and film actor, a professor in English and Theater at ETSU{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0188795/|title=Patrick Cronin|website=IMDb}}
  • Matt Czuchry, actor (Gilmore Girls), attended Science Hill High School
  • David Davis, Tennessee state senator; U.S. congressman 2007–2009
  • Lindsay Ellis, film critic, YouTuber, cinematographer, and author
  • Ray Flynn, miler with 89 sub-four-minute miles; graduated ETSU, president/CEO of Flynn Sports Management{{cite web|url=http://www.flynnsportsmanagement.com/|title=Sports Management - Flynn sports management|website=www.flynnsportsmanagement.com}}
  • Aubrayo Franklin, defensive tackle, San Francisco 49ers{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/players/aubrayofranklin/profile?id=FRA398785|title=Aubrayo Franklin|website=NFL.com}}
  • Wyck Godfrey, film producer and studio executive{{cite news|title=SHHS alum Wyck Godfrey named new president of Paramount Motion Pictures Group|url=http://wjhl.com/2017/09/12/shhs-alum-wyck-godfrey-named-new-president-of-paramount-motion-pictures-group/|access-date=January 10, 2018|work=WJHL.com|date=September 12, 2017}}
  • Jake Grove, born in Johnson City; played center for Virginia Tech, won the Rimington Trophy, played for the Miami Dolphins{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/players/jakegrove/profile?id=GRO743060|title=Jake Grove|website=NFL.com}}
  • Del Harris, NBA coach, attended Milligan College{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/coachfile/del_harris/?nav=page|title=NBA.com Del Harris|website=www.nba.com|access-date=March 14, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171119210324/http://www.nba.com/coachfile/del_harris/?nav=page|archive-date=November 19, 2017|url-status=dead}}
  • Holly Herndon, electronic musician
  • Mark Herring, Attorney General of Virginia
  • Herman Hickman, College Football Hall of Fame player for the Tennessee Vols and NFL player.
  • Jim Hickman, professional baseball player, played outfield for the Brooklyn Dodgers
  • Steven James, novelist, attended ETSU
  • Drew Johnson, political commentator and columnist, and founder of the Beacon Center of Tennessee{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/business/aroundregion/story/2012/jun/09/johnson-named-opinion-editor-free-press/79929/|title = Drew Johnson named as Free Press opinion page editor| date=June 9, 2012 }}
  • Amythyst Kiah, Americana singer/songwriter
  • Brownie King, NASCAR driver
  • Catherine Marshall, author, born in Johnson City, later worked on her novel Christy while staying with relatives in town
  • John Alan Maxwell, artist and illustrator, raised in Johnson City, illustrated for Pearl S. Buck, John Steinbeck, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, spent his last 18 years in Johnson City; permanent collection housed at Carroll Reece Museum at ETSU
  • Johnny Miller, NASCAR driver
  • Daniel Norris, Major League Baseball, debuted with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2014
  • Eureka O'Hara, drag queen and television personality
  • Mike Potter, NASCAR driver
  • David Phil Roe, mayor of Johnson City, and representative for Tennessee's 1st congressional district 2009–2021
  • Bryan Lewis Saunders, artist and writer, ETSU alumnus{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/nov/30/bryan-saunders-artist-drugs-ronson | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Jon | last=Ronson | title=Bryan Saunders: portrait of the artist on crystal meth | date=November 30, 2012}}
  • Connie Saylor, NASCAR driver and Johnson City business owner
  • Constance Shulman, actress, singer, producer
  • Steve Spurrier, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback and College Football Hall of Fame coach, spent most of his childhood in Johnson City and attended Science Hill High School; namesake of the school's football field
  • Robert Love Taylor and Alfred A. Taylor, brothers who were both governor of Tennessee; each owned and resided in Robins' Roost, historic house on South Roan Street{{cite web|url=http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&guid=87002f3a-daec-41b7-8524-98403fa00a85&lat=36.332517&lon=-82.338752&t=3&id=37601|title=marker again|website=www.waymarking.com}}
  • Brad Teague, NASCAR driver{{cite web|url=http://www.racing-reference.info/driver?id=teagubr01|title=Driver Brad Teague Career Statistics - Racing-Reference.info|website=www.racing-reference.info}}
  • Phyllis Tickle, prominent author on religion and spirituality
  • Ed Whitson, MLB pitcher known for a brief but colorful stint with the Yankees in the 1980s
  • Samuel Cole Williams, historian, jurist, first dean of the Emory University School of Law
  • Van Williams, NFL running back and kick returner for Buffalo Bills, All-American at Carson-Newman, attended Science Hill High School

{{div col end}}

Sister cities

Johnson City's sister cities are:{{cite web|title=Johnson City Parks and Recreation Department|url=https://www.johnsoncitytn.org/news_detail_T11_R276.php|website=johnsoncitytn.org|publisher=City of Johnson City|access-date=May 2, 2021|archive-date=June 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230627035520/https://www.johnsoncitytn.org/news_detail_T11_R276.php|url-status=dead}}{{cite web |title=Our German Sister City with Medieval roots|url=https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/opinion/editorials/our-german-sister-city-with-medieval-roots/article_f66f7f2e-d14e-51aa-8341-c22b9be1587a.html|website=johnsoncitypress.com|publisher=Johnson City Press|date=September 19, 2016|access-date=May 2, 2021}}

See also

{{portal|Tennessee}}

References

;General

{{Reflist}}

;Specific

  • Greater Johnson City, by Ray Stahl, 1986.
  • A History of Johnson City, Tennessee and its Environs, by Samuel Cole Williams, 1940.
  • History of Washington County, Tennessee, by Joyce and Gene Cox, Editors, 2001.
  • Fiddlin' Charlie Bowman, by Bob L. Cox, University of Tennessee Press, 2007.
  • The Railroads of Johnson City, by Johnny Graybeal, Tar Heel Press, 2007.