Kingsport | |
|---|---|
 Broad Street in Downtown Kingsport | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
| Nickname: The Model City[1] | |
 Location of Kingsport in Sullivan and Hawkins counties, Tennessee | |
  Kingsport  Kingsport | |
| Coordinates:36°32′N82°33′W / 36.533°N 82.550°W /36.533; -82.550 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| Counties | Sullivan,Hawkins |
| Settled | 1771 |
| Chartered/Rechartered | 1822, 1917 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-manager |
| • Mayor | Paul W. Montgomery |
| • City Manager | Chris McCartt |
| Area | |
• City | 53.53 sq mi (138.63 km2) |
| • Land | 52.60 sq mi (136.24 km2) |
| • Water | 0.92 sq mi (2.38 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,211 ft (369 m) |
| Population | |
• City | 55,442 |
| • Rank | 12th in Tennessee |
| • Density | 1,053.9/sq mi (406.93/km2) |
| • Urban | 98,411 (US:316th)[3] |
| • Metro | 309,283 (US:161st) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 37660, 37662, 37663, 37664, 37665 & 37669 |
| Area codes | 423 and 729 |
| FIPS code | 47-39560 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1303478[5] |
| Website | www |
Kingsport is a city inSullivan andHawkins counties in the U.S. state ofTennessee. It lies along theHolston River and had a population of 55,442 at the2020 census.[6] It is the largest city in theKingsport–Bristol metropolitan area, which had 307,613 residents in 2020.[7] The metro area is a component of the largerTri-Cities region of Tennessee and Virginia, with a population of 508,260 in 2020.
Kingsport was chartered in 1822. The city's name is a simplification of King's Port, originally referring to the area on the Holston River known as King's Boat Yard, the head of navigation for theTennessee Valley.[8] Kingsport is commonly included in what is known as the "Mountain Empire" insouthwest Virginia andnortheastern Tennessee.
Kingsport was developed after theRevolutionary War, at the confluence of the North and South Forks of the Holston River. In 1787 it was known as "Salt Lick" for an ancientmineral lick. It was first settled along the banks of the South Fork, about a mile from theconfluence.[citation needed] TheLong Island of the Holston River is near the confluence, which is mostly within the present-day corporate boundaries of Kingsport.[9] The island was an important site for theCherokee, colonial pioneers and early settlers, and specifically mentioned in the 1770Treaty of Lochaber.[citation needed]
Early settlements at the site were used as a staging ground for other pioneers who were traveling overland on theWilderness Road leading toKentucky through theCumberland Gap.[citation needed] First chartered in 1822, Kingsport became an important shipping port on the Holston River. Goods originating for many miles around from the surrounding countryside were loaded onto barges for the journey downriver to theTennessee River atKnoxville.[citation needed]
In the Battle of Kingsport (December 13, 1864) during theCivil War, a force of 300Confederates under Colonel Richard Morgan stopped a largerUnion force for nearly two days. An army of over 5,500 troops under command of Major GeneralGeorge Stoneman had left Knoxville to raid Confederate targets in Virginia: the salt works atSaltville, the lead works atWytheville, and the iron works inMarion. While Col. Morgan's small band held off a main Union force under Major General Cullem Gillem on the opposite side the Holston River, Union Col. Samuel Patton took a force of cavalry to a ford in the river 2.5 miles (4.0 km) north and came down behind the Confederates. Out-numbered, out-flanked, and demoralized by the bitter winter weather, Col. Morgan surrendered. The Confederates suffered 18 dead, and 84prisoners of war were sent to a Union prison in Knoxville.[10]
The city lost its charter after a downturn in its fortunes precipitated by the Civil War.[11]
On September 12, 1916, Kingsport residents demanded the death of circus elephantMary (anAsian elephant that performed in the Sparks World-famous Shows Circus). She had killed city hotel worker Walter Eldridge, who was hired by the circus the day before as an assistant elephant trainer. Eldridge was attacked and killed by the elephant while he was leading her to a pond. The elephant was impounded by the local sheriff. Leaders of several nearby towns threatened to prevent the circus from performing if it included the elephant. The circus owner, Charlie Sparks, reluctantly decided that the only way to quickly resolve the situation was to hold a public execution. On the following day, she was transported by rail toErwin, Tennessee, where a crowd of over 2,500 people assembled in theClinchfield Railroad yard to watch her hang from a railroad crane.[12]
Re-chartered in 1917, Kingsport was an early example of a "garden city".[citation needed] Part of it was designed by city planner and landscape architectJohn Nolen ofCambridge, Massachusetts.[citation needed] It was nicknamed as the"Model City" from this plan, which organized the town into areas for commerce, churches, housing and industry. Most of the land on the river was devoted to industry. Most of the Long Island is now occupied byEastman Chemical Company, which is headquartered in Kingsport. As part of this plan, Kingsport built some of the earliesttraffic circles (roundabouts) in the United States.[citation needed]
Into the 1950s, two importantpublic works projects were constructed: theBoone Dam and theFort Patrick Henry Dam,hydroelectric dams built along theSouth Fork Holston River.[citation needed] Kingsport was among the first municipalities to adopt acity manager form of government, to professionalize operations of city departments.[citation needed] It developed its school system based on a model promoted byColumbia University.[citation needed]Pal's Sudden Service, a regional fast-food restaurant chain, opened its first location in 1956 and is headquartered in Kingsport. In 2001,Pal's Sudden Service, won theMalcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, becoming the first restaurant company to receive the award.[13]
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Kingsport is located in western Sullivan County at the intersection of U.S. Routes11W and23. Kingsport is the northwest terminus ofInterstate 26.
The city is bordered to the west by the town ofMount Carmel, to the southeast by unincorporatedColonial Heights, and to the northeast by unincorporatedBloomingdale. The Kingsport city limits extend west intoHawkins County and north to theVirginia border.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 50.8 square miles (131.5 km2), of which 49.8 square miles (129.0 km2) are land and 0.93 square miles (2.4 km2), or 1.86%, are water.[14] Most of the water area is in theSouth Fork Holston River.
| Climate data for Kingsport, Tennessee (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1916–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 79 (26) | 82 (28) | 89 (32) | 92 (33) | 98 (37) | 104 (40) | 102 (39) | 103 (39) | 102 (39) | 95 (35) | 83 (28) | 80 (27) | 104 (40) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 46.4 (8.0) | 50.9 (10.5) | 60.1 (15.6) | 70.5 (21.4) | 78.0 (25.6) | 84.4 (29.1) | 87.0 (30.6) | 86.3 (30.2) | 81.2 (27.3) | 70.8 (21.6) | 59.2 (15.1) | 49.5 (9.7) | 68.7 (20.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 36.9 (2.7) | 40.3 (4.6) | 48.1 (8.9) | 57.6 (14.2) | 66.0 (18.9) | 73.2 (22.9) | 76.5 (24.7) | 75.5 (24.2) | 69.8 (21.0) | 58.4 (14.7) | 47.3 (8.5) | 39.9 (4.4) | 57.5 (14.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 27.3 (−2.6) | 29.6 (−1.3) | 36.2 (2.3) | 44.7 (7.1) | 54.0 (12.2) | 62.1 (16.7) | 66.0 (18.9) | 64.6 (18.1) | 58.3 (14.6) | 46.1 (7.8) | 35.5 (1.9) | 30.3 (−0.9) | 46.2 (7.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −18 (−28) | −11 (−24) | −2 (−19) | 18 (−8) | 30 (−1) | 39 (4) | 46 (8) | 45 (7) | 32 (0) | 19 (−7) | 2 (−17) | −7 (−22) | −18 (−28) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.88 (99) | 4.05 (103) | 4.14 (105) | 4.05 (103) | 3.76 (96) | 3.71 (94) | 5.05 (128) | 3.81 (97) | 2.98 (76) | 2.43 (62) | 3.17 (81) | 4.00 (102) | 45.03 (1,144) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.7 (4.3) | 1.6 (4.1) | 0.7 (1.8) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.25) | 1.0 (2.5) | 5.1 (13) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 12.1 | 11.5 | 12.9 | 11.5 | 12.2 | 11.7 | 12.8 | 10.2 | 8.6 | 7.8 | 9.7 | 12.2 | 133.2 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.6 |
| Source:NOAA[15][16] | |||||||||||||
Neighborhoods in Kingsport include:[1]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 5,692 | — | |
| 1930 | 11,914 | 109.3% | |
| 1940 | 14,404 | 20.9% | |
| 1950 | 19,571 | 35.9% | |
| 1960 | 26,314 | 34.5% | |
| 1970 | 31,938 | 21.4% | |
| 1980 | 32,027 | 0.3% | |
| 1990 | 36,365 | 13.5% | |
| 2000 | 44,905 | 23.5% | |
| 2010 | 48,205 | 7.3% | |
| 2020 | 55,442 | 15.0% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 57,109 | [17] | 3.0% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[18] [4] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 48,212 | 86.96% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 2,024 | 3.65% |
| Native American | 144 | 0.26% |
| Asian | 754 | 1.36% |
| Pacific Islander | 15 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed | 2,574 | 4.64% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 1,719 | 3.1% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 55,442 people, 23,640 households, and 14,273 families residing in the city.
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As of thecensus of 2000, there were 44,905 people, 19,662 households and 12,642 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,018.9 inhabitants per square mile (393.4/km2). There were 21,796 housing units at an average density of 494.6 per square mile (191.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.32%White, 4.07%African American, 0.79%Asian, 0.24%American Indian/Alaska Native, 0.02%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 0.34%some other race, and 1.06%two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.05% of the population.[20]
There were 19,662 households, of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% weremarried couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22, and the average family size was 2.80.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.7% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,524, and the median income for a family was $40,183. Males had a median income of $33,075 versus $23,217 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,549. About 14.2% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.9% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.
Eastman Chemical Company's first chemical plant along with its world headquarters are located in Kingsport.[21][22] Eastman also operates a molecular recycling plant in Kingsport.[23] Accsys Technologies, through a joint venture with Eastman, operates anacetylated wood manufacturing plant in the city.[24]
Domtar operates a recycled containerboard facility in Kingsport that formerly was a paper mill established in 1916. Domtar converted the production of uncoated freesheet paper to containerboard in 2023. It is now home to one of the largest recycled containerboard machines in North America, which produces about 600,000 tons of recycled liner board and corrugated medium annually.[25]
Holston Army Ammunition Plant operated byBAE Systems' Ordnance Systems, Inc. manufactures a wide range of secondary detonating explosives for theDepartment of Defense.[26]
In 2019, Kingsport'sgross metropolitan product was reported to beUS$14.1 billion.[8]
According to the City of Kingsport's annual comprehensive financial report for 2021, the top employers in the city are:[27]
| # | Employer | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastman Chemical Company | 6,500 |
| 2 | Partner Industrial | 2,000 |
| 3 | Ballad Health Holston Valley Hospital | 1,355 |
| 4 | Kingsport City Schools | 1,147 |
| 5 | BAE Systems | 948 |
| 6 | City of Kingsport | 778 |
| 7 | Eastman Credit Union | 648 |
| 8 | Holston Medical Group | 595 |
| 9 | TEC Industrial Maintenance & Construction | 394 |
| 10 | Ballad Health Indian Path Hospital | 331 |
The Netherland Inn was constructed in 1802 by William King, whom the city of Kingsport is named after, to act as a boatyard to ship salt. In 1818 the property was sold to the Netherland family and they turned it into an inn and tavern. The inn and its grounds, which have been fully restored as a historic house museum, are open to tours and special events throughout the year. Additional buildings on the property include a reconstructed kitchen wing, a Log Cabin which housedDaniel Boone and his family between 1773 and 1775, the Weilhouse which shelters an old stone-line well, a schoolhouse, and the Pence Reception Center and Gift Shop.[28]
The Kingsport Carousel, which was constructed by 300 local volunteers and was made using a refurbished 1956Allan Herschell Company carousel frame, was completed in 2015. Pal and Sharon Barger, owners ofPal's Sudden Service which is headquartered in Kingsport, sponsored the creation of Pal's Roundhouse, a climate controlled building which houses the carousel.[29][30]
The Kingsport Aquatic Center is a popular swimming area located in the city of Kingsport and has several indoor and outdoor pools and diving boards, including anOlympic-size swimming pool. As well there are water attractions focused on children's entertainment, stadium seating with a capacity of 400 individuals, and multiple diving boards.[31]
TheLong Island iced tea is claimed to have been invented in the 1920s duringProhibition by an "Old Man Bishop", who was known to have been an illegal liquor distiller, onLong Island in Kingsport.[32] The city of Kingsport has embraced this claim and has created a Long Island iced tea trail with several involved local restaurants and businesses, as well downtown Kingsport is home to a mural featuring the city's claim to being the birthplace of the Long Island iced tea.[33][34]
Fun Fest, Kingsport's annual community unity themed festival, began in 1981 and lasts for nine days in July. Fun Fest has a red and yellow colored sun mascot named Festus. An estimated 100,000 people attend Fun Fest annually. The annual Fun Fest celebration usually has a parade, hot air balloons, fireworks, concerts, block parties, and other events.[35][36]
The Santa Train, is an annual Christmas celebration which is currently operated byCSX, takes place on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Kingsport is the final stop of the Santa Train, which begins its journey in Kentucky. Volunteers aboard the train hand out winter clothes, backpacks, and toys to children at each stop. The festival originated in Kingsport in 1943, when a group of Kingsport businessmen partnered with theClinchfield Railroad to uplift spirits duringWorld War II.[37][38]
The city is home to theKingsport Axmen, acollegiate summer baseball team of theAppalachian League.[39] The nickname is in reference to frontiersmanDaniel Boone, who began theWilderness Road in Kingsport.[39] The Axmen play their home games atHunter Wright Stadium,[40] which is named after former mayor Hunter Wright.[41]
Professional baseball was first played in Kingsport, by theKingsport Indians in the Appalachian League from 1921 to 1925.[42] The team went dormant for 12 years before it returned to the circuit as theKingsport Cherokees from 1938 to 1955—with the exception of the 1942 season as theKingsport Dodgers and as members of theMountain States League in 1953 and 1954.[42] The club was later known as theKingsport Orioles (1957),Kingsport Pirates (1960–1963),Kingsport Royals (1969–1973), andKingsport Braves (1974–1979).[42] TheKingsport Mets were members of the Appy League from 1980 to 2020, except for the 1983 season when theNew York Mets temporarily relocated the team toSarasota, Florida, as theGulf Coast League Mets, while their home ballpark was being renovated.[42] In conjunction with a contraction ofMinor League Baseball beginning with the 2021 season, the Appalachian League was reorganized as a collegiate summer baseball league, and the Mets were replaced by the Axmen, a new franchise in the revamped league designed for rising college freshman and sophomores.[43]
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The Kingsport Parks and Recreation manages several parks within the city.
Warrior's Path State Park, a 950 acres (3.8 km2) state park, is located in the Colonial Heights area of the city.
Kingsport uses thecouncil-manager system, which was established in 1917 when the city was re-chartered. Kingsport is governed locally by a seven-member Board of Mayor and Aldermen. The citizens elect the mayor to a two-year term and the six aldermen to four-year terms. The elections take place in odd-numbered years, with the mayor and three aldermen elected every two years. New terms begin on July 1. The board elects a vice mayor from among the six aldermen. The council or board then hires a professional city manager.[citation needed]
In late 2021, or early 2022, the board decided to move the election to coincide with the primary elections in Tennessee in August of every even-numbered year.[44] This changes the Mayoral and Alderman election from May 2023 to August 2024.
| Member[45] | Position | First elected | Term ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Montgomery | Mayor | September 1, 2024 | August 31, 2026 |
| Colette George | Vice Mayor/Alderman | July 1, 2013 | August 31, 2026 |
| Betsy Cooper | Alderman | July 1, 2017 | August 31, 2026 |
| Darrel R. Duncan | Alderman | July 1, 2019 | August 31, 2028 |
| James Phillips | Alderman | July 1, 2019 | August 31, 2028 |
| Morris Baker | Alderman | September 1, 2024 | August 31, 2028 |
| Gary Mayes | Alderman | September 17, 2024 (appointed) | August 31, 2028 |
The Sullivan County portion of Kingsport is represented in theTennessee House of Representatives by the 1st and 2nd State Representative districts and the Hawkins County portion by the 3rd district. Currently serving in these positions are RepresentativesJohn Crawford,Bud Hulsey, andTimothy Hill respectively.[46] In theTennessee State Senate, the Sullivan County portion of Kingsport is represented by the4th Senatorial District and the Hawkins County portion by the 8th district. State SenatorBobby Harshbarger and State SenatorFrank Niceley currently serve in these positions. All of these elected officials are members of theRepublican Party.[47]
Kingsport is represented in theUnited States House of Representatives by RepublicanDiana Harshbarger of the1st congressional district.
While no college or university has its main campus within the city, these institutions have branch campuses in Kingsport:
Lincoln Memorial and Northeast State are located in the Kingsport Academic Village complex in downtown Kingsport.[48][49] East Tennessee State offers general education courses in the Hawkins County (westernmost) portion of the city, with more advanced courses at the Academic Village.[50]
Almost all residents of Kingsport are served by theKingsport City Schools public school system. It operates eight elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. In addition, Kingsport has eight private academies, most with religious affiliation.
All but a few parts in Sullivan County are in that district, with isolated areas in theSullivan County School District.[51] The portions in Hawkins County are entirely in Kingsport City Schools.[52]
Douglass High School in Kingsport was one of the largestAfrican American high schools in the region when it closed fordesegregation in 1966.[55] The school's former building on East Walnut Avenue (now East Sevier Avenue) was a historicRosenwald School, built in 1929–30 with a combination of funds from the city, private citizens and theRosenwald Fund. Although during the years of segregation the Douglass Tigers football team was not allowed to play white teams, the Tigers won a Tennessee state football championship a state basketball championship in 1946, and a state basketball championship in 1948. The present building, built in 1951 at 301 Louis Street, is now the V.O. Dobbins Sr. Complex, named for Douglass' former principal.
Kingsport shares a television market withJohnson City andBristol, VA.WCYB-TV (NBC;THE CW onDT2) in Bristol,WEMT-TV (FOX) inGreeneville,WETP-TV (PBS) inSneedville andWJHL-TV (CBS;ABC onDT2 aka ABC Tri-Cities) in Johnson City.
Kingsport has been serviced by the Kingsport Area Transit Service, also known as KATS, since 1995. KATS operates 4 bus routes throughout Kingsport.[56]
Kingsport is serviced by theTri-Cities Regional Airport (IATA Code TRI)
Two hospitals operated byBallad Health are located in Kingsport: Holston Valley Medical Center, and Indian Path Community Hospital.
Kingsport Police Department is the municipal law enforcement agency for the City of Kingsport. As of 2022, the KPD has 119 sworn Officer positions, 9 Corrections Officers, 22 Telecommunicators, and 11 civilian positions variously assigned.[57]
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Municipalities and communities ofHawkins County, Tennessee,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDP | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
Municipalities and communities ofSullivan County, Tennessee,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
Municipalities and communities ofWashington County, Tennessee,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Town | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
