Mountain City | |
|---|---|
 Buildings along Church Street | |
 Location of Mountain City in Johnson County, Tennessee. | |
| Coordinates:36°28′6″N81°48′14″W / 36.46833°N 81.80389°W /36.46833; -81.80389 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Tennessee |
| County | Johnson |
| Founded | 1836 |
| Incorporated | 1905[1] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-Alderman |
| • Mayor | Jerry S. Jordan |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.37 sq mi (8.73 km2) |
| • Land | 3.37 sq mi (8.73 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,418 ft (737 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 2,415 |
| • Density | 716.5/sq mi (276.66/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 37683 |
| Area code | 423 |
| FIPS code | 47-50400[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1328969[5] |
| Website | www |
Mountain City is a town in and thecounty seat ofJohnson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,415 at the 2020 census. It is the northeasternmost county seat in Tennessee. In addition, at an elevation of 2,418 feet (737 m), it has the distinction of being the highest incorporated city in the state.
When the first European explorers arrived in what is now the Mountain City area in the late 17th century, well-wornNative American trails passed through the area. In 1949, workers at the Maymead quarry (just south of Mountain City) discovered a cave with several earlyMississippian-era (ca. 1000 A.D.) burials inside. The Needham and Arthur expedition of 1673 is believed to have passed through the area, making use of the gap atTrade to the south. ExplorerDaniel Boone made use of the same gap on an expedition to what is nowKentucky in 1769, and today part of the Daniel Boone Heritage Trail—which follows Boone's route—passes through Mountain City.[6]
The first permanent white settlers arrived in the Mountain City area in the late 18th century, among them Leonard Shoun andRevolutionary War veteran Alexander Doran. The area was initially part ofCarter County, but the difficulty of reachingElizabethton (the county seat) led to the creation of Johnson County in 1836.[6] That year, a county seat for the new county was platted on land purchased from William Vaught and named Taylorsville after Colonel James P. Taylor.[7] The name of the town was changed to "Mountain City" in 1885, presumably at the urging ofRoderick R. Butler, a prominent citizen and U.S. Congressman who wanted the town's name to reflect its situation amidst one of the highest valleys in Tennessee. Butler's mansion, now listed on theNational Register of Historic Places, still stands near the center of the town.[8]
In May 1925, Mountain City was the site of a musical gathering, the firstMountain City Fiddlers Convention, that is considered a landmark event in the modern history ofAppalachian music.[9][10] The gathering contributed significantly to the development ofcountry music and is commemorated every summer at the Old Time Fiddler's Convention in nearbyLaurel Bloomery.[11][12]
Since 1982, Mountain City has been home to a luxury inn and country club, now known as theRedTail Mountain Resort. It is the northeasternmost gated community in Tennessee.
Mountain City is located at36°28′6″N81°48′14″W / 36.46833°N 81.80389°W /36.46833; -81.80389 (36.468444, -81.803856).[13] According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.6 km2), all land. At just over 2,400 feet (730 m), Mountain City is situated in one of the highest valleys in the state of Tennessee. Doe Mountain rises to the southwest, Forge Mountain rises to the east, and theIron Mountains rise prominently to the north. The Tennessee-North Carolina border runs opposite Forge Mountain approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Mountain City, and the Tennessee-Virginia border passes about 10 miles (16 km) to the north.
U.S. Route 421 (Shady Street) connects Mountain City withBristol, Tennessee, to the northwest andBoone, North Carolina, to the southeast.Tennessee State Route 67 traverses the Doe Creek Valley on the north side of Doe Mountain and connects Mountain City withCarter County and theWatauga Lake areas to the west.State Route 167 follows theRoan Creek Valley on the south side of Doe Mountain, rejoining S.R. 67 at Shouns in the southern part of Mountain City.Tennessee State Route 91 connects Mountain City toLaurel Bloomery, Tennessee, andDamascus, Virginia, to the north (the road becomesVirginia State Route 91 at the state line).
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 118 | — | |
| 1860 | 159 | 34.7% | |
| 1870 | 236 | 48.4% | |
| 1880 | 278 | 17.8% | |
| 1890 | 249 | −10.4% | |
| 1910 | 592 | — | |
| 1920 | 724 | 22.3% | |
| 1930 | 1,058 | 46.1% | |
| 1940 | 1,021 | −3.5% | |
| 1950 | 1,405 | 37.6% | |
| 1960 | 1,379 | −1.9% | |
| 1970 | 1,883 | 36.5% | |
| 1980 | 2,125 | 12.9% | |
| 1990 | 2,169 | 2.1% | |
| 2000 | 2,383 | 9.9% | |
| 2010 | 2,531 | 6.2% | |
| 2020 | 2,415 | −4.6% | |
| Sources:[14][15][3] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 2,170 | 89.86% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 25 | 1.04% |
| Native American | 8 | 0.33% |
| Asian | 12 | 0.5% |
| Pacific Islander | 2 | 0.08% |
| Other/Mixed | 85 | 3.52% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 113 | 4.68% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 2,415 people, 873 households, and 458 families residing in the town.
As of thecensus[4] of 2000, there were 2,383 people, 1,136 households, and 664 families residing in the town. The population density was 720.8 inhabitants per square mile (278.3/km2). There were 1,250 housing units at an average density of 378.1 per square mile (146.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.86%White, 0.92%African American, 0.25%Native American, 0.25%Asian, 0.29% fromother races, and 0.42% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 0.80% of the population.
There were 1,136 households, out of which 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% weremarried couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.5% were non-families. 38.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.71.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.2% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $16,587, and the median income for a family was $31,406. Males had a median income of $26,042 versus $19,145 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $17,202. About 21.6% of families and 27.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 37.4% of those under age 18 and 20.6% of those age 65 or over.
The all-time record low in Mountain City on December 30, 1917, at −32 °F (−36 °C), is tied withMount Le Conte for Tennessee's statewide record low. Mountain City has a subtropical highland (KöppenCfb) with monthly averages ranging from 34 °F (1 °C) to 71 °F (22 °C) in January and July, respectively. Under theTrewartha climate classification, it is a temperate oceanic (Do) climate with only 7 months having a mean 50 °F (10 °C) or higher.
| Climate data for Mountain City, Tennessee (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1956–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 76 (24) | 79 (26) | 85 (29) | 88 (31) | 89 (32) | 97 (36) | 97 (36) | 95 (35) | 94 (34) | 91 (33) | 83 (28) | 77 (25) | 97 (36) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 65.6 (18.7) | 67.7 (19.8) | 74.4 (23.6) | 81.4 (27.4) | 84.1 (28.9) | 87.5 (30.8) | 88.0 (31.1) | 87.4 (30.8) | 85.4 (29.7) | 80.7 (27.1) | 74.2 (23.4) | 67.5 (19.7) | 89.6 (32.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 45.5 (7.5) | 48.8 (9.3) | 56.7 (13.7) | 66.8 (19.3) | 73.9 (23.3) | 79.9 (26.6) | 82.0 (27.8) | 81.4 (27.4) | 76.9 (24.9) | 68.2 (20.1) | 58.0 (14.4) | 48.9 (9.4) | 65.6 (18.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 34.2 (1.2) | 37.1 (2.8) | 44.0 (6.7) | 53.0 (11.7) | 61.3 (16.3) | 68.1 (20.1) | 71.2 (21.8) | 70.3 (21.3) | 64.7 (18.2) | 54.5 (12.5) | 44.6 (7.0) | 37.6 (3.1) | 53.4 (11.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 23.0 (−5.0) | 25.4 (−3.7) | 31.3 (−0.4) | 39.2 (4.0) | 48.6 (9.2) | 56.4 (13.6) | 60.4 (15.8) | 59.2 (15.1) | 52.5 (11.4) | 40.9 (4.9) | 31.2 (−0.4) | 26.3 (−3.2) | 41.2 (5.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 2.0 (−16.7) | 8.1 (−13.3) | 13.4 (−10.3) | 23.7 (−4.6) | 32.6 (0.3) | 42.8 (6.0) | 49.7 (9.8) | 48.0 (8.9) | 38.0 (3.3) | 24.7 (−4.1) | 15.6 (−9.1) | 8.4 (−13.1) | −0.8 (−18.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −20 (−29) | −18 (−28) | −11 (−24) | 14 (−10) | 22 (−6) | 28 (−2) | 36 (2) | 35 (2) | 28 (−2) | 10 (−12) | 2 (−17) | −32 (−36) | −32 (−36) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.74 (95) | 3.36 (85) | 4.09 (104) | 4.33 (110) | 5.15 (131) | 4.48 (114) | 5.03 (128) | 4.13 (105) | 3.26 (83) | 2.81 (71) | 2.89 (73) | 3.89 (99) | 47.19 (1,199) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 3.4 (8.6) | 5.0 (13) | 1.1 (2.8) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.4 (1.0) | 2.0 (5.1) | 12.0 (30) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 9.0 | 9.4 | 10.0 | 9.5 | 11.8 | 11.7 | 11.5 | 10.0 | 8.2 | 6.8 | 7.3 | 9.0 | 114.2 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 1.5 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 5.1 |
| Source:NOAA[17][18] | |||||||||||||
Mountain City is the location of the Johnson County Welcome Center & Museum. The center offers tourism information about the county and the museum showcases the history of the area and has a large collection ofNative American andpioneer objects.[19]Johnson County Center for the Arts is a comprehensive arts center serving the residents of Johnson County and the surrounding area.Long Journey Home is Johnson County's Heritage Arts and music celebration held every Labor Day weekend. TheSteve Earle song "Copperhead Road" is set in the vicinity of Mountain City.[20]
Municipalities and communities ofJohnson County, Tennessee,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Town |  | |
| CDP | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
