Bristol | |
|---|---|
 State Street in downtown Bristol, Tennessee (left) and Bristol, Virginia (right) | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
| Nickname: The Birthplace of Country Music | |
| Motto: A Good Place To Live | |
 Location of Bristol in Sullivan County, Tennessee. | |
| Coordinates:36°35′N82°11′W / 36.583°N 82.183°W /36.583; -82.183 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Sullivan |
| Incorporated | 1856[1] |
| Named after | Bristol, England[2] |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Vince Turner |
| • Vice Mayor | Mark Hutton |
| • City Manager | Kelli Bourgeois |
| Area | |
• Total | 32.83 sq mi (85.03 km2) |
| • Land | 32.68 sq mi (84.63 km2) |
| • Water | 0.15 sq mi (0.40 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,676 ft (511 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 27,147 |
| • Density | 830.79/sq mi (320.77/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 37617, 37620, 37621 & 37625 |
| Area code | 423 |
| FIPS code | 47-08540 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1327702[5] |
| Website | www |
Bristol is a city inSullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 27,147 at the2020 census. It is thetwin city ofBristol, Virginia, which lies directly across thestate line between Tennessee andVirginia. The boundary between the two cities is also the state line, which runs along State Street in their common downtown district. It is a principal city in theKingsport–Bristol metropolitan area, which had a population of 307,614 in 2020.[6] The metro area is a component of the largerTri-Cities region of Tennessee and Virginia, with a population of 508,260 in 2020.
Bristol is known for being the site of some of the earliestcommercial recordings ofcountry music, showcasingJimmie Rodgers and theCarter Family, and later a favorite venue of mountain musicianUncle Charlie Osborne. TheU.S. Congress recognized Bristol as the "Birthplace of Country Music" in 1998, and theBirthplace of Country Music Museum is located nearby in Bristol, Virginia.[7] It also is the birthplace ofTennessee Ernie Ford.
Bristol is the site ofBristol Motor Speedway, aNASCARshort track. The world's fifth-largest coal producer,Contura Energy, is based in Bristol.[8]
Before 1852, the land where Bristol is located was owned byReverend James King. His son-in-law, Joseph R. Anderson ofBlountville, Tennessee, bought 100 acres (40 ha) of the plantation and named it Bristol.[9] TheG.W. Blackley House, one of the oldest houses in Bristol, was constructed in 1869.
The U.S. Congress declared Bristol to be the "Birthplace of Country Music", according to a resolution passed in 1998, recognizing its contributions to early country music recordings and influence, and theBirthplace of Country Music Museum is located in Bristol.[7]
In1927, record producerRalph Peer of Victor Recordsbegan recording local musicians in Bristol, to attempt to capture the local sound of traditional "folk" music of the region. One of these local sounds was created by the Carter Family, who got their start on July 31, 1927, when A.P. Carter and his family journeyed fromMaces Spring, Virginia, to Bristol to audition for Ralph Peer, who was seeking new talent for the relatively embryonic recording industry. They received $50 for each song they recorded. That same visit by Peer to Bristol also resulted in the first recordings by Jimmie Rodgers.[10]
Since 1994, the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance has promoted the city as a destination to learn about country music and the city's role in the creation of an entire music genre. The alliance is organizing the building of a new Cultural Heritage Center to help educate the public about the history of country music in the region.[11] On August 1, 2014, theBirthplace of Country Music Museum opened inBristol, Virginia to commemorate the historical significance of theBristol sessions. The museum features a 24,000-ft building that houses core exhibits, space for special exhibits, a performance theater, and a radio station.
Every year, during the third weekend in September, a music festival called theBristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion takes place. The festival is held downtown, where Tennessee and Virginia meet, and it celebrates Bristol's heritage as the birthplace of country music.[12]
Bristol is located in the northeast corner of Tennessee, at36°34′9″N82°11′51″W / 36.56917°N 82.19750°W /36.56917; -82.19750 (36.569135, −82.197489).[13]
Bristol is located 20.95 miles east ofKingsport, Tennessee, 21.51 miles northeast ofJohnson City, Tennessee, 38.74 miles northwest ofBoone, North Carolina, 105.96 miles northeast ofKnoxville, Tennessee, and 132.61 miles southwest ofRoanoke, Virginia.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.5 square miles (76.4 km2), of which 29.4 square miles (76.1 km2) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2) (0.44%) is covered by water.
Like much of the rest of the state, Bristol has ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification:Cfa), although with significantly cooler temperatures, especially in the summer, due to elevation; it is part of USDAhardiness zone 6b, with areas to the southwest falling in zone 7a.[14] The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from 35.2 °F (1.8 °C) in January to 74.6 °F (23.7 °C) in July, while, on average, 8.8 days have temperatures at or below freezing and 17 days with highs at or above 90 °F (32 °C) per year.[15] The all-time record low is −21 °F (−29 °C), set onJanuary 21, 1985, while the all-time record high is 103 °F (39 °C), set onJune 30, 2012.[15]
Precipitation is low compared to much of East Tennessee, averaging 41.0 inches (1,040 mm) annually, and reaches a low during autumn. The rainiest calendar day on record is October 16, 1964, when 3.65 inches (93 mm) of rain fell; monthly precipitation has ranged from 0.02 inches (0.51 mm) in October 2002 to 12.70 inches (323 mm) in July 2012.[15] Bristol's normal (1981–2010) winter snowfall stands at 13.3 inches (34 cm), significantly more than what most of Tennessee receives. The most snow in one calendar day was 16.2 inches (41 cm) on November 21, 1952, while the most in one month is 27.9 inches (71 cm) during March 1960, which contributed to the winter of 1959–60, with a total of 51.0 inches (130 cm), finishing as the snowiest on record.[15]
| Climate data for Bristol, Tennessee (Tri-Cities Regional Airport), 1991–2020 normals,[a] extremes 1937–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 79 (26) | 82 (28) | 85 (29) | 90 (32) | 94 (34) | 103 (39) | 102 (39) | 101 (38) | 100 (38) | 94 (34) | 84 (29) | 78 (26) | 103 (39) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 67.4 (19.7) | 69.8 (21.0) | 76.6 (24.8) | 83.8 (28.8) | 87.4 (30.8) | 91.6 (33.1) | 93.0 (33.9) | 92.2 (33.4) | 90.1 (32.3) | 83.3 (28.5) | 74.9 (23.8) | 67.9 (19.9) | 94.3 (34.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 46.5 (8.1) | 50.9 (10.5) | 59.4 (15.2) | 69.4 (20.8) | 77.1 (25.1) | 83.8 (28.8) | 86.4 (30.2) | 85.8 (29.9) | 80.7 (27.1) | 70.2 (21.2) | 58.7 (14.8) | 49.5 (9.7) | 68.2 (20.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 36.4 (2.4) | 40.0 (4.4) | 47.4 (8.6) | 56.4 (13.6) | 64.7 (18.2) | 72.3 (22.4) | 75.6 (24.2) | 74.5 (23.6) | 68.6 (20.3) | 57.3 (14.1) | 46.4 (8.0) | 39.3 (4.1) | 56.6 (13.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 26.3 (−3.2) | 29.2 (−1.6) | 35.4 (1.9) | 43.3 (6.3) | 52.3 (11.3) | 60.7 (15.9) | 64.7 (18.2) | 63.2 (17.3) | 56.4 (13.6) | 44.3 (6.8) | 34.2 (1.2) | 29.2 (−1.6) | 44.9 (7.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 7.6 (−13.6) | 11.9 (−11.2) | 18.4 (−7.6) | 27.7 (−2.4) | 36.9 (2.7) | 49.0 (9.4) | 56.2 (13.4) | 54.5 (12.5) | 43.3 (6.3) | 28.8 (−1.8) | 19.4 (−7.0) | 13.2 (−10.4) | 4.5 (−15.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −21 (−29) | −15 (−26) | −2 (−19) | 21 (−6) | 30 (−1) | 38 (3) | 45 (7) | 43 (6) | 33 (1) | 20 (−7) | 5 (−15) | −9 (−23) | −21 (−29) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.65 (93) | 3.81 (97) | 3.96 (101) | 3.79 (96) | 3.82 (97) | 3.92 (100) | 5.00 (127) | 3.76 (96) | 2.84 (72) | 2.52 (64) | 3.14 (80) | 3.76 (96) | 43.97 (1,117) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 3.0 (7.6) | 3.0 (7.6) | 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) | 0.3 (0.76) | 1.7 (4.3) | 9.2 (23) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 12.7 | 12.7 | 13.6 | 11.7 | 12.6 | 12.4 | 12.8 | 10.8 | 8.4 | 8.5 | 9.8 | 12.2 | 138.2 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 2.8 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 8.8 |
| Source: NOAA[15][16] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 1,647 | — | |
| 1890 | 3,324 | 101.8% | |
| 1900 | 5,271 | 58.6% | |
| 1910 | 7,148 | 35.6% | |
| 1920 | 8,047 | 12.6% | |
| 1930 | 12,005 | 49.2% | |
| 1940 | 14,004 | 16.7% | |
| 1950 | 16,771 | 19.8% | |
| 1960 | 17,582 | 4.8% | |
| 1970 | 20,064 | 14.1% | |
| 1980 | 23,986 | 19.5% | |
| 1990 | 23,421 | −2.4% | |
| 2000 | 24,821 | 6.0% | |
| 2010 | 26,702 | 7.6% | |
| 2020 | 27,147 | 1.7% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 27,854 | [17] | 2.6% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[18] 2018 Estimate[19][4] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 24,200 | 89.14% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 802 | 2.95% |
| Native American | 43 | 0.16% |
| Asian | 243 | 0.9% |
| Pacific Islander | 9 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed | 1,164 | 4.29% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 686 | 2.53% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 27,147 people, 11,450 households, and 6,808 families residing in the city.
As of thecensus[21] of 2000, 24,821 people, 10,648 households, and 6,825 families were residing in the city. Thepopulation density in 2000 was 846 people per square mile (326.5/km2). The 11,511 housing units averaged 392.2 per square mile (151.4/km2). Theracial makeup of the city was 95.15% White, 2.97% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.24% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 0.68% of the population.
Of the 10,648 households, 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were not families. Nearly 32% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26, and the average family size was 2.84.
In the city, the age distribution was 21.1% under 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,039, and for a family was $37,341. Males had a median income of $28,210 versus $21,173 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $18,535. About 11.5% of families and 15.0% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 19.4% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.
Bristol is the location ofBristol Motor Speedway, a motorsports venue that hosts several NASCAR events. It is also home to Bristol Dragway, which hosts the Ford Thunder Valley Nationals, an NHRA national event.
APittsburgh PiratesrookieMinor League Baseball affiliate, theBristol Pirates, played its home games atDeVault Memorial Stadium in Bristol, Virginia, from 1969 to 2020. In conjunction with a contraction of Minor League Baseball beginning with the 2021 season, the Appalachian League, in which the Pirates played, was reorganized as acollegiate summer baseball league, and the Pirates were replaced by a new franchise in the revamped league designed for rising college freshman and sophomores.[22]
Bristol Tennessee City Schools operates public schools serving almost all of the city, withTennessee High School being its public high school. Small sections are in theSullivan County School District.[23]
Television:
Note-WEMT is licensed toGreeneville, Tennessee, but co-located with sister stationWCYB-TV.
The Bristol Fire Department has 82 full-time and six part-time employees. It responds to over 5,000 calls per year and has five stations. The department is accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International.[25]
The Bristol Police Department is the municipal law enforcement agency for the city. The department has 73 sworn officers and 27 civilian support staff. It also makes use of citizen volunteers as an auxiliary staff, which saves the department over $100,000 annually.[26]
Municipalities and communities ofSullivan County, Tennessee,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
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| Other communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
