Situated in the Northeast corner of Tennessee and privileged
to possess one of the richest historic grounds in America,
Kingsport is an exceptional treasure among surrounding treasures.
Prior to being in Tennessee, the area previously known as King’s
Port was part of four different Virginia counties and one North
Carolina county.
In the mid-18th century as the eastern states began
to seem crowded, adventurous men looking to move further west
discovered this place. Daniel Boone and his axemen left an
area known as the Boatyard District and Long Island on the
Holston River and marked a trail through Cumberland Gap for
the pioneers who were to follow. Four years later two expeditions
left “Long Island,” to travel west by water. In the late 18th century,
this was America’s frontier, and a bustling center of activity
and enterprise. It was the first stop on the western migration,
and the patterns set by its settlers became the framework for
what historians call “the American Experience.” Therefore, King’s
Port was an area where many pioneers gathered to decide
if they were going west by land or water and consequently,
it became an important shipping point on the Holston River.
During this period, King’s Port was also the source
of relaxation for three American presidents, and was frequently
visited by frontiersmen like Davy Crocket and Daniel Boone.
After the construction of the railroad bypassed King’s Port in
the mid-1800’s, travel through the area declined. Then early
in the 20th century, businessmen who needed to market
area products including the Appalachian coalfields, proceeded
with another plan for a railroad. This vision and implementation
opened the way for industry and commerce, heralding a new age
of growth because of the river access and the completion of
the Clinchfield railroad in 1915. The city fathers commissioned
Dr. John Nolen to develop America’s first “Model City” and
Kingsport was chartered in 1917. Its design was executed,
placing residential neighborhoods and the famous church circle
on high ground, industry along the river, and a commercial
district with row houses in between. Kingsport seems to have
been the first municipality in Tennessee to be established
under a city manager-board of mayor and alderman government.
NAME
Officially charterd in 1917, Kingsport received its name from
an early boat yard known as William King's port.
AREA
Kingsport is located in the northeast corner of Tennessee,
just a few miles from the Virginia border and only 45 minutes
from North Carolina.
POPULATION
Kingsport's population is 41,454. The city is part of Sullivan
County, the state's sixth largest county, with a population
of 150,700. The Tri-Cities Standard Metropolitan Statistical
Area has a population of 454,900.
CLIMATE
Temperatures are mild year round. Kingsport boasts an average
annual temperature of 66 degrees Fahrenheit with an average
rainfall of 54 inches and average snowfall of 16 inches per
year. Relative humidity ranges from 72 to 90%.
ELEVATION
1,212 feet
TAXES
State: 7 percent
Local: 2.5 percent
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