Bristol VA TN Double Yellow Line State Street

Bristol is a city in the

State State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

. Located in Sullivan County, its population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of

Bristol, Virginia Bristol is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,219. It is the twin city of Bristol, Tennessee, just across the state line, which runs down the middle of its main street, State S ...

, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. The boundary between the two cities is also the state line, which runs along State Street in their common downtown district. Bristol is a principal city of the Kingsport−Bristol−

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

, TN- VA

metropolitan statistical area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

, which is a component of the Johnson City−Kingsport−Bristol, TN-VA

combined statistical area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...

− commonly known as the "

Tri-Cities Tri-Cities most often refers to: *Tri-Cities, Tennessee, United States *Tri-Cities, Washington, United States Tri-City, Tricity or Tri-Cities may also refer to: Populated places Americas Canada *Tri-Cities (British Columbia), consisting of Co ...

" region. Bristol is probably best known for being the site of some of the first commercial recordings of

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

, showcasing

Jimmie Rodgers James Charles Rodgers (September 8, 1897 – May 26, 1933) was an American singer-songwriter and musician who rose to popularity in the late 1920s. Widely regarded as "the Father of Country Music", he is best known for his distinctive rhythmi ...

and the

Carter Family Carter Family was a traditional American folk music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. Their music had a profound impact on bluegrass, country, Southern Gospel, pop and rock musicians as well as on the U.S. folk revival of the 1960s. ...

, and later a favorite venue of mountain musician

Uncle Charlie Osborne Charles Nelson Osborne (December 26, 1890 – May 27, 1992), affectionately known as "Uncle Charlie," was a musician in the Appalachian Mountains of southwest Virginia. He was born in what is now known as Cowan Osborne Hollow, named for his father, ...

. The

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...

recognized Bristol as the "Birthplace of Country Music" in 1998, and the

Birthplace of Country Music Museum Birthplace of Country Music Museum is a museum celebrating the historic 1927 Bristol Sessions, which recorded some of the earliest country music in America when the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers and several other musicians recorded for the fi ...

is located in Bristol. It also is the birthplace of

Tennessee Ernie Ford Ernest Jennings Ford (February 13, 1919 – October 17, 1991), known professionally as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American singer and television host who enjoyed success in the country and western, pop, and gospel musical genres. Noted for ...

. Bristol is also the site of

Bristol Motor Speedway Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Bristol is among the m ...

, a

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...

short track that is one of the best-known motorsports facilities in the country. The world's fifth-largest coal producer,

Contura Energy Alpha Metallurgical Resources, formerly Contura Energy (January 2021), is a leading coal supplier with underground and surface coal mining complexes across Northern and Central Appalachia. Contura owns large coal basins in Pennsylvania, Virginia ...

, is based in Bristol.

History

Before 1852, Bristol was owned by Reverend James King. His son-in-law, Mr. Joseph R. Anderson, bought 100 acres of the plantation, and named it Bristol after

Bristol, Connecticut Bristol is a suburban city located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, southwest-west of Hartford. The city is also 120 miles southwest from Boston, and approximately 100 miles northeast of New York City. As of the 2020 census, the ...

, his hometown. The G.W. Blackley House, one of the oldest houses in Bristol, was constructed in 1869.

"Birthplace of Country Music"

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 the

is located in Bristol."Birthplace of Country Music", AmericasLibrary.gov, 2011, web
AL
In

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 * ...

, record producer

Ralph Peer Ralph Sylvester Peer (May 22, 1892 – January 19, 1960) was an American talent scout, recording engineer, record producer and music publisher in the 1920s and 1930s. Peer pioneered field recording of music when in June 1923 he took remote rec ...

of Victor Records began 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 from

Maces Spring, Virginia Maces Spring is a small unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Scott County, Virginia, Scott County, Virginia, United States, along State Route 614, in an area known as Poor Valley. The settlement consists of a small number of houses. The ...

, 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.David Sanjek, "All the Memories Money Can Buy: Marketing Authenticity and Manufacturing Authorship", p. 155–172 in Eric Weisbard, ed., ''This is Pop'', Harvard University Press, 2004. (cloth), (paper). p. 158. 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."BCMA - Birthplace of Country Music Alliance", BCMA, 2012, webpage
BCMA
On August 1, 2014, the

opened in

to commemorate the historical significance of the Bristol 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 the

Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion a non-profit organization which hosts an annual 3-day Americana music festival in the twin cities of Bristol, Virginia and Bristol, Tennessee. Celebrating Bristol's heritage as the "Birthplace of Country Music" (a ...

takes place. The festival is held downtown, where Tennessee and Virginia meet, and it celebrates Bristol's heritage as the birthplace of country music.

Geography

Bristol is located in the northeast corner of Tennessee, at (36.569135, −82.197489). Bristol is located 20.95 miles east of

Kingsport, Tennessee Kingsport is a city in Sullivan and Hawkins counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, its population was 55,442. Lying along the Holston River, Kingsport is commonly included in what is known as the Mountain Empire, w ...

, 21.51 miles northeast of

Johnson City, Tennessee 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 the eighth largest city in Tennessee. John ...

, 38.74 miles northwest of

Boone, North Carolina Boone is a town in and the county seat of Watauga County, North Carolina, United States. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Boone is the home of Appalachian State University and the headquarters for the disaster a ...

, 105.96 miles northeast of

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Tennessee, Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Di ...

, and 132.61 miles southwest of

Roanoke, Virginia Roanoke ( ) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 100,011, making it the 8th most populous city in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the largest city in Virginia west of Richmond. It is lo ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which are land and (0.44%) is covered by water.

Climate

Like much of the rest of the state, Bristol has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

: ''Cfa''), although with significantly cooler temperatures, especially in the summer, due to elevation; it is part of USDA

hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...

6b, with areas to the southwest falling in zone 7a. The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from in January to in July, while, on average, 8.8 days have temperatures at or below freezing and 17 days with highs at or above per year. The all-time record low is , set on January 21, 1985, while the all-time record high is , set on June 30, 2012. Precipitation is low compared to much of East Tennessee, averaging annually, and reaches a low during autumn. The rainiest calendar day on record is October 16, 1964, when of rain fell; monthly precipitation has ranged from in October 2002 to in July 2012. Bristol's normal (1981–2010) winter snowfall stands at , significantly more than what most of Tennessee receives. The most snow in one calendar day was on November 21, 1952, while the most in one month is during March 1960, which contributed to the winter of 1959–60, with a total of , finishing as the snowiest on record. ;Notes:

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 27,147 people, 11,450 households, and 6,808 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, 24,821 people, 10,648 households, and 6,825 families were residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

in 2000 was 846 people per square mile (326.5/km). The 11,511 housing units averaged 392.2 per square mile (151.4/km). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

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. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $18,535. About 11.5% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 19.4% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.

Professional sports

Bristol is the location of

, 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. A

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...

Minor League Baseball affiliate, the

Bristol Pirates The Bristol Pirates were a Minor League Baseball team in Bristol, Virginia, United States. They were a Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League. The team played home games at DeVault Memorial Stadium. Opened in 1969, Devault Memorial Stadium ...

, played its home games at DeVault 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 a collegiate summer baseball league, and the Pirates were replaced by a new franchise in the revamped league designed for rising college freshman and sophomores.

Media

Television: *

WCYB-TV WCYB-TV (channel 5) is a television station licensed to Bristol, Virginia, United States, serving the Tri-Cities area as an affiliate of NBC and The CW. It is one of two commercial television stations in the market that are licensed in Virgin ...

(NBC Channel 5.1) * WCYB-DT2 (CW Channel 5.2) * WEMT-TV (

FOX Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

Channel 39.1) Note-WEMT is licensed to

Greeneville, Tennessee Greeneville is a town in and the county seat of Greene County, Tennessee, United States. The population as of the 2020 census was 15,479. The town was named in honor of Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene, and it is the second oldest town i ...

, but co-located with sister station

. Radio: *

WZAP WZAP is a religious formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Bristol, Virginia, serving the Tri-Cities area. WZAP is owned and operated by Glen & Rita Harlow, through licensee RGH Communications Inc. History The station was founded by Ap ...

(AM 690 kHz) Christian * WFHG (FM 92.9 MHz) SuperTalk WFHG *

WWTB WWTB is a Rhythmic contemporary formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Bristol, Virginia, serving the Tri-Cities. WWTB is owned and operated by Bristol Broadcasting Company "Bristol Broadcasting Company" is a radio station chain operat ...

(AM 980 kHz) The Sports Fox * WXBQ (FM 96.9 MHz) Twenty-four Carrot Country *

WAEZ WAEZ (94.9 FM) is a United States Mainstream Top 40 radio station serving the Tri-Cities TN-VA Metropolitan Statistical Area with an ERP of 100,000 watts. It is licensed to Greeneville, Tennessee. The station started out as a Top 40 station un ...

(FM 94.9 MHz) Electric 94.9 *

WEXX WEXX (99.3 FM) is located in the Tri-Cities, TN area and is owned by Bristol Broadcasting Company. Known as "99.3 The X," it is an alternative rock music station with the slogan "Tri-Cities New Alternative." History In the late '80s and into t ...

(FM 99.3 MHz) The X 99.3 *

WTFM WTFM (98.5 FM), – branded as 98.5 WTFM - is an adult contemporary music formatted radio station licensed to Kingsport, Tennessee, United States, it serves the Tri-Cities area. The station is owned by Glenwood Communications Corporation, thr ...

(FM 98.5 MHz) WTFM 98.5 *

WBCM-LP WBCM-LP is a classic country, bluegrass, and Americana-formatted broadcast radio station. Licensed to Bristol, Virginia, the station serves the twin cities of Bristol in Virginia and in Tennessee. The Birthplace of Country Music Museum own ...

(FM 100.1 MHz) WBCM Radio Bristol Newspaper: *''

Bristol Herald Courier The ''Bristol Herald Courier'' is a 39,000 circulation daily newspaper owned by Lee Enterprises. The newspaper is located in Bristol, Virginia, a small city located in Southwest Virginia on the Tennessee border. The ''Herald Courier'' is in what ...

Education

Colleges and universities

King University King University is a private Presbyterian-affiliated university in Bristol, Tennessee. Founded in 1867, King is independently governed with covenant affiliations to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC). ...

*Graham Bible College

Primary and secondary schools

Bristol Tennessee City Schools Bristol Tennessee City Schools is a school district headquartered in Bristol, Tennessee. It includes almost all of the city limits of Bristol. Gary Lilly served as superintendent from 2009, until he resigned in June 2019. Tom Sisk replaced him. T ...

operates public schools serving almost all of the city, with

Tennessee High School Tennessee High School is a public high school located in Bristol, Tennessee, operated as part of the Bristol Tennessee City Schools school district. The high school serves almost all of the Bristol city limits. History The first official Tennes ...

being its public high school. Small sections are in the Sullivan County School District. - Page 14 (13/21) shows sections of Bristol in the Sullivan County district.

Police department

The Bristol Police Department is the municipal

law enforcement agency A law enforcement agency (LEA) is any government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws. Jurisdiction LEAs which have their ability to apply their powers restricted in some way are said to operate within a jurisdiction. LEAs ...

for the city. The BPD has 69 sworn officers and 25 civilian support staff. It also makes use of citizen

volunteers Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

as an auxiliary staff that saves the department over $100,000 annually.

Notable people

Clarence Ashley Clarence "Tom" Ashley (September 29, 1895 – June 2, 1967) was an American musician and singer, who played the clawhammer banjo and the guitar. He began performing at medicine shows in the Appalachia, Southern Appalachian region as early as 1911 ...

, old-time musician *

George Lafayette Carter George Lafayette Carter (1857–1936) was an American entrepreneur known as "the empire builder of southwest Virginia." His ventures led to the development and modernization of many parts of the southern Appalachian region during the late 19th and ...

, entrepreneur *

John I. Cox John Isaac Cox (November 23, 1855 – September 5, 1946) was an American politician who served as the 29th governor of Tennessee from 1905 to 1907. He was elevated to the position when Governor James B. Frazier resigned, and, as Speaker of the T ...

, Governor of Tennessee (1905−1907) *

Cara Cunningham Cara Cunningham (formerly Chris Crocker; born December 7, 1987), is an American transgender Internet celebrity, Internet personality, songwriter, recording artist, YouTuber, and former pornographic film actor. , Cunningham's videos had received ...

, internet celebrity/blogger *

, singer, actor, entertainer *

Justin Grimm Justin Scott Grimm (born August 16, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in MLB for the Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners, Milwaukee Brewers ...

, professional baseball player for the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...

Doyle Lawson Doyle Lawson (born April 20, 1944) is an American traditional bluegrass and Southern gospel musician. He is best known as a mandolin player, vocalist, producer, and leader of the 6-man group Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. Lawson was inducted into ...

, Grammy-nominated bluegrass musician and front man of Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver *

Dave Loggins David Allen Loggins (born November 10, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Musical career Loggins is best known for his 1974 song composition "Please Come to Boston", which was a No. 5 popular music success (No. 1 Easy Listen ...

, songwriter, recording artist *

David Massengill David Massengill (born 1951, Bristol, Tennessee) is an American folk singer-songwriter, guitar and Appalachian dulcimer player. Massengill considers Dave Van Ronk his mentor, and is fond of quoting Van Ronk's tribute "he takes the dull out of du ...

, folk singer/songwriter *

Jayma Mays Jamia Suzette "Jayma" Mays is an American actress. She is known for playing Emma Pillsbury in the Fox musical series ''Glee'' (2009–2015) and for her starring roles in the films ''Red Eye'' (2005), '' Paul Blart: Mall Cop'' (2009) and ''The S ...

, actress *

Ricky Morton Richard Wendell Morton (born September 21, 1956) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, currently performing on the independent circuit. He is the current GCW Television Champion, after pinning Matt Cardona at GCW Say You Wi ...

, professional wrestler and WWE Hall of Famer. One half of tag team Rock N Roll Express *

Chase Owens Chase Owens (チェーズ・オーエンズ ''Chēzu Ōenzu'', born March 7, 1990) is an American professional wrestler currently signed with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of Bullet Club. He is a former IWGP Tag Team Champ ...

, professional wrestler * Davyd Whaley, American painter

References

External links

City of Bristol Official Home Page
*
Municipal Technical Advisory Service entry for Bristol
– information on local officials, elections, and link to charter {{Authority control Cities in Tennessee Cities in Sullivan County, Tennessee Divided cities East Tennessee Twin cities Kingsport–Bristol metropolitan area