Kingsport is a city in Sullivan and Hawkins counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It lies along the Holston River and had a population of 55,442 at the 2020 census. It is the largest city in the Kingsport–Bristol metropolitan area, which had 307,613 residents in 2020. The metro area is a component of the larger Tri-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 the Tennessee Valley. Kingsport is commonly included in what is known as the "Mountain Empire" in southwest Virginia and northeastern Tennessee, a nickname which used in local groups and organizations.
History
Kingsport was developed after the Revolutionary War, at the confluence of the North and South Forks of the Holston River. In 1787 it was known as "Salt Lick" for an ancient mineral lick. It was first settled along the banks of the South Fork, about a mile from the confluence. The Long Island of the Holston River is near the confluence, which is mostly within the present-day corporate boundaries of Kingsport. The island was an important site for the Cherokee, colonial pioneers and early settlers, and specifically mentioned in the 1770 Treaty of Lochaber.
Early settlements at the site were used as a staging ground for other pioneers who were traveling overland on the Wilderness Road leading to Kentucky through the Cumberland Gap. 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 the Tennessee River at Knoxville.
In the Battle of Kingsport (December 13, 1864) during the Civil War, a force of 300 Confederates under Colonel Richard Morgan stopped a larger Union force for nearly two days. An army of over 5,500 troops under command of Major General George Stoneman had left Knoxville to raid Confederate targets in Virginia: the salt works at Saltville, the lead works at Wytheville, and the iron works in Marion. 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 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 84 prisoners of war were sent to a Union prison in Knoxville.Thomas R. Ramsey, Jr., The Raid, (Kingsport Press, 1973)
The city lost its charter after a downturn in its fortunes precipitated by the Civil War.
On September 12, 1916, Kingsport residents demanded the death of circus elephant Mary (an Asian 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 to Erwin, Tennessee, where a crowd of over 2,500 people assembled in the Clinchfield Railroad yard to watch her hang from a railroad crane.Schroeder, Joan V. "The Day They Hanged an Elephant in East Tennessee", Blue Ridge Country
Re-chartered in 1917, Kingsport was an early example of a "garden city". Part of it was designed by city planner and landscape architect John Nolen of Cambridge, Massachusetts. 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 by Eastman Chemical Company, which is headquartered in Kingsport. As part of this plan, Kingsport built some of the earliest traffic circles (roundabouts) in the United States.
Into the 1950s, two important public works projects were constructed: the Boone Dam and the Fort Patrick Henry Dam, hydroelectric dams built along the South Fork Holston River. Kingsport was among the first municipalities to adopt a city manager form of government, to professionalize operations of city departments. It developed its school system based on a model promoted by Columbia University. 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 the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, becoming the first restaurant company to receive the award.
Geography
Kingsport is located in western Sullivan County at the intersection of U.S. Routes 11W and 23. Kingsport is the northwest terminus of Interstate 26.
The city is bordered to the west by the town of Mount Carmel, to the southeast by unincorporated Colonial Heights, and to the northeast by unincorporated Bloomingdale. The Kingsport city limits extend west into Hawkins County and north to the Virginia border.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which are land and , or 1.86%, are water. Most of the water area is in the South Fork Holston River.
Climate
Neighborhoods Neighborhoods in Kingsport include:
Allandale Bloomingdale Borden Village Carter's Valley Cliffside Colonial Heights Cooks Valley Downtown Fairacres Fort Robinson Green Acres Highland Park Hillcrest Indian Springs (Fall Creek & Airport) Litz Manor Lynn Garden Malabar Heights Meadowview Midtown Orebank Preston Forest Preston Woods Ridgefields Riverfront Riverview Rock Springs Sevier Terrace
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Kingsport had a population of 55,442 and 14,273 families residing in the city. The median age was 44.0 years, 20.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.9% were 65 years of age or older, and there were 88.8 males for every 100 females and 85.6 males for every 100 females age 18 and over.
92.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 7.5% lived in rural areas.
There were 24,169 households in Kingsport, of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 42.9% were married-couple households, 18.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 27,224 housing units, of which 11.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.3%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 48,720 87.9% Black or African American 2,048 3.7% American Indian and Alaska Native 175 0.3% Asian 756 1.4% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 15 0.0% Some other race 760 1.4% Two or more races 2,968 5.4% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 1,719 3.1%
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,905 people, 19,662 households and 12,642 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 21,796 housing units at an average density of . 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 or Latino of any race were 1.05% of the population.
There were 19,662 households, of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married 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.
Economy
Eastman Chemical Company's first chemical plant along with its world headquarters are located in Kingsport. Eastman also operates a molecular recycling plant in Kingsport. Accsys Technologies, through a joint venture with Eastman, operates an acetylated wood manufacturing plant in the city.
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.
Holston Army Ammunition Plant operated by BAE Systems' Ordnance Systems, Inc. manufactures a wide range of secondary detonating explosives for the Department of Defense.
In 2019, Kingsport's gross metropolitan product was reported to be .
Top employers According to the City of Kingsport's annual comprehensive financial report for 2021, the top employers in the city are:
# Employer Employees1Eastman Chemical Company6,5002Partner Industrial2,0003Ballad Health Holston Valley Hospital1,3554Kingsport City Schools1,1475BAE Systems9486City of Kingsport7787Eastman Credit Union6488Holston Medical Group5959TEC Industrial Maintenance & Construction39410Ballad Health Indian Path Hospital331
Culture Museums 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 housed Daniel 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.
Leisure The Kingsport Carousel, which was constructed by 300 local volunteers and was made using a refurbished 1956 Allan Herschell Company carousel frame, was completed in 2015. Pal and Sharon Barger, owners of Pal's Sudden Service which is headquartered in Kingsport, sponsored the creation of Pal's Roundhouse, a climate controlled building which houses the carousel.
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 an Olympic-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.
Cuisine