Welcome to Johnson City!
Nestled in the Smokey Mountains, Johnson City offers a great small-town feel, while being close to major cities and tourist attractions. Its climate is mild and the cost of living is low. There is an abundance of natural and cultural entertainment for the whole family. It has been ranked 65th among the Best Small Places For Business and Careers by Forbes Magazine and recently was ranked among the top 9 places to retire to by Kiplinger’s Magazine. On this page we’ll give you resources and tell you things you want to know about our wonderful city and surrounding area.
Climate, Population and Statistic resources
In a year Johnson City averages about 43 inches of rain; 11 inches of snow; 201 sunny days; an average summer temperature of 85 degrees and 26 degrees in winter. The population is 66,027 with 34% growth rate. The average home costs $145,000. The average commute is 18.5 minutes. Learn more
Proximity
Did you know that from Johnson City you can reach 9 state capitals, multiple beaches and several tourist cities by car in less time than it takes to complete the average work day (8 hours) Below are just a few: Montgomery, AL (6 hours 39 min. approx. 447 miles); Atlanta, GA (4 hours 18 minutes, 256 miles); Columbia, SC (3 hours 17 minutes, 216 miles); Nashville, TN (4 hours 10 min, 284 miles); Raleigh, NC (4 hr, 25 min, 244 miles); Richmond, VA (5 hours 20 min, 360 miles); Washington, DC (6 hours 9 minutes, 412 miles), Indianapolis, IN (6 hours, 47 minutes, 461 miles); Frankfurt, KY (4 hours 30 minutes, 301 miles); Charleston, WV (3 hours 40 minutes, 234 miles); Charlotte, NC (3 hours 2 minutes, 151 miles); Hershey, PA (7 hours, 7 minutes, 477 miles); Hilton Head Island, SC (5 hours 28 minutes, 364 miles); Myrtle Beach, SC (5 hours 56 minutes, 364 miles); Charleston, SC (4 hours, 59 minutes, 326 miles); Knoxville, TN (1 hour, 35 min, 106 miles); Asheville, NC (1 hour, 2 min, 61.1 miles) Pigeon Forge, TN – Home of Dolly Parton and Dollywood Theme Park(1 hour 48 minutes, 102 miles); Blowing Rock, NC – location of the Mitford book series ( 1 hour 25 minutes); Mt. Airy, NC – home of Andy Griffith (2 hours 30 minutes, 155 miles)
And if you are willing to drive just a little longer – Walt Disney World is only 9 hours, 27 minutes (642 mile) away and New York City, NY is only 9 hours 45 minutes away (630 miles).
Enjoy nature
Johnson City and surrounding area offer plenty of parks, trails, golf courses, and rivers and lakes for recreation. Johnson City alone has over 24 parks to enjoy. When you include the surrounding cities there are well over 100! Nearby lakes & rivers include: The Holston River, Watauga River, Boone Lake; and Watauga Lake, South Holston Lake and Patrick Henry Reservoir From some of the best trout fishing in the state to hunting, hiking, kayaking, golf, disc golf and nearby snow skiing and wildlife viewing, the area has everything a nature lover could want. It is also just 1 hour 36 minutes (101 miles) from the Great Smokey Mountain National Park, 58 minutes (38.3 miles) to the Cherokee National Forest and Roan Mountain (with entry onto the Appalachian Trail) and 1 hour 31 minutes to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
A Rich History
Johnson City and its surrounding area are rich in history. Want to stand where Daniel Boone carved into a tree that he “cilled a bar” in 1760? You can find it here. Want to find out about a lost state? We’ve got that too. The city was once known as “Little Chicago” with ties to Al Capone? You betchya. Prehistoric animals, native peoples, pioneers, stage coach stops, a president from nearby, civil war battles, prohibition violations, railroads and war heroes, we’ve got it all. Below are just a few historic sites to visit and learn from:
Rocky Mount State Historic Site
Gray Fossil Site and General Shale Natural History Museum
Carol Reece Museum (ETSU Campus)
Boones Creek Historical Trust Museum
Chester Inn Museum (Jonesborough, TN)
Fort Watauga at Sycamore Shoals (Elizabethton, TN 9.9 miles)
Chuckey Depot Railroad Museum (Jonesborough, TN 7.6 miles)
Andrew Johnson National Historic Site (Greeneville, TN 31.6 miles)
Battle of Blountville Reenactment & Military Park (Blountville, TN 28.8 miles away)
Birthplace of Country Music Museum(Bristol, TN 25.7 miles)
Exchange Place(Kingsport, TN 23.2 miles)
Netherland Inn(Kingsport, TN 23.2 miles)
Music, Art and Festivals
The Arts are also a huge part of life in East Tennessee. Concerts, live theater, art exhibits, and festivals are a regular occurrence. From First Fridays & Music on the Square, Storytelling, Music Festivals like Bristol Rhythm and Roots and Blue Plum and plenty of other festivals and events, we have it here. We have professional theater performances, comedians and famous musicians perform at Freedom Hall Civic Center, and the Niswonger Performing Arts Center. There are community theater productions as well.
Education
The Johnson City School System has 11 schools with enrollment of approximately 7,900 students * (2015-16 Stats). They have won many distinctions over the past decade. Science Hill High School was among the top 30 high schools in the state.
The area is also rich with higher learning. East Tennessee State University is host to over 14,500 undergraduate, graduate and professional students.
Northeast State Community College is a two-year community college, whose programs are designed for students desiring to transfer to another college or university, and has programs for students planning to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation, plus continuing education and community service programs for professional growth.
Milligan College A Christian college focusing on the liberal arts. Milligan offers more than 100 majors, minors and pre-professional degrees. Milligan has been ranked by U.S. News and World Reportas one of the best regional universities in the South.
King University (Bristol, TN)Presbyterian affiliated college and offers a contemporary range of undergraduate degrees. King has also been recognized by U.S. News and World Reportas one of the best regional universities in the South.
Tusculum University (Greeneville, TN) Tusculum is Tennessee’s first university. It has maintained it’s small university feel while offering a wide range of majors – from museum studies to nursing.
University of Tennessee Knoxville (Knoxville, TN) is also only 106 miles away. UT is known for it’s football team the Tennessee Volunteers (Vols)
Healthcare
Johnson City is home to some of the best medical treatment in the region. Ballad Health operates a family of 21 hospitals, including three tertiary medical centers, and a dedicated children’s hospital . One of its hospitals – Johnson City Medical Center is one of the top rated heart hospitals in the state.
Mountain Home VA Healthcare System serves more than 170,000 veterans living in the 41-county area of Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky.
