Bristol, Tennessee

**Bristol** is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. Its population was 27,147 at the 2020 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. 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, TN-VA metropolitan statistical area, which is a component of the Johnson City−Kingsport−Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area − commonly known as the "Tri-Cities" region.

Bristol is probably best known for being the site of some of the first commercial recordings of country music. The U.S. Congress declared Bristol as the "Birthplace of Country Music" in 1998, and the Birthplace of Country Music Museum is located in Bristol. It also is the birthplace of Tennessee Ernie Ford.

Bristol is also the site of Bristol Motor Speedway, a NASCAR racetrack that is one of the best-known in the country.

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

## Media

Television:
- WCYB-TV (NBC Channel 5.1)
- WCYB-DT2 (CW Channel 5.2)
- WEMT-TV  (FOX Channel 39.1)
Note-WEMT is licensed to Greeneville, Tennessee, but co-located with sister station WCYB-TV.

## Notable people

- Clarence Ashley, old-time musician
- George Lafayette Carter, entrepreneur
- John I. Cox, Governor of Tennessee (1905−1907)
- Cara Cunningham, internet celebrity/blogger
- Tennessee Ernie Ford, singer, actor, entertainer
- Justin Grimm, professional baseball player for the Oakland Athletics
- Doyle Lawson, Grammy-nominated bluegrass musician and front man of Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver
- Dave Loggins, songwriter, recording artist
- David Massengill, folk singer/songwriter
- Jayma Mays, actress
- Ricky Morton, professional wrestler and WWE Hall of Famer. One half of tag team Rock N Roll Express
- Chase Owens, professional wrestler
- Davyd Whaley, American painter

## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Bristol, Tennessee
- **settlement type**: City
- **image skyline**: State Street - Bristol, TN-VA.jpg
- **imagesize**: 250px
- **image caption**: State Street in downtown Bristol, Tennessee (left) and Bristol, Virginia (right)
- **image flag**: Flag_of_Bristol,_TN.gif
- **flag size**: 100px
- **nickname**: The Birthplace of Country Music
- **motto**: A Good Place To Live
- **image map**: File:Sullivan County Tennessee Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Bristol Highlighted 4708540.svg
- **mapsize**: 250px
- **map caption**: Location of Bristol in Sullivan County, Tennessee
- **pushpin map**: Tennessee#USA
- **pushpin map caption**: Location in Tennessee##Location in the United States
- **pushpin label**: Bristol
- **pushpin label position**: bottom
- **subdivision type**: Country
- **subdivision name**: United States
- **subdivision type1**: U.S. state, State
- **subdivision name1**: Tennessee
- **subdivision type2**: List of counties in Tennessee, County
- **subdivision name2**: Sullivan County, Tennessee, Sullivan
- **established title**: Incorporated
- **established date**: 1856
- **named for**: Bristol, Bristol, England
- **leader title1**: Mayor
- **leader title2**: Vice Mayor
- **leader title3**: City Manager
- **area total km2**: 85.03
- **area total sq mi**: 32.83
- **area land km2**: 84.63
- **area land sq mi**: 32.68
- **area water km2**: 0.40
- **area water sq mi**: 0.15
- **elevation m**: 511
- **elevation ft**: 1676
- **population total**: 27147
- **population as of**: 2020 United States Census, 2020
- **population density km2**: 320.77
- **population density sq mi**: 830.79
- **timezone**: Eastern
- **utc offset**: −5
- **timezone dst**: EDT
- **utc offset dst**: −4
- **postal code type**: ZIP Codes
- **postal code**: 37617, 37620, 37621 & 37625
- **area code**: Area code 423, 423
- **blank name**: Federal Information Processing Standard, FIPS code
- **blank info**: 47-08540
- **blank1 name**: Geographic Names Information System, GNIS feature ID
- **blank1 info**: 1327702
- **unit pref**: Imperial