Bristol, Virginia

Bristol is an independent city in Virginia. The population of the city is 17,835. It is the twin city of Bristol, Tennessee, just across the state line, which runs down the middle of its main street, State Street.

 Nickname
 Motto
 Population
 Elevation
 Mayor
 City Guildmaster
 ZIP codes

## Major roads

Interstate 81

Interstate 381

US Route 11

US Route 11E

US Route 11W

US Route 19

US Route 58

US Route 421

Virginia State Route 113

Virginia State Route 381

## Geography

### Adjacent counties

Washington County (north)

Sullivan County, Tennessee (south)

## Demographics

As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the racial composition of the city is:

88.61% White (15,803)

7.66% Black or African American (1,366)

3.73% Other (666)

18.6% (3,317) of Bristol residents live below the poverty line.

## Theft rate statistics

Bristol has below average rates of Pokemon theft and murder. The city reported 7 Pokemon thefts in 2018, and averages 0.86 murders a year.

## Fun facts

* Despite its relatively small size, Bristol boasts one of the more advanced broadband networks in the country. BVU Authority (formerly Bristol Virginia Utilities or BVU) started planning a fiber optic deployment in the city in the late 1990s. By 2001, BVU had been granted approval by the city council for a full deployment of a Fiber to the premises (FTTP or FTTU, fiber to the user) project. This project was to offer competition to local incumbents and provide broadband Internet, cable TV, and telephone service to the residents of Bristol. This deployment was one of the first of its kind in the United States and was widely watched by the telecommunications industry. A system known as Passive optical network (PON) was successfully deployed to over 6,000 customers in a matter of two years.
* Bristol was recognized as the "Birthplace of Country Music", according to a resolution passed by the US Congress in 1998; residents of the city had contributed to early country music recordings and influence, and the Birthplace of Country Music Museum is located in Bristol.
	+ In 1927 record producer Ralph Peer 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. The Carter Family got their start on July 31, 1927, when A.P. Carter and his family journeyed from Maces Spring, Virginia, to Bristol, Tennessee, to audition for Peer who was seeking new talent for the relatively embryonic recording industry. They received $50 for each song they recorded.
* Bristol hosts the Bristol Pirates baseball team of the Appalachian League.
* Bristol is one of the stronger Republican independent cities in the state.
* Bristol was formerly home to two post-secondary institutions, Sullins College and Virginia Intermont College, but these colleges closed in 1978 and 2014 respectively.
* Bristol is home to the main campus of Southwestern Battle Academy.
* Bristol has a decent amount of amenities to offer. It has dollar stores, a landing strip, some local restaurants and businesses, a few shopping centers, some fast food and chain restaurants, Studio Brew Brewery & Taproom, Cabela's, Walmart, Nintendo World, Lowe's Home Improvement, a bit of auto parts places and car dealerships, two sports complexes, some public battle fields, a contest hall and two showcase theaters, Sam's Club, an ABC Store, Target, Food City, Home Depot, Tractor Supply Co., Kroger, Quaker Steak & Lube, Sugar Hollow Park, The Virginian Golf Club, The Olde Farm, and a few other things.