Sullivan County, Tennessee
Sullivan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee on its northeast border. As of the 2020 census, the population was 158,163.[2] Its county seat is Blountville.[3]
Sullivan County
United States
1779
General John Sullivan[1]
Richard Venable (R)
430 sq mi (1,100 km2)
413 sq mi (1,070 km2)
16 sq mi (40 km2) 3.8%
158,163 
162,135
379/sq mi (146/km2)
Sullivan County is part of the Kingsport–Bristol TN-VA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Kingsport–Johnson City–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area, commonly known as the "Tri-Cities" region.
Sullivan is Tennessee's second-oldest county;[4] it was established in 1779 when the area was still part of North Carolina. From 1784 to 1788, it was part of the extra-legal State of Franklin.[5]
History[edit]
Sullivan County was created in 1779 from a portion of Washington County, and named for John Sullivan, a Patriot general in the Revolutionary War.[6] Long Island of the Holston in Kingsport was long an important center for the Cherokee, who occupied much of this territory. Later in 1761 the British colonists built Fort Robinson on Long Island, following the fall of Fort Loudoun further to the south. This attracted other settlers, and the Sullivan area became one of the earliest areas of Tennessee to be settled by European Americans.[1]
As political tensions rose prior to the American Civil War, Sullivan County was one of the few East Tennessee counties to support secession. It became known as the Little Confederacy. In Tennessee's June 1861 referendum, the county voted 1,586 to 627 in favor of secession.[7]
Education[edit]
The three school districts are Bristol Tennessee City Schools, Kingsport City School District, and Sullivan County School District.[30]
