Katana VentraIP

Tri-Cities, Tennessee

The Tri-Cities is the region comprising the cities of Kingsport, Johnson City, and Bristol and the surrounding smaller towns and communities in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. All three cities are located in Northeast Tennessee, while Bristol has a twin city of the same name in Virginia.

For other uses, see Tri-Cities.

The Tri-Cities region was formerly a single Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA); due to the U.S. Census Bureau's revised definitions of urban areas in the early 2000s, it is now a Combined Statistical Area (CSA) with two metropolitan components: Johnson City and Kingsport–Bristol, TN–VA. [1] However, the Tri-Cities are usually still considered one population center, which is the fifth-largest in Tennessee.

Carter County

Greene County

Hancock County

Hawkins County

Johnson County

Sullivan County

Unicoi County

Washington County

I-26

I-81

East Tennessee State University

Emmanuel Christian Seminary

Emory & Henry College

King University

Milligan College

Northeast State Community College

Tusculum University

University of Virginia's College at Wise

(Closed May 2014)

Virginia Intermont College

Virginia Highlands Community College

Walters State Community College

All-American City Award[edit]

The All-America City Award is given by the National Civic League annually to ten cities in the United States. In 1999, the Tri-Cities were collectively designated as an All-America City by the National Civic League.


The award is the oldest community recognition program in the nation and recognizes communities whose citizens work together to identify and tackle community-wide challenges and achieve uncommon results.


Since the program's inception in 1949, more than 4,000 communities have competed and over 500 have been named All-America Cities.

The Greater Tri-Cities of Tennessee and Virginia has three sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:

Doe River

Watauga River

Watauga Lake

South Holston Lake and River

Nolichucky River

Roan Mountain

Bays Mountain

Gray Fossil Site

Bristol Motor Speedway

Birthplace of Country Music

PBS Appalachia Virginia

WETP-TV

WJHL-TV

WCYB-TV

OMB Bulletin No. 04-03. Updates to Statistical Areas. December 2003.

U.S. Census Bureau, Table 6. Population in Combined Statistical Areas (CSAs): 1990 and 2000

Tri-Cities TN/VA - The Regional Alliance for Economic Development

Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association