Kingsport, Tennessee

Kingsport
Broad Street in Downtown Kingsport
Nickname: 
The Model City
Location of Kingsport in Sullivan and Hawkins counties, Tennessee
Kingsport
Kingsport
Coordinates: 36°32′N 82°33′W / 36.533°N 82.550°W / 36.533; -82.550
CountryUnited States
StateTennessee
CountiesSullivan, Hawkins
Settled1771
Chartered/Rechartered1822, 1917
Government
  TypeCouncil-manager
  MayorPaul W. Montgomery
  City ManagerChris McCartt
Area
  City
53.52 sq mi (138.63 km2)
  Land52.60 sq mi (136.24 km2)
  Water0.92 sq mi (2.38 km2)
Elevation
1,211 ft (369 m)
Population
 (2020)
  City
55,442
  Rank12th in Tennessee
  Density1,053.95/sq mi (406.93/km2)
  Urban
98,411 (US: 316th)
  Metro
309,283 (US: 161st)
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
  Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
37660, 37662, 37663, 37664, 37665 & 37669
Area code423
FIPS code47-39560
GNIS feature ID1303478
Websitewww.kingsporttn.gov

Kingsport is a city in Sullivan and Hawkins counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It lies along the Holston River and had a population of 55,442 at the 2020 census. It is the largest city in the Kingsport–Bristol metropolitan area, which had 307,613 residents in 2020. The metro area is a component of the larger Tri-Cities region of Tennessee and Virginia, with a population of 508,260 in 2020.

Kingsport was chartered in 1822. The city's name is a simplification of King's Port, originally referring to the area on the Holston River known as King's Boat Yard, the head of navigation for the Tennessee Valley. Kingsport is commonly included in what is known as the "Mountain Empire" in southwest Virginia and northeastern Tennessee.