Sports – Bristol, TN

Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The 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. Bristol, TN and Bristol, VA are two separate, though unified, twin cities. They share a unified metropolitan area, meaning they function as one community with a shared State Street as their main dividing line, but have separate governments, police departments, and libraries. It is a principal city in the Kingsport–Bristol metropolitan area, which had a population of 307,614 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.

Bristol is known for being the site of some of the earliest commercial recordings of country music, showcasing Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family, and later a favorite venue of mountain musician Uncle Charlie Osborne. The U.S. Congress recognized Bristol as the “Birthplace of Country Music” in 1998, and the Birthplace of Country Music Museum is located nearby in Bristol, Virginia. It also is the birthplace of Tennessee Ernie Ford.

Bristol is the site of Bristol Motor Speedway, a NASCAR short track. The world’s fifth-largest coal producer, Alpha Metallurgical Resources, is based in Bristol.