Why Kingsport?

Kingsport was named as one of the Top Ten Cities in which to Walk by Walking Magazine.

Ideal Living Score: 83% walking trails
• Extensive network of neighborhood sidewalks and pedestrian paths
• Kingsport Greenbelt – a walking, running and biking trail (9.5 miles)
• Bays Mountain City Park (32 miles of hiking and biking trails)
• Warriors Path State Park (10.6 miles of trails)

Kingsport, Tennessee, is within a day’s drive of 70 percent of the U.S. population.

Ideal Living Score: 57% travel
• Center of the eastern U.S., great starting point for driving trips
• Airport with one-stop to hubs, then the world! Delta (Atlanta) American (Charlotte, Dallas) Scheduled leisure flights by Allegiant (Tampa Bay, Orlando)
• Many group travel opportunities: Private travel agencies & clubs, Senior Center (Quebec, Vermont, Viking River Cruise, New Orleans) Bus Tours (active companies with local pickup)
• Barter Theatre monthly organized trips
• Biltmore seasonal concerts/activities (70 miles away)

The Fun Fest Crazy 8’s Road Race, which holds both men’s and women’s 8-K world records, was listed by Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine as one of the Top Five Best Road Races in the South.

Ideal Living Score: 72% wellness/fitness
• Silver Sneakers (YMCA & Senior Centers)
• State of the Art YMCA
• Several private fitness centers

Home to Warriors’ Path State Park, the most visited state park in TN. 5 national parks nearby, 15 state parks and 6 TVA lakes.

Ideal Living Score: 23% boating, 27% kayaking, 21% fishing
• Carefee Boat Club
• Numerous marinas and lakes
• South Fork Adventures
• North Fork Adventures
• Cherokee Adventures
• Holston River, Watauga River

Netherland Inn, the nation’s only registered historic landmark that was both a stage stop and a boatyard.

Kingsport’s popular Greenbelt is a 10-mile walking and biking trail that extends from one end of the city to the other, winding its way along the Holston River and through beautiful open meadows, marshlands, historic sites, flower gardens, quaint neighborhoods and even shopping and eating destinations.

Ideal Living Score: 39% cycling, 32% golf, 48% swimming, 18% pickleball/tennis
• Great bike shops
• Active riding community
• Many on road and mountain biking opportunities
• Numerous public and private golf courses
• Active senior golf community
• State of the art Aquatic Center
• Water fitness classes
• Lap swimming
• Ridgefields (private)
• Active pickleball community
• Ridgefields Tennis (private)
•Borden Park Tennis (public)

The historic 200-mile Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail started in Kingsport and blazed the pathway to the western frontier for hundreds of thousands of settlers.

Home to Bays Mountain Park, a 3,500-acre nature preserve with 22 miles of hiking and biking trials, a 44-acre reservoir lake, nature center and museum, planetarium and native wildlife habitats.

Home to Fun Fest, a nine-day summer family festival that is consistently ranked as one of the Top 20 Events to attend in the Southeast in July by the Southeast Tourism Society. More than 180,000 people attend.

Because of its legendary hospitality and first-rate amenities, popular attractions and visitor accommodations, Kingsport continues to be selected among cities nationwide to host numerous Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) National Championships and other sports tournaments. Thousands of dollars from tournament proceeds are given to area schools each year.