Washington County — The Birthplace of Tennessee

EMS about to have Sulphur Springs covered
Seconds count in Sulphur Springs, and soon there will be fewer of them between an emergency call and the arrival of lifesaving crews. A new EMS station is set to open by summer to serve northwest Washington County. Click the headline or photo above for more...

Washington County sells Downtown Centre -- Building to be community college teaching site
Washington County, the Johnson City Development Authority and Northeast State Community College sealed the deal Thursday on a plan that will convert the Downtown Centre into a Northeast State teaching site. Click on the headline or photo to learn more.

"Friends of the Archives" brings renowned genealogist for seminar, fundraiser — Archive committee moving to find archivist
September 15 — Washington County's new archives department has lots of friends already, and those friends brought a renowned genealogist to Jonesborough Friday and Saturday as part of a “Discovering Pathways to Archival Research” seminar. Proceeds from the event, and donations, went to the “Friends of the Archives” fund, which will be used to supplement the county's official archives budget. Click the photo or headline above for the full story.

Tornado recovery efforts continue — volunteers prepare for lengthy rebuilding process
September 2, 2011 — The devastating tornadoes that ripped through the region the night of April 27 paid no heed to manmade boundaries — particularly those separating Washington and Greene counties. Fortunately, the volunteer teams that have poured their energies into a rebuilding effort in the South Central and Horse Creek areas have adopted a similar outlook. (Please click the photo or video above for an article and video)

New digs — Clerk's Johnson City office settled in North Johnson City
In February, the staff of the Johnson City Clerk's office learned they would soon be relocating to a new facility. Just five short months later, they arrived at 378 Marketplace Boulevard, Suite 1 (just off Knob Creek Road near its intersection with North State of Franklin Road – next to Lifestyle Fitness Center). Click the photo or headline above for more.

Welcome to Washington County:
The Birthplace of Tennessee

Some things just never get old — things like natural beauty, affordable cost of living, strong cultural heritage, great schools, low taxes and a business-friendly environment — and Tennessee's oldest county has all those going for it and more.

Here in the shadow of the Southern Appalachian mountains, the county's unique blend of attractions has continued drawing new settlers to the ridges and valleys traveled by Daniel Boone, David Crockett and other pioneers who helped settle the area. The fastest-growing county east of Knoxville, it is home to East Tennessee State University. With its colleges of medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health, ETSU has played a major role in developing the top-flight health care services that make Washington County an attractive destination for everyone from retirees to young professionals with families.

A vibrant cultural and arts scene, plentiful outdoor recreation opportunities, and unique attractions such as downtown Jonesborough (Tennessee's oldest town) Historic Jonesborough and the Gray Fossil Museum draw visitors from around the world and add to residents' quality of life. The county's urban center, Johnson City, consistently ranks among the nation's most popular small metro areas for everything from raising a family and retiring to business-friendly climate and low cost of living.

Mayor Dan Eldridge, the County Commission and county officeholders are working hard to make the county's government more efficient, customer-friendly, open and transparent. They're also working with other local governments, education systems, businesses and economic developers to keep quality employers here and attract new ones. And they're watching their pennies to help keep one of the area's lowest property tax rates in check.

We hope you appreciate this website's growing number of features meant to inform you about Washington County government, make your interactions with us more convenient and efficient, and highlight the achievements that are making a great county even better.