Local
Things to do in Johnson City, TN
By Avery J. Parker, Diversified Tech Solutions ·
Our office is on North Roan Street, so Johnson City is home. When clients come in from out of town and ask what there is to do between meetings, these are the places we tend to mention. It is a short list from a local IT shop, not a full city guide.
Johnson City is the largest city in the Tri-Cities region of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, and Tennessee’s eighth most populous city, with 71,046 people at the 2020 Census. It sits mostly in Washington County, with parts in Carter and Sullivan counties. Local phone numbers here use area codes 423 and 729.
1. East Tennessee State University
ETSU is a public research university in Johnson City and, as of 2026, the fourth-largest university in Tennessee by enrollment. If you are visiting, the campus is worth a walk.
2. Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site
A Tennessee State Historic Site at 2620 South Roan Street. It centers on a house first built in 1784 by Colonel John Tipton, with ten other historic buildings on the grounds, from a smokehouse and loom house to a log barn and springhouse.
3. Freedom Hall Civic Center
Johnson City’s multi-purpose arena. Check its calendar before a trip into town.
4. TVA Credit Union Ballpark
Home field of the Johnson City Doughboys, a summer collegiate team in the Appalachian League. A summer evening at the ballpark is an easy outing for a team or a family.
5. Tweetsie Trail
A 9.6 mile rail trail from Johnson City to Elizabethton on the old East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad line. The trail is owned by Johnson City, has a fine gravel surface, and takes its name from the sound of the old steam engine whistles.
6. Mountain Home National Cemetery
A United States National Cemetery at Mountain Home, inside Johnson City, run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. It covers 99.7 acres and is a quiet, respectful place to walk and remember.
7. Boone Lake
A reservoir in Sullivan and Washington counties formed by Boone Dam on the South Fork Holston and Watauga rivers. Its 4,400 acres sit just north of the city, close enough for an afternoon on the water.
Map of Johnson City
More around the Tri-Cities
For events and a longer list of places across the region, the Tri-Cities TN Guide, a DTS project, keeps a fuller calendar.
From the office on North Roan
If you run a business here and your computers, network, or email need a hand, that is what we do every day. See our page on IT support in Johnson City, TN, or call 423-888-0252.