Blountville, Tennessee: Sullivan County seat — the Historic Courthouse, Deery Inn and 1790s Main Street, with Bristol, Kingsport and Rocky Mount nearby

In 30 seconds

Why stop: walk the historic district around the Historic Courthouse and the Deery Inn, then head out to Appalachian Caverns, Rocky Mount or the lakes — or to Bristol Motor Speedway for the holiday lights.
Before you go: Blountville is on Eastern time (ET). It is not an incorporated town: there is no mayor or town hall, and Sullivan County government provides services. Election Day is Tue Nov 3; there is no town race.
Good to know: a “Blountville, TN 37617” mailing address can be miles away — the airport, the caverns and the KOA are outside the Blountville Census area, and some addresses are inside Bristol or Kingsport city limits. The nearest hospitals are in Kingsport and Bristol.

Visitor directory

Things to do in and around Blountville

In town

Historic Sullivan County Courthouse & Blountville Historic District ↗Hwy 126 (Main Street) · county offices meet in the Historic Courthouse at the center of a National Register historic district of 1790s–1800s log and clapboard houses along the old Great Stage Road. ⓘ source
The Deery Inn ↗Beside the courthouse on Hwy 126 · the old stagecoach tavern and inn has 18 rooms, 2 attics, 3 cellars and 10 outbuildings, and it opens for Christmas tours in December (see events). Source conflict: the Tennessee Encyclopedia says the Deery Inn served travelers from 1785, while the inn’s National Register nomination dates its oldest section to about 1794–95, when Blountville was laid out. We print the National Register date. ⓘ source
Sullivan County Archives & Tourism ↗3425 Hwy 126, Suite 100 · county records, Historic Blountville and the Deery Inn · (423) 323-4660. ⓘ source
Sullivan County Public Library — Blountville Branch ↗1655 Blountville Blvd · the county library’s main branch, Mon–Thu 9 AM–6 PM ET and Fri–Sat 9 AM–5 PM ET · (423) 279-2714. Story times and clubs are on the branch calendar ↗. ⓘ source

Eat & drink

Pal’s Sudden Service #19 ↗3277 Hwy 126 · drive-thru burgers and hot dogs. ⓘ source
Shoku Japanese Steak House ↗Not in Blountville — 1921 Hwy 394 (Blountville address, inside Bristol city limits) · Japanese steakhouse; closed Mondays, lunch Tue–Fri and Sun 11 AM–2 PM ET, dinner Tue–Sun 4:30–8:30 PM ET · (423) 354-0444. ⓘ source

Other diners, barbecue, pizza and Mexican places line Hwy 126, but we list only places whose own pages we could open. Call ahead — hours change.

Places to stay

Bristol / Kingsport KOA Holiday ↗Not in Blountville — 425 Rocky Branch Rd (Blountville address, inside Kingsport city limits) · RV and tent sites, open all year · 1-423-323-7790. ⓘ source
Appalachian Caverns Campground ↗Not in Blountville — 420 Cave Hill Rd, at the caverns · campground bookings 423-491-2548. ⓘ source

We could not confirm a hotel inside the Blountville Census area. Hotels cluster in Kingsport, Bristol and Johnson City; see the Sullivan County guide.

Nearby: caverns, lakes, history & the Speedway

Appalachian Caverns ↗Not in Blountville — 420 Cave Hill Rd (Blountville address, outside the Census area) · guided cavern tours, a campground, a picnic area, a gem mine and a gift shop; open rain or shine · (423) 323-2337. ⓘ source
Rocky Mount State Historic Site ↗Not in Blountville — 200 Hyder Hill Rd, Piney Flats · the 1790s home where the Southwest Territory was first governed; historic site tours Wed–Sat 11 AM–5 PM ET · (423) 538-7396. ⓘ source
Warriors’ Path State Park ↗Not in Blountville — 490 Hemlock Rd, Kingsport · just over 1,000 acres on Fort Patrick Henry Lake, with a marina, hiking trails, boating and fishing. ⓘ source
Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium ↗Not in Blountville — 853 Bays Mountain Park Rd, Kingsport · animal habitats, trails, barge rides, the planetarium and laser light shows. The lower level of the nature center is closed until further notice. ⓘ source
Bristol Motor Speedway ↗Not in Blountville — inside Bristol city limits · home of Food City Speedway in Lights from Nov 20 (see events). ⓘ source
Tri-Cities Airport (TRI) ↗Not in Blountville — 2525 Hwy 75 (Blountville address, outside the Census area) · the region’s commercial airport · 423-325-6000. ⓘ source

Address check: many places with a “Blountville, TN 37617” address are outside the Blountville Census area — the Census geocoder puts Shoku inside Bristol’s city limits and the KOA inside Kingsport’s. We label each one.

Checked Oct 29, 2026 · in or out of Blountville checked against the Census Blountville CDP boundary. Call ahead — hours change. All hours Eastern (ET).

Coming up in and around Blountville

Thu Oct 29 — Last day of early voting9 AM–5 PM ET at the Election Commission office, 3258 Hwy 126, Suite 103, in Blountville; also at the Kingsport Civic Auditorium and Bristol’s Slater Community Center. ⓘ source
Thu Oct 29 — Sheriff’s Office Trunk-or-Treat5–8 PM ET in the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office parking lot, 140 Blountville Bypass · free; bring a candy bucket. ⓘ source
Tue Nov 3 — Election DayPolls are open 8 AM–8 PM ET at your own precinct. Blountville is unincorporated, so there is no town race; the ballot has state and federal races, plus city races inside Bristol and Bluff City. ⓘ source
Fri–Sat Nov 13–14 — Christmas Connection arts & crafts showNot in Blountville — MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center, Kingsport · Fri 12–6 PM ET, Sat 9 AM–4 PM ET; free admission. ⓘ source
Fri Nov 20 — Food City Speedway in Lights opensNot in Blountville — Bristol Motor Speedway · the drive-through light show runs nightly 6–10 PM ET through Jan 2, 2027; tickets required. ⓘ source
Thu Dec 3 — Bristol Christmas ParadeNot in Blountville — 7 PM ET on State Street, downtown Bristol. ⓘ source
Sat Dec 5 — Downtown Kingsport Christmas ParadeNot in Blountville — 6 PM ET in downtown Kingsport. ⓘ source
Sat–Sun Dec 5–6 — Christmas at the Historic Deery Inn6–8 PM ET at the Deery Inn beside the Historic Courthouse · an America 250 event showing the hand-drawn Christmas cards of the inn’s last owner. ⓘ source
Sat–Sun Dec 12–13 — Christmas at the Historic Deery Inn (second weekend)Sat Dec 12 until 8 PM ET (the county page’s start time is garbled) and Sun Dec 13 1–4 PM ET. The county says this weekend coincides with Blountville’s annual Christmas parade; a 2026 parade time had not been posted. ⓘ source

More happenings are on the Blountville library calendar ↗ and the Sullivan County Archives & Tourism page ↗. We’ll refresh this list after the Dec 13 Deery Inn open house.

Checked Oct 29, 2026 · times Eastern (ET) · dates from the Sullivan County Election Commission, Sullivan County Archives & Tourism, WJHL, the City of Kingsport, Bristol Motor Speedway, the Bristol Chamber and Downtown Kingsport. More Sullivan County events are on the county guide.

Area news

Headlines · Blountville & Sullivan County

WCYB 5 · Oct 28, 2026
Bristol’s first Turkey Bowl adult flag-football tournament is set for Nov. 28 at Stone Castle, with registration open now.
Read at WCYB 5 →
WCYB 5 · Oct 22, 2026
The Sullivan County Public Library will offer free technology classes, and participants who finish 10 hours of instruction receive a free Chromebook.
Read at WCYB 5 →
WJHL 11 · Oct 20, 2026
Renovations to the downtown Kingsport Public Library continue, with a children’s area twice its old size; the library is working from 2101 Fort Henry Drive meanwhile.
Read at WJHL 11 →
WJHL 11 · Oct 7, 2026
Kingsport is starting a Greenbelt extension of just over half a mile that follows Netherland Inn Road toward Hawkins County.
Read at WJHL 11 →

Short summaries in our words — tap through to read the full story at the source. All area news → · Outlet requests: [email protected]

A short history

Settlers from Pennsylvania arrived in the North of the Holston country in 1765; a 1779 boundary survey put the area in North Carolina, and Sullivan County was organized in February 1780. In 1773 settlers founded a Presbyterian church at Taylor’s Meeting House near Blountville, probably the first church of any denomination within the future state (Tennessee Encyclopedia).

The town stands on part of a 600-acre grant bought by James Brigham in 1782. Ten years later he gave 30 acres for a centrally located courthouse, and thirty quarter-acre lots went on sale in 1795, when Blountville became the county seat (National Register nomination).

Blountville grew as a trade town on the turnpike north to Richmond, Washington and Philadelphia (Tennessee Encyclopedia). By 1829 it had 209 people, 28 houses, six stores and two taverns; the Jefferson Academy for boys opened as early as 1806 and a female academy in 1837. During the Civil War the town was the site of the Battle of Blountville (National Register nomination).

The Deery Inn is named for William Deery, an Irish-born merchant who bought the property in 1801 and ran it as a tavern and inn on the Great Stage Road; Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk and the Marquis de Lafayette are said to have stayed there. A 20th-century family restoration saved the building (Deery Inn National Register nomination).

Today Blountville is an unincorporated community, not a city or town: it has no mayor, town hall or town website, and MTAS lists no Blountville municipality. Sullivan County government, based here, provides its services. The 2020 Census counted 3,120 people in the Blountville census-designated place.

Sullivan County’s history → · East Tennessee history hub →

County offices & local resources

Emergency (police · fire · EMS)911Call 911 for any emergency.
Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office(423) 279-7500140 Blountville Bypass · Blountville has no town police; the Sheriff’s Office serves it. ⓘ source
Sullivan County EMS (dispatch)(423) 279-2812For emergencies call 911. ⓘ source
Sullivan County Emergency Management(423) 323-69121651 Blountville Blvd, Suite 103. ⓘ source
Sullivan County Mayor’s Office(423) 323-6417155 School Ave · county government — Blountville has no town hall. ⓘ source
Sullivan County Archives & Tourism(423) 323-46603425 Hwy 126, Suite 100. ⓘ source
Sullivan County Election Commission(423) 323-64443258 Hwy 126, Suite 103 · Election Day Tue Nov 3. ⓘ source
Sullivan County Regional Health Department(423) 279-2777154 Blountville Bypass. ⓘ source
Sullivan County Schools(423) 354-1000154 Blountville Bypass · calendars and closings. ⓘ source
Sullivan County Public Library — Blountville(423) 279-27141655 Blountville Blvd. ⓘ source
Sullivan County Veterans Service Office(423) 279-2879125 Anderson Rd. ⓘ source
Holston Valley Medical Center (Ballad Health)(423) 224-4000Kingsport (outside Blountville) · emergency room. ⓘ source
Bristol Regional Medical Center (Ballad Health)(423) 844-1121Bristol (outside Blountville) · emergency room. ⓘ source
Highway emergency (cell)*THP (*847)Tennessee Highway Patrol. ⓘ source

Blountville is unincorporated, so it has no town government or website; Sullivan County government ↗ is based here and runs the courts, sheriff, schools and county services. CTAS lists the County Commission’s regular meeting as the third Thursday of each month at 6 PM ET; check the county calendar for agendas. The Election Commission office is open Mon–Fri 8 AM–5 PM ET.

Checked Oct 29, 2026 · official sites only · numbers copied from each agency’s own page — tap ⓘ to confirm. Times Eastern (ET). Emergencies: call 911.

Around Sullivan County

← Sullivan County guide — Kingsport, Bristol, Bluff City, the lakes, Holston Mountain and county resources.

Other Sullivan County places: Kingsport (also Hawkins) · Bristol · Bluff City · Johnson City (also Carter & Washington) · Bloomingdale · Colonial Heights · Piney Flats · Walnut Hill · Sullivan Gardens · Orebank · Spurgeon (also Washington). Next door: Carter · Hawkins · Johnson · Washington county guides · Boone Lake.

Other county-seat guides: Wartburg (Morgan County) · Kingston (Roane County) · Huntsville (Scott County) · Jamestown (Fentress County) · Crossville (Cumberland County) · Clinton (Anderson County) · Dayton (Rhea County) · Decatur (Meigs County) · Athens (McMinn County) · Cleveland (Bradley County) · Madisonville (Monroe County) · Loudon (Loudon County) · Maryville (Blount County) · Sevierville (Sevier County) · Knoxville (Knox County) · Newport (Cocke County) · Tazewell (Claiborne County) · Benton (Polk County) · Greeneville (Greene County) · Morristown (Hamblen County) · Rogersville (Hawkins County) · Jacksboro (Campbell County) · Maynardville (Union County) · Rutledge (Grainger County) · Dandridge (Jefferson County) · Sneedville (Hancock County). Nearest seats with guides: Rogersville (Hawkins), Greeneville (Greene), Sneedville (Hancock) and Morristown (Hamblen).

Sources

Checked Oct 29, 2026