Jonesborough is a city and the county seat of Washington County in the state of Tennessee, located in the southeastern United States. As of 2020, its population was 5,860.
This city is considered “the oldest in Tennessee”.
Jonesborough is part of the Johnson City Statistical Area and is part of the larger Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, Tennessee and Virginia Combined Statistical Area, which is commonly known as the “Three Cities” .
This city is located in the very northeast corner of the state and was founded by European Americans in 1779. This was 17 years before Tennessee joined the United States and at a time when the area was under the jurisdiction of North Carolina.
Its name comes from Willie Jones, a North Carolina legislator who supported the state’s westward expansion into the Appalachians region.
Jonesborough was originally part of Washington County. In 1784 it became the capital of the autonomous state of Franklin. However, Congress never recognized Franklin, and in late 1788 the region was returned to the jurisdiction of North Carolina.