The flag of Johnson City, Tennessee, is a blue background with a yellow triangle at the bottom bordered by a larger and wider green triangle with three stars above it in a triangular pattern.
Symbolism[]
The converging green lines represent the rails of the original railroad track Henry Johnson leveraged as an opportunity for building a business and what would ultimately become Johnson City. Green symbolizes prosperity, stability, growth and environmental stewardship. The rails border a yellow triangle that symbolizes the city’s pathway into the future. Yellow symbolizes optimism and originality, fitting for the eternal hope and tenacity of our community’s entrepreneurial spirit.
The three stars are meant to represent the Tri-Cities, with Johnson City represented by the center star. The stars are also a nod to the Tennessee state flag, which was designed by Johnson City native Col. Lee Roy Reeves.
The blue symbolizes trustworthiness and security, while white symbolizes unity. The three stars placed above the green and yellow elements serve to reinforce the flag’s connection to the City seal. The rails and pathway combined resemble a mountain, which is a crucial component of the City’s logo and seal. The triangular shape and the green and yellow also pay tribute to the City’s original flag design.[1]
Former flag (1964-2022)[]
The former flag was a green or teal background, with a gold and black border with a stripe going through it. The flag features a seal-like device in the center. On the left of the device is the words "JOHNSON CITY" and on the right is the word "TENNESSEE". The flag was designed by Ken G. Knott in 1964 as an art student at East Tennessee State University and was adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the City of Johnson City that same year.
