Interstate 81 in Tennessee

Interstate 81
Route information
	Maintained by TDOT
Length:	75.66 mi (121.76 km)
Major junctions
South end:	I-40 near Dandridge
	US-25E near Morristown; I-26 / US-23 near Kingsport; US-11W near Bristol
North end:	I-81 at Bristol
Location
Counties:	Jefferson, Hamblen, Greene, Washington, Sullivan
Highway system

This article is about the section of Interstate 81 in Tennessee. For the entire length of the highway, see Interstate 81.

Interstate 81 is an 824-mile (1,326 km) long expressway stretching from Dandridge, Tennessee northward to the Thousand Islands Bridge at the United States-Canada border near Fishers Landing, New York. In Tennessee, Interstate 81 runs for 75 miles (121 km) from its southern terminus at Interstate 40 in Dandridge to the Virginia state line in Bristol.

Route description [edit]

Interstate 81 begins in Tennessee at Interstate 40 in Dandridge. I-81 parallels the Appalachian Mountains for most of Tennessee and Virginia. At mile marker 8, I-81 meets the eastern half of U.S. Route 25: U.S. Route 25E south of Morristown. I-81 doesn't go through either Johnson City or Kingsport; but at mile marker 57, I-81 meets Interstate 26 and U.S. Route 23 which go to Kingsport and Johnson City. At mile marker 75, I-81 leaves Tennessee and enters the commonwealth of Virginia.

	Interstate	City	Type	Notes
	Interstate 181	Johnson City and Kingsport	Former spur	Was renumbered as Interstate 26 by March, 2007

County	Location	Mile	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Jefferson	Dandridge	0.0	0.0	0	I-40 – Knoxville, Asheville, N.C.	Signed as Exits 0A (east) & 0B (west)
Jefferson	White Pine	4.4	7.1	4	SR-341 – White Pine
Hamblen	Morristown	8.6	13.8	8	US-25E – White Pine, Morristown	No class 1 explosives in Cumberland Gap Tunnel, without escort.
		12.4	20.0	12	SR-160 – Lowland, Morristown
		15.3	24.6	15	SR-340 (Fish Hatchery Rd.) – Morristown	Access to Copper Airport.
Greene	Greeneville	23.1	37.2	23	US-11E – Bulls Gap, Greeneville, Rogersville, Morristown	Access to Tusculum College.
		30.2	48.6	30	SR-70 to SR-66 – Rogersville, Greeneville
		36.2	58.3	36	SR-172 (Baileyton Rd.) – Baileyton, Greeneville
		43.9	70.7	44	Jearoldstown Rd
Washington	Fall Branch	50.5	81.3	50	SR-93 / SR-81 – Fall Branch, Jonesborough
Sullivan	Kingsport	56.1	90.3	56	Tri-Cities Crossing
		57.7	92.9	57	I-26 / US-23 – Johnson City, Kingsport
		59.4	95.6	59	SR-36 (Ft. Henry Dr.) – Johnson City, Kingsport
		63.5	102.2	63	SR-357 (Airport Parkway) to SR-75	Access to Tri-Cities Regional Airport.
		66.1	106.4	66	SR-126 (Memorial Blvd.) – Blountville, Kingsport
	Blountville	69.6	112.0	69	SR-394 – Blountville	Access to Bristol Motor Speedway.
	Bristol	74.8	120.4	74	US-11W (W. State St.) – Kingsport, Bristol	Lee Highway. Signed as Exit 74A & 74B.
	Bristol	75.66	121.76		I-81 north – Marion	Virginia state line
Concurrency terminus Closed/former HOV only Incomplete access Tolled/ETC Unopened