Gray (Tenn.)

Gray is a census-designated place (CDP) in Washington County, Tennessee, United States and a suburb of Johnson City. It is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area – commonly known as the "Tri-Cities" region. The population was 1,222 at the 2010 census. Gray lies just outside the junction between Interstate 81 and Interstate 26, the latter of which runs directly through the town. The town was founded as Gray Station, Tennessee, as it mainly served as a railway depot; the place became Gray in preferred usage. The Gray area consisted primarily of rural farmland until the 1990s, when some suburban areas began to take shape. Since 2000, the Gray area has gradually grown, with the addition of new chain restaurants and stores. A museum connected to the Gray Fossil Site, an early Pliocene Lagerstätte discovered during road construction in 2000, opened in 2007. Some of the area of Gray has been annexed by Johnson City.