Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. In 1796, it became the sixteenth state to join the union. Tennessee is known as the "Volunteer State", a nickname it earned during the War of 1812, in which volunteer soldiers from Tennessee played a prominent role, especially during the Battle of New Orleans. The capital is Nashville and the largest city is Memphis.

The state of Tennessee is geographically and constitutionally divided into three Grand Divisions: East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, and West Tennessee. There are also six principal physiographic regions: the Blue Ridge, the Appalachian Ridge and Valley Region, the Cumberland Plateau, the Highland Rim, the Nashville Basin, and the Gulf Coastal Plain.

Climate

Most of the state has a humid subtropical climate, with the exception of the higher mountains, which have a humid continental climate. The Gulf of Mexico is the dominant factor in the climate of Tennessee, with winds from the south being responsible for most of the state's annual precipitation. Generally the state has hot summers and mild to cool winters with generous precipitation throughout the year. On average the state receives 50 inches (130 cm) of precipitation throughout the year. Snowfall ranges from 5 inches (13 cm) in West Tennessee to over 16 inches (41 cm) in the higher mountains in East Tennessee.

Summers in the state are generally hot, with most of the state averaging a high of around 90°F (32°C) during the summer months. Summer nights tend to be cooler in East Tennessee. Winters tend to be mild to cool, increasing in coolness at higher elevations and in the east. Generally, for areas outside the highest mountains, the average overnight lows are near freezing for most of the state.

The state averages around 50 days of thunderstorms per year, and some of them can be quite severe. Tornadoes are not uncommon, with West Tennessee slightly more vulnerable to tornadoes. On average, the state has 15 tornadoes per year. Fog is a persistent problem in parts of the state, especially in much of the Smoky Mountains.

Get In

By car
Interstate 40 criss-crosses the state from west to east, connecting Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and the Smoky Mountain Region. Interstate 55 is entirely situated in Memphis. Interstate 155 crosses from Missouri into northwest Tennessee, ending in Dyersburg. Interstate 24 enters from Kentucky near Clarksville, passes through Nashville and ends in Chattanooga (but not before briefly dipping into Georgia for about three miles). Interstate 65 runs through Nashville in its trek from Kentucky to Alabama. Interstate 75, coming from Kentucky, links Knoxville with Chattanooga before heading into Georgia. Interstate 81 starts at Interstate 40 just east of Knoxville and heads northeast to Bristol before moving into Virginia. In the Kingsport area, Interstate 26 runs south from Interstate 81 into North Carolina (towards Asheville), while Interstate 181 heads toward Kingsport and the Virginia state line.

By plane
There are several airports in the state. Memphis International Airport is a hub for Northwest Airlines and is served by several other airlines. Nashville International Airport is also served by many other airlines. There is air service at smaller airports at Maryville (Knoxville), Chattanooga and Bristol. Southern Tennessee is easily accessible to the Huntsville, AL, airport.

Attractions

Get out

To the west is Arkansas, home of former President Bill Clinton (who chose Tennessee Senator Al Gore as his vice presidential running mate) and Hot Springs National Park. Across from northwest Tennessee is Missouri, where you'll find Branson, a music mecca similar to Nashville (but nowhere near as large).

To the north is the Bluegrass State of Kentucky. The Kentucky Derby, Mammoth Cave National Park and Corvette Museum are located here. Virginia is across Tennessee's northeast corner. Here you'll find the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah National Park.

To the east is North Carolina, where you'll find Chimney Rock, Biltmore Estate and Grandfather Mountain.

Three states border Tennessee to the south. Mississippi lies south of Memphis and boasts several riverboat casinos. Alabama has the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ava Maria Grotto in Cullman and Birmingham, home of American Idol winners Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks and finalist Bo Bice. Georgia is across the border from Chattanooga. Located here are Rock City, the historic village of Helen, and the vibrant city of Atlanta.