# What "region" is Tennessee a part of? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 23, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-region-is-tennessee-a-part-of/610397 "2012-01-23T14:39:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-region-is-tennessee-a-part-of/610397/1 "2012-01-23T14:39:04Z")
Which ONE of the regions in this public poll do you think applies best for placing Tennessee in a group of states? If you have another group in mind, please vote Other and post what additional option should apply. Do a similar poll on your own state if you wish. I had this idea while reading a weather report. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-region-is-tennessee-a-part-of/610397/2 "2012-01-23T14:48:56Z")
Why canā€™t there be two selections possible? My eyebrows wouldnā€™t be raised if someone described it as Mid South or Appalachia. In fact, on the occasions when I do group states into regions, I sometimes group it in either group (although I only think of the eastern parts of it as being Appalachia.) ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-region-is-tennessee-a-part-of/610397/3 "2012-01-23T14:51:33Z")
Is Cosby (outside of Gatlinburg), East or Southeast? I voted East, because whenever anyone asks I say ā€˜East Tennesseeā€™. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-region-is-tennessee-a-part-of/610397/4 "2012-01-23T14:59:36Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Why canā€™t there be two selections possible? My eyebrows wouldnā€™t be raised if someone described it as Mid South or Appalachia. In fact, on the occasions when I do group states into regions, I sometimes group it in either group (although I only think of the eastern parts of it as being Appalachia.) Good points. I considered the multiple choice route, but decided the one vote approach would make for a better overall (composite) view of how the state comes to mind for most people, especially non-residents. I realized after making the list that I left off ā€œCentral USā€ at least. Thatā€™s how maps often get labeled when they include Tennessee and a group of nearby states. I agree with you on the Appalachia part. East Tennessee makes that work, but not the portion west of the Cumberland Plateau and places like Cookeville, Crossville, and Manchester. I included that option for people who only think of the mountains and Dolly Parton when they think of Tennessee. šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-region-is-tennessee-a-part-of/610397/5 "2012-01-23T15:04:39Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > Is Cosby (outside of Gatlinburg), East or Southeast? > > I voted East, because whenever anyone asks I say ā€˜East Tennesseeā€™. Iā€™d rather you say! In my mind, itā€™s definitely East Tennessee, but that wonā€™t help answer your question, will it? Hereā€™s how I tend to think of East Tennessee: 1. Itā€™s definitely South (anything south of Maryland) 2. Itā€™s definitely East (anything east of the Mississippi River) 3. Itā€™s in the SEC 4. Itā€™s in ā€œthe mountainsā€ What other things apply? Thatā€™s what Iā€™m hoping to learn from this poll. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-region-is-tennessee-a-part-of/610397/6 "2012-01-23T15:09:00Z")
Other: Bubbaland ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-region-is-tennessee-a-part-of/610397/7 "2012-01-23T15:09:57Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Other: Bubbaland No comment ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-region-is-tennessee-a-part-of/610397/8 "2012-01-23T15:33:13Z")
I think of KY, TN, VA, and NC as the ā€œmid-southā€. Definitely Southern, but a different kind of Southern than the Deep South. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-region-is-tennessee-a-part-of/610397/9 "2012-01-23T16:10:48Z")
Tennessee is certainly the South. Other sub-definitions are problematic because it is so wide. Its extremes donā€™t have that much in common with one another. You can drive from the Midwest (Missouri) to an East Coast state (Virginia) while only passing through Tennessee for example. It also borders Kentucky, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas. That is a pretty broad range and you canā€™t just lump in Memphis near the Mississippi border and arguably still part of the Deep South with the Appalachian region or even Nashville. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-region-is-tennessee-a-part-of/610397/10 "2012-01-23T16:19:04Z")
Yeah. Tennessee is a very diverse region with significant differences in its culture between the western portion that borders on the mighty Mississippi to the middle Cumberland Plateau region onwards to the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains (where my eventual home is at). Everyone there considers themselves Southerners (at least the ones raised there). It is a curious question. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-region-is-tennessee-a-part-of/610397/11 "2012-01-23T16:22:04Z")
And, for the record, I misunderstood the question, and voted ā€˜Eastā€™ It is ā€˜Southā€™. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-region-is-tennessee-a-part-of/610397/12 "2012-01-23T17:19:53Z")
Nashvillian here. I picked ā€˜Southā€™ over ā€˜Mid-south.ā€™ Both are correct, the latter is just more specific. Parts of the state fall into different categories as well, but there is a reason that the [Tennesse state flag](http://www.50states.com/flag/image/nunst069.gif) contains three stars ā€“ the state conveniently breaks into three regions of West Tennessee, Middle Tennesse and East Tennessee which are pretty diverse. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-region-is-tennessee-a-part-of/610397/13 "2012-01-23T17:45:00Z")
Itā€™s a bunch of things. If states were being redrawn on anything but historical grounds, no sane person would put all of Tennessee together. East TN is Appalachia; central TN is basically like non-Applachian Kentucky, and west TN is really North Mississippi. Thatā€™s why thereā€™s three stars on the TN flag, by the way; even the founders knew it was an unholy conglomeration of three parts. ---
**Author:** ![JessEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cdc98d/32.png) [@JessEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JessEnigma)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-region-is-tennessee-a-part-of/610397/14 "2012-01-23T18:11:26Z")
> [@DoctorJ](#): > > I think of KY, TN, VA, and NC as the ā€œmid-southā€. Definitely Southern, but a different kind of Southern than the Deep South. I voted for southeast because thatā€™s normally how I describe Tennesseeā€™s location to people outside the US who want to know where Iā€™m from, but I think this is probably closer to how I actually think about it. Thereā€™s definitely a difference between, say, Tennessee and Georgia, but itā€™s not as different as Tennessee is from other states farther north. That said, Iā€™m from northeast Tennessee, right near the Virginia border, so I feel much more connected to Appalachia than anything else. I wonder if Iā€™d feel more connected to the rest of the south if I were from Memphis or Chattanooga or somewhere further south in the state. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-region-is-tennessee-a-part-of/610397/15 "2012-01-23T19:02:50Z")
I voted mid-South but thatā€™s likely because I live in the middle of the state. West Tennessee is definitely Mississippi Valley. East Tennessee is definitely Appalachia. Here in the middle, weā€™re in the mid-South. Does that make sense? šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![FasterThanMeerkats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/278dde/32.png) [@FasterThanMeerkats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FasterThanMeerkats)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-region-is-tennessee-a-part-of/610397/16 "2012-01-23T20:14:21Z")
> [@missred](#): > > ā€¦West Tennessee is definitely Mississippi Valley. East Tennessee is definitely Appalachia. Here in the middle, weā€™re in the mid-South. Does that make sense? šŸ˜› For what itā€™s worth, I grew up in Memphis and it was always referred to as the mid-South on all of our local news channels. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-region-is-tennessee-a-part-of/610397/17 "2012-01-23T20:32:00Z")
Itā€™s definitely part of the South, in all the definitions I can think of. The East tends to refer more to the Northeast, but itā€™s definitely east of the Mississippi. Itā€™s also in the Mississipi Valley, but that includes so many disparate states it doesnā€™t seemed to be used as a region that often. I voted for Midsouth as the best description, because I recognize the term referring to Tennessee, Kentucky, the Carolinas, and sometimes Georgia. But there are a lot of different definitions that would encompass it. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-region-is-tennessee-a-part-of/610397/18 "2012-01-23T20:45:25Z")
Well, Tenn and Ark are southern states. I think of deep South as Georgia. Parts of Tenn are mountain people. Just like the Ozarks in Arkansas. They have a different heritage and culture from flat landers. My people came from the flat lands of Arkansas. Dirt farmers. I donā€™t know a lot about the hill peoples. People used to know exactly what region their family came from. My grandmother always said heā€™s from \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_- county. Meaning his family lived & farmed in that county. People in one county might be thought of as different from another. These are very old distinctions. Some of the traditional culture is breaking down because people move around and resettle so easily in modern times. A guy working at Walmart in the Hill Country isnā€™t much different from a guy working at Walmart in the flat lands. šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-region-is-tennessee-a-part-of/610397/19 "2012-01-23T22:08:21Z")
I wouldā€™ve said ā€œUpper Southā€ or something but it wasnā€™t an option. IF Tennessee is Mid-, then what is the upper part anyway? Indiana? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-region-is-tennessee-a-part-of/610397/20 "2012-01-23T22:12:12Z")
> [@DoctorJ](#): > > I think of KY, TN, VA, and NC as the ā€œmid-southā€. Definitely Southern, but a different kind of Southern than the Deep South. Thanks for expanding my own view of Mid-South. I suppose when I had thought of what else besides Tennessee makes up that region, it had been Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, and when I allow myself to think of West Virginia that way, then that state, too. I had looked at Virginia and the Carolinas (NC mostly) as more ā€œMid-Atlanticā€ when ā€œThe Southā€ wasnā€™t specific enough. But your point is a good one. To me, any state not bordering the Gulf is not a Deep South state. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-region-is-tennessee-a-part-of/610397.md?page=2)