Editing Interstate 26 (section)

===Tennessee===
{{Main|U.S. Route 23 in Tennessee}}
[[File:Bald-mountains-I-26-tn1.jpg|right|thumb|I-26 approaching the [[Bald Mountains]] near [[Erwin, Tennessee]]]]
The [[exit number]]s in Tennessee were formerly numbered backward—increasing from east (physically south) to west (physically north)—because this highway was formerly signed north–south as US&nbsp;23 (and [[Interstate 181 (Tennessee)|I-181]]). Although this is consistent with the south-to-north numbering conventions, this exit numbering was changed on all 284&nbsp;signs along I-26 to be consistent with the rest of the east-to-west-numbered highway in March 2007. The remaining I-181 signs north of [[Interstate 81|I-81]] were also replaced with I-26 signs at that time.

For its entire length in Tennessee, I-26 shares the route with US&nbsp;23. The route is named the James H. Quillen Parkway, after [[Jimmy Quillen]], a past member of the [[US House of Representatives]] for Tennessee.

In Tennessee, US&nbsp;23 runs south from the [[Virginia]] state line for {{convert|1|mi|km|spell=in}} to [[Kingsport, Tennessee|Kingsport]]. I-26 begins at the junction of US&nbsp;23 with [[U.S. Route 11W|US&nbsp;11W]] (which is locally named Stone Drive) northwest of the city. After about {{convert|1000|yd|m}}, I-26 crosses the [[Holston River|South Fork Holston River]] before swinging around to a generally southeast path through [[Sullivan County, Tennessee|Sullivan County]]. It reaches its major interchange with I-81 at exit&nbsp;8A, southwest of [[Colonial Heights, Tennessee|Colonial Heights]].

Shortly after entering [[Washington County, Tennessee|Washington County]], it reaches the northwest part of [[Johnson City, Tennessee|Johnson City]] and also serves as a local transit route as it makes its way around the north and eastern parts of the city. It begins to travel through more obviously mountainous terrain before turning to travel in a south direction. Entering [[Carter County, Tennessee|Carter County]] briefly, it passes exit&nbsp;27 before entering the [[Cherokee National Forest]] and [[Unicoi County, Tennessee|Unicoi County]]. From this point, it passes through part of the [[Blue Ridge Mountains]], first the [[Unaka Range]] and, later, as it passes [[Erwin, Tennessee|Erwin]], between exits&nbsp;34 and 40, the [[Bald Mountains]]. It meets the [[Nolichucky River]] just after milemarker&nbsp;38 and travels along its southeast bank before crossing it immediately before exit&nbsp;40.

The remainder of I-26 in Tennessee passes through a sparsely populated area, at elevations of above {{convert|1800|ft|m}}, before reaching the [[North Carolina]] state line.