© City of Knoxville 400 Main Street Knoxville, TN 37902 View Map / Site Map; City of Knoxville on Facebook City of Knoxville on Twitter [124], The Tennessee Technology Corridor stretches across 7,000 acres (2,800 ha) between West Knoxville and Oak Ridge. Along with Knoxville, major municipalities in the Knoxville Metropolitan Area include Alcoa, Blaine, Maryville, Lenoir City, Loudon, Farragut, Oak Ridge, Rutledge, Clinton, Bean Station, and Maynardville. [34] In 1790, White's son-in-law, Charles McClung—who had arrived from Pennsylvania the previous year—surveyed White's holdings between First Creek and Second Creek for the establishment of a town. [104], The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the nation's largest public power provider,[105] is a federally owned corporation headquartered in Knoxville. Ramsey, a prominent historian whose father had built the Ramsey House in 1797. Following the collapse of the city's textile industry in the 1950s, Knoxville's economy grew more diversified. [164], The MKAA also owns the Downtown Island Airport, a 200-acre (81 ha) general aviation facility located on Dickinson's Island in southeast Knoxville. All rights reserved. "[19] Early issues of the Knoxville Gazette—the first newspaper published in Tennessee—are filled with accounts of murder, theft, and hostile Cherokee attacks. Its contributions to old-time, bluegrass and country music are numerous, from Flatt & Scruggs and Homer & Jethro to the Everly Brothers. Capt. TN-168, known as Governor John Sevier Highway, runs along the eastern and southern periphery of the city. Learn More As of 2011, the school had a system-wide enrollment of over 11,000 students,[149], Johnson University (formerly Johnson Bible College) is a Bible college affiliated with the Christian churches and churches of Christ. [158] The study also found that 22% of Knox County adults smoked, 28% were obese, 11% were binge drinkers, and 14% lacked health insurance. Knoxville is also the home of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, almost entirely thanks to the success of Pat Summitt and the University of Tennessee women's basketball team. William "Parson" Brownlow, the radical publisher of the Knoxville Whig, was one of the region's leading anti-secessionists (although he strongly defended the practice of slavery). To control flooding and improve the economy in the Tennessee Valley, the federal government created the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1933. [citation needed] The Richards brothers also co-founded the Knoxville Iron Works beside the L&N Railroad, also employing Welsh workers. [143] KFD provides firefighting, first responder EMS response, vehicle extrication and HazMat response within the city limits. [116] Other major industrial and business parks include the 800-acre (320 ha) EastBridge Industrial Park and Midway Business Park in eastern Knox County and the 271-acre (110 ha) WestBridge Industrial Park in western Knox County. Blount Mansion (1791), in the oldest part of the city, is designed in a vernacular Georgian style. Knoxville is home to a rich arts community and has many festivals throughout the year. Knoxville is situated in the Great Appalachian Valley (known locally as the Tennessee Valley), about halfway between the Great Smoky Mountains to the east and the Cumberland Plateau to the west. He said the couple is waiting for help with housing as Ogle's wife just had a baby. ", "Knoxville plans greenway to the Smokies", Incidents in the Early Settlement of East Tennessee and Knoxville, Designated Properties: Knoxville Historic Zoning Commission, "Rendering of new Regal headquarters in Knoxville released", "Knoxville aims to spur economic growth with $5.5 million investment into I-275 business park", "I-275/North Central Street Corridor Study", "Tennessee Smokies owner Randy Boyd makes first pitch for downtown Knoxville stadium", House Mountain Class I Scenic Recreational State Natural Area, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Knoxville Having Hottest Day Ever at 105 Degrees, "Station Name: TN KNOXVILLE MCGHEE TYSON AP", "WMO Climate Normals for KNOXVILLE/MUNICIPAL, TN 1961–1990", Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas, "Georgia Institute of Technology :: CQGRD : Piedmont Atlantic Megaregion (PAM)", Dean Trumps Comedian Stephen Colbert for Tower's Name, Mayor Wants to Sell Downtown Building, Relocate Knox School Offices, "World's Fair: The world came to Knoxville in May 1982", "Census of Population and Housing: Decennial Censuses", "Table 43. [citation needed] In the 1990s, noted alternative-music critic Ann Powers, author of Weird Like Us: My Bohemian America, referred to the city as "Austin without the hype".[131][132]. AccessibilityAccessibility resources in Knoxville; Animal Care & ControlResources for having or finding animals in Knoxville; City CouncilCity Council is the Legislative body for the City; CTV Videos, Live Streaming Regarding situations like the one Ogle and his wife are experiencing, he said there's a deficit of permanent family housing options and many people are on wait lists, but he said temporary shelters have beds available now. For County tax information, contact Knox County Trustee at 865-215-2305 or www.knoxcounty.org/apps/tax_search [37], Knoxville served as capital of the Southwest Territory and as capital of Tennessee (admitted as a state in 1796) until 1817,[34] when the capital was moved to Murfreesboro. - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about. [166] The city has two major rail terminals: the Burkhart Enterprises terminal at the Forks of the River Industrial Park just east of the city, and the TransFlo facility adjacent to the U.T. [45], Burnside arrived in early September 1863. [166] The Norfolk Southern system includes spur lines to the coal fields around Middlesboro, Kentucky, and the ALCOA plants in Blount County. This area, concentrated along Magnolia Avenue, is home to Chilhowee Park and Zoo Knoxville. Its traditional venues include the Tennessee Theatre, the Bijou Theatre, and the Civic Auditorium, though it also performs at a number of non-traditional venues. Thus, while East Tennessee and greater Knox County voted decisively against secession in 1861, the city of Knoxville favored secession by a 2-1 margin. Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission. TN-331 (Tazewell Pike) connects the Fountain City area to rural northeast Knox County. [38], Knoxville initially thrived as a way station for travelers and migrants heading west. [51], In 1869, Thomas Humes, a Union-sympathizer and president of East Tennessee University, secured federal wartime restitution funding, and state-designated Morrill Act funding to expand the college, which had been occupied by both armies during the war. [97] In 2014, Forbes ranked Knoxville one of the top five most affordable cities in the United States. © 2020 www.knoxnews.com. The fire department operates 19 stations with 308 uniformed personnel. Railroads account for about 12% of the Knoxville area's outbound freight and 16% of the area's inbound freight. [100] Sea Ray Boats is the city's largest manufacturer, employing 760 at its southeast Knoxville complex in 2009. Local agricultural products—especially tobacco, corn, and whiskey—were traded for cotton, which was grown in the Deep South. Knoxville is the principal city of the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 869,046 in 2019. Create an Account - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about. [108] Knoxville is also home to the nation's fourth largest wholesale grocer, The H. T. Hackney Company, which reported $3.8 billion in revenue in 2012,[109] and one of the nation's largest digital-centric advertising firms, Tombras Group, which reported $80 million in revenue in 2011. [100] The region had an unemployment rate of 7.9% in 2011. The CSA also includes the Morristown Metropolitan Statistical Area (Hamblen, Grainger, and Jefferson counties) and the Sevierville (Sevier County), La Follette (Campbell County), Harriman (Roane County), and Newport (Cocke County) Micropolitan Statistical Areas. TN-33 (Maryville Pike) traverses much of South Knoxville. Knoxville is also home to the headquarters of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Tennessee Supreme Court's courthouse for East Tennessee, and the corporate headquarters of several national and regional companies. [60] The development consisted of three office buildings, including a new headquarters for Regal Entertainment Group, a hotel, student housing, and 300 multi-family residential units. Ever since, Knoxville's downtown has been developing, with the opening of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and the Knoxville Convention Center, redevelopment of Market Square, a new visitors center, a regional history museum, a Regal Cinemas theater, several restaurants and bars, and many new and redeveloped condominiums. According to Arbitron's 2011 Radio Market Rankings, Knoxville had the nation's 72nd largest radio market, with 684,700 households. Interim mayor Daniel Brown, the first African-American to hold the office, was appointed in January 2011 following the resignation of Bill Haslam, who was elected Governor of Tennessee. [94], The racial and ethnic composition of the city was 76.1% white, 17.1% black, 0.4% Native American, 1.6% Asian, and 0.2% Pacific Islander. [128] The KSO maintains a core of full-time professional musicians, and performs at more than 200 events per year. [172] Knoxville Barge and Chattanooga-based Serodino, Inc., provide barge shipping services to and from the city. Regular routes connect the Downtown area, U.T., and most residential areas with major shopping centers throughout the city. Knoxville's busiest road is a stretch of U.S. Route 129 known as Alcoa Highway, which connects the Downtown area with McGhee Tyson Airport.