Following Nashville and Memphis, Knoxville is the third largest city in Tennessee, making this city a prime urban center. Knoxville's economy thrives on the following places located in the city: University of Tennessee, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the National Transportation Research Center, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Knoxville is considered the heart of the Tennessee Valley Corridor, a high-tech industry that expands from Blacksburg, Virginia, to Huntsville, Alabama. Knoxville has numerous attraction opportunities not only within the city but just outside of it as well. Knoxville is the nearest town to Smoky Mountain National Park, providing an outlet to Tennessee's gorgeous countryside. You'll also find Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg each less than 43 miles away from Knoxville, making destinations like Dollywood and Splash Country less than an hour away.
General City Information
- Population: 178,118 (Estimate for July 2004)
- Land Area: 254.1 square kilometers
- County: Knox
- Time Zone: Eastern
- Number of Television Stations: 8
Distances to Major Cities
- Atlanta, GA: 213.8 miles
- Nashville, TN: 179.2 miles
- Gatlinburg, TN: 42.4 miles
- Memphis, TN: 391.6 miles
- Charleston, SC: 372.7 miles
- St. Louis, MO: 486.9 miles
- Louisville, KY: 246.5 miles
- Richmond, VA: 432.2 miles
- Chicago, IL: 541.1 miles
- Cleveland, OH: 500.1 miles
- Pittsburgh, PA: 537.2 miles
- Orlando, FL: 652.7 miles
- Green Bay, WI: 745.3 miles
Knoxville Top Attractions
Knoxville Transportation Facilities
Knoxville Colleges and Universities
- University of Tennessee (main campus)
- Fountainhead College of Technology
- Johnson Bible College
- Knoxville College
- Pellissippi State Technical Community College
- South College (formerly Knoxville Business College)
Dining Options in Downtown Knoxville
- Bistro at the Bijou
- Barley's Taproom
- Calhoun's On the River
- Chesapeake's
- Downtown Grill & Brewery
- Pasta Trio
- Preservation Pub
- Regas
- The Melting Pot
- Moe's Southwest Grill
- Mellow Mushroom
Knoxville Shopping
- Knoxville Center Mall
- West Town Mall
- Knoxville's Market Square
- Old City Historic District
- Southern Market
- Homberg Place
Interesting Knoxville Facts
- Knoxville was named after the first Secretary of War, Henry Knox.
- Mountain Dew was first marketed in Knoxville, but the drink was originally intended to be only a mixer for whiskey.
- Knoxville hosted the 1982 World's Fair.
- Knoxville was Tennessee's state capital from its entrance into the United States in 1796 until 1815.
- Knoxville's annual Boomsday is the largest display of Labor Day fireworks in the United States.
Notable Natives and Residents of Knoxville
- Brian Bell, guitarist for the band Weezer
- Kenny Chesney, country musician
- Mary Costa, opera singer, voice of Disney's Sleeping Beauty
- Nikki Giovanni, poet
- Todd Helton, baseball player
- William H. Hastie, governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands and the first African American appellate court judge
- Johnny Knoxville, actor
- Patricia Neal, actress
- Brad Renfro, actor
- Quentin Tarantino, film director
Knoxville Hospitals and Medical Centers
- Baptist Hospital of East Tennessee
- East Tennessee Children's Hospital
- Fort Sanders Park West Medical Center
- Saint Mary's Medical Center
- University of Tennessee Medical Center
Important Telephone Numbers
- Knoxville Customer Service Center Phone Number: 311
- Knoxville Emergency Phone Number (Ambulance, Fire Fighters, Police): 911
