Interesting Facts

Knoxville was founded by a Revolutionary War veteran from North Carolina and was named for Secretary of War, Henry Knox. It was the first capital of Tennessee, and today it serves as the manufacturing center for the east Tennessee Valley.
Knoxville is a diversified industrial city. Not only is it the headquarters for the Tennessee Valley Authority, but it is also a marketplace for livestock and tobacco.
Knoxville's Sunsphere was built for the 1982 World's Fair held in the city. This 266-foot tower has an observation deck that offers beautiful views of downtown Knoxville and the Smoky Mountains. It also houses the offices for the Convention and Visitors Bureau Information Center.
Each year the city hosts the Dogwood Arts Festival. More than 150 events and activities are held throughout the community and include arts, crafts, and shows. The event also hosts a display of more than eighty public and private gardens. A must see is the more than sixty miles of marked dogwood trails that can be seen by car or bus tour.
Knoxville is located in a wide valley between the Cumberland Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains. Its location affords the area a moderate climate, with an annual average temperature of sixty degrees. It's the perfect weather to enjoy the 5,287 acres of park and recreation space that the county has to offer.
When it comes to traveling, Knoxville couldn't be situated in a better location! Three of the America's busiest interstate highways intersect in Knoxville. One-third of the country's population is within 500 miles of Knoxville via this interstate system.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park consists of 800 square miles and is the country's most visited national park. Over nine million visited the park in 1996, which is more than twice the amount to visit the Grand Canyon!
GO VOLS! The Volunteers of the University of Tennessee have a huge following of fans. The University began as Blount College in 1794 as an act of the legislature of the Southwest Territory that was meeting in the territorial capital of Knoxville. Today, the school is a campus to some 26,000 students.
Quentin Tarantino, a film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, was born in Knoxville in 1963. In 1994, he won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Pulp Fiction, a film that starred John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson.
It's a jungle in there! The Knoxville Zoo attracts some 400,000 visitors each year. The zoo is home to over 800 animals and is known worldwide for its work in red panda reproduction. It also collaborates with other zoos in helping animal species survive and reproduce in captivity.