Knoxville Tennessee is known as one of the most beautiful and scenic cities in the United States. It has access to majestic mountain top views from the Smoky Mountains, along with an abundance of scenic waterways and rivers.
The city of Knoxville is situated at the headwaters of the Tennessee River where the French Broad and the Holston Rivers converge, and lies in a scenic valley in the shadows of the Great Smoky Mountains and the Cumberlands.
It has a humid subtropical climate zone although it is not quite as hot as areas to the south and west due to the higher elevations. Summers are hot and very humid, with July highs averaging 88 and lows averaging 69.Winters are generally cool with snow not an uncommon occurrence, with January averaging a high of 47 and a low of 30, although low temperatures in the teens and single digits are an annual occurrence. Annual rainfall averages 48 inches and average winter snowfall in 10 inches.
The main tourist information centre in the city is the Knoxville Visitor Centre along One Vision Plaza. Here you can get tourism brochures, leaflets, travel timetables, booking services and all the information youll need to visit attractions in and around downtown Knoxville, the Old City, Worlds Fair Park and the University of Tennessee.
Popular tourist attractions include James Whites Fort the historic fort once home of Knoxvilles founder, General James White. Blount Mansion National Historical Landmark, containing exquisite furnishings and antiques. Ramsey House Plantation, reputed to be Tennessees first stone house. Alex Haley Statue an eye catching giant bronze statue of Pulitzer Prize winner Alex Haley. Crescent Bend an 18th century farm, with landscaped Italian gardens and fountains.
Outdoor recreational activities including hiking, boating, camping and cycling.
On the first Friday of each month, shops and art galleries in the downtown area keep their doors open to the public until late in the evening, offering complimentary food and entertainment, as well as the chance for those who work until 5 pm to come explore downtown.
The economy is largely fuelled by the regional location of the main campus of the University of Tennessee, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and other Department of Energy facilities in nearby Oak Ridge, the National Transportation Research Centre, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Due to its central location in the eastern half of the United States and proximity to two major Interstate highways, many warehousing and distribution companies operate in and around Knoxville. The Old City is home to most of Knoxvilles historic warehouses and factories.
