Knoxville, city in eastern Tennessee and seat of Knox County. The city is located on the Tennessee River, in a broad valley that lies between the Great Smoky Mountains and the Cumberland Mountains.
Knoxville is the commercial center of an area in which limestone, marble, livestock, and zinc are produced. Manufactures include motor-vehicle supplies, prefabricated houses, boats, clothing, computer peripherals, electrical equipment, plastics, and processed food. Knoxville is the headquarters of several high-technology companies, as well as the Tennessee Valley Authority, a major employer that produces electricity for Tennessee and portions of seven other states. The nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park and other natural attractions make tourism an important sector of the city's economy. The city is served by the McGhee Tyson Airport, and is intersected by three major interstate highways.
