Knoxville, nestled on the Tennessee River within the Appalachian Mountains, is East Tennessee's largest city and its county seat, boasting a 2020 population of over 190,000. Founded in 1786, it served as Tennessee's first capital, overcoming early geographic isolation with a transformative railroad boom in 1855. The city faced bitter division during the American Civil War, culminating in the Battle of Fort Sanders in 1863, before experiencing post-war growth that later stagnated until the 1982 World's Fair sparked significant revitalization.
Today, Knoxville is a vibrant center, home to the University of Tennessee's flagship campus, the headquarters of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and several major corporate offices. With a rich history that includes indigenous Woodland and Mississippian cultures, and later the Cherokee people, the city now proudly embraces its identity as a repository of Appalachian culture. It also serves as a crucial gateway to the breathtaking Great Smoky Mountains National Park.