Knoxville is the third largest city in the State of Tennessee. The city climate is humid subtropical with extremes of hot and cold. In the summer months temperatures run from 68-86 degrees while in the winter they are from 28-46 degrees.
The city has a population of about 183,546 in a 98 square mile area. The demographics for Knoxville are; 79.7% Caucasian; 16.2% African American; 0.31% Native American; 1.45% Asian; 0.72% Mixed.
The city’s economy is fueled by the nearby main campus of the University of Tennessee, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and many other Department of Energy facilities. Knoxville is the heart of the high tech research area known as the Tennessee Valley Corridor. Some of the major companies located in Knoxville are AC Entertainment, Bush Brothers and Company, Sea Ray and Regal Entertainment Group.
Knoxville is made up of a number of local neighborhoods, some of these being; Arlington, Lake Forest, Bearden and Lindbergh Forrest.
Knoxville has a rich arts community with many festivals hosted throughout the year. The Dogwood Arts festival is a 17 dayart, crafts, music and food fair which takes place every April. There is also a major contribution by this city to the music industry by way of bluegrass and country music. The city also has an Opera Company and in 2003 the magazine “Blender” ranked Knoxville as the 17th best music scene in the U.S.