A port of entry, it is a trade and shipping center for a farm, bituminous-coal, and marble area. Its industries include meatpacking, tobacco marketing, and the manufacture of seat belts, chemicals, textiles, and marble, wood, and metal products.
Tourism adds to the economy.
The city is surrounded by mountains and lakes, and the Great Smoky Mts. National Park and several state parks are nearby. The city is the seat of the Univ. It was the site of the 1982 World's Fair, which introduced permanent new structures to the city, such as the Sunsphere and the Tennessee Amphitheatre. Knoxville is headquarters of the Tennessee Valley Authority .