Knoxville is in Knox County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 177,661, with a metro population of 704,431. It is the county seat of Knox County^GR6, and is the third-largest city in the state of Tennessee behind Memphis and Nashville. Its nickname is the Marble City, from when it was a major center of marble distribution in the early 20th century. It was named in honor of the first Secretary of War, Henry Knox.

Knoxville is also the home of the University of Tennessee's primary campus (UTK). The university's sports teams, called the "Volunteers" or "Vols," are extremely popular in the surrounding area. In fact, the area code comprising Knoxville and the surrounding counties is 865 (VOL). Knoxville is also the home of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, thanks partly to the popularity of Pat Summitt and the University of Tennessee women's basketball team.

As of 2006, the current mayor is Bill Haslam. The previous mayor of sixteen years, Victor Ashe, was named United States Ambassador to Poland in June 2004.