Driving

Knoxville is a city where everyone drives to get where they’re going. Sprawling suburbs, shopping malls, and the interstate are evidence of this.

I-640 is a bypass interstate that makes a circle on the northern fringe of Knoxville and allows I-40 through traffic to avoid downtown. Part of I-640 is also I-275.

Until mid-2009, the downtown portion of I-40 is closed for expansion. Highway signs will point you in the direction of the best and closest interstate detour, usually towards I-640 and I-275.

The interstate closure is one reason to get off the highway, but it’s not the only one. Visitors should get onto ground level and take thoroughfares like Cumberland/Kingston Pike, Chapman Highway/Henley Street/Broadway, and Central, Magnolia, and Western Avenues to get a better sense of the character and geography of Knoxville. And with the possible exception of Kingston Pike, there’s less traffic, too.

Drive around downtown searching for a meter, or park in one of the many paid parking lots downtown. No matter what you do, all-day parking in Knoxville will rarely cost you more than $5 per day.

Public Transportation

The Knoxville Trolley Line offers free air-conditioned easy transit throughout downtown Knoxville most weekdays. The Orange Line (weekdays 7 a.m.–6 p.m.) connects UT and the World’s Fair Park with downtown, including Gay Street. The Blue Line (weekdays 6 a.m.–6 p.m.) connects Hall of Fame Drive and the Civic Coliseum with Henley Street and downtown. The Green Line (weekdays 7 a.m.–6 p.m.) connects UT with the Fort Sanders neighborhood, and operates only when UT is in session.

In addition, the late-night Purple Line, which operates on Friday and Saturday nights 6 p.m.–3:30 a.m. from August to May, travels from the Old City, along Gay Street, through the World’s Fair Park, and to the UT campus.

Most Knoxville Trolleys are red, although sometimes orange Knoxville Transit Authority vans fill in. They stop at locations designated by a trolley sign. For more information, call 865/637-3000 or go online to www.katbus.com.

© Susanna Henighan Potter from Moon Tennessee, 5th Edition