Car rental Knoxville Airport (TYS)

Knoxville Airport is  just under 25 kilometres south of the city. The fastest route from the airport to downtown is via US-129N and takes just 20 minutes.

Knoxville itself is a compact city, but one that’s excellently served by a comprehensive road network, making exploring the east of Tennessee simple. Several interstates and US routes connect the city with neighbouring states and the rest of the Volunteer State.

The I-40 cuts through the heart of the city, heading east into North Carolina and west to the country music capital of Nashville, then continuing on to Nashville. The I-75 heads south-west to Chattanooga. For the far north of the state and on to Kentucky, take the I-75. Inside the city, the I-640 serves as a northern beltway and the Tennessee River cuts the town in two.

There are plenty of parking lots and garages in Knoxville, with many free on weekends and during the evening. Check the signs on any restrictions when using on street parking meters.

Speed limits differ by area and road type, with a top speed on interstates of 70mph (112km/h) and a minimum speed of 55mph (88km/h) on some stretches.

Limits can fall to 30mph (48km/h) in residential and business areas and the mountain roads in the east of the state often have a limit of 45mph (72km/h). Remember that seat belts are compulsory in the state of Tennessee and use of a cell phone while driving is against the law.

Knoxville hosted the World’s Fair in 1982, an opportunity it used to start the long process of reinventing and reinvigorating itself. Today it’s undergone many positive changes and has been careful to preserve its history.

A well-known college town, Knoxville becomes a riot of orange when the University of Tennessee’s football team play at home. Join the throng and venture forth into the Smoky Mountains to experience Knoxville to the fullest.

Knoxville landmarks

The city has a low-rise skyline that offers spectacular views of the mist-shrouded Smoky Mountains in the middle distance. Standing out as the highest landmark within the skyline, the Sunsphere was built for the 1982 World’s Fair and hosts a number of businesses and an observation deck.

Views from the deck are truly breathtaking, offering stunning panoramas of the surrounding area. Making it that extra bit more special, the glass at the top of the building is tinted with 24-carat gold that truly dazzles.

Back on solid ground, there are some other notable buildings to tour. The Historic Ramsey House dates from the late 1800s. Made of marble and limestone, this building was once home to some of Knoxville’s earliest settlers.

There’s more pink marble at Governor John Sevier Farm Home, where an American Revolution hero once lived, while James White’s Fort is a restoration of a log cabin that belonged to Knoxville’s founder.

Game day

If the University of Tennessee Veterans are playing at home when you visit, you’ll know about it. They may just be a college team, but their support is vociferous, vocal and very visual – orange takes over the town on game day.

Neyland Stadium, the home of the team, holds over 100,000 people. Expect marching bands, cheerleaders, local rivalries and, potential future stars of the NFL.

Mountain high

The strip of the Smoky Mountains separates Tennessee from North Carolina and is only a short drive from the nearby national park. With Knoxville Airport car rental, you can make a trip to this impressive range with ease.

The peaks are often swathed in the mist that gives them their name, while the forests gleam in the sun. Wildflowers blanket the ground in Spring, while Fall brings a panoply of reds and browns in every possible shade.

Follow trails to some of the highest peaks, keeping an eye out for mills and log cabins, fire towers and homesteads, dams and churches that date back to the 1900s.

Car rental from Knoxville Airport allows you to discover all this and more at your own pace.