Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Oak Ridge, Tennessee | |
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Images, from top down, left to right: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Commemorative Walk monument, Y-12 National Security Complex, Melton Hill Lake, American Museum of Science and Energy, International Friendship Bell, The Chapel on the Hill | |
| Nickname(s): The Atomic City, The Secret City, The City Behind a Fence | |
| Motto: "The Vision Lives On" | |
Location of Oak Ridge in Anderson and Roane Counties, Tennessee. | |
| Coordinates: 36°0′37″N 84°16′11″W / 36.01028°N 84.26972°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| Counties | Anderson, Roane |
| Established | 1942 |
| Incorporated | 1959 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-manager (under home-rule charter) |
| • Mayor | Warren Gooch (D) |
| • City Manager | Randall Hemann |
| • City Council | List of Councilmembers |
| Area | |
• Total | 89.95 sq mi (232.98 km2) |
| • Land | 85.25 sq mi (220.80 km2) |
| • Water | 4.70 sq mi (12.18 km2) |
| • Rank | 134th US |
| Elevation | 850 ft (260 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 31,402 |
| • Density | 368.35/sq mi (142.22/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 37830-37831 |
| Area code | 865 |
| FIPS code | 47-55120 |
| Website | www |
Oak Ridge is a city in Anderson and Roane counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Tennessee, about 25 miles (40 km) west of downtown Knoxville. Oak Ridge's population was 31,402 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Knoxville Metropolitan Area. Oak Ridge's nicknames include the Atomic City, the Secret City, and the City Behind a Fence.
In 1942, the United States federal government forcibly purchased nearly 60,000 acres (240 km2) of farmland in the Clinch River valley for the development of a planned city supporting 75,000 residents. It was constructed with assistance from architectural and engineering firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, from 1942 to 1943. Oak Ridge was established in 1942 as a production site for the Manhattan Project—the massive American, British, and Canadian operation that developed the atomic bomb. Being the site of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Y-12 National Security Complex, and several private nuclear and scientific facilities, scientific and technological development still plays a crucial role in the city's economy and culture in general. In 2016, the element tennessine was named for Tennessee, in recognition of the role played by Oak Ridge and other institutions in the state in its discovery.