Yokneam Illit
Yokneam Illit
יקנעם עילית | |
|---|---|
| Hebrew transcription(s) | |
| • ISO 259 | Yoqnˁamm ʕillit |
| • Also spelled | Yoq'neam Illit |
View of Yokneam Illit | |
| Coordinates: 32°39′34″N 35°06′36″E / 32.65944°N 35.11000°E | |
| Country | Israel |
| District | Northern |
| Subdistrict | Jezreel |
| Became a city on | December 18, 2006 |
| Modern settlement | 1950 |
| Ancient city | Bronze Age |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| • Body | Yokneam Illit municipality |
| • Mayor | Roman Peres |
| Area | |
• Total | 7.39 km2 (2.85 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 166 m (545 ft) |
| Population (2022) | 24,617 |
| • Rank | 69th in Israel |
| • Density | 2,478.3/km2 (6,419/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 57th in Israel |
| Demonym | Yokneami |
| Ethnicity | |
| • Jews and others | 99.9% |
| • Arabs | 0.1% |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (IST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (IDT) |
| Postal code | 20692 |
| Area code | +972 (Israel) 4 (City) |
| Website | www.yoqneam.org.il |
Yokneam Illit (Hebrew: יקנעם עילית), also Yoqne'am Illit, is a city in the Northern District of Israel. It is located in a hilly region of the Lower Galilee at the base of the Carmel Mountains, and overlooks the Jezreel Valley. It is 21 kilometres (13 miles) from Haifa and 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Tel Aviv. Yokneam Illit, known as Israel's "Startup Village", is home to a high-tech hub surrounded by forests and small communities. In 2022 it had a population of 24,617.
Yokneam Illit was founded in 1950. It was recognized as a local council in 1967 and achieved city status in 2007. It is located on the route of Israel's major highways – Highway 70 and Highway 6. In 1989, after Simon Alfassi was elected mayor, Yokneam Illit began to attract high-tech companies looking for an alternative to Gush Dan.
Over 100 high-tech companies now operate from Yokneam Illit, generating exports of approximately 5 billion US dollars annually. Although real estate prices are low relative to the Gush Dan area, the high rate of growth has pushed prices up faster than in similar-sized cities.