Alcoa is a city in Blount County, Tennessee, United States. Its population was 10,978 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Knoxville, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

As its name suggests, Alcoa was the site of a large aluminum smelting plant owned and operated by the Alcoa corporation (Aluminum Company of America). Formerly known as North Maryville, the town was incorporated under its present name in 1919.

left|thumb|200px|CCM tower, formerly part of ALCOA's North Plant (now operated by [[Arconic)]]

The company considered several potential plant sites in Knoxville, Etowah, and Monroe County, but chose North Maryville due in part to the influence of Maryville mayor Samuel Everett (1864–1941). By 1914, the company had completed the initial purchase of in North Maryville, and had initiated construction of the smelting plant and 150 houses for company employees. ALCOA's chief engineer Edwin Fickes and hydraulic engineer Robert Ewald drew up plans for the town to house the plant's workers. The town design initially called for the acquisition of , and included four sections— Vose and Springbrook in the north (around what is now Springbrook Park) and Bassel and Hall in the south (around what is now the South Plant). Hall, named for the inventor of the aluminum electrolytic process, was originally a segregated community for the plant's African-American workers. Oldfield, a small community between the planned town and Maryville, would later be annexed by the city of Alcoa.

Modern Alcoa

After World War II, the city of Alcoa became less and less dependent upon its parent company. Alcoa's public image had suffered due to its hardline stance toward labor unions, and in response, it launched a series of public relations initiatives, including the donation of land for schools, parks, and airport construction. The company also desegregated its facilities during this period. In the early 1950s, the company began selling off company housing to employees. In 1956, Ross Walker became the first city manager who was not employed by the company,

Geography

right|210px|thumb|Maryville-Alcoa Greenway sunset

The city is situated in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, the outermost of which, Chilhowee Mountain, rises just a few miles to the south. Large sections of the north-central and northeastern parts of the range are visible from Alcoa Highway. The Little River, which rises near the heart of the Smokies, flows through the eastern section of Alcoa before emptying into the Tennessee River near Louisville.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 5.90%, is water.

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Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Alcoa had a population of 10,978 people and 2,574 families. The median age was 38.0 years; 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.7 males age 18 and over.

99.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.7% lived in rural areas.

There were 4,632 households in Alcoa, of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 39.1% were married-couple households, 20.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 8,355 || 76.1%

|-

| Black or African American || 1,279 || 11.7%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 59 || 0.5%

|-

| Asian || 114 || 1.0%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 3 || 0.0%

|-

| Some other race || 359 || 3.3%

|-

| Two or more races || 809 || 7.4%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 805 || 7.3%

|}

2000 census

As of the census In the early 1930s, City Manager Hultquist used idle plant workers for park construction, and over the years, the company continued donating land for park construction and expansion. In 1998, a section of the Maryville-Alcoa Greenway was completed, connecting Alcoa's Springbrook Park with Maryville's Bicentennial Greenbelt Park.

Education

Alcoa City School District is the local school district for the vast majority of the city. A few parcels are in the Blount County Schools school district.

Infrastructure

right|200px|thumb|Pedestrian bridge over Alcoa Highway

In the 1990s, Alcoa engaged in a three-way struggle with Knoxville and Blount County for control of McGhee Tyson Airport, which is located in Blount County, but built and operated by Knoxville. In 1992, an attempt by Alcoa to annex the airport was blocked by a court ruling, and a similar attempt four years later was rejected by voters in a referendum. A third annexation attempt in 2002 also failed. The airport is currently managed by the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority.

Major thoroughfares

  • U.S. Route 129, locally known as "Alcoa Highway" or "Airport Highway", connects Alcoa with Knoxville to the north and traverses Blount County en route to the North Carolina border to the south.
  • Interstate 140/Tennessee State Route 162, known as Pellissippi Parkway, connects Alcoa with west Knoxville and Oak Ridge
  • State Route 35, which follows Hall Road
  • State Route 334, known as Louisville Road, connects Alcoa with Louisville, Tennessee.
  • State Route 335, which follows Hunt Road and Old Glory Road, connects Alcoa with eastern and western Blount County

Many of the city's streets, such as Bessemer, Joule, Edison, Darwin, and Watt, are named after famous scientists and inventors. Others, such as Hunt, Glascock, and Calderwood, were named for Alcoa company officials and engineers.

Notable people

  • Randall Cobb, graduate of Alcoa High School in 2008 and wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers
  • Dave Davis, former wide receiver in the National Football League
  • Linda Goss, award-winning storyteller
  • Bessie Harvey, self-taught sculptor
  • William Michaels, boxer
  • Shannon Mitchell, NFL player
  • Lynn Swann, NFL player, born there but grew up in San Mateo, California
  • Sidney A. Wallace, U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral, Recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal and Coast Guard Comendation Medal
  • Billy Williams, NFL player for the Washington Redskins

Government

Alcoa operates under the council-manager form of government providing a full range of services including police, fire, public works, recreation, planning and code enforcement along with electric, water and sewer utilities to our 8,500 residents and our estimated 40,000 daily visitors. Current City Management Staff includes:

{| class="wikitable"

|+Alcoa City Management

!City Title

!Name

|-

|City Manager

|Bruce M. Applegate, Jr.

|-

|Deputy City Manager

|

|-

|City Attorney

|Stephanie D. Coleman

|-

|City Judge

|Allen Bray

|-

|Public Information Officer

|Emily Assenmacher

|}

See also

  • Millennium Manor

References

  • City of Alcoa official website
  • City charter
  • Visit Alcoa