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Welcome to Oak Ridge, the 17th largest city in Tennessee and home of 27,387 wonderful folks! Oak Ridge's rich history began in September 1942 when a 60,000-acre section of Anderson and Roane counties was selected to become a vast, complex and secret part of the Manhattan Project. New York-based Skidmore, Owings and Merrill was hired to literally design and supervise construction of our entire original town (streets, schools, utilities, houses, etc.) from scratch! The required workforce - construction workers, engineers, scientists, skilled craftspeople, |
As World War II concluded, the future of Oak Ridge rested in the balance. What would happen to a secret town created with the singular purpose of winning World War II? The answers came quickly:
In March 1949, the security gates at every entrance to Oak Ridge were taken down. On August 4, 1955, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Atomic Energy Communities Act, allowing self-government and the sale of housing in Oak Ridge. On March 20, 1957, the Tennessee General Assembly passed and Governor Frank Clement signed the "Oak Ridge Law," a bill allowing for the incorporation of Oak Ridge. On May 5, 1959, Oak Ridgers elected to incorporate by a vote of 5,552 to 395.
Oak Ridge had become a thriving, diverse, self-governing city! Today, Oak Ridge is an active and modern town providing excellent city services, attractive green spaces, an excellent educational system and cultural opportunities most often found in larger cities only. Consider the following:
Oak Ridge is a safe place to live. The number of crimes against persons in Oak Ridge is 38% lower than comparable cities in Tennessee, and our fire department carries Advanced Life port trained personnel on emergency calls.
Oak Ridge schools are excellent. The Oak Ridge School System was named one of the top 100 systems in the United States, second in the South, by the Wall Street Journal's Offspring magazine in its September 2000 issue. Additionally, in Expansion Management magazine's 2000 Education Quotient, Oak Ridge Schools was the only Tennessee system receiving the Gold Medal designation as one of the nation's top performing school systems. A complete list of Oak Ridge Schools' accomplishments is listed here .
Oak Ridgers enjoy cultural opportunities. These opportunities include The Art Center, Oak Ridge Civic Music Association, Children's Showchoir, Community Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, Oak Ridge Playhouse and Junior Playhouse, Community Band, Oak Ridge Civic Ballet and many others.
Oak Ridge has significant green space. Oak Ridge has over 30 miles of public greenways and walking trails – nearly double the average length in comparable cities in Tennessee. Also, Oak Ridge has 46 acres of parkland per 1000 population, nearly five times the national standard.
Oak Ridge preserves its heritage. Oak Ridge museums include the Children's Museum, the American Museum of Science and Energy, the Oak Ridge Art Center, and the Southern Appalachian Railway Museum.
Oak Ridgers are active and diverse. A sampling of active Oak Ridge organizations includes the Organization of Chinese Americans, Oak Ridge Rowing Association, NAACP, Sister City port Organization, Friends of the Oak Ridge Public Library, Association for Women in Science, Oak Ridge Heritage & Preservation Association, Friends of Haw Ridge, Oak Ridge Institute for Continued Learning, Boy's Club, Girls Inc., League of Women Voters, Blacks in Government, and literally hundreds of others. See Oak Ridge Aera Non-profit organizations for a complete list.
The overriding mission of the Oak Ridge City Council, the Oak Ridge Board of Education, and our City and School System staffs is to maintain our city as an exceptional place for all to live, work, and visit. We welcome visitors to Oak Ridge. The Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau, located at the site of the American Museum of Science and Energy, would be the perfect place for a traveler to Oak Ridge to begin a visit. Come and enjoy our town!