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.
History
Early company town
Shortly after the Pittsburgh Reduction Company changed its name to the Aluminum Company of America in 1907, the company began investigating the possibility of establishing a large
smelting
Smelting is a process of applying heat and a chemical reducing agent to an ore to extract a desired base metal product. It is a form of extractive metallurgy that is used to obtain many metals such as iron-making, iron, copper extraction, copper ...
operation in East Tennessee. The
hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...
potential of the
Little Tennessee River, which exits the mountains about southwest of Alcoa, was one of the primary incentives, as the company's aluminum smelting operation would require massive amounts of electricity. In 1910, the company established a base camp at what is now known as
Calderwood, initially known as "Alcoa", and was known as such until the name was reapplied to the company's operations in North Maryville a few years later.
[Russell Parker, "Alcoa, Tennessee: The Early Years, 1919−1939." ''East Tennessee Historical Society Publications'' Vol. 48 (1976), pp. 84-100.]

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.
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
brought about a spike in the demand for aluminum, and the company quickly expanded its North Maryville operations. In 1919, a rolling mill (now West Plant) was completed, and the company purchased the Knoxville Power Company for its Little Tennessee Valley holdings. That same year, the company's town officially incorporated as "Alcoa". C.L. Babcock was the town's first mayor, and Victor Hultquist was the first city manager. Hultquist, who was also ALCOA's superintendent of construction, remained city manager until 1948, and oversaw much of the town's early development. In 1920, Alcoa had a population of 3,358 people living in 700 houses.
The Great Depression and World War II
Early Alcoa was a classic "company town", with the company maintaining a paternalistic relationship with the city. The city's welfare was almost wholly dependent upon the company's fortunes. This presented a problem for the company, which feared that its workforce would leave to look for jobs elsewhere during times of low production. Thus, during the
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, the company maintained steady production levels in spite of the lack of demand for aluminum. Managers sought to cut workers' hours— which at one point dropped to 30 hours per week— rather than slash jobs. By the end of the decade, the company had stockpiled 42,000 tons of aluminum.
The Depression (and accompanying
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of wide-reaching economic, social, and political reforms enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1938, in response to the Great Depression in the United States, Great Depressi ...
legislation) also brought about increased
labor union
A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...
activity in Alcoa. A strike in 1934 was forcibly ended when Hultquist deployed a large police force. A second strike in 1937 was broken in a similar fashion, with two striking workers shot and killed and the National Guard forced to intervene.
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
proved immensely profitable for ALCOA, as aluminum was needed for aircraft construction. Production increased 600% during the war, and the company's Alcoa operations workforce swelled to 12,000. In the early 1940s, the company built its North Plant, which at the time of its completion was the world's largest plant under a single roof.
[Russell Parker, "Alcoa, Tennessee: The Years of Change, 1940−1960." ''East Tennessee Historical Society Publications'' Vol. 49 (1977), pp. 99-117.]
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.
[Tara Mitchel Mielnik,]
ALCOA, Inc.
" ''The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture'', 2002. Retrieved: April 23, 2008. In 1956, Ross Walker became the first city manager who was not employed by the company,
and toward the end of the decade, the company had relinquished ownership of city utilities. The completion of the Hall Road Viaduct in the 1940s and the continued development of McGhee Tyson Airport over subsequent decades led to commercial expansion and helped the city diversify its economy.
[City of Alcoa]
Public Works and Street Development − History
. Retrieved: July 22, 2009.
Geography

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
The Tennessee River is a long river located in the Southern United States, southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. Flowing through the states of Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, it begins at the confluence of Fren ...
near
Louisville.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 5.90%, is water.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Alcoa has a
Humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 10,978 people, 3,835 households, and 2,574 families residing in the city.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 7,734 people, 3,489 households, and 2,159 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,857 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.15%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 16.01%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.19%
Native American, 0.34%
Asian, 0.01%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.78% from
other races, and 1.53% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 1.89% of the population.
There were 3,489 households, out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.80.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.9% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,520, and the median income for a family was $44,333. Males had a median income of $31,464 versus $23,212 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $19,526. About 9.1% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.
Parks and recreation
Alcoa's early developers considered public parks an essential part of the city, and in the 1920s, Alcoa sought to set aside of land for parks for every 100 people living in the city. 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

In the 1990s, Alcoa engaged in a three-way struggle with Knoxville and Blount County for control of
McGhee Tyson Airport
McGhee Tyson Airport is a public/military airport south of Knoxville, Tennessee, Knoxville,. Federal Aviation Administration. effective April 17, 2025. in Alcoa, Tennessee. It is named for United States Navy pilot Charles McGhee Tyson, who wa ...
, 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
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
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
A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
for the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
*
Dave Davis, former
wide receiver
A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
*
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
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
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:
See also
*
Millennium Manor
References
External links
City of Alcoa official websiteCity charter
Visit Alcoa
{{authority control
Cities in Tennessee
Company towns in Tennessee
Cities in Blount County, Tennessee
Knoxville metropolitan area
1919 establishments in Tennessee
Alcoa
Tennessee populated places on the Tennessee River