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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.
All roads lead to Oak Ridge. About 25 miles west of Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Tennessee is conveniently located near I-75 and I-40. Whether you’re in East Tennessee for a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park or Dollywood, it’s easy to plan a visit to Oak Ridge as well.
- Amy Irvine
- The Manhattan Project. In August 1939, Albert Einstein wrote to President Roosevelt warning him that the Nazis and German scientists were buying up uranium ore and might be trying to build a new and powerful bomb using nuclear technology.
- Why was Oak Ridge chosen? Oakridge in Tennessee was one of three ‘secret cities’ chosen by Groves on 19 September 1942 to be part of the Manhattan Project, along with Los Alamos in New Mexico and Hanford/Richland in Washington state.
- The Oak Ridge community. Designed to house the massive facilities needed to refine radioactive material to produce fuel for atomic bombs and construct the weapons, Oak Ridge also needed to house the workers and their families.
- Secrecy. Whilst thousands of people worked there, Oak Ridge officially did not exist during the war and couldn’t be found on any map. The site was referred to as ‘Site X’ or ‘Clinton Engineering Works’.
Born in war and rich in natural beauty, Oak Ridge is the “Secret City” with a big story to tell. Travel around town with our resident expert, Katie the Calutron Girl, to learn more! Getting Here. Katie’s Adventures. Catching the Fish of a Lifetime in Oak Ridge.
Sep 21, 2023 · Location: Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Significance: Oak Ridge was the headquarters site for the Manhattan Project, a secret United States government project during World War II that produced the world’s first atomic weapons. Designation: American World War II Heritage City.
Jun 2, 2020 · Jun 2nd 2020. Road Culture. The Secret City: Touring a rural Tennessee community that went from making atomic bombs to rocket fuel. Oak Ridge was built in 1942 as part of the Manhattan Project—but its thousands of workers were largely unaware of their role in the war effort. By Caroline Eubanks & Roadtrippers.
Get around. See. Do. Buy. Eat. Drink. Sleep. Go next. Oak Ridge is a city in Tennessee. Oak Ridge was created as secret city during World War II as part of the Manhattan Project. In Oak Ridge, thousands worked in secrecy to enrich the uranium used in the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.
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