Oneida, TN

Sitting on the northern Cumberland Plateau in Scott County, Oneida is a welcoming town of around 3,800 people right at the doorstep of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Founded in the late 19th century as a rail stop and named after Oneida, New York, the community originally grew around the plateau's timber and coal industries. Today, the town blends that railroad heritage with easy access to scenic mountain trails, rivers, and sandstone gorges.

ATTRBrian Stansberry / CC BY 3.0

Families are served by the independent Oneida Special School District, which has been a staple of the community since 1915. Most day-to-day shopping and dining sits along U.S. 27 and Main Street, with Knoxville about an hour and a half away for major medical centers and commercial hubs. With local parks, a community sports complex, and world-class hiking, paddling, and horseback riding minutes away, Oneida offers a relaxed small-town lifestyle surrounded by nature.