The Knoxville, Knox County, Knoxville Utilities Board Geographic Information System (KGIS) was established in
1985 by a charter agreement between the City of Knoxville, Knox County, and the Knoxville Utilities Board.
A KGIS Office was established, whose role was to administer the common portions of the KGIS and its computer
system. The KGIS Office was to also provide GIS and computer technical support, as well as serving as a clearinghouse
of GIS information and products. KGIS is unique in that it was the nation's first major multi-participant,
municipal GIS.
KGIS Overview Brochure
The KGIS Office is also responsible for updating a common set of computer-based maps (for the entire geographic
extents of Knox County) that are used by all of its users. This base map data includes planimetric maps,
topographic maps, digital terrain models, and digital ortho aerial photography. The KGIS Management Office
is also responsible for selling hardcopy map products and for all licensing of digital map products to the
general public or to groups providing services to one of the KGIS users.
The roughly 526 square miles of Knox County have been mapped at scales of 1 inch = 100 feet (1:1200) for highly
urbanized areas or at 1 inch = 200 feet (1:2400) for lesser developed areas. In addition to mapping the photo-identifiable
features, the various agencies comprising KGIS have mapped other related information, including property
and jurisdictional boundaries, road and address locations, utilities and facilities.
From a technical standpoint, the GIS allows for displaying the graphic (map) data as "layers of information";
that is, streets on one layer, parcels on another, houses on another, etc. That allows an almost unlimited
flexibility for viewing only the desired features and area. "Non-graphic" information is also associated
with many map features and is stored in databases for immediate retrieval.
The following list is representative of the different agencies and departments that make use of KGIS resources: