Car rentals in Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Oak Ridge is a study in American history with a specific ZIP code: the city was built in secret by the federal government starting in 1942 as part of the Manhattan Project, and didn't officially exist on maps until after World War II. Today it's a community of about 31,000 with two of the most significant science and national security facilities in the country — Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the Y-12 National Security Complex. The American Museum of Science and Energy in downtown Oak Ridge is one of the more underrated history museums in the Southeast.

Drive865 serves ORNL researchers, longtime Oak Ridge residents, and visitors arriving at TYS who want to spend time in the Oak Ridge corridor before or after a trip toward the Smokies. TYS pickup is 35 minutes east on I-40, and the contactless lockbox process works the same regardless of where you're ultimately headed.

Oak Ridge sits on US-70 with I-40 access at the Oak Ridge Turnpike exit. The surrounding roads through Oliver Springs, Kingston, and toward Roane County are genuinely rural and low-traffic — better driving roads than the Oak Ridge reputation suggests.

ORNL and Y-12 visitors spending multiple days in the area have a useful range of day trips. South toward the Dragon: US-27 south from Oak Ridge through Oliver Springs and Wartburg connects to US-129, bringing you to Deals Gap in about 75 minutes without going through Knoxville. It's a less-traveled back-road approach through Morgan County terrain.

East toward Norris Lake: Norris is 20 minutes from Oak Ridge on US-441 north. The Norris Dam and surrounding trails are an afternoon destination. The FJ Cruiser on Norris Lake roads fits this perfectly — drive the history in Oak Ridge in the morning, the lake roads in the afternoon.

ORNL scientists and engineers working at the lab occasionally rent Drive865 cars for Dragon day trips on their off days. The Oak Ridge-to-Deals Gap back-road route avoids Knoxville's I-40 entirely and is a more interesting approach.

TYS is the most practical pickup for Oak Ridge renters. Take Oak Ridge Turnpike east to I-40 east, then I-140 south to the airport. The drive is 35 minutes and goes through Knoxville's western commercial corridor without hitting downtown. Economy Lot C lockbox is the same contactless process regardless of origin.

Alternatively: Maryville pickup or Knoxville delivery are options for Oak Ridge residents who'd rather not make the highway run twice. Message us about delivery to Oak Ridge addresses — it's further than our standard West Knox zone but we sometimes accommodate it for multi-day bookings.