Tennessee State Route 33

State Route 33
State Route 33
	SR 33; primary in red, secondary in blue, unsigned in green
Route information
	Maintained by TDOT
Length	174.42 mi (280.70 km)
Existed	October 1, 1923–present
Major junctions
South end	US 411 / SR 61 at Georgia state line in Tennga, Georgia
	US 64 / US 74 in Ocoee; US 129 south of Maryville; US 321 in Maryville; US 411 / SR 35 in Maryville; US 441 in Knoxville; US 11 / US 70 in Knoxville; I-40 / I-275 / SR 62 in Knoxville; I-640 / US 25W in Fountain City; US 441 in Halls Crossroads; US 25E in Tazewell;
North end	SR 696 (to SR 600) at Virginia state line in Hancock County
Location
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
Counties	Polk, McMinn, Monroe, Loudon, Blount, Knox, Union, Claiborne, Hancock
Highway system
	Tennessee State Routes; Interstate; US; State;

State Route 33 (SR 33) is a primary and secondary route in East Tennessee. It runs 176 miles, from the Georgia state line in Polk County, northeast to the Virginia state line north of Kyles Ford in Hancock County. South of Maryville, SR 33 is a "hidden" route which shares a concurrency with US 411.

The section of SR 33 between Knoxville and Tazewell, along with US 25E between Tazewell and Middlesboro, Kentucky, was an inspiration for the song The Ballad of Thunder Road. In the song, a moonshiner runs illegal whiskey from Kentucky to Knoxville on this route.^[2] Sections of the former Highway 33 in Union County have signs marking "The Original Thunder Road".

^ Highway Planning Survey Division (1925). Biennial Report of the Commissioner of the Department of Highways and Public Works State of Tennessee for the Years 1923 and 1924 (PDF) (Report). Nashville: Tennessee Department of Highways and Public Works. pp. 39–44. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
^ "BALLAD OF THUNDER ROAD". www.univie.ac.at. Archived from the original on 2001-03-04.

[1] Highway Planning Survey Division (1925). Biennial Report of the Commissioner of the Department of Highways and Public Works State of Tennessee for the Years 1923 and 1924 (PDF) (Report). Nashville: Tennessee Department of Highways and Public Works. pp. 39–44. Retrieved May 19, 2023.

[2] "BALLAD OF THUNDER ROAD". www.univie.ac.at. Archived from the original on 2001-03-04.

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