Yokneam Illit
יָקְנְעָם עילית يوكنعام عيليت | |
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City (from 2006) | |
![]() From left to right: View from the West, view from the South, Tel Yokneam, Green Day, Yokneam City Park, Yokneam High-Tech Park at night, Metri Park, Nahal Shofet | |
Nickname: Startup Village | |
Coordinates: 32°39′34″N 35°06′36″E / 32.65944°N 35.11000°E | |
Country | ![]() |
District | North |
Became a city on | December 18, 2006 |
Modern settlement | 1950 |
Ancient city | Bronze Age |
Government | |
• Type | Mayor–council |
• Body | Yokneam Illit municipality |
• Mayor | Roman Peres |
Area | |
• Total | 7.39 km2 (2.85 sq mi) |
Elevation | 166 m (545 ft) |
Population (2022)[1] | 24,617 |
• Rank | 69th in Israel |
• Density | 2,478.3/km2 (6,419/sq mi) |
• Rank | 57th in Israel |
Demonym | Yokneami |
Time zone | UTC+2 (IST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (IDT) |
Postal code | 20692 |
Area code | +972 (Israel) 4 (City) |
Website | www |
Yokneam Illit (Hebrew: יָקְנְעָם עילית), also Yoqne'am Illit and Jokneam Illit, is a city in northern Israel. It is located in a hilly region of the Lower Galilee at the base of the Carmel Mountains, and overlooks the Jezreel Valley. It is 21 kilometres (13 miles) from Haifa and 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Tel Aviv. Yokneam is known as Israel's "Startup Village" because its high-tech hub is surrounded by forest and small communities.[2]
Yokneam Illit was founded in 1950 and became a local authority in 1967, and a city in 2007. The city is located alongside the country's major highways – Highway 70 and Highway 6. In 2022 it had a population of 24,617.
Starting in 1989 when a new mayor, Simon Alfassi, was elected, the economic structure of Yokneam Illit changed from a centralized dependence on two large factories to a dispersed base of many small high-tech companies. As the number and size of the companies grew, Yokneam and the small communities around it began to attract young entrepreneurs and developers who were looking for a less urban alternative to the Tel Aviv area.[3] It now has over 100 high-tech companies, and exports of approximately 5 billion US dollars annually.[4]
The policy of the municipality is to build low-density, spacious homes to preserve the landscape and views from every home. Although real estate prices are low relative to the Tel Aviv area, its high rate of growth in recent years has pushed prices up faster than in similar-sized cities.[5]
היום יקנעם היא מעצמת היי-טק עם כחמישה מיליארד דולר ייצוא ועם מאה חברות, כולל תרבות וחינוך ואיכות חיים. [Today Yokneam is a high-tech giant with about $5 billion USD of exports and with 100 companies, including culture, education and quality of life.]