Clinton is a slow-paced community of around 10,000 residents, situated 20 miles northwest of Knoxville. Community events, a historic downtown area and quiet evenings root this city in a small-town spirit. “You feel like you’re in a Hallmark movie here,” says Amie Dodson, a Knoxville resident and Realtor at NextHome Clinch Valley. “The town is busy during the day with football games at Clinton High and shopping downtown, but most people are in their homes by early evening." Life here revolves around a passionate antiquing scene and outdoor time along the Clinch River. Though quiet, Clinton is a city in motion, with municipal projects expanding and improving the downtown area and parks. Clinton claims its own industry, home to two of the world's top five automotive parts suppliers. Industrial parks employ nearly half of the city's population and continue to grow. Clinton's proximity to Tennessee's third-largest city opens up another world of jobs, entertainment, events, nightlife, and nature.
Clinton was incorporated in 1890 and is the county seat for Anderson County.
Historic Downtown Clinton has many shops and buildings to explore.
The Clinton High School Dragons play on a turf football field in Downtown Clinton.
Find all sorts of eclectic items and antiques in downtown Clinton.
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Downtown Clinton embraces the past and the future
Downtown Clinton holds the city's history, culture, and shopping and dining scene. Here, the Green McAdoo Cultural Center pays homage to Clinton 12, a group of 12 African American students who integrated Clinton High School in 1956. The center has an interactive 1950s classroom where actors teach about the city's role in the Civil Rights movement. Downtown revitalization efforts in 2021 included pedestrian improvements and beautification. Today, Market Street is a walkable avenue hosting many antique stores and boutiques. Hoskins, operating since 1930, maintains an old-school vibe with a restaurant, soda fountain and drugstore. "It's like your hometown pharmacy you would see in The Andy Griffith Show," says Victoria Melhorn, Realtor with Realty Executives Associates and a Clinton resident since 2015. "People love going there. You're going to have your regulars that sit at the counter at 5 a.m. and read the paper and talk about the fishing." Harrison's Grill and Bar is an all-American restaurant known for burgers, ribs, steaks and seafood. Food City, Ingles, Dollar General and Walgreens have the essentials in town.
Local favorite Harrison's Restaurant serves up hospitality and delicious fare in Clinton.
E. Claire's Coffee House sits in Historic Downtown Clinton and offers up lots of specialties.
Green McAdoo Cultural Center is dedicated to telling the story of the Clinton 12.
Hoskins Drug Store is located on Main Street in downtown Clinton.
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Clinch River Antique Festivals draw a crowd
Clinton fosters community spirit with many events throughout the year. Antique festivals in the spring and fall are some of the city's best-attended events, with hundreds of vendors selling secondhand finds on Market Street. The Mosaic Arts Festival in April invites visitors to peruse fine art vendors, and kids can get creative with their own crafts. Clinton is the county seat of Anderson County and comes to life during the county fair. The July event features beauty pageants, comedy shows, a tractor pull and other fair festivities.
Lower home prices than nearby Knoxville
Clinton's affordability is one of its appeals. The city has a median home price of $330,000, compared with around $400,000 for the U.S. and Knoxville. This number is rising, with an increase of 16% between 2023 and 2024. It offers a more urban feel in the city core, with homes on quarter-acre lots, and a more rural feel on the outskirts with farmhouses on multiple acres. It also offers neighborhoods that vary in price. On the city's north side, Westwood Estates is a sought-after neighborhood with midcentury ranches and stately New Traditional homes ranging from $300,000 to $600,000. On the southwest side, Mariner Point has Colonial Revivals and other styles from the '90s and '00s with waterfront access. Prices there can range from $500,000 to $700,000, depending on proximity to the water. Condos in that area also provide more affordable options.
Future homeowners can find the occasional Cape Cod home overlooking Downtown Clinton.
Small Cottages dot the landscape around the residential side of Clinton.
You can find Ranch Mid-Century Modern homes in Clinton.
Find brand new Farmhouses on the banks of the Clinch River.
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New Aspire Park is Clinton's largest green space
Clinton shows a commitment to maintaining and adding to its parks with an annual budget of $1 million. The city packs a dog park, community center and four parks within 12 square miles, providing space for exercise, riverfront views and group activities. Aspire Park, which will open in October 2024, is the city's newest and largest park. At 370 acres, it's also the largest private park in the Southeast that is free to the public. The sprawling park has a diverse landscape with flat wildflower meadows and mountainous hikes. Jaycee Park has a horse arena and recently added a new pool and splash pad. Lakefront Park provides access to the Clinch River with a boat launch.
Clinton Community Center offers many great activities to the public.
Clinton City Park sits near Melton Hill Lake and features a splash pad and tennis court.
Aspire Park is the largest private park in the Southeast and is open to the public.
Aspire Park encompasses a sprawling 370 acres in Clinton, TN.
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Clinton High is a designated STEM school
Clinton kids start out in the Clinton City School District, which earns a B-plus from Niche. The district oversees about 950 students in preschool through sixth grade, and has three elementary schools. These schools utilize a Technology for Learning program, through which students get their own Chromebooks for instructional use. Clinton Elementary School earns an A-minus and offers a School Leadership Team for fifth and sixth graders who show exemplary character and work ethic. The Anderson County School District, earning a B-minus, serves this area's middle and high schoolers. Clinton High School became the first public high school in the South to desegregate its student body when the Clinton 12 walked through its doors in 1956. Today, it's one of 88 schools in the state to earn a STEM School designation for preparing kids for postsecondary success. Clinton High students may join the school's robotics team, which competed in the Smokey Mountain Regionals in 2024. Niche gives Clinton High a B-minus.
Clinton Elementary School gets an A-minus from Niche.
Clinton Middle School earns an overall grade of B from Niche.
Clinton High School scores an overall grade of C-plus from Niche.
Green McAdoo Cultural Center is located in Clinton and features a 1950s classroom.
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Clinton Police Department takes crime reduction measures
Clinton has higher violent and property crime rates than the national average. According to FBI data, Clinton in 2019 had 447 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, versus 367 nationally. For the same year, the city saw 3,220 property crimes per 100,000 residents, compared with 2,210 nationally. The Clinton Police Department fulfills house watch requests to protect homes while residents are out of town. Clinton has a humid subtropical climate, known for hot and humid summers and cool to mild winters. The temperature varies from 31 F to 88 F and rarely goes below 17 F or above 94 F.
Multiple routes to Knoxville
Clinton has a north-south route and an east-west route cutting through the center, easily connecting the city to nearby areas. U.S. 25 is the most direct route south to Knoxville. State Route 61 leads to the nearby cities of Norris and Oak Ridge. Public transportation is not available in or out of Clinton. Methodist Medical center has the closest emergency room, 9.5 miles southwest. McGhee Tyson Airport, 31 miles south, has nonstop flights to 33 destinations in the U.S.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
