Pictures of Clarksville evoke a sleepy Mayberry RFD vibe, but there’s a lot more to do here than similarly sized cities and its diversity and younger population are an incredible strength for a smaller town. In addition to excellent restaurants, Clarksville has plenty of bars and clubs if you’re looking for more adventurous late-night socializing. The Downtown area of Clarksville is so beloved in fact that Clarksville was named by [Money Magazine as the #1 place](https://clarksvillenow.com/local/clarksville-named-best-place-to-live-by-money-magazine/) to live in the U.S. in part due to the historic downtown. 

Outdoor recreation is big also, with plenty of hiking, biking, and climbing close by. Families also have plenty to do with go-karts, mini-golf, and museum (kid and grown-up) exploring available in town.

Clarksville is the county seat and has a downtown but it feels a bit more like a suburban town with most growth out rather than up and traffic is an issue. Residents complain the infrastructure has not caught up to population growth, leading to traffic jams that are uncommon in most cities along the Tennessee/ Kentucky border. This can make commuting to nearby Nashville even more of a pain than it should be.

Small Town Meets Diverse City

LookyLOO  Review of Clarksville, TN?

Locals in Clarksville are known for being small-town friendly. It's a pretty diverse area for a small city with residents known for being welcoming to newcomers despite being annoyed by city expansion. Outdoor enthusiasts will take solace in knowing that wooded trails and the local riverwalk are all in town so you don’t have to take a drive to experience the fresh air and views. There are also plenty of mountain biking trails and rock climbing crags just a short drive out of town. There’s been plenty of growth in breweries, wineries, bars, and performance theaters in the downtown area so social opportunities are bountiful. Nashville is also less than an hour's drive for those looking for an escape to a bigger city every once in a while.

If you want to get a taste of what living in Clarksville is like then check out the [calendar of events](https://clarksvillenow.com/events/#/).

We highly recommend visiting Clarksville and staying in the community in a [VRBO](https://vrbo.com/affiliate/p4JS4ZC) rather than a hotel to get a feel for what it's like to live among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our [partnership with Expedia](expedia.com/affiliate/9NZ8LBQ) as well.


Lifestyle 

Home to the Fort Campbell Military Base, Clarksville’s number one employer is the military. Large corporations like Bridgestone and Trane Company have large operations in Clarksville that employ hundreds of locals. Nashville is also a bit less than an hour away for anyone willing to commit to a long commute.


Worklife

If you want a city with a small, diverse, southern feel with amenities that stretch beyond what is typically available, including the energy of a college town, Clarksville is an incredible option. 


Fun, Diverse, Affordable

Why You Should Move Here Now?

**blackballoon35**
9mo ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

Alright so... Your post is asking about life here in general but most people seem to be focused on the traffic (which in fairness, really is quite terrible) so I'll expand a bit on other aspects instead.

It's a military town so you'll encounter people from all over. Most people here have either been here their whole lives or just moved here in the past few years- not a lot of in-between. Locals don't love the recent growth and aren't always welcoming, but the community can really come together when they want to (for example, after the tornado in December).

Housing is pretty affordable here but the NEW houses are very cheaply built and I wouldn't recommend buying one. There's also a huge lack of shopping imo- you have to go to Nashville for things like Costco, Whole Foods, etc.

The area itself is beautiful and there are plenty of things to do in town, esp if you enjoy the outdoors. The Greenway, Dunbar Cave State Park, the Cumberland River, Downtown Commons, etc. I just moved here last September so I'm by no means an expert, but that's my take on the area so far!

For more reviews of what living in Clarksville is like from locals, check out [The Reviews](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/clarksville/reviews).

Getting Crowded

Reviews of Clarksville from Locals

Downtown Clarksville is the happening neighborhood for young professionals and college students in Clarksville. Austin Peay University is in the area and so there is a mix of college students, the majority of which live off-campus, and young professionals living in the apartments and condos of the popular blocks downtown. It’s no wonder given the high walkscore for these living options to both downtown work and the bars, restaurants, cafes and theaters within the neighborhood. 
- Downtown


Young Professionals/College Students

Downtown

One interesting characteristic to neighborhoods in Clarksville is how people refer to them based on the number of the exit off the freeway. Even though many neighborhoods have names locals will often refer to as an example, “Exit 11” which is further south, and is a really nice place to live. It’s almost a small town within the city, with great homes but also a nice commercial district with restaurants and cafes. So if you like a combination of suburban and urban for raising your kiddos check out Exit 11. The farther north you go the more you’ll find less expensive rental and inexpensive housing options. Exit 4 is downtown and where the majority of the commercial scene is but if you start your search think about below exit 4 as the most “suburban” family neighborhoods. Once you get down near Exit 19 you get a rural experience and a longer drive to downtown. 
- Exit 11
- Exit 8


Families

Exit 11

Clarksville

**chadjjones89**
9mo ago
🦉🦉

Okay, so take this with a grain of salt.

I grew up the next county over and drove through several times a month going going to/coming home from college in West TN. The area around exit 8 is almost unrecognizable from 15 years ago.

Currently live around exit 11, and it's quiet. Schools are good. Lots of places to shop, but it's heavily dominated by chains. Lots of good locally owned things, too, which is really nice. If you have kids, the desirable schools are off exit 8 and exit 11.

Parks are in abundance as are walking trails. Traffic can be a mess because infrastructure is lagging about 20 years behind the population, which has grown by about 60% in that time. As such, roads can be absolutely packed, especially Wilma, Ft. Campbell, Madison, and Tiny Town.

It's honestly not bad, but as many people have noted, there is a fair amount of resentment towards the folks that have come from out of state as the influx put a ton of upwards pressure on housing prices. For folks coming from higher CoL areas I'm sure Clarksville seems very affordable, but for those of us who grew up in the outlying rural areas like myself, it's sickening to see housing prices triple since the early 2000s and doubled from the mid 2010s.

**blackballoon35**
9mo ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

Alright so... Your post is asking about life here in general but most people seem to be focused on the traffic (which in fairness, really is quite terrible) so I'll expand a bit on other aspects instead.

It's a military town so you'll encounter people from all over. Most people here have either been here their whole lives or just moved here in the past few years- not a lot of in-between. Locals don't love the recent growth and aren't always welcoming, but the community can really come together when they want to (for example, after the tornado in December).

Housing is pretty affordable here but the NEW houses are very cheaply built and I wouldn't recommend buying one. There's also a huge lack of shopping imo- you have to go to Nashville for things like Costco, Whole Foods, etc.

The area itself is beautiful and there are plenty of things to do in town, esp if you enjoy the outdoors. The Greenway, Dunbar Cave State Park, the Cumberland River, Downtown Commons, etc. I just moved here last September so I'm by no means an expert, but that's my take on the area so far!

**Useful-GuY-3008**
9mo ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

Hey there and welcome to a great city!

Overall, the city is nice and blossoming. We've got an influx of people who wanted to take advantage of a great market (myself, came from Nashville) and longtime people here. In growth you get traffic, new businesses and lots of opportunities.

With that being said, is traffic bad? It's not great, but if you've been an a larger city where you know what ACTUAL traffic looks and feels like, this here is a breeze. Similar to crime, if you've seen TRUE crime you know Clarksville is actually light on the foolery.

Welcome again, join the discord if you've never heard of it, called Clarksville Social, https://discord.gg/nk8qPCgdhY

**What are the people like in Clarksville, TN?**

It's really a mixed bag of a town. it's interesting because Clarksville has a liberal arts university Austin Peay State University. That school is pretty liberal and has some great programs. However the university serves the greater Clarksville area which includes Fort Cambell a military base containing the 101st airborne division. So you get all types at the school and everywhere around Clarksville. This make for a very varied set of people but can also create a lot of tension between various groups. Clarksville is still very much a part of the south so you have a lot of conservative, Christian, and unfortunately even still some racist issues that are still prevalent. Clarksville basically has a space for most types of people. Although that space and community is smaller for some groups than others you will find people you probably will love and fit right in with and you will also probably find people who you can't stand and drive you nutty. I grew up there until I was 27 then I moved to Japan. I haven't lived there the past seven years but my mother still lives there and I have family and friends there. Personally I left because even for how varied and interesting Clarksville is for me I never felt comfortable or accepted completely there for the type of person I am. But it's a place like any other with a wide variety of cultures, beliefs, ideas, and opinions. It's just slightly more volatile than other places because you have such a variety and such strongly held beliefs. Hope this helps.

**If Moving To Nashville, Tn. Be Check Out Award Winning Clarksville Tn**
Money Magazine"'s #1 pick for the best place to live in 2019.



Clarksville, Tennessee

The Queen City

Looklyloo Score: 80