Downtown Clarksville: homes, schools, parks and commute

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Sources: the Clarksville-Montgomery County Comprehensive Plan (PDF), Downtown Urban Core planning area; the CMCSS 2026-27 middle and high school zone map (PDF); the Tennessee Department of Education’s 2024-25 A-F letter grade file; the federal NCES school directory; the Zillow Home Value Index (Zillow Research); the city’s Clarksville Transit System page; and OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors).

Downtown is where Clarksville started, inside the bend where the Red River meets the Cumberland. The county’s Comprehensive Plan calls it the Downtown Urban Core and “the symbolic heart of the community”: the historic downtown, the campus of Austin Peay State University and the older residential streets around them.

What this means for you

• Zoned high school: mostly Rossview High, 1237 Rossview Road (2024-25 state letter grade: A); the south edge is in the Clarksville High zone (B).
• Home value: $304,511 in ZIP code 37040 in September 2026, according to the Zillow Home Value Index.
• Nearest I-24 exits: Exit 8 (State Route 237, Rossview Road) and Exit 4 (U.S. 79), each about 6 miles away in a straight line.

Part of our Clarksville neighborhoods guide.

Where it is

The plan’s boundaries are the Red River to the east and north, Riverside Drive to the west and the Greenwood neighborhood to the south. College Street, North Second Street, Madison Street, Crossland Avenue and University Avenue are the main streets. The whole area is in ZIP code 37040.

The plan wants more homes here, from moderate to higher density, and mixed-use buildings in and next to the commercial blocks, while keeping the character of the old residential streets. Its list for the area includes:

• An Urban Core Master Plan covering historic preservation, parking, redevelopment and open space
• Redesigning Crossland Avenue as a complete street
• Gateway work at North Second Street and College Street, and pedestrian safety around the Austin Peay campus at Second and College
• Better river access from the Red River East Trailhead and Second Street
• Replacing aging water and sewer lines and separating the combined sewer

Our downtown Clarksville guide covers the shops, restaurants and events.

Schools

We read the district’s 2026-27 middle and high school zone map at 26 points across the area. Twenty were in the Rossview High and Rossview Middle zone, which covers downtown north of Madison Street. Four along the south edge, toward Greenwood Avenue, were in the Clarksville High and Richview Middle zone, and two by Riverside Drive were in the Montgomery Central zone. Grades are from the state’s 2024-25 A-F letter grades:

Elementary schools inside the area, from the federal NCES directory:

• Norman Smith Elementary, 740 Greenwood Ave. (pre-K to 5; 2024-25 grade D)
• Moore Magnet Elementary, 1350 Madison St. (pre-K to 5; B)
• Burt Elementary, 110 Bailey St. (grades 3 to 5)

The elementary zone for a street is on the district’s elementary zone map (PDF). Middle College at Austin Peay, 601 College St., an 11th and 12th grade school on campus, received an A. Check one address in the bus and zoning lookup and see full results on the Tennessee State Report Card. More in our schools guide.

Home values

Zillow’s typical home value for ZIP code 37040 was $304,511 in September 2026, up 0.6% from $302,676 a year earlier; the city figure was $317,914. The index is a modeled value for a typical mid-priced home, not a sale price, and Zillow does not publish it below the ZIP code level. 37040 also covers South Clarksville and part of St. Bethlehem and North Clarksville. More in home prices.

Parks and trails

From OpenStreetMap and the plan:

• McGregor Park, 640 N. Riverside Drive, and the Cumberland Riverwalk along the river
• The Upland Trail from the Riverwalk up to Valleybrook Park
• Spur Line Trailhead Park, 70 Gupton Alley
• Downtown Commons, Pettus Park, Dixon Park, Meri Court Park and Murtland Field
• The Red River East Trailhead, which the plan names as the area’s river access point

More in parks and trails and walking and biking trails.

Getting around

• Main roads: Riverside Drive, College Street, North Second Street, Madison Street and Crossland Avenue.
• Interstate: I-24 is about 6 miles away in a straight line; Exit 8 (State Route 237, Rossview Road) and Exit 4 (U.S. 79, Wilma Rudolph Boulevard) are closest. Exit names are from OpenStreetMap.
• Distance by road from Public Square to Nashville International Airport, measured on OpenStreetMap’s road network: about 56 miles. That is a distance, not a drive time.
• Buses: every Clarksville Transit System route starts at the Transit Center, 200 Legion St., downtown. Routes and live buses are on the CTS route map.

More in getting around.

Groceries and everyday stores

OpenStreetMap lists no supermarket or pharmacy inside the Downtown planning area. The closest supermarket on the map is Kroger, 1489 Madison St., just east in Hilldale.

Related: Hilldale, New Providence, South Clarksville and property taxes.

Frequently asked questions

What are the boundaries of downtown Clarksville?

The county’s Comprehensive Plan draws the Downtown Urban Core from the Red River on the north and east to Riverside Drive on the west and the Greenwood neighborhood on the south.

What high school is downtown Clarksville zoned for?

Mostly Rossview High and Rossview Middle: 20 of the 26 points we read on the district’s 2026-27 zone map. The south edge is in the Clarksville High zone and a strip by Riverside Drive in the Montgomery Central zone.

Is downtown Clarksville a good place to live?

Here are the facts. Downtown holds Austin Peay State University, McGregor Park and the Cumberland Riverwalk; most of it is zoned for Rossview High, graded A for 2024-25; and the typical home value in ZIP 37040 was $304,511 in September 2026, according to Zillow.

What ZIP code is downtown Clarksville?

37040. Zillow’s typical home value for 37040 was $304,511 in September 2026, up 0.6% from a year earlier.