Living in Bearden
Bearden runs along Kingston Pike about five miles west of downtown Knoxville. It's the west side's main shopping and dining hub, with dozens of shopping centers, restaurants and offices, and quick access to downtown, I-40 and the University of Tennessee. Neighborhood streets sit just off the commercial corridor, so you can be close to everything without living on a busy road.
Homes and history
The community is named for Marcus De Lafayette Bearden, a Knoxville mayor and state legislator who owned a farm here in the 1800s. Bearden began as a farming community along the old Kingston Road and became part of the City of Knoxville in 1962. Western Plaza, which opened in 1957, was Knoxville's first shopping center outside downtown.
Today's housing is a mix of established neighborhoods built over several decades, from smaller older homes to updated and newer construction, along with condos and townhomes near the Kingston Pike corridor.
Parks and things to do
- Lakeshore Park: 185 acres on the Tennessee River off Lyons View Pike, with ball fields, playgrounds, pickleball courts, gardens and river views.
- Lakeshore Greenway: about 3.1 miles, including a lighted 2.1-mile loop through the park. It's the most heavily used greenway in Knoxville, according to the city.
- Bearden Village Greenway: about 2.1 miles, extending the Third Creek Greenway west along Sutherland Avenue.
- Shopping and dining: Bearden's stretch of Kingston Pike, plus centers like Homberg Place, Western Plaza and Bearden Center.
Schools
School zoning in Knoxville is set by address, so it can differ from street to street. Check any home's assigned schools with the Knox County Schools zoning lookup, or ask us and we'll look it up for a specific address.