Editing Clarksville, Tennessee

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                     = Clarksville
| settlement_type          = [[City]]
| nicknames                = Queen of the Cumberland<ref>[http://qc761fam.org/ Queen City Lodge #761 – Free & Accepted Masons], accessed October 11, 2008.</ref><br />Gateway to the [[New South]]<ref name=FortCampbell>[http://www.campbell.army.mil/clarksville.htm Clarksville, Tennessee: Gateway to the New South] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081005225305/http://www.campbell.army.mil/clarksville.htm |date=October 5, 2008}}, [[Fort Campbell]] website, accessed October 11, 2008.</ref><br />Tennessee's Top Spot<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2008/04/12/clarksville-unveils-new-brand-as-tennessees-top-spot/|title=Clarksville unveils new "Brand" as "Tennessee's Top Spot!"|date=April 12, 2008}}</ref>
| image_skyline            = {{multiple image
| border      = infobox
| total_width = 280
| image_style = border:1;
| caption_align = center
| perrow      = 1/3/2
  | image1                   = Downtown Clarksville TN.jpg
  | caption1                 = Downtown Clarksville
  | image2                   = Command and control facility of 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky.jpg
  | caption2                 = [[Fort Campbell]]
  | image3                   = Austin Peay Browning Building.jpg
  | caption3                 = [[Austin Peay State University]]
  }}
| image_flag               = File:ClarksvilleTNflag.gif
| image_seal               = Seal of Clarksville, Tennessee.png
| image_map                = File:Montgomery County Tennessee Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Clarksville Highlighted 4715160.svg
| mapsize                  = 
| map_caption              = Location of Clarksville in Montgomery County, Tennessee.
| pushpin_map                     = Tennessee#USA
| pushpin_label                   = Clarksville
| pushpin_relief                  = yes
| subdivision_type         = Country
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Tennessee|County]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_name1        = [[Tennessee]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Montgomery County, Tennessee|Montgomery]]
| established_title        = Founded:
| established_title2       = Incorporated:
| established_date = 1784 <ref name="History of Clarksville">{{cite web| url = https://www.visitclarksvilletn.com/plan/the-history-of-clarksville-montgomery-county/| title = The History of Clarksville-Montgomery County| publisher = Visit Clarksville}}</ref>
| established_date2        = 1808
| government_type          = [[Mayor–council government|Mayor–council]]
| leader_title             = [[List of mayors of Clarksville, Tennessee|Mayor]]
| leader_name              = [[Joe Pitts (Tennessee politician)|Joe Pitts]] ([[Tennessee Democratic Party|D]])<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vote Smart {{!}} Facts For All |url=http://votesmart.org/ |access-date=December 19, 2023 |website=Vote Smart}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi         = 100.28
| area_land_sq_mi          = 99.58
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.70
| area_water_percent       = 
| area_urban_km2           = 
| area_total_km2           = 259.72
| area_land_km2            = 257.91
| area_water_km2           = 1.81
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_total         = 166722
| population_rank          = US: [[List of United States cities by population|159th]]<br />TN: [[List of municipalities in Tennessee|5th]]
| population_footnotes     = <ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly"/>
| population_est           = 
| pop_est_as_of            = 
| pop_est_footnotes        = 
| population_urban                = 200,947 (US: [[List of United States urban areas|192nd]])<ref name="urban area">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/geo-areas/urban-rural.html|title=List of 2020 Census Urban Areas|website=census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 8, 2023}}</ref>
| population_density_urban_sq_mi  = 1,776.9
| population_metro         = 328,304 (US: [[Metropolitan statistical area|159th]])
| demographics_type2        = GDP
| demographics2_footnotes  = <ref>{{Cite web|title=Total Gross Domestic Product for Clarksville, TN-KY (MSA)|url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NGMP17300|work=[[Federal Reserve Economic Data]] |publisher=[[Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis]]}}</ref>
|demographics2_title1     = Metro 
|demographics2_info1      = $16.209 billion (2022)
| timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc_offset               = &minus;6
| timezone_DST             = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]]
| utc_offset_DST           = &minus;5
| coordinates              = {{coord|36|31|47|N|87|21|34|W|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft             = 476
| website                  = [http://www.cityofclarksville.com/ cityofclarksville.com]
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]s
| postal_code              = 37040-37044
| area_code                = [[Area code 931|931]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 47-15160<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 1269467<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|1269467|Clarksville}}</ref>
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/5/query?where=STATE='47'&outFields=NAME,STATE,PLACE,AREALAND,AREAWATER,LSADC,CENTLAT,CENTLON&orderByFields=PLACE&returnGeometry=false&returnTrueCurves=false&f=json|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}</ref>
| population_density_sq_mi = 1674.29
| population_density_km2   = 646.44
}}

'''Clarksville''' is a city in [[Montgomery County, Tennessee]], United States, and its [[county seat]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011}}</ref> The city had a population of 166,722 as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], making it the [[List of municipalities in Tennessee|fifth-most populous city]] in Tennessee.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |title=U.S. Census website |access-date=May 22, 2014}}</ref><ref>[https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045216/4715160 Clarksville, TN QuickFacts], United States Census website. Retrieved: July 30, 2018.</ref> It is the principal city of the [[Clarksville metropolitan area]], which consists of [[Montgomery County, Tennessee|Montgomery]] and [[Stewart County, Tennessee|Stewart]] counties in Tennessee and [[Christian County, Kentucky|Christian]] and [[Trigg County, Kentucky|Trigg]] counties in Kentucky.

The city was founded in 1785 and incorporated in 1807,<ref>{{cite web|title=City of Clarksville (Montgomery County)|url=http://www.mtas.tennessee.edu/gml-mtas.nsf/Webstatecityinfo/9EE1CDADF7E4016385256AF7005EDA26|website=Municipal Technical Advisory Service – City Information|access-date=February 2, 2018}}</ref> and named for [[General]] [[George Rogers Clark]], frontier fighter and [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] hero,<ref name=FortCampbell /> and brother of [[William Clark (explorer)|William Clark]] of the [[Lewis and Clark Expedition]].<ref name=miller>{{cite book |last=Miller |first=Larry L. |title=Tennessee place-names |year=2001 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=978-0-253-33984-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gQ-r54p36cgC&pg=PR3 |page=46}}</ref>

Clarksville is the home of [[Austin Peay State University]]; ''[[The Leaf-Chronicle]]'', the oldest newspaper in Tennessee; and neighbor to the [[Fort Campbell, Kentucky|Fort Campbell]], [[United States Army]] post. The site of the [[101st Airborne Division]] (Air Assault), Fort Campbell is located about {{convert|10|mi|km}} from downtown Clarksville and straddles the Tennessee-Kentucky state line.

==History==
{{See also|Timeline of Clarksville, Tennessee}}

===Colonization===
[[File:Wilderness road en.png|thumb|right|The [[Transylvania (colony)|Transylvania Purchase]], bought from the Cherokee tribe, stretches from [[Sycamore Shoals]] in [[Elizabethton, Tennessee]], to the [[Wilderness Road]] into [[Kentucky]].]]
The area around Clarksville was first surveyed by [[Thomas Hutchins]] in 1768. He identified Red Paint Hill, a rock bluff at the confluence of the [[Cumberland River|Cumberland]] and [[Red River (Cumberland River)|Red]] Rivers, as a navigational landmark.<ref>Christian G. Fritz, [https://books.google.com/books?id=ZpKCvUacmSwC&pg=RA1-PA168 ''American Sovereigns: The People and America's Constitutional Tradition Before the Civil War''] (Cambridge University Press, 2008) at pp. 55-60; {{ISBN|978-0-521-88188-3}}</ref>

In the years between 1771 and 1775, [[John Montgomery (pioneer)|John Montgomery]], the namesake of the county, along with [[Kasper Mansker]], visited the area while on a hunting expedition. In 1771, [[James Robertson (early American)|James Robertson]] led a group of 12 or 13 families involved with the [[Regulator movement]] from near where present-day [[Raleigh, North Carolina]] now stands. In 1772, Robertson and the pioneers who had settled in northeast Tennessee (along the Watauga River, the [[Doe River]], the [[Holston River]], and the [[Nolichucky River]]) met at [[Sycamore Shoals]] to establish an independent regional government known as the [[Watauga Association]].

In 1772, surveyors placed the land officially within the domain of the Cherokee tribe, who required negotiation of a lease with the settlers. As the lease was being celebrated, a [[Cherokee]] warrior was murdered by a white man. Through diplomacy, Robertson made peace with the Cherokee, who had threatened to expel the settlers by force.<ref name="tcarden.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.tcarden.com/tree/ensor/Watag.html|title=Loading...|website=tcarden.com|access-date=June 19, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090609232139/http://www.tcarden.com/tree/ensor/Watag.html|archive-date=June 9, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In March 1775, land speculator and North Carolina judge [[Richard Henderson (American pioneer)|Richard Henderson]] met with more than 1,200 Cherokees at Sycamore Shoals, including Cherokee leaders such as [[Attakullakulla]], [[Oconostota]], and [[Dragging Canoe]]. In the [[Treaty of Sycamore Shoals]] (also known as the Treaty of Watauga), Henderson purchased all the land lying between the Cumberland River, the [[Cumberland Mountains]], and the [[Kentucky River]], and situated south of the [[Ohio River]] in what is known as the [[Transylvania Purchase]] from the Cherokee Indians. The land thus delineated, {{convert|20|e6acre|km2|sigfig=2|abbr=unit}}, encompassed an area half as large as the present state of Kentucky. Henderson's purchase was in violation of North Carolina and Virginia law, as well as the [[Royal Proclamation of 1763]], which prohibited private purchase of American Indian land. Henderson may have mistakenly believed that a newer British legal opinion had made such land purchases legal.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/boonebiography00morg|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/boonebiography00morg/page/179 179]|quote=boone a biography algonquin bryce.|title=Boone: A Biography|first=Robert|last=Morgan|date=September 23, 2008|publisher=Algonquin Books|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

All of present-day Tennessee was once recognized as [[Washington County, North Carolina]]. Created in 1777 from the western areas of Burke and Wilkes Counties, Washington County had as a precursor a Washington District of 1775–76, which was the first political entity named for the Commander-in-Chief of American forces in the Revolution.<ref name="tcarden.com" /><ref name="jcedb.org">{{Cite web|url=http://www.jcedb.org/history/lostco.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110115114140/http://www.jcedb.org/history/lostco.php|url-status=dead|title=Lost Counties of Tennessee.|archive-date=January 15, 2011}}</ref>

===Founding===
In 1779, Hadley W. and Hannah W. brought a group of settlers from upper [[East Tennessee]] via [[Daniel Boone]]'s [[Wilderness Road]]. Hadley and Hannah later built an [[iron plantation]] in [[Cumberland Furnace, Tennessee|Cumberland Furnace]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2008}} A year later, [[John Donelson]] led a group of flat boats up the Cumberland River bound for the French trading settlement, French Lick (or Big Lick), that later became [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]]. When the boats reached Red Paint Hill, [[Moses Renfroe]], Joseph Renfroe, and Solomon Turpin, along with their families, branched off onto the Red River. They traveled to the mouth of Parson's Creek, near [[Port Royal, Tennessee|Port Royal]], and went ashore to settle down. Clarksville was designated as a town to be settled in part by soldiers from the disbanded Continental Army that served under General [[George Washington]] during the [[American Revolutionary War]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Randal Rust|title=Clarksville|url=https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/clarksville/|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=Tennessee Encyclopedia|language=en-US}}</ref>

At the end of the war, the federal government lacked sufficient funds to repay the soldiers, so the Legislature of North Carolina, in 1790, designated the lands to the west of the state line as federal lands that could be used in the land grant program. Since the area of Clarksville had been surveyed and sectioned into plots, it was identified as a territory deemed ready for settlement. The land was available to be settled by the families of eligible soldiers as repayment of service to their country. On January 16, 1784, [[John Armstrong (Carolina)|John Armstrong]] filed notice with the [[Legislature]] of [[North Carolina]] to create the town of Clarksville, named after General [[George Rogers Clark]].

Even before it was officially designated a town, lots had been sold. In October 1785, Col. Robert Weakley laid off the town of Clarksville for [[Martin Armstrong (surveyor)|Martin Armstrong]] and Col. Montgomery, and Weakley had the choice of lots for his services. He selected Lot #20 at the northeast corner of Spring and Main Streets. The town consisted of 20 'squares' of 140 lots and 44 out lots. The original Court House was on Lot #93, on the north side of Franklin Street between Front and Second Street. The Public Spring was on Lot #74, on the northeast corner of Spring and Commerce Streets. Weakley built the first cabin there in January 1786, and about February or March, Col. Montgomery came there and had a cabin built, which was the second house in Clarksville.

After an official survey by James Sanders, Clarksville was founded by the [[North Carolina]] Legislature on December 29, 1785. It was the second town to be founded in the area. Armstrong's layout for the town consisted of 12 four-acre (16,000&nbsp;m<sup>2</sup>) squares built on the hill overlooking the Cumberland as to protect against floods.{{Citation needed|date=May 2008}} The primary streets (from north to south) that went east–west were named Jefferson, Washington (now College Street), Franklin, Main, and Commerce Streets. North–south streets (from the river eastward) were named Water (now Riverside Drive), Spring, First, Second, and Third Streets.

The [[tobacco]] trade in the area was growing larger every year and in 1789, Montgomery and [[Martin Armstrong (early American)|Martin Armstrong]] persuaded lawmakers to designate Clarksville as an inspection point for tobacco.

When [[Tennessee]] was founded as a state on June 1, 1796, the area around Clarksville and to the east was named Tennessee County. (This county was established in 1788, by North Carolina.) Later, Tennessee County was broken up into modern day [[Montgomery County, Tennessee|Montgomery]] and [[Robertson County, Tennessee|Robertson]] counties, named to honor the men who first opened up the region for settlement.

===19th century===
[[File:Fort Defiance, Clarksville, TN -7.jpg|thumb|[[Fort Defiance (Tennessee)|Fort Defiance]]]]
Clarksville grew at a rapid pace. By 1806, the town realized the need for an educational institution, and it established the Rural Academy that year. It was later replaced by the Mount Pleasant Academy. By 1819, the newly established town had 22 stores, including a bakery and silversmith. In 1820, [[steamboats]] begin to navigate the Cumberland, bringing hardware, coffee, sugar, fabric, and glass. The city exported flour, tobacco, cotton, and corn to ports such as [[New Orleans]] and [[Pittsburgh]] along the Ohio and [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]] rivers.

In 1829, the first bridge connecting Clarksville to [[New Providence, Tennessee|New Providence]] was built over the Red River. Nine years later, the Clarksville-[[Hopkinsville, Kentucky|Hopkinsville]] [[Turnpike (pre-freeway)|Turnpike]] was built. Railroad service came to the town on October 1, 1859, in the form of the [[Memphis, Clarksville and Louisville Railroad]]. The line later connected to other railroads at [[Paris, Tennessee]] and at [[Guthrie, Kentucky]].

By the start of the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], the combined population of the city and the county was 20,000. Planters in the area depended on [[slavery in the United States|enslaved African Americans]] as workers in the labor-intensive [[tobacco]] industry, one of the major commodity crops.

In 1861, both Clarksville and Montgomery counties voted unanimously for the state to secede and join the [[Confederate States of America]]. The birthplace of Confederate President [[Jefferson Davis]] was about 20 miles across the border in Fairview, [[Christian County, Kentucky]]. Both sides considered Clarksville to be of strategic importance.

[[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] General [[Albert Sidney Johnston]] set up a defense line around Clarksville expecting a land attack. The city was home to three [[Confederate States Army]] camps:
* [[Camp Boone]] located on [[U.S. Highway 79]] Guthrie Road/([[Wilma Rudolph Boulevard]]),
* Camp Burnet
* [[Fort Defiance, Tennessee]], a Civil War outpost that overlooks the [[Cumberland River]] and [[Red River (Cumberland River)|Red River]], and was occupied by both Confederate and Union soldiers. In 2012 the City of Clarksville, Tennessee completed construction of an interpretive/ museum center here to chronicle the local chapter in the Civil War.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ftdefianceclarksville.com |title=Ft. Defiance Clarksville |publisher=Ft. Defiance Clarksville |access-date=April 23, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cityofclarksville.com/parks&rec/parks/fortdefiance.php |title= Clarksville, TN • CivicEngage|website=www.cityofclarksville.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119035841/http://www.cityofclarksville.com/parks%26rec/parks/fortdefiance.php |archive-date=January 19, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.civilwaralbum.com/misc3/fort_defiance1.htm |title=Fort Defiance – Fort Bruce site photos |publisher=Civilwaralbum.com |access-date=July 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130624060450/http://www.civilwaralbum.com/misc3/fort_defiance1.htm |archive-date=June 24, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] sent troops and gunboats down the Cumberland River, and in 1862 captured [[Fort Donelson]], and [[Fort Henry (site of the Battle of Fort Henry)|Fort Henry]]. On February 17, 1862, the ''[[USS Cairo]]'', along with another Union [[ironclad]], came to Clarksville and its troops captured the city. There were no Confederate soldiers to contend with because they had left prior to the arrival of the ships. White flags flew over Ft. Defiance and over Ft. Clark. Those town citizens who could get away, left as well. Before leaving, [[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] soldiers tried to burn the railroad bridge that crossed the Cumberland River, so that the Union could not use it. But the fire did not take hold and was put out before it could destroy the bridge. This railroad bridge made Clarksville very important to the Union. The ''USS Cairo'' tied up in Clarksville for a couple of days before moving to participate in the capture of [[Nashville]].

Between 1862 and 1865, the city shifted hands, but the Union retained control. It also controlled the city's newspaper, ''The Leaf Chronicle'', for three years. Many slaves who had been freed or escaped gathered in Clarksville and joined the [[Union Army]] lines. The army set up [[Contraband (American Civil War)|contraband camps]] in mid-Tennessee cities, to provide shelter for the freedmen families. Other freed slaves lived along the side of the river in shanties. In 1865, the [[Ogburn Chapel Missionary Baptist Church]] was founded. The Army enlisted freedmen in all-black [[regiment]]s, in some cases putting them to work in building defenses. The [[United States Colored Troops|16th United States Colored Infantry regiment]] was mustered in at Clarksville in 1863.{{Citation needed|date=September 2014}}

===Reconstruction===
[[File:ClarksvilleTN VisitorCenter.jpg|thumb|right|Clarksville Museum and Cultural Center, built 1898]]
After the war, the city began [[Reconstruction era|Reconstruction]], and in 1872, the existing railroad was purchased by the [[Louisville & Nashville Railroad]]. The city was flourishing until the Great Fire of 1878, which destroyed 15 acres (60,000&nbsp;m<sup>2</sup>) of downtown Clarksville's business district, including the courthouse and many other historic buildings. It was believed to have started in a Franklin Street store.<ref>{{cite news|title=Terrific Fire|date=April 15, 1878|work=The Clarksville Weekly Chronicle|location=Clarksville, Tennessee|page=5|quote=a fire broke out in a frame building at the rear of Kincannon's tin and Queensware store on Franklin Street|publisher = [[Ancestry.com#Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> After the fire, the city rebuilt.<ref>{{cite news|title=Clarksville, Her Schools, Her Churches, Her Residences. Her Live Business Men and Manufacturing Enterprises|date=December 22, 1882|work=Leaf-Chronicle Weekly|location=Clarksville, Tennessee|page=1|publisher = [[Ancestry.com#Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> The first [[automobile]] rolled into town, drawing much excitement.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mr Hume's "Auto" breaks down|date=May 21, 1902|work=Leaf-Chronicle Weekly|location=Clarksville, Tennessee|page=1|publisher = [[Ancestry.com#Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

===20th century===
[[File:ClarksvilleMural.jpg|thumb|right|Mural painted on the only remaining wall of a building destroyed by the '99 tornado.]]
In 1913, the Lillian Theater was opened on Franklin Street and owned by [[Joseph Goldberger|Joseph Goldberg]]. In 1914, it was severely damaged in a fire, but reopened later in 1915. It was later renamed the Roxy after renovations in 1941.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Mitchell |first1=Liana |title=Clarksville |last2=Wallace |first2=Joel |publisher=[[Arcadia Publishing]] |year=2000 |isbn=9780738506487 |pages=72}}</ref><!-- Original text: In 1913, the Lillian Theater, Clarksville's first "movie house" for motion pictures, was opened on Franklin Street by Joseph Goldberg. It seated more than 500 people. Less than two years later, in 1915, the theater burned down. It was rebuilt later that year. -->

As [[World War I]] raged in [[Europe]], many locals volunteered to go, reaffirming Tennessee as the Volunteer State, a nickname earned during the [[War of 1812]], the [[Mexican–American War]] and other earlier conflicts. Also during this time, women's suffrage was becoming a major issue. Clarksville women saw a need for banking independent of their husbands and fathers who were fighting. In response, the First Women's Bank of Tennessee was established in 1919 by Mrs. Frank J. Runyon.

The 1920s brought additional growth to the city. A bus line between Clarksville and [[Hopkinsville, Kentucky|Hopkinsville]] was established in 1922. In 1927 the Austin Peay Normal School was founded, later to develop as [[Austin Peay State University]]. In 1928 two more theaters were added, the Majestic (with 600 seats) and the Capitol (with 900 seats). John Outlaw, a local aviator, established Outlaw Field in 1929.

With the entry of the United States into World War II, defense investments were made in the area. In 1942 construction started on Camp Campbell (now known as [[Fort Campbell, Kentucky|Fort Campbell]]), the new army base {{convert|10|mi|km|spell=in}} northwest of the city. It was capable of holding 23,000 troops, and as staffing built up, the base gave a huge boost to the population and economy of Clarksville.

In 1954, the Clarksville Memorial Hospital was founded along Madison Street. Downtown, the Lillian was renamed the Roxy Theater, and today it still hosts plays and performances weekly. The Roxy has been used as a backdrop for numerous [[photo shoots]], [[films]], [[documentaries]], [[music videos]] and [[television commercials]];{{Citation needed|date=May 2008}} most notably for [[Sheryl Crow]]'s Grammy Award-winning song "[[All I Wanna Do (Sheryl Crow song)|All I Wanna Do]]."<ref>{{cite web| url=https://q108.com/ryan/how-clarksville-helped-make-sheryl-crow-a-superstar/ | date= July 11, 2022 | title=How Clarksville Helped Make Sheryl Crow A Superstar | publisher=Q108 107.9 WCVQ | author=Ryan Ploeckelman}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.mchsociety.org/Sub-Pages/Hist-Videos.html|title=Montgomery County Historical Society - Famous Videos | publisher=Montgomery County Historical Society}}</ref>

Since 1980, the population of Clarksville has more than doubled. This increase was due in part to annexation, as the city acquired communities such as [[New Providence, Tennessee|New Providence]] and [[Saint Bethlehem, Tennessee|Saint Bethlehem]]. The construction of [[Interstate 24]] north of Saint Bethlehem added to its development potential and in the early 21st century, much of the growth along [[U.S. Highway 79]] is commercial retail. Clarksville is currently one of the fastest-growing large cities in Tennessee. At its present rate of growth, the city was expected to displace Chattanooga by 2020 as the fourth-largest city in Tennessee.

===Natural disasters===
{{See also|Tornado outbreak of January 21–23, 1999}}
{{See also|Tornado outbreak of December 9–10, 2023}}

*In January 1999, the downtown area of Clarksville was devastated by an F3 [[tornado]].
*Clarksville was damaged in the [[May 2010 Tennessee floods]].
*In February 2018, the east side of Clarksville was struck by an EF-2 tornado.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://clarksvillenow.com/local/6-homes-destroyed-2-injured-following-severe-storms-in-clarksville/|title=Two tornadoes damage dozens of homes in Clarksville-Montgomery County {{!}} ClarksvilleNow.com|work=ClarksvilleNow.com|access-date=February 26, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>
*In December 2023, North Clarksville was struck by an EF-3 tornado that resulted in four fatalities and left multiple homes and businesses damaged or destroyed and over 20,000 people without power.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://clarksvillenow.com/local/tornado-in-clarksville-3-killed-at-least-23-injured-13100-homes-without-power/|title=Clarksville EF-3 Tornado had 150 mph winds, 91 homes destroyed, 675 damaged {{!}} ClarksvilleNow.com|work=ClarksvilleNow.com|access-date=December 11, 2023|language=en-US}}</ref>
*In early May 2024, the city of Clarksville was affected by a [[Tornado outbreak of May 6–10, 2024|severe weather and tornado outbreak]], which resulted in some instances of flash-flooding and golf-ball sized hail. An EF-1 tornado touched down just east of Clarksville and did minor damage to nearby [[Springfield, Tennessee|Springfield, TN]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2024/05/08/tennessee-severe-weather-tornado-damage-reports/73619149007/ | title=Tennessee tornado and storm damage reports: See where they've been reported in greater Nashville area | website=[[The Tennessean]] }}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|95.5|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|94.9|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.7|sqmi|km2}} (0.71%) is covered by water.

Clarksville is located on the northwest edge of the [[Highland Rim]], which surrounds the [[Nashville Basin]], and is {{convert|45|mi|km}} northwest of [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]].

[[Fort Campbell North]] is a [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in Christian County, Kentucky. It contains most of the housing for the Fort Campbell Army base. The population was 14,338 at the 2000 census. Fort Campbell North is part of the [[Clarksville metropolitan area|Clarksville]], TN–KY [[Metropolitan Statistical Area]].

===Climate===
The climate is [[Humid subtropical climate|humid subtropical]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfa'') with hot summers and cold winters but interspersed with milder times due to its location between the warmer climates of the [[Gulf of Mexico]] and the colder ones of the [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]]. Freezing temperatures are not uncommon but usually the averages are above zero in January (around 2&nbsp;°C) and in July can often pass through 25&nbsp;°C. Snow in winter is common, but large accumulated amounts are more sporadic; usually the soil is covered by a thin layer during some time of winter. Precipitation is abundant year-round without any major difference, but May tends to have the highest cumulative amount of 142&nbsp;mm in the form of rain. The wet season runs from February through July, while the dry season runs from August through January with a September nadir of 85&nbsp;mm and secondary December peak of 125&nbsp;mm.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=49637&cityname=Clarksville,+Tennessee,+United+States+of+America&units=|title=Clarksville, Tennessee Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)|website=Weatherbase|access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref><ref name= nws/>
{{Weather box
|location = Clarksville WWTP, Tennessee (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1890–present)
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 82
|Feb record high F = 82
|Mar record high F = 94
|Apr record high F = 94
|May record high F = 99
|Jun record high F = 109
|Jul record high F = 110
|Aug record high F = 109
|Sep record high F = 112
|Oct record high F = 98
|Nov record high F = 88
|Dec record high F = 80
|year record high F = 112
| Jan avg record high F = 68
| Feb avg record high F = 73
| Mar avg record high F = 81
| Apr avg record high F = 87
| May avg record high F = 90
| Jun avg record high F = 95
| Jul avg record high F = 97
| Aug avg record high F = 97
| Sep avg record high F = 94
| Oct avg record high F = 87
| Nov avg record high F = 79
| Dec avg record high F = 70
| year avg record high F = 99
|Jan high F = 46.8
|Feb high F = 51.6
|Mar high F = 61.2
|Apr high F = 71.8
|May high F = 79.4
|Jun high F = 86.6
|Jul high F = 89.9
|Aug high F = 89.6
|Sep high F = 83.6
|Oct high F = 72.3
|Nov high F = 59.7
|Dec high F = 50.1
|year high F = 70.2
|Jan mean F = 37.3
|Feb mean F = 41.1
|Mar mean F = 49.6
|Apr mean F = 59.4
|May mean F = 68.1
|Jun mean F = 75.8
|Jul mean F = 79.5
|Aug mean F = 78.5
|Sep mean F = 71.7
|Oct mean F = 60.0
|Nov mean F = 48.4
|Dec mean F = 40.6
|year mean F = 59.2
|Jan low F = 27.8
|Feb low F = 30.6
|Mar low F = 38.0
|Apr low F = 47.0
|May low F = 56.8
|Jun low F = 65.0
|Jul low F = 69.0
|Aug low F = 67.4
|Sep low F = 59.8
|Oct low F = 47.7
|Nov low F = 37.1
|Dec low F = 31.1
|year low F = 48.1
| Jan avg record low F = 9
| Feb avg record low F = 14
| Mar avg record low F = 22
| Apr avg record low F = 32
| May avg record low F = 44
| Jun avg record low F = 53
| Jul avg record low F = 60
| Aug avg record low F = 58
| Sep avg record low F = 45
| Oct avg record low F = 33
| Nov avg record low F = 23
| Dec avg record low F = 15
| year avg record low F = 7
|Jan record low F = −20
|Feb record low F = −14
|Mar record low F = 0
|Apr record low F = 21
|May record low F = 32
|Jun record low F = 42
|Jul record low F = 47
|Aug record low F = 44
|Sep record low F = 29
|Oct record low F = 20
|Nov record low F = -2
|Dec record low F = −12
|year record low F = -20
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 4.03
|Feb precipitation inch = 4.51
|Mar precipitation inch = 4.78
|Apr precipitation inch = 4.97
|May precipitation inch = 5.59
|Jun precipitation inch = 4.65
|Jul precipitation inch = 4.59
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.69
|Sep precipitation inch = 3.35
|Oct precipitation inch = 4.31
|Nov precipitation inch = 4.11
|Dec precipitation inch = 4.92
|year precipitation inch = 53.50
|Jan snow inch = 3.0
|Feb snow inch = 2.4
|Mar snow inch = 1.0
|Apr snow inch = 0.0
|May snow inch = 0.0
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 0.0
|Nov snow inch = 0.2
|Dec snow inch = 0.5
|year snow inch = 7.2
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 11.9
|Feb precipitation days = 11.2
|Mar precipitation days = 12.3
|Apr precipitation days = 11.9
|May precipitation days = 12.1
|Jun precipitation days = 10.8
|Jul precipitation days = 10.1
|Aug precipitation days = 9.4
|Sep precipitation days = 8.7
|Oct precipitation days = 9.1
|Nov precipitation days = 10.5
|Dec precipitation days = 12.4
|year precipitation days = 130.4
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 3.0
|Feb snow days = 2.4
|Mar snow days = 1.0
|Apr snow days = 0.0
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.0
|Nov snow days = 0.2
|Dec snow days = 0.5
|year snow days = 7.8
| source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name=nws>
{{cite web
| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=ohx
| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = May 28, 2021}}</ref><ref name=NCEI>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00401790&format=pdf
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
| title = Station: Clarksville WWTP, TN
| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020)
| access-date = May 28, 2021}}</ref>
|source 2= Weather.com<ref name= Weather.com>{{cite web |url= http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/37043|title= Monthly Averages for Clarksville, TN (37043) |publisher= The Weather Channel|access-date=December 9, 2011 }}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1870= 3200
|1880= 3880
|1890= 7924
|1900= 9431
|1910= 8548
|1920= 8110
|1930= 9242
|1940= 11831
|1950= 16246
|1960= 22021
|1970= 31719
|1980= 54777
|1990= 75494
|2000= 103455
|2010= 132929
|2020= 166722
| estyear = 2023
| estimate = 180716
| estref = <ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2023/cities/totals/SUB-IP-EST2023-POP-45.xlsx |date=May 16, 2024|title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=May 16, 2024}}</ref>
|footnote=Sources:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/47/4715160.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130220124232/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/47/4715160.html|archive-date=February 20, 2013|title=Clarksville (City) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau }}</ref><ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly">{{cite web|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=P1_001N,NAME&for=place:*&in=state:47&key=5ccd0821c15d9f4520e2dcc0f8d92b2ec9336108|title=Census Population API|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Clarksville city, Tennessee – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br /><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Clarksville city, Tennessee |url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=160XX00US4715160&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=}}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Clarksville city, Tennessee|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US4715160&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=}}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Clarksville city, Tennessee|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US4715160&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=}}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|67,562
|81,165
|style='background: #ffffe6; |89,596
|65.31%
|61.06%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |53.74%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|23,692
|29,872
|style='background: #ffffe6; |39,567
|22.90%
|22.47%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |23.73%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|486
|616
|style='background: #ffffe6; |582
|0.47%
|0.46%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.35%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|2,189
|3,011
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4,003
|2.12%
|2.27%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.40%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|248
|586
|style='background: #ffffe6; |812
|0.24%
|0.44%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.49%
|-
|Some Other Race alone (NH)
|320
|219
|style='background: #ffffe6; |938
|0.31%
|0.16%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.56%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or Multiracial]] (NH)
|2,717
|5,158
|style='background: #ffffe6; |11,553
|2.63%
|3.88%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |6.93%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|6,241
|12,302
|style='background: #ffffe6; |19,671
|6.03%
|9.25%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |11.80%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''103,455'''
|'''132,929'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''166,722'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 166,722 people, 58,985 households, and 39,595 families residing in the city.

==Economy==
Notable industrial employers in Clarksville include:
* [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]], Distribution Center
* [[American Standard Brands|American Standard]]
* [[Bridgestone]] Metalpha USA
* [[Convergys Corporation]]
* [[FedEx]], Distribution Center
* [[Fort Campbell]]
* [[Google]]<ref>[http://www.theleafchronicle.com/story/money/2015/12/22/exclusive-google-confirms-clarksville-data-center/77741988/ Google a go: $600M Clarksville data center confirmed] ''[[The Leaf-Chronicle]]'' Accessed August 27, 2022.</ref>
* [[Hankook]]
* [[Jostens]], printing and publishing division
* [[LG]]<ref>[http://www.theleafchronicle.com/story/money/business/2017/03/02/lg-journey-how-clarksville-landed-600-job-plant/98594710/ The LG journey: How Clarksville landed the 600-job plant] ''The Leaf-Chronicle'' Accessed August 27, 2022.</ref>
* [[SPX Corporation]], metal forge division
* [[Trane]], Clarksville's largest private employer{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

==Arts and culture==
===Points of interest===
[[File:ClarksvilleRoxy.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Clarksville [[Roxy Theatre (Clarksville, Tennessee)|Roxy Theatre]]]]
[[File:American Queen Clarksville Riverfront.jpg|thumb|right|''[[American Queen]]'' steamboat docked at Cumberland riverfront in Clarksville, 2016.]]
* [[Roxy Theatre (Clarksville, Tennessee)|Roxy Theatre]], located in downtown Clarksville
* [[F&M Bank Arena]], Home of Austin Peay Men's and Women's Basketball
* [[Governor's Square Mall]]
* [[Clarksville City Arboretum]]
* [[Ringgold Mill]], located in North Clarksville
* [[Customs House Museum and Cultural Center]], located in downtown Clarksville, second largest general museum in Tennessee
* [[L & N Train Station (Clarksville, Tennessee)|L & N Train Station]], restored downtown train station
* [[Wilma Rudolph]], statue honoring one of America's most outstanding Olympic athletes
* [[Dunbar Cave]]
* [[Fortera Stadium]], home of Austin Peay Football
* [[Cumberland River]]
* Liberty Park and Marina
* [[Fort Defiance, Tennessee|Fort Defiance]], Civil War fort overlooking the Cumberland River

==Sports==
Clarksville was home to several [[Minor League Baseball]] teams that played in the [[Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League]] during the first half of the 20th century.<ref name=BRcity>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Clarksville&state=TN&country=US|title=Clarksville, Tennessee Encyclopedia|website=Baseball-Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=May 25, 2020}}</ref> They were called the [[Clarksville Villagers]] (1903), [[Clarksville Grays|Grays]] (1904), [[Clarksville Volunteers|Volunteers]] (1910 and 1916), [[Clarksville Billies|Billies]] (1911), [[Clarksville Rebels|Rebels]] (1912), [[Clarksville Boosters|Boosters]] (1913–1914), [[Clarksville Owls|Owls]] (1916), and [[Clarksville Colts|Colts]] (1947–1949).<ref name=BRcity/> It also hosted a team of the independent [[Big South League]] and [[Heartland League]] from 1996 to 1997 called the [[Clarksville Coyotes]].<ref name=BRcity/>

==Government==
{{see also|Mayoral elections in Clarksville, Tennessee}}
In 1907, Clarksville was among several cities in Tennessee that gained legislative approval to adopt a board of commission form of government, with commissioners elected by [[at-large]] voting.<ref name="buch" /> Its population was 9,000. Other cities adopting a board of commission were [[Chattanooga, Tennessee|Chattanooga]] and [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville]] in 1911, Nashville in 1913, and [[Jackson, Tennessee]] in 1915. The result of this change favored the election of candidates favored by the majority in each city. It closed out minorities from being able to elect candidates of their choice to represent them in local government.<ref name="buch">[https://casetext.com/case/buchanan-v-city-of-jackson ''BUCHANAN v. CITY OF JACKSON'', 683 F. Supp. 1515 (W.D. Tenn. 1988)], Case Text website.</ref>

Clarksville changed its government system, and in the 21st century, has a 12-member city council elected from [[single-member district]]s, which has increased the range of representation. In 2015, four of the members were African American, and eight were white.<ref>[http://www.cityofclarksville.com/index.aspx?page=50 "City Council"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150213044332/http://www.cityofclarksville.com/index.aspx?page=50 |date=February 13, 2015 }}, City of Clarksville, 2015.</ref> The mayor is elected at large. Mayor [[Joe Pitts (Tennessee politician)|Joe Pitts]] was first [[2018 Clarksville mayoral election|elected in 2018]], when he defeated former Mayor [[Kim McMillan]] who was the first woman mayor of any Tennessee city with more than 100,000 population.<ref>[http://www.cityofclarksville.com/index.aspx?page=95 "Mayor's Office"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150213042738/http://www.cityofclarksville.com/index.aspx?page=95 |date=February 13, 2015 }}, City of Clarksville, 2015.</ref>

{{hidden begin
|title = Partial list of mayors of Clarksville, Tennessee
|titlestyle = background:#F8F8FF;width:80%
}}
* James E. Elder, circa 1820<ref name=Beach1988>{{cite book |series=Tennessee County History Series |oclc=6820526 |title=Montgomery County |first=Ursula S. |last=Beach |editor-first=Robert B. |editor-last=Jones |publisher=Memphis State University Press |url=https://archive.org/details/tennesseecountyh63beac |year=1988}} {{free access}}</ref>
* ?
* George Smith, circa 1860<ref name=Beach1988 />
* A. Howell, 1882-1886<ref>{{cite news |title=Mayor's Report |author=A. Howell |work=Clarksville Weekly Chronicle |date=February 6, 1886 |page=5 |location=Clarksville, TN}}</ref>
* G.A. Ligon, circa 1890<ref name=tsmithsol>{{cite web |first=Deb |last=Shillo |title= Thomas H. Smith, Confederate War Soldier |website=Montgomery County War Records |url=https://www.tngenweb.org/montgomery/soldiers/tsmithsol.html |access-date=September 7, 2018}}</ref>
* Thomas H. Smith, 1891<ref name=tsmithsol />
* N.L. Carney, 1892<ref>{{cite news |title=Mayor Carney |work=Daily Tobacco Leaf-Chronicle |date=January 18, 1892 |page=4 |location=Clarksville, TN}}</ref>
* W.B. Young, circa 1902<ref>{{cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4OQSAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA298 | title=Municipal Engineering| year=1902}}</ref>
* W.D. "Pete" Hudson, 1928-1938<ref>{{cite web |title=Clarksville, Tennessee Mayor William D. Hudson Statue by ET Wickham |website=Wickham Stone Park |url=http://www.wickhamstonepark.com/Hudson.htm |access-date=September 7, 2018}}</ref>
* William Kleeman, circa 1945, 1953, 1955–1956<ref name=Graveyard>{{cite web |url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/TN/ofc/clarksville.html |title=Mayors of Clarksville, Tennessee |editor-first=Lawrence |editor-last=Kestenbaum |editor-link=Lawrence Kestenbaum |website=[[Political Graveyard]] |access-date=May 7, 2017}}</ref>
* Paul M. McGregor, circa 1954,<ref name=Graveyard /> 1957<ref name=CustomsHouse />
* W. W. Barksdale, circa 1960<ref name=Graveyard />
* Charles Crow, circa 1963<ref name=Graveyard />
* Ted Crozier, circa 1970s, 1983,<ref>{{citation |title=City Problems: The Annual Proceedings of the United States Conference of Mayors
 |date=1983 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0VKOAAAAMAAJ&q=clarksville |access-date=September 7, 2018|last1=Mayors |first1=United States Conference of}}</ref> 1985<ref name=CustomsHouse>{{cite news |title=Clarksville Home Market |newspaper=Property Friends Tn |date=2022 |url=https://propertyfriendstn.com/we-buy-clarksville-tn-houses/ |access-date=September 7, 2022}}</ref>
* Don Trotter, 1987–1999, 2003-2007<ref>{{citation |title=Booze, burley funds ignite Congress race |work=[[Nashville Banner]] |date=October 31, 1996}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Centonze |first=Tony |date= July 29, 2016 |title=Don Trotter: 'Partisanship' has caused worst problems in Clarksville government |url=https://www.theleafchronicle.com/story/news/local/clarksville/2016/07/29/don-trotter-partisanship-has-caused-worst-problems-clarksville-government/87737260/ |work=The Leaf Chronicle |location=Clarksville, TN |access-date=September 7, 2018}}</ref>
* Johnny Piper, 1999–2002, 2007-2010<ref>
{{cite news |last=Settle |first=Jimmy |date=February 21, 2018 |title=Johnny Piper likely to seek return as Clarksville mayor in 2018 |url=https://www.theleafchronicle.com/story/news/local/clarksville/2018/02/21/johnny-piper-likely-seek-return-clarksville-mayor-2018/355779002/ |work=The Leaf Chronicle |location=Clarksville, TN |access-date=September 7, 2018}}</ref>
* [[Kim McMillan]], 2011–2018
* [[Joe Pitts (Tennessee politician)|Joe Pitts]], 2019–Present
{{hidden end}}

==Education==

===Colleges and universities===
* [[Austin Peay State University]]
* [[Daymar Institute]]
* [[Nashville State Community College]]
* [[North Tennessee Bible Institute]]

===Public K-12 schools===
[[File:MontgomeryHigh.jpg|thumb|right|Montgomery Central High School]]
The city consolidated its school system with that of the county, forming the [[Clarksville-Montgomery County School System]]. It operates a total of 39 [[Public school (government funded)|public schools]] to serve about 37,666 students, including eight high schools, seven middle schools, 24 elementary schools, and one magnet school for K–5, in addition to Middle College on the campus of [[Austin Peay State University]].

Public high schools (grades 9–12) in Clarksville-Montgomery County:
* [[Clarksville High School (Tennessee)|Clarksville High School]] (1,562 students)
* [[Kenwood High School (Tennessee)|Kenwood High School]] (1,302 students)
* Kirkwood High School (1,009 students)
* [[Montgomery Central High School]] (1,015 students)
* [[Northeast High School (Tennessee)|Northeast High School]] (1,341 students)
* [[Northwest High School (Clarksville, Tennessee)|Northwest High School]] (1,426 students)
* [[Rossview High School]] (1,584 students)
* [[West Creek High School]] (1,647 students)

Most of the city is in the Clarksville-Montgomery system. Portions in Fort Campbell are instead use the [[Department of Defense Education Activity]] (DoDEA) as their school district.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st47_tn/schooldistrict_maps/c47125_montgomery/DC20SD_C47125.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Montgomery County, TN|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2024-10-26}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st47_tn/schooldistrict_maps/c47125_montgomery/DC20SD_C47125_SD2MS.txt Text list] - "Fort Campbell Schools" refers to DoDEA schools.</ref>

===Private K-12 schools===
Private schools in Clarksville-Montgomery County include:
* [[Clarksville Academy]] (students: 613; ST; grades: PK–12)
* Immaculate Conception School (students: 146; grades: K–8)
* Little Scholars Montessori (students: 91; grades: Preschool–5)
* Clarksville Christian School

==Infrastructure==
===Major roads and highways===
* [[U.S. Route 41A in Tennessee|U.S. Route 41A]] (Madison Street and Fort Campbell Boulevard)
* [[U.S. Route 79 in Tennessee|U.S. Route 79]] ([[Wilma Rudolph Boulevard]])
* [[Interstate 24 in Tennessee|Interstate 24]] (designated a [[control city]] along route)
* [[Tennessee State Route 12|State Route 12]] ([[Ashland City, Tennessee|Ashland City]] Road)
* [[Tennessee State Route 13|State Route 13]]
* [[Tennessee State Route 48|State Route 48]]
* [[Tennessee State Route 76|State Route 76]] ([[Martin Luther King Jr.]] Parkway)
* [[Tennessee State Route 374|State Route 374]] (Warfield Blvd., 101st Airborne Division Parkway, Purple Heart Parkway)

===Air===
Clarksville is served commercially by [[Nashville International Airport]] but also has a small airport, [[Outlaw Field]], located {{convert|10|mi}} north of downtown. Outlaw Field accommodates an average of slightly over 32,000 private and corporate flight operations per year (average for 12-month period ending 2014), and is also home to a pilot training school and a few small aircraft companies. It has two asphalt runways, one {{convert|6,000|by|100|ft|abbr=on}} and the other {{convert|4,004|by|100|ft|abbr=on}}. Outlaw Field has received a $35,000 grant. A new terminal building was built in 2011–2012.

Cobb Field was a small private airfield. It was {{convert|3|mi|km}} west of the Dover Crossings area, just across the street from [[Liberty Elementary School|Liberty Elementary]]. It had one grass/sod runway that measured {{convert|1752|ft|m|abbr=on}}. This airfield was not open to the public and is no longer suitable for landing aircraft due to runway encroachment by nearby trees and brush, as well as fencing across the former runway. Cobb Field is no longer displayed on VFR sectional charts available from the [[Federal Aviation Administration|FAA]].

===Transit===
[[Clarksville Transit System]] has 10 bus routes, and the service operates Mondays-Saturdays.

==Notable people==
{{div col}}
* [[Roy Acuff]] – country music star, associated with Grand Ole Opry and ''Hee Haw'' television series
* [[James E. Bailey]] – U.S. Senator from Tennessee
* [[David Bibb]] – acting administrator of General Services Administration (GSA)
* [[Willie Blount]] – former governor of Tennessee (1809–1815)
* [[Robert Burt]] – African-American surgeon
* [[Philander Claxton]] – professor, Commissioner of U.S. Department of Education, APSU president
* [[Nate Colbert]] – MLB player
* [[Gretchen Cordy]] – reality TV personality, ''[[Survivor: Borneo]]'', local radio DJ
* [[Riley Darnell]] – state senator and former Tennessee Secretary of State
* [[Mark Day (racing driver)|Mark Day]] – NASCAR race car driver
* [[Dorothy Dix]] – pen name of [[Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer]], famous for newspaper advice column
* [[Harry Galbreath]] – football player with Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, and New York Jets
* [[Brock Gillespie]] – professional basketball player
* [[Jeff Gooch]] – former football player with Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions
* [[Ernest William Goodpasture]] – pathologist and physician
* [[Caroline Gordon]] – novelist and wife of [[Allen Tate]]
* [[Clay Greenfield]] - NASCAR Xfinity and Truck Series Driver
* [[William J. Hadden]] Jr. - (1921–1995) Protestant minister, politician, television presenter
* [[Ryne Harper]] – baseball player
* [[Trenton Hassell]] – NBA player with Minnesota Timberwolves, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, New Jersey Nets
* [[Whit Haydn]] – magician, vice-president of Magic Castle
* [[Roland Hayes]] – musician
* [[Tommy Head]] – member of Tennessee House of Representatives
* [[Jimi Hendrix]] – guitarist, singer and songwriter
* [[Gustavus Adolphus Henry Sr.]] – "Eagle Orator of Tennessee"
* [[Percy Howard]] – wide receiver for Dallas Cowboys
* [[Douglas S. Jackson]] – member of Tennessee Senate
* [[Cave Johnson]] – Congressman and U.S. Postmaster General under President [[James K. Polk]]
* [[Howard Johnson (American football)|Howard Johnson]] – football player and U.S. Marine killed in Battle of Iwo Jima
* [[Micah Johnson (gridiron football)|Micah Johnson]] – Miami Dolphins linebacker
* [[Dorothy Jordan (film actress)|Dorothy Jordan]] – film actress
* [[Joseph Buckner Killebrew]] – educator, lawyer, originator of liberal public school law
* [[Scotty Kilmer]] - Car Mechanic and YouTube Personality
* [[Nate Landwehr]] - UFC Fighter (Featherweight)
* [[Jalen Reeves-Maybin]] – NFL linebacker Detroit Lions
* [[Horace Lisenbee]] – MLB player, pitcher for Washington Senators
* [[Ricky Lumpkin]] - NFL player for the Raiders, Cardinals, and Colts. Graduated from Kenwood High School
* [[Horace Harmon Lurton]] – Justice of U.S. Supreme Court
* [[John Hartwell Marable]] – member of U.S. House of Representatives
* [[Shawn Marion]] – Olympic and professional basketball player
* [[Isaac Murphy]] – first Reconstruction-era governor of Arkansas
* [[Robert Loftin Newman]] – oil painter
* [[Mary C. Noble]] – judge of Kentucky Supreme Court
* [[Norris W. Overton]] – U.S. Air Force Brigadier General
* [[Wayne Pace]] – CFO of Time Warner
* [[Asahel Huntington Patch]] – also known as [[A. H. Patch]], inventor of Blackhawk corn sheller
* [[Austin Peay]] – Governor of Tennessee (1922–1927); namesake of Austin Peay State University
* [[Thomas Minott Peters]] – lawyer and botanist
* [[Chonda Pierce]] – Christian comedian and performer
* [[Key Pittman]] – U.S. Senator from Nevada
* [[Alex Poythress]] – [[NBA]] & former University of Kentucky basketball player
*[[DJ Pryor]] – stand-up comedian and actor
* [[Jeff Purvis]] – NASCAR driver
* [[James B. Reynolds]] – member of U.S. House of Representatives
* [[Phil Roe (politician)|Phil Roe]] – politician
* [[Mason Rudolph (golfer)|Mason Rudolph]] – professional golfer
* [[Wilma Rudolph]] – first female athlete to win three gold medals in single Olympic games
* [[Brenda Vineyard Runyon]] – founder and director of First Woman's Bank of Tennessee (1919–1926)
* [[Clarence Saunders (grocer)|Clarence Saunders]] – grocer, founder of Piggly Wiggly
* [[Evelyn Scott (writer)|Evelyn Scott]] – writer, poet, and novelist
* [[Valentine Sevier]] – Revolutionary War soldier and brother of John Sevier (first governor of Tennessee)
* [[George Sherrill]] – baseball player
* [[Rachel Smith]] – Miss Tennessee USA and Miss USA (2007)
* [[Rick Stansbury]] – basketball coach
* [[Travis Stephens]] – football player with Tampa Bay Buccaneers
* [[James Storm]] – professional wrestler
* [[William "Sammy" Stuard]] – chairman of Tennessee Bankers Association, CEO of F&M Bank
* [[Pat Summitt]] – University of Tennessee at Knoxville women's basketball coach, Hall of Famer
* [[Frank Sutton]] – actor, played Sergeant Vince Carter in ''Gomer Pyle, USMC'' TV series
* [[Allen Tate]] – poet
* [[Sloan Thomas]] – wide receiver for Tennessee Titans
* [[Mageina Tovah]] – actress
* [[Jamie Walker (baseball)|Jamie Walker]] – MLB relief pitcher
* [[Robert Penn Warren]] – First United States Poet Laureate
* [[Bubba Wells]] – APSU alumnus and NBA player
* [[William Westmoreland]] – military commander in Vietnam
* [[Clarence Cameron White]] – musician
* [[James "Fly" Williams]] – player in original American Basketball Association
* [[Howie Wright]] – NBA player
{{div col end}}

==In popular culture==
* The [[Monkees]] 1966 #1 song "[[Last Train to Clarksville]]" is sometimes said to reference the city's train depot and a soldier from Fort Campbell during the Vietnam War era, but Clarksville was actually picked just for its [[wikt:euphony|euphonious]] sound.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=2840 |title=Last Train to Clarksville by The Monkees |website=SongFacts |quote=There's a little town in Northern Arizona I used to go through in the summer on the way to Oak Creek Canyon called Clarksdale. We were throwing out names, and when we got to Clarksdale, we thought Clarksville sounded even better. ''We didn't know it at the time'', [but] there is an Air Force base near the town of Clarksville, Tennessee – which ''would have'' fit the bill fine for the story line. |access-date=December 14, 2014}} - Bobby Hart (emphasis added).</ref>
* The music video for the 1986 song "[[Twenty Years Ago]]" by country singer [[Kenny Rogers]] was filmed on Franklin Street in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Home of Gary the Guardrail. Gary resides just off of exit 1, on
Tylertown Rd, in front of O'Connor's. 
He has been taken out by many semi trucks over the years and balloons in honor of his demise are usually left on location.

The video for Sheryl Crow's 1994 Grammy winning "All I wanna Do" was filmed in front of the Roxy Theater, on the corner of Franklin Street and North 1st Street.

* The home of Rhonda The Roundabout, the famous traffic circle that is home to the Rhonda 500.  A very popular race that tests the endurance of many notable drivers and is soon to be a state sanctioned event.

Nicole Kidman's 2025 Thriller, Holland, was partially filmed in downtown Clarksville.

==Nicknames==
Clarksville's nicknames have included  '''The Queen City''', '''Queen of the Cumberland''', and '''Gateway to the New South.'''<ref name="FortCampbell" /> In April 2008, the city adopted "Tennessee's Top Spot!" as its new brand nickname.<ref>[http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2008/04/12/clarksville-unveils-new-brand-as-tennessees-top-spot/ Clarksville unveils new "Brand" as "Tennessee's Top Spot!"], Turner McCullough Jr., ''Clarksville Online'', 12 April 12008.</ref>

==Sister city==
{{flagicon|KOR}} [[Gunpo|Gunpo, Gyeonggi]], South Korea<ref>{{cite web |last=Stevens|first=Richard|title=City of Clarksville welcomes visitors from South Korean sister city|url=https://clarksvillenow.com/local/city-of-clarksville-welcomes-visitors-from-south-korean-sister-city/|publisher=ClarksvilleNow|date=2017-09-17|access-date=2024-10-05}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{See also|Timeline of Clarksville, Tennessee#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of Clarksville, Tennessee}}
* {{citation |title=Opinion No. 09-94: Tennessee Attorney General Issues Opinion on Charter of the City of Clarksville |author=Federal News Service |location= Washington, D.C. |date=May 21, 2009 |author-link=Federal News Service }}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{EB1911 poster|Clarksville}}
{{Wikivoyage|Clarksville (Tennessee)}}
{{portal|American Civil War}}
* {{Official website|http://www.cityofclarksville.com/}}

{{Montgomery County, Tennessee}}
{{Tennessee}}
{{Tennessee county seats}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Clarksville, Tennessee| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Montgomery County, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Clarksville metropolitan area]]
[[Category:County seats in Tennessee]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1785]]
[[Category:1785 establishments in North Carolina]] <!-- This was a part of North Carolina at the time -->
[[Category:Cities in Tennessee]]