Strawberry Plains, TN

Strawberry Plains is an unincorporated CDP on the Holston River where Jefferson, Knox, and Sevier counties meet. Only the Jefferson County portion is counted in the CDP's census geography; it had 2,405 residents in 2020. The community is included in both the Knoxville and Morristown metropolitan areas. Its early settlement story follows the river: Adam Meek established a settlement in 1785 and later moved toward the Holston, giving the place a long connection to crossings, county boundaries, and East Tennessee routes. Present-day activity is concentrated along Interstate 40 and Strawberry Plains Pike.

Pellissippi State Community College's Strawberry Plains Campus is at Exit 398 in Knox County and offers welding, nursing, and cyber-defense programs. The campus library also houses the Appalachian Heritage Project, which presents programs related to regional music, art, and heritage. The community's geography matters in two ways: the Holston River and county line define the place, while I-40 and a technical college connect it to the larger Knoxville area. That leaves a river-edge community whose activity is distributed across several jurisdictions.