Farragut, Tennessee

About Farragut, TN

Farragut TN is a suburban town located in the State of Tennessee, spanning across Knox and Loudon counties in the United States. The town’s population was 23,506 at the 2020 census. It is a part of the Knoxville Metropolitan Area. The town’s name pays tribute to the Hispanic American and Union Admiral David Farragut, who was born in Campbell’s Station, just east of Farragut, in 1801, and played a significant role in the American Civil War.

Originally known as Campbell’s Station, the area was home to a fort and stage coach station established by Captain David Campbell (1753–1832) in 1787. The historic Campbell’s Station Inn, constructed in 1810, still stands on Kingston Pike, near Farragut Town Hall. On November 16, 1863, the Civil War Battle of Campbell’s Station took place there.

To the east of what would later become Farragut, the unincorporated village of Concord was founded in 1854. Concord is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and flourished due to its strategic location along the main rail line to Atlanta and the Tennessee River’s primary channel. It served as an essential transloading center for the Tennessee marble industry during the late 19th century. Today, Concord boasts picturesque buildings, antebellum homes, and several ancient churches along the river.

The original Farragut High School was constructed by the community in 1904 but moved to its current location in 1976. Some areas of Farragut fall under the zoning for Hardin Valley Academy, located in the neighboring suburb of Hardin Valley, which was built in 2008.

In December 1979, the Knoxville City Council decided to annex right-of-way acreage of I-40 in the Farragut area, prompting residents to call for an incorporation election. On January 16, 1980, Farragut voted to incorporate as a town, preventing further annexation by Knoxville, which sought to expand its tax base by incorporating affluent communities along Kingston Pike. The initiative was led by a citizen group known as the Farragut Community Group. The first mayor, Bob Leonard, and four aldermen were elected on April 1, 1980. Subsequently, Alderman Eddy Ford became mayor in 1993 and served until April 2009 when he was defeated in the election by Dr. Ralph McGill, another original founder of the town government.