About Bean Station

Bean Station, located in the heart of East Tennessee at the junction of U.S. Highways 11W and 25E, is an important and historical crossroads.

Tucked away in the easternmost portion of Grainger County, in the shadow of rugged Clinch Mountain, Bean Station is the largest - and fastest growing - of the county's three incorporated cities.

Bean Station’s diverse landscape, like much of East Tennessee, consists of pastoral rolling hills, lush hardwood forests, and a picturesque lake. Neighborhoods are scattered throughout the city’s 4.4 square miles. About 2,500 people reside inside the city limits. Another 2,500 or so live outside the city but still call Bean Station home. Ancestral roots run deep. People are self-reliant, independent, and proud of their mountain heritage, strong work ethic, and traditional family values.

While the name Bean’s Station can be found on maps dating back to the early 1800s, when the region was still part of North Carolina, Bean Station wasn’t officially incorporated as a city until 1996–220 years after it was first settled. Local government consists of an elected mayor and four aldermen. The city maintains its own police force and an active street department. The City Council has an ambitious list of future projects that included building a sewage treatment system and expanding city hall to include meeting rooms and a courtroom.

Emergency services are provided by the Bean Station Volunteer Rescue Squad and Bean Station Volunteer Fire Department. The Bean Station Utility District supplies city residents with clean, potable water while the county operates Bean Station Elementary School and the Bean Station Library.

Quaint is probably the word that best describes Bean Station. City Hall is housed in the “old Post Office” at the corner of Main Street and City Drive. The emerging “Downtown” consists of a dozen or so commercial properties that include a grocery store, drug store, motel, and three restaurants. Other businesses are located along U.S. Highways 25E and 11W, and on Broadway Drive (aka “Old Highway 25E”).

The majority of businesses are family owned and operated but a few national chain stores and fast-food restaurants have recently located here, evidence that the local economy is healthy and growing.

Agriculture is the county’s primary industry, but low taxes, a skilled work force, and a modern industrial park have helped attract new business and industry to the community. The 85-acre Grainger County Industrial Park on 11W is home to several high-tech industries. Products manufactured in Grainger County include canvas goods, athletic wear, furniture, housing, metallized film, and air conditioning and heating systems.

Blessed with unparalleled natural beauty, Bean Station’s recreational opportunities revolve around the great outdoors. Cherokee Lake is popular with boaters and fishermen. Nearby Clinch Mountain offers great hiking, while Clinch River provides excellent kayaking and canoeing. Hunting is also a popular pastime. White-tailed deer and wild turkey are abundant throughout the area. A community park, golf course, and organized softball and Little League baseball provide enjoyment for hundreds during the summer months.

Numerous churches and four civic organizations serve the community.

Every October, the community celebrates its heritage with the Harvest Pride Days Festival. Main Street is closed to traffic for the weekend. Dozens of food and arts and crafts vendors set up shop along the street and thousands of residents and visitors come to enjoy singing, dancing, and a variety of family-oriented events and contests.