• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

  • Home
    • My Disclosure Policy
    • My Privacy Policy
    • Contact Me
  • Advertise
  • The SWCL Shop
  • Duty Stations
  • My Writings
  • Military Life
    • Movies & TV
    • Disneyland
    • Books
  • So Your Spouse Just Deployed??? Click Here!!!
  • Fort Campbell
You are here: Home / Duty Stations / 10 Things To Know About Being Stationed At Fort Campbell

10 Things To Know About Being Stationed At Fort Campbell

December 16, 2020 by Julie

10 Things To Know About Being Stationed At Fort Campbell

Almost eleven years ago, our family flew into Nashville and started the Fort Campbell chapter of our lives. While my husband got out of active duty in 2014, he joined the National Guard, and we stayed put here in Clarksville, TN. I have now lived here longer than anywhere else besides where I grew up.

If you just found out you are going to be stationed at Fort Campbell, congratulations! While I can’t guarantee what type of experience you will have here, you can have an excellent one. Not everyone likes Ft. Campbell, some people hate Ft. Campbell, but others love the place and plan to stay here long term.

I get commissions for purchases made through some of the links in this post.

So if you plan to move here soon, here are just a few things to know about being stationed at Fort Campbell:

1. Fort Campbell is on the border of Tennessee and Kentucky, literally

Fort Campbell is literally on the border of Tennessee and Kentucky. Being from California, which is such a huge state, going out of state still seems so funny to me, and yet, here, I do it all the time. If you have a baby at Fort Campbell, their birth certificate says, “Fort Campbell, Tennessee” even though that doesn’t exist. Officially, Fort Campbell is considered in Kentucky, but some of the military post is actually on the Tennesse side of the line.

2. Don’t listen to people who say there is nothing to do; there is plenty to do

Often I hear that there is nothing to do here. Not true. There is plenty to do. I think what they mean is that there is not a lot of big-city things to do which is true, but I will talk about that in #3.

They also might not have kids. I could see feeling that way if you didn’t have kids, maybe. But between the post and the local communities, there is always something going on. And they keep adding more and more things to do. Of course, during COVID, many things are limited.

3. Don’t expect big city life, you will need to head to Nashville for that

Growing up in Southern California, this place seems a lot less exciting. So for people who are used to that, it can feel like this is a small town. I think I have gotten used to that, but I know it can be frustrating for others. Luckily, Nashville is just about 45 minutes to an hour away, and they have a lot going on.

There are a lot of chains here, from Target to Starbucks to Dollar General, which they seem to have everywhere. But that doesn’t mean there is nothing local to enjoy, there is. There are restaurants and stores that you can’t find anywhere else. I am a big fan of Miss Lucille’s Marketplace which is an indoor antique mall with a small cafe.

10 Things To Know About Being Stationed At Fort Campbell

4. Housing is a toss-up

I have never lived on post at Fort Campbell, but I have visited friends that have over the years. I think housing is overall a toss-up. Some places seem pretty nice, are close to Starbucks and parks. Other neighborhoods seem more lacking. It just depends.

5. Traffic sucks

If you try to go to the mall at 2 pm on a Saturday, good luck. That is probably the worst time of day for traffic around here. And when traffic is bad, it is very very bad.

Traffic gets even worse when it snows. Yikes! And this is not a very walkable area either. You also might live five minutes from post, and it can take you 30 minutes to get home because everyone is trying to do the same thing.

6. The weather is crazy

We have hot and “don’t want to go outside” humidity in the summer, we have rain and tornado season in the fall and especially in the spring, and winter is all over the place. We had a snow week in January, but also 65-degree weather just a few weeks later. A couple of days ago things felt like spring around here, and I found snow on my car this morning. Fun times.

As far as the snow goes, if you are from California, Hawaii, or Florida, it snows a lot. If you are from New England, Minnesota, or Alaska, you might wonder why everyone is freaking out. The whole city might shut down with just an inch, make sure to stock up on your bread and milk.

7. You can buy a house for under $200K

Coming from California, housing here is really cheap. You could easily find a home for under $200k, and if you have $300K to spend, you are looking at an amazing house. One of the main reasons we stay.

10 Things To Know About Being Stationed At Fort Campbell

8. Everything you need on post is pretty close

The nice thing about Fort Campbell is that everything the military family needs is pretty close. From the PX to the Commissary to most of the housing. It’s all right there. Which makes getting from place to place much easier. 

Off post is a completely different story. Clarksville is pretty spread out which I am still not used to even after all this time. I wish things were a little bit closer together.

9. You can live in Kentucky or Tennesee, your pick

If you decide to live off post at Fort Campbell, you can choose whether you want to live in Kentucky or Tennessee. Most people do pick Clarksville to live in, but some enjoy living in Oak Grove or Hopkinsville in Kentucky. There are plenty of options for off post living here.

10. They need more bookstores

This whole area needs more bookstores. That is my personal rant. We do have a Books-a-Million which actually has a great selection and a lot of amazing deals. But adding another one, plus another library would be great.


If you do get orders to Fort Campbell, do some research on housing, look into things to do and know you can have a pretty amazing experience here if you want.

Last Updated on June 24, 2021 by Writer

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Print

Filed Under: Duty Stations Tagged With: Fort Campbell, ft. campbell, Tennessee

About Julie

Owner of Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life. Writer, reader, coffee drinker. Mom to three boys, wife of a National Guard soldier. Living life in Tennessee.

Previous Post: « 5 Memes For Military Spouses This Holiday Season
Next Post: When Military Life is New »

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. Mission BBQ and Giving Back to the Military Community says:
    April 13, 2018 at 10:00 am

    […] you heard of the restaurant, Mission BBQ? We just got one here in the Fort Campbell area last year and I was excited to try their yummy food. I have heard such good things about them […]

  2. What To Look For In A Military Spouse BFF says:
    May 14, 2018 at 8:03 am

    […] made friends at every step of the way. From my best friend in Germany to my current circle here at Fort Campbell. From military spouse bloggers to some of the amazing people I have met through blogging and social […]

  3. 18 Signs That You Have Been Stationed at Fort Campbell During Your Spouse’s Military Career says:
    February 5, 2019 at 10:00 am

    […] Campbell is located on the Tennessee and Kentucky border, literally. Some people love being stationed at Fort Campbell, some people hate being stationed at Fort Campbell, and some have such mixed feelings it really […]

  4. 10 Restaurants You Should Try in the Fort Campbell Area says:
    June 22, 2021 at 11:23 am

    […] are many different types of places to go and visit and explore here on the Kentucky and Tennessee border. From Bar and Grills to bakeries with treats you can’t get enough of. The Fort Campbell area […]

Primary Sidebar

Top Posts!!!

  • 10 Things To Know About Being Stationed At Fort Campbell
  • 18 Military Spouse Memes When You Just Need A Good Laugh
  • 14 Tips to Help You Survive Basic Training When Your Spouse Joins the Military
  • Why You Should Break Up With Your Military Boyfriend
  • Living in Rota, Spain
  • The Night Before They Deploy

About Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life

Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

Welcome to Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life! I am so glad you are here.

My name is Julie and I have been a military spouse for 16 years!

My husband of 19 years has served in the active-duty Army and now the Army National Guard. We have lived in Germany & Tennessee during our time as a military family.

We have three boys and have been through four deployments together.

I hope that you can find support for your own deployments, PCS moves, or anything else military life brings you 🙂

~Contact Me~
Military Life Products
Favorite Books!

Sign up for your FREE Guide to the First 30 Days of Deployment!


Thank you!

Check your email for confirmation! 

.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Footer

Archives

Copyright © 2022 Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life on the Foodie Pro Theme

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT