Downtown Chattanooga is zoned for Tommie F. Brown Academy and The Howard School. Zillow put ZIP 37402 at $442,590 in September 2026, down 3.7% in a year.
Last checked Oct. 18, 2026. Sources: the City of Chattanooga’s GIS map layers (neighborhood association boundaries, city limits, ZIP codes, parks, trails and historic districts); Plan Chattanooga, the city’s comprehensive plan; Hamilton County Schools’ 2026-27 school zones map; the Tennessee Department of Education’s 2024-25 letter grades; Zillow Research; CARTA’s published schedule data; and OpenStreetMap.
Downtown is the city’s center on the south bank of the Tennessee River, from Ross’s Landing and the Tennessee Aquarium south along Market Street and Broad Street. The city’s neighborhood map draws it at about 1.5 square miles, and it reaches across the river to take in Coolidge Park and Renaissance Park on the North Shore. About 2,500 people lived inside that line in the 2020 census.
What this means for you
- Zoned high school: The Howard School for about 77% of residents (graded D for 2024-25); Red Bank High for the north-bank part.
- Home value: $442,590 in ZIP code 37402 in September 2026, according to the Zillow Home Value Index.
- Nearest freeway exit: U.S. 27 exit 1B (Downtown), about half a mile by road from Miller Park; I-24 exit 178 is about 1.2 miles.
Part of our Chattanooga neighborhoods guide.
Where it is
This guide follows the Downtown boundary on the City of Chattanooga’s neighborhood association map. Its main streets are Market Street, Broad Street, Georgia Avenue, M.L. King Boulevard, Fourth Street and Riverfront Parkway, and the Walnut Street Bridge, Market Street Bridge and Veterans Bridge cross to the North Shore. About 54% of residents are in ZIP code 37402, 23% in 37403 on the east side and 23% in 37405 across the river.
Plan Chattanooga, the comprehensive plan the City Council adopted on Sept. 22, 2026, groups downtown with the North Shore as Area 1, which it describes as downtown “and surrounding neighborhoods and districts on both sides of the Tennessee River.” The plan also covers the historic Westside neighborhood next to downtown, home to one of the city’s first public housing developments, and the South Broad District, home of Erlanger Park, the Chattanooga Lookouts’ new ballpark.
The National Park Service lists the Downtown Chattanooga Historic District (added in 2020, roughly bounded by M.L. King Boulevard, Georgia Avenue, Fifth and Sixth streets, Walnut Street and Chestnut Street) and Fountain Square on the National Register, and the city’s map shows the Battery Place local historic district on the bluff. More in our history and landmarks guide.
Schools
From the Hamilton County Schools 2026-27 attendance zones, weighted by 2020 census population. Grades are each school’s overall grade on Tennessee’s 2024-25 letter-grade report card:
| Level | School | Address | 2024-25 grade | Where it is zoned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Tommie F. Brown Academy | 718 E. Eighth St. | F | About 95% |
| Middle | Orchard Knob Middle | 500 N. Highland Park Ave. | F | About 77%, south of the river |
| Middle | Red Bank Middle | 3715 Dayton Blvd. | D | About 19%, the North Shore |
| High | The Howard School | 2500 S. Market St. | D | About 77%, south of the river |
| High | Red Bank High | 640 Morrison Springs Road | C | About 23%, the North Shore |
A few north-bank blocks are zoned for Normal Park Museum Magnet. Hamilton County Schools also runs magnet schools open to students countywide. Check an address in the district’s School Zone Finder. More in our schools guide.
Home values
The typical home value in ZIP code 37402 was $442,590 in September 2026, down 3.7% from $459,563 in September 2025, according to the Zillow Home Value Index. In 37403 it was $381,673, down 3.3%. The index is a modeled typical value for the middle third of homes, not a sale price, and both ZIP codes reach beyond downtown. The City of Chattanooga figure was $314,999, down 1.3%. More in our home prices guide.
Parks and trails
From the City of Chattanooga’s parks map layer:
- Ross’s Landing Park, 101 Riverfront Parkway.
- Miller Park, 928 Market St.
- Coolidge Park, 150 River St., across the Walnut Street Bridge.
- Renaissance Park, 100 Manufacturers Road.
- Patten Parkway, Phillips Park on Georgia Avenue and the Memorial Auditorium Mini Park, 397 McCallie Ave.
The Tennessee Riverwalk runs through downtown from Battery Place past Ross’s Landing to Blue Goose Hollow and on south toward West 26th Street, and the Walnut Street Bridge is a pedestrian bridge. More in our riverfront guide and parks and trails guide.
Getting around
- Freeway: U.S. 27 exits 1A and 1B (Downtown) are about half a mile by road from Miller Park, and exit 1C (Fourth Street) about 0.7 mile; I-24 exit 178 is about 1.2 miles.
- Airport: about 10.1 miles by road to Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA).
- Bus: 11 CARTA routes stop downtown in CARTA’s current schedule data, among them the Downtown Shuttle (Route 33), Route 1 Alton Park, Route 4 Eastgate/Hamilton Place, Route 9 East Lake and Route 16 Northgate.
Distances are measured on the OpenStreetMap road network with the OSRM routing engine, from Miller Park; exit distances run to the end of the off-ramp. They are distances, not drive times. More in our getting around guide.
Neighborhood groups
The city’s neighborhood association registry lists Downtown as its own area and the One North Shore Condominium Association, a condominium owners association, inside it.
Groceries and everyday stores
From OpenStreetMap, on the north bank of the river:
- Whole Foods Market, 301 Manufacturers Road.
- Walgreens, 110 N. Market St.
How we drew this area
The area is the City of Chattanooga’s “Downtown” neighborhood association boundary. School zones and ZIP codes come from 2020 census block points inside that boundary, checked Oct. 18, 2026. Store and road data are © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Frequently asked questions
What high school is downtown Chattanooga zoned for?
Most of downtown, about 77% of residents, is zoned for The Howard School, graded D on Tennessee’s 2024-25 report card. The part across the river around Coolidge Park is zoned for Red Bank High, graded C.
What ZIP code is downtown Chattanooga?
Mostly 37402, with the east side in 37403 and the riverfront across the river in 37405. Zillow’s typical value for 37402 was $442,590 in September 2026.
How far is downtown Chattanooga from the airport?
About 10 miles by road from Miller Park to Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA), measured on the OpenStreetMap road network.
Is downtown Chattanooga a good place to live?
Here are the facts. Downtown covers about 1.5 square miles with eight city parks and the Tennessee Riverwalk, is zoned mostly for The Howard School (graded D for 2024-25), and the typical home value in ZIP 37402 was $442,590 in September 2026, according to Zillow.
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