Drive Time: A 9.2-mile drive from Northgate Mall to the Tennessee Aquarium. The estimated travel time is 15 minutes.
Locator maps: Hixson is generally defined as the area north of Rivermont, east of Red Bank and Highway 27, and south of Middle Valley and Thrasher Pike. Hixson's eastern border is the Tennessee River.
Curb appeal: The average home price in 2021 was $283,500.
Breakfast: The Southern Restaurant on Hixson Pike is a great way to get the morning started, even as early as 6 a.m. The Southern Sunrise and Western Omelet are just two of the favorites, with french toast and waffles early options as well.
Lunch: The Rib & Loin on Highway 153 offers smoked beef brisket, pork shoulder, chicken breasts and barbecued ribs among its specialties.
Dinner: For dinner, it's the Ichiban Steak House on Hixson Pike. Hibachi chicken, steak and salmon are among the many delightful options at Ichiban, where reservations are recommended but not required.
Ribbon Cutters: After nearly 30 years at Northgate Mall, Applebee's Grill and Bar announced in July 2021 that it planned to move into a newly remodeled space off Highway 153 near Target that formerly housed a Ruby Tuesday.
In the News:
- In late October of 2021, Hamilton County mayor Jim Coppinger announced that he would not seek re-election and that he would step down at the end of his term in 2022, or 50 years after he quarterbacked Hixson High School to an 8-3 record in one of its most memorable seasons. Coppinger was appointed Hamilton County mayor in January 2011.
- A 10,500-square-foot retail site is slated for Hixson in a proposed $2 million project at Hixson Pike and Eagle Drive.
Happy Place: If your "happy place" takes you in a leisurely direction, then the Hixson area offers three prominent areas - Greenway Farms, Chester Frost Park and Vandergriff Park - that could quickly become your favorite depending on the day and experience.
Shop Talk: Any kind of shop talk in Hixson would have to start with Northgate Mall, which was built 50 years ago, but the area does have alternatives. The Target and Walmart at Oak Park Town Center on Highway 153 are often quite busy, and what sports activist would pass up Academy Sports & Outdoors?
Livability score sheet
Hixson offers the charm of relaxing parks and the congestion that the popularity of a Northgate Mall and its surrounding shopping options can present. Northgate has long been the anchor of Hixson, with Northgate and Eastgate serving as the big malls 50 years ago, and with Hamilton Plate and Northgate serving as those options now.
Health-care assets: CHI Memorial Hospital Hixson at 2051 Hamill Road has been recognized among America's 100 best hospitals for pulmonary care.
Claim to Fame: Among the many Hixson High School alums are the late Michael "Mikey" Houser, once the lead guitarist for Widespread Panic, and identical twins Josh and Daniel Bullocks, who were defensive backs for the Hixson High School Wildcats before starring at Nebraska and then getting drafted in the NFL. Josh was the 40th overall pick of the 2005 NFL draft, getting selected by the New Orleans Saints, while Daniel was the 40th pick in 2006, going to the Detroit Lions.
Parks and Rec:
Hixson has several popular attractions, with the the Chickamauga Dam on its eastern border containing several marinas along the Tennessee River. Greenway Farms is part of the North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy and offers canoeing, hiking and a dog park. The Valleybrook Golf Course remains popular and served as a regular PGA stop from 1983 to 1991 with the Chattanooga Classic. Among its winners were Brad Faxon and Phil Blackmar.
Schools:
- Hixson High School
- Hixson and Loftis middle schools
- Big Ridge, DuPont, Hixson, Ganns Middle Valley and McConnell elementary schools