| Official Name: | McDonald, Tennessee |
| Settlement Type: | Census-designated place |
| Pushpin Map: | Tennessee#USA |
| Pushpin Label: | McDonald |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Tennessee |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Bradley County, Tennessee |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 586 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Elevation Ft: | 853 |
| Coordinates: | 35.1133°N -84.9828°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 37353 |
| Area Code: | 423 |
| Blank Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank Info: | 1293249 |
McDonald is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Bradley County, Tennessee, United States. McDonald is located along U.S. Route 11 and U.S. Route 64 6.8miles west-southwest of Cleveland.[1] McDonald has a post office with ZIP code 37353.[2] [3]
The United States Census Bureau treated the community as a CDP for the 2020 census and the population was 586.[4]
The McDonald community was established circa 1850. The origin of its name is unclear; the community may have been named for a Scottish trader, a railroad builder, or the mother of a resident.[5] In 1887, Goodspeed's History of Tennessee described McDonald's Station as a "small village on the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia Railroad."[6] Many mineral springs are located in the McDonald area, and the community had many popular resorts from the 1880s to the 1930s.[7]
The Tri-State Exhibition Center, an arena for horse shows and other large events, is located in McDonald. The arena opened in 2001 and underwent a major expansion in 2003; the expansion was expected to be an economic boon for the area.[8]
The Johnston family, of Coca-Cola Enterprises, has owned the 4,000-acre Bendabout Farm in McDonald since the 1830s.[9] It has a polo ground maintained throughout the year.[9] It is home to the Bendabout Polo Club, formerly known as the Chattanooga Polo Club, founded by Summerfield Johnston, Jr. in the 1950s.[9] They hold the Bendabout Farm polo match once a year.[9] [10]
Bachman Academy, a school for children with learning disabilities, was located in McDonald. The school opened in 1912 and served as a home for orphaned children until 1989.[11] [12] The school closed in 2017.[13]
and Hamilton County, Tennessee