Ever wonder why some roads are called streets or drives and others are called lanes, or why there appears to be a gap in address numbers along a road? It may seem arbitrary, but there are formal guidelines that must be followed when naming roads and creating addresses.

Roadways that run east and west are called drives or avenues, while those that run north and south are called streets or roads. Lanes are dead-end public streets and ways indicate a private drive or easement that serves six or more structures.

The address number tells you which side of the street a structure is on. Buildings on the south and east side of the street are assigned even numbers, and buildings on the north and west side of the street are given odd numbers. Addresses must be in sequential order, and no half numbers are allowed.

Address numbers have a specific starting point for their sequencing. Knox County is divided into four quadrants with a north-south division line, and an east-west division line. Block numbers begin at the intersection of Central Street and Jackson Avenue. The first block in any direction is designated the 100 block, with each succeeding block numbered consecutively to the county line.

Occasionally, there may be a significant gap in address numbers, but that is intentional. Address numbers are given to structures, not parcels of land. When there is a large parcel of land next to another, it is standard practice to leave address numbers available in case additional structures are built on it, or if the land is subdivided in the future.

The guidelines also include a methodology for naming streets. A valid street name may consist of up to three parts, a prefix (a direction), a base name (which may be up to two words), and the road type. New streets may not have base names that are spelled or sound the same as existing roads.

Our Addressing Department is responsible for upholding these rules when approving address requests, street name changes, or when notified of discrepancies. To learn more about their work, visit the addressing section of knoxplanning.org.