Walland is part of Blount County in eastern Tennessee, an area known for the Smoky Mountains. A major employer in the county is Alcoa, and the population has been growing rapidly, in part due to the area's scenic beauty and proximity to Knoxville. Students attend Blount County Schools, which operates Walland Elementary. The teachers at the elementary school have organized a bookmobile, and they visit homes of students who may have few opportunities to read. A fun thing to do in Walland is to go tubing or kayaking down the gentle rapids of the Little River. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is only 15 miles away. Famous past residents of the area were the Cherokee Indians and Quakers, who favored abolition and the Union during the Civil War.