Notable as the location of the former RAF Tern Hill station, which is now operated by the British Army and known as Clive Barracks, the settlement is named after the River Tern which begins just south of the settlement. The A41 and A53 cross over at the area and the Tern Hill roundabout gives it direct links with major towns and cities such as Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton, Stoke-on-Trent and Chester.