Middle Tennessee
Grand Division
Images, from top down, left to right: Skyline ofNashville, theTennessee State Capitol, theRyman Auditorium,Stones River National Battlefield inMurfreesboro,Vanderbilt University,Fall Creek Falls,Cedars of Lebanon State Park
Nicknames:  Middle TN, Middle Tenn.
The counties of Tennessee highlighted in red that are designated part of Middle Tennessee.
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
Largest city	Nashville
Area
• Land	44,054.2 km2 (17,009.41 sq mi)
Population  (2020)	2,883,086
• Density	65.4/km2 (169.5/sq mi)
Demonym	Middle Tennessean
Area codes	423,615, 629,931

Middle Tennessee is one of the threeGrand Divisions of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties.^[1] Middle Tennessee contains the state's capital and largest city,Nashville, as well asClarksville, the state's fifth largest city, andMurfreesboro, the state's sixth largest city and largest suburb of Nashville. TheNashville metropolitan area, located entirely within the region, is the most populousmetropolitan area in the state, and theClarksville metropolitan area is the state's sixth most populous. Middle Tennessee is both the largest, in terms of land area, and the most populous of the state's three Grand Divisions.

Geographically, Middle Tennessee is composed of theHighland Rim, which completely surrounds theNashville Basin. TheCumberland Plateau is located in the eastern part of the region. Culturally, Middle Tennessee is considered part of theUpland South.^[2] Commodity crops such ascotton andtobacco were cultivated by migrant settlers in the region in theantebellum era, who were largely dependent on the labor ofenslaved African Americans. In addition, planters bred and trained livestock, such as the world-famousTennessee Walking Horse, which was developed as a breed in the region during this time.

Middle Tennessee was a crucial region during theAmerican Civil War. Tennessee was occupied by Federal troops from 1862 through the end of the war. Many battles and campaigns were waged by Confederates in this region, especially in efforts to control the major rivers. Confederate GeneralNathan Bedford Forrest conducted extensive raids through this area, destroying many Union assets in the 1864Battle of Johnsonville. The bloodiest major battle of the American Civil War by the proportion of engaged soldiers who became casualties, theBattle of Stones River, was also fought here.

In the 20th century, theGrand Ole Opry was established in Nashville, enhancing the city as the home ofcountry music. Since the early 1970s, the region has been transformed by the entry of many new economic sectors, including automotive manufacturing, healthcare, finance, technology, tourism, and professional services. Both the Nashville and Clarksville metropolitan areas are among the fastest-growing regions in the nation.

Throughout the past 10,000 years, a number of differentNative peoples are believed to have inhabited what is now Middle Tennessee. The region is believed to have been rich ingame animals favored byIce Agehunter-gatherers.^[3] During theMississippian period (1000–1600 AD), Native Americans establishedchiefdoms and constructed numerous earthwork mounds in the region, such asMound Bottom inCheatham County and theCastalian Springs site inSumner County.^[4] By the late 17th century, for unknown reasons, there were few Native Americans left in Middle Tennessee, but theCherokee and theChickasaw claimed the region as their hunting grounds.^[5] Natives that had occupied what is now Middle Tennessee prior to this time may have died as a result of new infectious diseases indirectly introduced by European explorers.^[4]

The first Europeans to reach what is now Middle Tennessee were probably an expedition in 1540–1541 led by Spanish conquistadorHernando De Soto.^[6][7] By the late 17th century, the French had begun to explore theCumberland River valley in Middle Tennessee. In 1714, a group of French traders constructed a trading post at a site along the Cumberland River in modern-day Nashville that became known as French Lick. These settlers quickly established an extensivefur trading network with the local Native Americans, but by the 1740s the settlement had largely been abandoned.^[8] In the 1750s and 1760s,longhunters from Virginia explored much of Middle Tennessee, especially theCumberland Plateau.^[9] In 1769, French-born fur traderTimothy Demonbreun established residence along the Cumberland River in present-day Nashville.^[10]

In 1779,James Robertson andJohn Donelson led two groups of settlers from theWashington District in what is now East Tennessee to the French Lick.^[11] These settlers constructedFort Nashborough, which they named forFrancis Nash, abrigadier general of theContinental Army during theAmerican Revolutionary War.^[12] The next year, the settlers signed theCumberland Compact, which established theCumberland Association, a representative form of government based on the government known as theWatauga Association that had been established by the settlers of East Tennessee.^[13] Fort Nashborough later developed as the city of Nashville, and a number of other settlements were established nearby in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.^[14] The first settlements in Middle Tennessee became known as the Cumberland Settlements. In 1790, what is now Tennessee became theSouthwest Territory, and the settlements in Middle Tennessee were organized into the Mero District, named after Spanish territorial governorEsteban Rodríguez Miró.^[15]

In 1795, a survey conducted by the territorial legislature found that the majority of residents of Middle Tennessee were opposed to statehood, while the majority of residents of East Tennessee, of which there were approximately three times more, were in favor.^[16][17] Tennessee was admitted to the Union as the 16th state the following year. During theantebellum era, aslavery-based agrarian economy took hold in Middle Tennessee, especially in the fertile soils of theNashville Basin.^[18] Planters primarily grewcotton in the Nashville Basin, andtobacco andcorn were cultivated in theHighland Rim.^[19] By1860, enslaved African Americans composed about 29% of the population of Middle Tennessee.^[20] After the election ofAbraham Lincoln that year, a majority of Middle Tennesseans voted against the state's ordinance ofsecession in February 1861. Many of these white voters supported the continuation of slavery but were skeptical about leaving the Union.

Following the Confederateattack on Fort Sumter in April 1861, which started theCivil War, and President Lincoln's call to raise federal troops in response, many Middle Tennesseans changed their opinions about secession. In June 1861, Middle Tennessee voted in favor of Tennessee's second ordnance of secession, which resulted in Tennessee joining theConfederate States of America (CSA),^[21] although a few counties in the extreme southwest (Wayne) and northeast (Macon andFentress) continued to favor the Union.

A number of crucial campaigns and battles of the Civil War took place in Middle Tennessee. GeneralUlysses S. Grant and theU.S. Navy captured control of the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers in February 1862 at the battles ofFort Henry andFort Donelson, essentially establishing Union control of Middle Tennessee.^[22] Union troops occupied the state for the duration of the war.

Union strength in the area, however, was tested by a series of Confederate offensives beginning in the summer of 1862, which culminated in Union GeneralWilliam Rosecrans'sArmy of the Cumberland routing Confederate GeneralBraxton Bragg'sArmy of Tennessee at theBattle of Stones River inMurfreesboro in December 1862 and January 1863.^[23] This was one of the bloodiest battles of the entire war.^[23] In February, the Confederates took about 670 to 870 casualties in theBattle of Dover when ColonelAbner C. Harding defeated the 2500 Confederate troops with 800 Union soldiers. The next summer, Rosecrans'sTullahoma campaign forced Bragg's remaining troops in Middle Tennessee to flee toChattanooga with little fighting.^[24] The last major battles in Middle Tennessee occurred during theFranklin–Nashville campaign in the fall of 1864, when the Army of Tennessee under the command of GeneralJohn Bell Hood unsuccessfully tried to lure Union GeneralWilliam Tecumseh Sherman, who was conducting theAtlanta campaign in Georgia, back into the region. Hood was defeated at theBattle of Franklin in November, then completely dispersed from the state by GeneralGeorge Thomas at theBattle of Nashville the following month.^[25] TheUnited States Colored Troops (USCT) played a major role in this campaign.^[25]

DuringReconstruction, Middle Tennessee's economy fell into a state of disrepair. TheKu Klux Klan was formed inPulaski in December 1865 as a vigilante organization to advance the interests of former Confederates, including maintenance ofwhite supremacy.^[26] In the years following the Civil War, African Americans and their White allies in Middle Tennessee were targeted with acts of violence by former Confederates. Many freedmen (former slaves) becamesharecroppers following the end of slavery, and were often disadvantaged by the planters' recordkeeping and contracts.

The post-Reconstruction era in Middle Tennessee was characterized by continued White violence against African Americans, especially related to elections, and many werelynched in a cycle often related to economic tensions and settlement of finances after harvest. In the late 19th century, African Americans began fleeing Middle Tennessee to booming industrial cities in the Northeast and Midwest. This mass migration, which occurred in every Southern state and accelerated between 1915 and 1930, became known as the first wave of theGreat Migration. It continued until 1970.

The region's economy continued to be based primarily on agriculture, butcoal mining expanded extensively in the Cumberland Plateau in Middle Tennessee in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.^[27] In 1897, Tennessee celebrated its centennial of statehood one year late with theTennessee Centennial and International Exposition in Nashville.^[28] Afull-scale replica of theParthenon inAthens was designed by architectWilliam Crawford Smith and constructed for the celebration^[29] The site of the exposition is now a city park calledCentennial Park.^[30]

Theworst rail accident in U.S. history occurred on July 9, 1918, in Nashville when two passenger trainscollided head on, killing 101 people and injuring 171. Human error was ultimately deemed to be the main cause of the accident.^[31]

TheGrand Ole Opry was first broadcast in 1925 in Nashville, and remains the longest-running radio program in the nation. This radio program helped establish Nashville as the national home ofcountry music.^[32]

DuringWorld War IICamp Forrest, located inTullahoma, was one of theU.S. Army's largest training bases. It was also used to house German, Italian, and Japanese prisoners of war. After the war, it was adapted asArnold Air Force Base. TheVultee Aircraft Corporation operated a plant in Nashville during the war, employing mostly women.

On February 25 and 26, 1946, a civil disturbance known as the "Columbia Race Riot" occurred inColumbia, instigated by a fight between a Black Navy veteran and a White repair apprentice.^[33] Described by the press as the "first major racial confrontation" following World War II, the event garnered national attention. It marked a new era of resistance by African-American veterans and others following their participation inWorld War II, which they believed had earned them their full rights as citizens.^[34]

During the early years of thecivil rights movement, theHighlander Folk School nearMonteagle provided training to a number of activists in the movement, includingMartin Luther King Jr.,Ralph Abernathy,John Lewis, andRosa Parks. TheNashville Student Movement was organized as part of workshops onnonviolence taught by activistJames Lawson. Between February and May 1960, the group organized aseries of sit-ins at segregated lunch counters in Nashville, which successfully resulted in the desegregation of facilities in the city.^[35]

The construction of theInterstate Highway System in the latter 20th century facilitatedsuburbanization in the region and brought new industries to Middle Tennessee. Since 1970, the Nashville and Clarksville metropolitan areas have been two of the fastest-growing regions in the United States. This growth has accelerated since 1990, causing Middle Tennessee to surpass East Tennessee as the most populous of the state's grand divisions in the 2000s. The region's economy has been transformed by new economic sectors, including the automotive,^[36] healthcare,^[37] banking,^[38] technology,^[39] and entertainment industries.

Unlike the geographic designations of regions of most U.S. states, the term "Middle Tennessee" has legal as well as socioeconomic and cultural meaning. Middle Tennessee comprises one of the state's threeGrand Divisions, whose boundaries are defined by state law. The others areEast Tennessee andWest Tennessee, each with distinctive history, geography, and demographics. The total land area of Middle Tennessee is 17,009.41 square miles (44,054.2 km²), representing 41.27% of the state's total land area.

According to custom, Middle Tennessee consists of the portion of the state east of theTennessee River's western crossing of the state (in which it flows northward back into Tennessee after having flowed through northernAlabama) and west of the dividing line between theEastern andCentraltime zones. Exceptions to this rule are thatHardin County, which is bisected by the Tennessee River, is defined by state law to be entirely withinWest Tennessee and thatBledsoe,Cumberland, andMarion counties are defined as part ofEast Tennessee despite being in the Central Time Zone. Consequently,Sequatchie County is often considered part of East Tennessee, despite being defined by law as part of Middle Tennessee. Two northeastern counties of Middle Tennessee,Fentress andPickett, that supported theUnion during theAmerican Civil War are sometimes culturally considered part of East Tennessee, which had strongly supported the Union.

Most of Middle Tennessee is located within theHighland Rim andNashville Basin, both of which are part of theInterior Low Plateaus of the largerInterior Plains.^[40] The Highland Rim is an elevated plain that which completely surrounds the Nashville Basin, ageological dome.^[41] Both regions are characterized by porouslimestone bedrock that lies close to the surface of the ground. This results inkarst, which formscaves, underground streams,sinkholes, and depressions throughout the region.^[42]

The Highland Rim is often divided into eastern and western halves. The Eastern Highland Rim is relatively flat, with gentle rolling hills, and the eastern Nashville Basin has similar terrain but is dotted with more distinct hills in places. The western Nashville Basin and Western Highland Rim are more rugged, consisting of irregular knob-like hills separated by steep ravines and crooked stream valleys.^[41] The eastern Highland Rim has a higher average elevation, however, than the western portion.^[41] The eastern portion of Middle Tennessee consists of the western portion of theCumberland Plateau, part of the largerAppalachian Plateau of theAppalachian Mountains.^[43]

The Cumberland Plateau has an average elevation of 2,000 feet (610 m), and is characterized by flat-toppedtablelands separated by long, crooked stream valleys and rocky cliffs with numerouswaterfalls.^[44][45] Middle Tennessee's highest elevation, at 2,382 feet (726 m), is found on the Cumberland Plateau inGrundy County.^[46]

Under the most common definition, the following 41 counties are included in Middle Tennessee:

The Official Tourism Website of Tennessee has a definition of Middle Tennessee slightly different from the legal definition; the website includesCumberland County while excluding Grundy and Sequatchie counties.^[47]

Middle Tennessee is the largest in area and most populated of the state's three Grand Divisions. At the2020 census it had 2,883,086 inhabitants living in its 41 counties, an increase of 427,175, or 17.39%, over the2010 figure of 2,455,911 inhabitants.^[49] This represented the region's largest net population increase in history.^[48] Its population was 41.72% of the state's total. Itspopulation density was 169.50 inhabitants per square mile (65.44/km²), making it the second-most densely populated Grand Division, behindEast Tennessee. Prior to the 2010 census, Middle Tennessee was the second-most populous of the state's Grand Divisions, behind East Tennessee.

Nashville, the state's capital and largest city, is located in north-central Middle Tennessee. It has nearly 700,000 residents, and anchors a13-county metropolitan area with about 2 million residents that has been Tennessee's largest since the early 1990s.Clarksville, with a population of about 170,000, is Middle Tennessee's second-largest city and the fifth-largest statewide. It is located in the northwest corner of the region near Kentucky.Murfreesboro, located about 35 miles (56 km) southeast of Nashville, is Middle Tennessee's third-largest city, with more than 150,000 residents. It is also the sixth-largest city in Tennessee and the largestsuburb of Nashville. Other important suburbs of Nashville includeFranklin,Hendersonville,Smyrna,Spring Hill,Gallatin,Mount Juliet,Lebanon,Columbia,Dickson, andSpringfield.

In addition to the Nashville and Clarksville metropolitan areas,Cookeville, located in the eastern part of the region, andShelbyville, located about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Nashville, anchor important population centers in Middle Tennessee. Other important cities in the region includeManchester,McMinnville,Tullahoma,Winchester,Lewisburg, andLawrenceburg.

A diversity of sectors drives Middle Tennessee's economy, including music and entertainment, automotive manufacturing, healthcare, and technology. The region's economy is reportedly one of the fastest growing in the United States.^[51]

Nicknamed "Music City", Nashville is perhaps best known as the home of country music. TheBig Three record labels, as well as numerous independent labels, have offices in Nashville, mostly in theMusic Row area.^[52] Today, Nashville is the second-largest music recording center, behindNew York City.^[53] Nashville's music industry is estimated to have a total economic impact of about $10 billion per year and to contribute approximately 56,000 jobs to the Nashville area.^[54]

The largest service industry in Middle Tennessee is healthcare. More than 300 healthcare firms are based in the Nashville area, includingHospital Corporation of America (HCA), the world's largest private operator of hospitals,Community Health Systems, the largest provider of general hospital services in the United States,Envision Healthcare,Vanguard Health Systems,Ardent Health Services, and LifePoint Health.^[55][56] Other important business sectors in the region include banking, finance, insurance, and publishing. The technology sector is also rapidly becoming an important aspect of Middle Tennessee's economy, with such tech giants asAmazon andOracle pledging investments in the area in 2018 and 2021, respectively, that are expected to employ thousands.^[39][57][58] Other major corporations headquartered in Middle Tennessee includeCaterpillar Inc. in Nashville, Acadia Senior Living in Franklin,Dollar General in Goodlettsville,Tractor Supply Company andDelek US in Brentwood, andCracker Barrel in Lebanon.^[59]

Automotive manufacturing is the largest manufacturing sector in Middle Tennessee.^[36]Nissan operatesan assembly plant inSmyrna, which is the largest automotive assembly plant in North America, and also operates an engine plant inDecherd.^[60]General Motors operatesan assembly plant inSpring Hill that was formerly the sole manufacturing facility forSaturn Corporation. Nissan relocated its North American headquarters from California to Franklin in 2005,^[61] andMitsubishi Motors did the same in 2019.^[62]Bridgestone has its North American corporate headquarters in Nashville, and operates manufacturing facilities throughout the region. Middle Tennessee is home to several automotive parts suppliers scattered throughout the region.^[36] Other products manufactured in Middle Tennessee include processed foods, consumer electronics, electrical equipment, computer products, chemicals, and firearms.^[63]

Soybeans andtobacco are grown throughout Middle Tennessee, andbeef cattle is raised throughout the region. Middle Tennessee is perhaps best known for itshorticultural products and for being a prime breeding ground forhorses.Warren County is one of the top producers of nursery products in the nation, and is nicknamed the "Nursery Capitol of the World".^[64] The soils of the Nashville Basin reportedly produce grasses which are favorable to horses, and as a result, the region is a top equestrian location. TheTennessee Walking Horse was first bred in the region in the late 18th century and is today one of the most recognized horse breeds in the world.^[65] The Cumberland Plateau is a major source of timber, and reportedly ranks as one of the top producers ofhardwood in the country.^[66]

TheTennessee Valley Authority (TVA) provides electric power to Middle Tennessee. TVA operates coal and gas fired plants in the region, including theCumberland Fossil Plant,Gallatin Fossil Plant, and theJohnsonville Combustion Turbine Plant, as well as several hydroelectric dams. In addition, TVA also purchases power from dams on the Cumberland River and its tributaries operated by theUnited States Army Corps of Engineers.^[67][68] The largest provider of power to the region, however, is theBrowns Ferry Nuclear Plant in northern Alabama, the third-largest nuclear plant in the United States.^[69]

Tourism plays a major role in Middle Tennessee's economy. Nashville has the largest tourism economy in the state, and contains many attractions, mostly related to its musical heritage.^[70] Top attractions in the region include theGrand Ole Opry,Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum,Ryman Auditorium,Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center,Johnny Cash Museum,National Museum of African American Music,Frist Art Museum,The Parthenon, theTennessee State Museum, andJack Daniel's Distillery. A number of antebellum residences are preserved in the region, includingThe Hermitage, the home ofAndrew Jackson, theBelle Meade Plantation, and several homes in Franklin. As well as thePresident James K. Polk Home & Museum in Columbia. The National Park Service preserves two Civil War battlefields in Middle Tennessee:Fort Donelson National Battlefield nearDover, andStones River National Battlefield in Murfreesboro. In addition, theAmerican Battlefield Trust operates theFranklin Battlefield. TheNatchez Trace Parkway begins in Nashville, and runs through the southwestern part of Middle Tennessee. In addition, the state operates many state parks in Middle Tennessee that preserve historic sites and natural features of the region.

Middle Tennessee has an abundance of institutions of higher learning—most notablyVanderbilt,Belmont,Lipscomb, andTennessee State universities in Nashville andTennessee Tech University inCookeville. Other prominent universities areAustin Peay State University in Clarksville, theUniversity of the South inSewanee,Cumberland University inLebanon,University of Tennessee Southern inPulaski andMiddle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, which is the state's second-largest institution of higher learning, just behind theUniversity of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Unlike the geographic designations of regions of mostU.S. states, the term Middle Tennessee has legal as well as socioeconomic meaning.^[71] Middle Tennessee,West Tennessee, andEast Tennessee are the state's threeGrand Divisions. According to theTennessee State Constitution, no more than two of thestate supreme court's five justices can come from any one Grand Division. The Supreme Court rotates meeting in courthouses in each of the three divisions. The Supreme Court building for Middle Tennessee is inNashville. A similar rule applies to certain other commissions and boards, in order to prevent a geographic bias.^[72]

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The weather inNashville is a decent mix of extremes. Plenty of sunshine in the summer, and crisp, cold air throughout the winter.

Interstate 40 (I-40) traverses Middle Tennessee in an east to west alignment, passing through Nashville and its suburbs to the east.Interstate 65 (I-65) runs north to south through the region, serving Nashville and its suburbs to the north and south, includingBrentwood,Franklin, andSpring Hill.Interstate 24 (I-24) enters the region in Clarksville and runs in a southeast to northwest alignment, passing through Nashville and its southeastern suburbs ofLa Vergne,Smyrna, andMurfreesboro, before exiting the region in the southeast.I-440 serves as a bypass around downtown Nashville, andI-840 is an outer bypass around Nashville, passing though suburban counties to the south. Other important freeways in Middle Tennessee includeState Route 155 (SR 155/Briley Parkway), a northern bypass around downtown Nashville;Ellington Parkway, part ofU.S. Route 31E (US 31E) in Nashville;SR 386 (Vietnam Veterans Boulevard), which serves Nashville's northwestern suburbs ofHendersonville andGallatin; andSR 396 (Saturn Parkway), which connects Spring Hill and itsGeneral Motors plant to I-65. Middle Tennessee also has several other important corridors that are part of theNational Highway System (NHS), includingU.S. Routes43,64,70S,79, and231, andState Routes55 and111.^[78][79]

Nashville International Airport (BNA) is the region's primary airport and the busiest airport in Tennessee.^[80] TheWeGo Star is acommuter rail service that serves Nashville and its eastern suburbs of Mt. Juliet and Lebanon.^[81]CSX Transportation operates most freight trackage in Middle Tennessee, and runs aclassification yard in Nashville called Radnor Yard.^[82] Both the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers arenavigable in Middle Tennessee.^[83]

Historically, Middle Tennessee was predominately Democratic following theAmerican Civil War, but the significant minority of African Americans joined the Republican Party. The white-dominated state legislature in the 1880s passed four laws that effectivelydisenfranchised most blacks and many poor whites, particularly due to the requirement of payment of apoll tax in order to register to vote, which reduced the competitiveness of theRepublican Party in this part of the state.^[89]

Middle Tennessee is represented by the4th,5th,6th, and7th congressional districts.^[90]

TheSupreme Court building for Middle Tennessee is inNashville. Similar rules apply to certain other state commissions and boards, as well, to prevent them from showing any geographical biases.^[91]

• Mayoral elections in Clarksville, Tennessee
• Mayoral elections in Murfreesboro, Tennessee

• 2015 Nashville mayoral election
• 2018 Nashville mayoral special election
• 2019 Nashville mayoral election
• 2023 Nashville mayoral election

• Travel and Discover Middle Tennessee – the part of the official Tennessee Tourism website dedicated to Middle Tennessee.

35°48′N86°36′W / 35.8°N 86.6°W /35.8; -86.6

• Regions of Tennessee
• Middle Tennessee

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