Nashville Travel Guide
Explore Nashville interactively
Live venue search, neighborhood guides, AI travel assistant, weather and more.
About Nashville
Nashville ( NASH-vil) is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, located on the Cumberland River. It is the 20th-most populous city in the United States and fourth-most populous city in the Southeast, with a population of 689,447 at the 2020 census (estimated at 721,074 in 2025). The Nashville metropolitan area, with over 2.15 million people, is the 35th-largest metropolitan area in the country. Nashville is among the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. Named in honor of Francis Nash, a general of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, the city was founded in 1779 when this territory was still part of North Carolina. The city quickly grew due to its strategic location as a port on the Cumberland River and, in the 19th century, a railroad center. Nashville as part of Tennessee seceded during the American Civil War; in 1862 it was the first state capital in the Confederacy to be taken by Union forces. It was occupied through the end of the war. After the war, the city gradually reclaimed its stature. It became a center of trade and developed a manufacturing base.
Nashville fun facts
- The 'Mother Church of Country Music' - the Grand Ole Opry - has never missed a Saturday night show since 1925, even during floods.
- Nashville's Music Row has over 200 recording studios and produced more hit songs than any other place on Earth.
- The Parthenon replica in Centennial Park is the world's only full-scale reproduction of the ancient Greek temple.
- Nashville's 'Batman Building' (AT&T Building) is designed to look like a superhero's headquarters and is one of the tallest buildings in Tennessee.