Franklin, Tennessee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Franklin
City
Historic Downtown Franklin
Flag Seal
Location within Williamson County and Tennessee
Franklin Location in Tennessee Show map of Tennessee Franklin Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	Williamson
Area
• Total	44.73 sq mi (115.86 km2)
• Land	44.52 sq mi (115.31 km2)
• Water	0.21 sq mi (0.55 km2)
Elevation	643 ft (196 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	83,454
• Rank	7th in Tennessee
• Density	1,874.49/sq mi (723.74/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code(s)	37064, 37065, 37067, 37068, 37069
Area code	615
FIPS code	47-27740
GNIS ID	1284816

Franklin is a city in and the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. About 21 miles (34 km) south of Nashville, it is one of the principal cities of the Nashville metropolitan area and Middle Tennessee. As of 2020, its population was 83,454. It is the seventh-most populous city in Tennessee. Franklin is known to be the home of many celebrities, mostly country music stars like Billy Ray Cyrus and Pop Singer Miley Cyrus.

The city developed on both sides of the Harpeth River, a tributary of the Cumberland River. In the 19th century, Franklin (as the county seat) was the trading and judicial center for primarily rural Williamson County and remained so well into the 20th century as the county remained rural and agricultural in nature.

Since 1980, areas of northern Franklin have been developed for residential and related businesses, in addition to modern service industries. The population has increased rapidly as growth moved in all directions from the core. Despite recent growth and development, Franklin is noted for its many older buildings and neighborhoods, which are protected by city ordinances.

History

Franklin United States Post Office

The city of Franklin was founded October 26, 1799, by Abram Maury, Jr. (1766–1825), a state senator who is buried with his family in Founders Pointe. Maury named the town after national founding father Benjamin Franklin, who was a close friend of Dr. Hugh Williamson, a member of the Continental Congress after whom Williamson County was named.

Ewen Cameron built the first European-American house in the town of Franklin. Cameron was born February 23, 1768, in Balgalkan, Ferintosh, Scotland. He emigrated to Virginia in 1785 and from there came to Tennessee. Cameron died February 28, 1846, having lived 48 years in the same log house. His second wife, Mary, and he are buried in the old City Cemetery. His descendants have lived in Franklin continuously since 1798, when his son Duncan was born.

During the American Civil War, the Battle of Franklin was fought in the city on November 30, 1864, resulting in almost 10,000 casualties (killed, wounded, captured, and missing). Forty-four buildings were converted to use as field hospitals. The Carter, Carnton, and the Lotz historic homes are still standing from this era.

Long a suburb to Nashville, Tennessee, Franklin has expanded more than fivefold since 1980, when its population was 12,407. In 2012, it had an estimated population of 68,280. This makes it rank as the seventh-largest city in the state. Many of its residents commute to businesses in Nashville, but considerable growth has occurred in Franklin and the county of a regional economy.

December 24, 1988, tornado

In the early morning hours of Christmas Eve of 1988, one person died when an F4 tornado struck the city.

Geography

Franklin is located at 35°55′45″N 86°51′27″W / 35.92917°N 86.85750°W / 35.92917; -86.85750 (35.929074, -86.857402).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 78.0 km² (30.1 mi²). 77.8 km² (30.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.27%) is covered by water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 83,454 people, 32,690 households, and 23,675 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, 62,487 people, 16,128 households, and 11,225 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,393.3 people per square mile (538.0/km²). The 17,296 housing units averaged 575.9 per square mile (222.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.53% White, 10.35% African American, 4.84% Latino, 1.61% Asian, 0.24% Native American, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.17% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races.

Of the 16,128 households, 38.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were not families; 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.09. In the city, the population was distributed as 27.9% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 38.1% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 7.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $75,871, and for a family was $91,931. Males had a median income of $66,622 versus $43,193 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $36,445. About 5.0% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over. Less than 5.0% of the eligible workforce was unemployed.

Economy

Franklin is home to health-care-related businesses such as Community Health Systems, Acadia Healthcare, Iasis Healthcare, Tivity Health, Home Instead Senior Care, MedSolutions Inc, and Renal Advantage Inc.

Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors, Clarcor, CKE Restaurants, Jackson National Life, Triangle Tyre Company, Provident Music Group, World Christian Broadcasting, Mars Petcare, Franklin American Mortgage, Kaiser Aluminum, Lee Company, Ramsey Solutions, Video Gaming Technologies, and Atmos Energy also have corporate or regional headquarters in Franklin.

Top employers

According to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city were:

Education

Public schools

For grades K-8, most of the city is served by the Franklin Special School District; high school students attend Williamson County School District. Outerlying portions of the city are in the Williamson County district for grades K-12.

Private schools

Franklin's private schools include Battle Ground Academy, Franklin Classical School, Franklin Christian Academy, Montessori School of Franklin, New Hope Academy and Thales Academy.

Higher education

• Belmont University, Williamson Center campus
• Columbia State Community College, Franklin campus. This satellite campus of Columbia State was opened in 2016 after being constructed for this purpose. It is a two-year college, serving a nine-county area in Middle Tennessee
• Lipscomb University, a SPARK satellite campus, is here
• New College Franklin
• Williamson College

Infrastructure

Transportation

Interstate 65 passes through the eastern part of the city and provides four exits in the city. U.S. Routes 31 and 431 intersect in the city, and form a concurrency, connecting the city to Nashville to the north. U.S. Route 31 connects the city to Spring Hill and Columbia to the south, and US 431 connects to Lewisburg to the south. State Route 96 connects the city to Murfreesboro to the east, and Dickson to the west. State Route 246 also connects the city to Columbia to the southwest, and serves as an alternative to US 31. State Route 441 begins in the northern part of the city, and connects to Brentwood. State Route 397, also designated as US 31/431 Truck and Mack Hatcher Memorial Parkway, serves as a bypass around the business district of the city to the east. Other major thoroughfares in Franklin include Cool Springs Boulevard and McEwen Drive, both of which have interchanges with I-65.

Utilities

The City of Franklin Water Management Department operates a system that provides water and wastewater services to a majority of city residents and some residents of surrounding areas. Some areas of Franklin may receive water and wastewater services from the Mallory Valley Utility District, the Milcrofton Utility District, and the HB&TS Utility District.

Electricity is provided by the Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation (MTEMC), which serves several of the suburban counties of Nashville and purchases power from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

Natural gas service is provided by Atmos Energy.

Parks

Sunset observed from Long Lane in Franklin

• Aspen Grove Park
• Bicentennial Park
• Carter's Hill Park
• Collins Farm
• Del Rio Park
• Eastern Flank Battlefield Park
• Fieldstone Park
• Fort Granger
• Liberty Park
• The Park at Harlinsdale Farm
• Pinkerton Park
• Jim Warren Park
• Winstead Hill
• New Southeastern Park Complex

Festivals

Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival

Pilgrimage is a music festival put together by Kevin Griffin, who lives and works as a musician in Franklin. Premiering in 2015, it draws nationally prominent acts from a variety of genres. Pilgrimage is held in late September and takes place at The Park at Harlinsdale. In addition to musical acts, it features children's activities, food, and a marketplace showcasing local crafts.

Main Street Festival

Franklin's Main Street Festival involves artisans, four stages, two carnivals, and two food courts installed in the historic Franklin Square and Downtown District. Arts and crafts booths run from First to Fifth Avenue.

Pumpkinfest

Pumpkinfest is an annual fundraiser for the Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County, held on the Saturday before Halloween. The holiday theme is carried through activities including music, children's amusements, local artisans, and food.

Dickens of a Christmas

Dickens of a Christmas is an annual event that attracts approximately 50,000 visitors. It takes place in Historic Downtown Franklin and is celebrated during the second week in December. Costumed volunteers masquerade as figures from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Music and dancing are a big part of the festival, and local school and church musical groups often perform. Victorian cuisine is served to visitors, and an arts and crafts bazaar features prominently in Public Square.

Notable people

Sister cities

Franklin is an active participant in the Sister Cities program. Sister Cities of Franklin & Williamson County was founded as an outgrowth of Leadership Franklin in March 2002. The City of Franklin has relationships with the following municipalities:

• Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada (2008)
• County Laois, Ireland (2008)
• Bad Soden am Taunus, Hesse, Germany (2016)

See also

In Spanish: Franklin (Tennessee) para niños