Editing Middle Tennessee

{{Short description|Geographic and cultural region of Tennessee, United States}}
{{about|the geographic region of Middle Tennessee|the university in Murfreesboro|Middle Tennessee State University|that university's athletic program|Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                            = Middle Tennessee
| image_skyline                   = {{photomontage
   | photo1a = Nashville Skyline from Ft Negly- Photo 2- June 2022.jpg
   | photo2a = Tennessee State Capitol - Nashville Tn (46595212294).jpg
   | photo2b = Ryman Auditorium.jpg
   | photo3a = Stones River National Battlefield in Spring.jpg
   | photo3b = Peabodyvu.JPG
   | photo4a = Fall Creek Falls.jpg
   | photo4b = Cedar-glade-col-tn1.jpg
   | spacing = 1
   | color_border = white
   | color =  white
   | size = 310
   | foot_montage = Images, from top down, left to right: Skyline of [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]], the [[Tennessee State Capitol]], the [[Ryman Auditorium]], [[Stones River National Battlefield]] in [[Murfreesboro, Tennessee|Murfreesboro]], [[Vanderbilt University]], [[Fall Creek Falls]], [[Cedars of Lebanon State Park]]
}}
| image_caption                   = 
| image_map                       = File: Map of Middle Tennessee counties.png
| mapsize                         = 275px
| map_caption                     = The counties of Tennessee highlighted in red that are designated part of Middle Tennessee.
| population_as_of                = 2020
| seat_type                       = Largest city
| seat                            = [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]]
| population                      =2,883,086
| area_footnotes                  =
| official_name                   = 
| settlement_type                 = [[Grand Divisions of Tennessee|Grand Division]]
| area_land_sq_mi                 =17,009.41
| area_note                       =
| subdivision_name                = {{flag|United States}}
| subdivision_name1               = {{flag|Tennessee}}
| subdivision_type                = Country
| subdivision_type1               = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2               = [[List of counties in Tennessee|Counties]]
| subdivision_name2               =
| population_density_sq_mi        =169.50
| nickname                        = Middle TN, Middle Tenn.
| population_demonym              = Middle Tennessean
| area_codes = [[Area code 423|423]], [[Area codes 615 and 629|615, 629]], [[Area code 931|931]]
}}

'''Middle Tennessee''' is one of the three [[Grand 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.<ref name=tnsos>{{cite web |title=Tennessee Blue Book 2015-2016 |url=https://sos.tn.gov/sites/default/files/Pg.%20639%20Three%20Grand%20Divisions.pdf |website=sos.tn.gov |publisher=[[Tennessee Secretary of State]] |access-date=June 5, 2021 |location=Nashville |page=639 |date=2015}}</ref> Middle Tennessee contains the state's capital and largest city, [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]], as well as [[Clarksville, Tennessee|Clarksville]], the state's fifth largest city, and [[Murfreesboro, Tennessee|Murfreesboro]], the state's sixth largest city and largest suburb of Nashville. The [[Nashville metropolitan area]], located entirely within the region, is the most populous [[list of metropolitan areas of Tennessee|metropolitan area]] in the state, and the [[Clarksville 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 the [[Highland Rim]], which completely surrounds the [[Nashville Basin]]. The [[Cumberland Plateau]] is located in the eastern part of the region. Culturally, Middle Tennessee is considered part of the [[Upland South]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jordan-Bychkov |first1=Terry G. |author1-link=Terry G. Jordan-Bychkov |title=The Upland South: The Making of an American Folk Region and Landscape |date=2003 |publisher=Center for American Places |isbn=9781930066083 |page=9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vPgRAAAAYAAJ |access-date=June 13, 2021 |via=Google Books}}</ref> Commodity crops such as [[cotton]] and [[tobacco]] were cultivated by migrant settlers in the region in the [[Antebellum South|antebellum era]], who were largely dependent on the labor of [[Slavery in the United States|enslaved African Americans]]. In addition, planters bred and trained livestock, such as the world-famous [[Tennessee Walking Horse]], which was developed as a breed in the region during this time.

Middle Tennessee was a crucial region during the [[American 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 General [[Nathan Bedford Forrest]] conducted extensive raids through this area, destroying many Union assets in the 1864 [[Battle of Johnsonville]]. The bloodiest major battle of the American Civil War by the proportion of engaged soldiers who became casualties, the [[Battle of Stones River]], was also fought here.

In the 20th century, the ''[[Grand Ole Opry]]'' was established in Nashville, enhancing the city as the home of [[country 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.

==History==
===Native Americans===
Throughout the past 10,000 years, a number of different [[Native Americans in the United States|Native]] peoples are believed to have inhabited what is now Middle Tennessee. The region is believed to have been rich in [[game (hunting)|game]] animals favored by [[Last Glacial Period|Ice Age]] [[hunter-gatherer]]s.<ref>{{cite book |last=Satz |first=Ronald |title=Tennessee's Indian Peoples |url=https://archive.org/details/tennesseesindian0000satz |url-access=registration |publisher=University of Tennessee Press |location=[[Knoxville, Tennessee]] |pages=3–4 |isbn=978-0-87049-285-3 |year=1979 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> During the [[Mississippian period]] (1000–1600 AD), Native Americans established [[chiefdom]]s and constructed numerous earthwork mounds in the region, such as [[Mound Bottom]] in [[Cheatham County, Tennessee|Cheatham County]] and the [[Castalian Springs Mound Site|Castalian Springs]] site in [[Sumner County, Tennessee|Sumner County]].<ref name=pp811/> By the late 17th century, for unknown reasons, there were few Native Americans left in Middle Tennessee, but the [[Cherokee]] and the [[Chickasaw]] claimed the region as their hunting grounds.<ref>{{harvp|Satz|1979|p=14}}</ref> 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.<ref name=pp811>{{harvp|Satz|1979|pp=8-11}}</ref>

===Exploration and colonization===
[[File:Fort Nashborough, First Ave. and Church St., Nashville, Tenn (74048).jpg|thumb|left|Postcard with an illustration of the reconstruction of [[Fort Nashborough]]]]
The first Europeans to reach what is now Middle Tennessee were probably an expedition in 1540–1541 led by Spanish conquistador [[Hernando De Soto]].{{sfn|Corlew|1981|pp=25-26}}{{sfn|Langsdon|2000|p=4-5}} By the late 17th century, the French had begun to explore the [[Cumberland 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 extensive [[fur trading]] network with the local Native Americans, but by the 1740s the settlement had largely been abandoned.{{sfn|Albright|1909|pp=18-19}} In the 1750s and 1760s, [[longhunters]] from Virginia explored much of Middle Tennessee, especially the [[Cumberland Plateau]].{{sfn|Finger|2001|pp=40-42}} In 1769, French-born fur trader [[Timothy Demonbreun]] established residence along the Cumberland River in present-day Nashville.<ref>{{cite news |last=Corradetti |first=Alex |date=June 27, 2021 |title=Exploring the Demonbreun Cave, Nashville's first residence |url=https://www.wkrn.com/tennessee-225/exploring-the-demonbreun-cave-nashvilles-first-residence/ |work=[[WKRN-TV]] |location=Nashville |access-date=December 22, 2021}}</ref>

In 1779, [[James Robertson (explorer)|James Robertson]] and [[John Donelson]] led two groups of settlers from the [[Washington District, North Carolina|Washington District]] in what is now East Tennessee to the French Lick.{{sfn|Corlew|1981|pp=53}} These settlers constructed [[Fort Nashborough]], which they named for [[Francis Nash]], a [[Brigadier general (United States)|brigadier general]] of the [[Continental Army]] during the [[American Revolutionary War]].{{sfn|Albright|1909|pp=49-50}} The next year, the settlers signed the [[Cumberland Compact]], which established the [[Cumberland Association]], a representative form of government based on the government known as the [[Watauga Association]] that had been established by the settlers of East Tennessee.{{sfn|Albright|1909|pp=68-72}} 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Founding of Nashville |url=http://www.nashvillearchives.org/nashville-founding.html |website=Nashville Metropolitan Government Archives |publisher=Nashville Public Library |access-date=May 2, 2021}}</ref> The first settlements in Middle Tennessee became known as the Cumberland Settlements. In 1790, what is now Tennessee became the [[Southwest Territory]], and the settlements in Middle Tennessee were organized into the Mero District, named after Spanish territorial governor [[Esteban Rodríguez Miró]].{{sfn|Albright|1909|pp=152-154}}

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.{{sfn|Langsdon|2000|p=22}}{{sfn|Corlew|1981|p=95}} Tennessee was admitted to the Union as the 16th state the following year. During the [[Antebellum South|antebellum era]], a [[slavery in the United States|slavery]]-based agrarian economy took hold in Middle Tennessee, especially in the fertile soils of the [[Nashville Basin]].{{sfn|Corlew|1981|pp=209-212}} Planters primarily grew [[cotton]] in the Nashville Basin, and [[tobacco]] and [[corn]] were cultivated in the [[Highland Rim]].{{sfn|Lamon|1980|pp=9-12}} By [[1860 United States census|1860]], enslaved African Americans composed about 29% of the population of Middle Tennessee.{{sfn|Lamon|1980|p=116}} After the election of [[Abraham Lincoln]] that year, a majority of Middle Tennesseans voted against the state's ordinance of [[secession]] in February 1861. Many of these white voters supported the continuation of slavery but were skeptical about leaving the Union.

===Civil War and Reconstruction===
[[File:Kurz and Allison - Battle of Franklin, November 30, 1864.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Battle of Franklin (1864)|Battle of Franklin]], November 30, 1864]]
Following the Confederate [[Battle of Fort Sumter|attack on Fort Sumter]] in April 1861, which started the [[American Civil War|Civil 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 the [[Confederate States of America]] (CSA),{{sfn|Corlew|1981|p=294}} although a few counties in the extreme southwest ([[Wayne County, Tennessee|Wayne]]) and northeast ([[Macon County, Tennessee|Macon]] and [[Fentress County, Tennessee|Fentress]]) continued to favor the Union.

A number of crucial campaigns and battles of the Civil War took place in Middle Tennessee. General [[Ulysses S. Grant]] and the [[U.S. Navy]] captured control of the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers in February 1862 at the battles of [[Battle of Fort Henry|Fort Henry]] and [[Battle of Fort Donelson|Fort Donelson]], essentially establishing Union control of Middle Tennessee.{{sfn|Connelly|1979|pp=24-30}} 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 General [[William Rosecrans]]'s [[Army of the Cumberland]] routing Confederate General [[Braxton Bragg]]'s [[Army of Tennessee]] at the [[Battle of Stones River]] in [[Murfreesboro, Tennessee|Murfreesboro]] in December 1862 and January 1863.{{sfn|Connelly|1979|pp=54-65}} This was one of the bloodiest battles of the entire war.{{sfn|Connelly|1979|pp=54-65}} In February, the Confederates took about 670 to 870 casualties in the [[Battle of Dover (1863)|Battle of Dover]] when Colonel [[Abner C. Harding]] defeated the 2500 Confederate troops with 800 Union soldiers. The next summer, Rosecrans's [[Tullahoma campaign]] forced Bragg's remaining troops in Middle Tennessee to flee to [[Chattanooga, Tennessee|Chattanooga]] with little fighting.{{sfn|Connelly|1979|pp=65-68}} The last major battles in Middle Tennessee occurred during the [[Franklin–Nashville campaign]] in the fall of 1864, when the Army of Tennessee under the command of General [[John Bell Hood]] unsuccessfully tried to lure Union General [[William Tecumseh Sherman]], who was conducting the [[Atlanta campaign]] in Georgia, back into the region. Hood was defeated at the [[Battle of Franklin (1864)|Battle of Franklin]] in November, then completely dispersed from the state by General [[George Henry Thomas|George Thomas]] at the [[Battle of Nashville]] the following month.{{sfn|Corlew|1981|pp=314-315}} The [[United States Colored Troops]] (USCT) played a major role in this campaign.{{sfn|Corlew|1981|pp=314-315}}

During [[Reconstruction era|Reconstruction]], Middle Tennessee's economy fell into a state of disrepair. The [[Ku Klux Klan]] was formed in [[Pulaski, Tennessee|Pulaski]] in December 1865 as a vigilante organization to advance the interests of former Confederates, including maintenance of [[white supremacy]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Coulter |first1=E. Merton |author1-link=E. Merton Coulter |title=William G. Brownlow: Fighting Parson of the Southern Highlands |date=1999 |publisher=University of Tennessee Press |location=Knoxville |isbn=978-1-57233-050-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=egskEhcF5gkC |access-date=May 12, 2021 |language=en |via=Google Books}}</ref> 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) became [[sharecropping|sharecroppers]] following the end of slavery, and were often disadvantaged by the planters' recordkeeping and contracts.

===Late 19th and earlier 20th century===
The post-Reconstruction era in Middle Tennessee was characterized by continued White violence against African Americans, especially related to elections, and many were [[Lynching in the United States|lynched]] 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 the [[Great Migration (African American)|Great Migration]]. It continued until 1970.

The region's economy continued to be based primarily on agriculture, but [[Coal mining in the United States|coal mining]] expanded extensively in the Cumberland Plateau in Middle Tennessee in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.{{sfn|Lamon|1980|pp=75-80}} In 1897, Tennessee celebrated its centennial of statehood one year late with the [[Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition]] in Nashville.<ref>{{cite book |title=Official Guide To The Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition and City of Nashville |date=1897 |publisher=Marshall & Bruce |location=Nashville |url=https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/officialguidete00tenn |doi=10.5479/sil.999616.39088016962151 |access-date=May 23, 2021 |via=[[Smithsonian Libraries]]}}</ref> A [[Parthenon (Nashville)|full-scale replica]] of the [[Parthenon]] in [[Athens]] was designed by architect [[William Crawford Smith]] and constructed for the celebration{{sfn|Corlew|1981|pp=411-414}} The site of the exposition is now a city park called [[Centennial Park (Nashville)|Centennial Park]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Coleman |first=Christopher K. |title=From Monument to Museum: The Role of the Parthenon in the Culture of the New South |journal=Tennessee Historical Quarterly |volume=49 |issue=3 |page=140 |jstor=42626877 | date = Fall 1990}}</ref>

The [[Great Train Wreck of 1918|worst rail accident in U.S. history]] occurred on July 9, 1918, in Nashville when two passenger trains [[head-on collision|collided head on]], killing 101 people and injuring 171. Human error was ultimately deemed to be the main cause of the accident.<ref name="Coggins2012">{{cite book |first=Allen R. |last=Coggins |title=Tennessee Tragedies: Natural, Technological, and Societal Disasters in the Volunteer State |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SfK6aBuqohQC&pg=PA158 |access-date=November 23, 2012 |date=January 15, 2012 |publisher=Univ. of Tennessee Press |isbn=978-1-57233-829-6 |page=158 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101183229/http://books.google.com/books?id=SfK6aBuqohQC&pg=PA158 |archive-date=January 1, 2014 |url-status=live |via=Google Books}}</ref>

The ''[[Grand 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 of [[country music]].<ref name="Grand Ole Opry">{{cite web|title=tennessee home buyer|url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sell+House+Fast+Tennessee:+PropertyFTN/@36.1577981,-86.7707313,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x45808de165999b77:0x3539a44ef00bb610!8m2!3d36.1577981!4d-86.7685426}}</ref>

During [[World War II]] [[Camp Forrest]], located in [[Tullahoma]], was one of the [[United States Army|U.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 as [[Arnold Air Force Base]]. The [[Vultee 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 in [[Columbia, Tennessee|Columbia]], instigated by a fight between a Black Navy veteran and a White repair apprentice.<ref>{{cite journal |jstor=42626044 |first=Dorothy |last=Beeler |title=Race Riot in Columbia, Tennessee/ February 25-27, 1946 |journal=Tennessee Historical Quarterly |volume=39 |issue=1 |year=1980 |pages=49–61}}</ref> 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 in [[World War II]], which they believed had earned them their full rights as citizens.<ref>King, Gilbert; ''Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America,'' HarperCollins, 2012, pp. 7-20</ref>

===Mid 20th century to present===
During the early years of the [[civil rights movement]], the [[Highlander Research and Education Center|Highlander Folk School]] near [[Monteagle, Tennessee|Monteagle]] provided training to a number of activists in the movement, including [[Martin Luther King Jr.]], [[Ralph Abernathy]], [[John Lewis]], and [[Rosa Parks]]. The [[Nashville Student Movement]] was organized as part of workshops on [[nonviolence]] taught by activist [[James Lawson (activist)|James Lawson]]. Between February and May 1960, the group organized a [[Nashville sit-ins|series of sit-ins]] at segregated lunch counters in Nashville, which successfully resulted in the desegregation of facilities in the city.{{sfn|Lamon|1980|pp=106–108}}

The construction of the [[Interstate Highway System]] in the latter 20th century facilitated [[suburbanization]] 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,<ref name="grigsby"/> healthcare,<ref>{{cite news |last=Haggard |first=Amanda |date=September 13, 2018 |title=How Nashville Changed Health Care for the Nation |url=https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/cover-story/article/21021762/how-nashville-changed-health-care-for-the-nation |work=[[Nashville Scene]] |location=Nashville, TN |access-date=January 5, 2020}}</ref> banking,<ref>{{cite news |last=McGee |first=Jamie |title=Big financial companies increasingly choosing Nashville |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2018/06/18/nashville-financial-market-banking-alliancebernstein-jpmorgan/653434002/ |work=[[The Tennessean]] |location=Nashville, TN |date=June 18, 2018 |access-date=January 5, 2020}}</ref> technology,<ref name=wsmv040621>{{cite news|last=Layden|first=Melanie|date=April 6, 2021|title=Booming tech industry in Middle Tennessee|url=https://www.wsmv.com/news/booming-tech-industry-in-middle-tennessee/article_971f50ca-971d-11eb-bac7-4fa8e230a0cd.html|work=WSMV-TV|location=Nashville|access-date=2021-04-10}}</ref> and entertainment industries.

==Geography==
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 three [[Grand Divisions (Tennessee)|Grand Divisions]], whose boundaries are defined by state law. The others are [[East Tennessee]] and [[West Tennessee]], each with distinctive history, geography, and demographics. The total land area of Middle Tennessee is {{convert|17,009.41|mi2|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 the [[Tennessee River]]'s western crossing of the state (in which it flows northward back into Tennessee after having flowed through northern [[Alabama]]) and west of the dividing line between the [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern]] and [[Central Time Zone|Central]] [[time zone]]s. Exceptions to this rule are that [[Hardin County, Tennessee|Hardin County]], which is bisected by the Tennessee River, is defined by state law to be entirely within [[West Tennessee]] and that [[Bledsoe County, Tennessee|Bledsoe]], [[Cumberland County, Tennessee|Cumberland]], and [[Marion County, Tennessee|Marion]] counties are defined as part of [[East Tennessee]] despite being in the Central Time Zone. Consequently, [[Sequatchie County, Tennessee|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 County, Tennessee|Fentress]] and [[Pickett County, Tennessee|Pickett]], that supported the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] during the [[American Civil War]] are sometimes culturally considered part of East Tennessee, which had strongly supported the Union.

===Topography===
[[File:Cedar-glade-col-tn1.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of a cedar glade, an ecosystem found in Middle Tennessee|[[calcareous glade|Cedar glade]]s are a rare ecosystem found in the Nashville Basin and Highland Rim, where limestone bedrock is close to the surface]]
Most of Middle Tennessee is located within the [[Highland Rim]] and [[Nashville Basin]], both of which are part of the [[Interior Low Plateaus]] of the larger [[Interior Plains]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Safford |first1=James M. |author1-link=James M. Safford |title=Geology of Tennessee |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=teSZFz97uYAC |pages=81–82|date=1869 |publisher=S.C. Mercer |location=Nashville |isbn=978-1-4585-0040-3 |via=Google Books}}</ref> The Highland Rim is an elevated plain that which completely surrounds the Nashville Basin, a [[dome (geology)|geological dome]].<ref name=safford>{{harvp|Safford|1869|pp=83–85, 98-100}}</ref> Both regions are characterized by porous [[limestone]] bedrock that lies close to the surface of the ground. This results in [[karst]], which forms [[cave]]s, underground streams, [[sinkhole]]s, and depressions throughout the region.<ref name=mooredrumm>{{cite web |last1=Moore |first1=Harry |last2=Drumm |first2=Eric G. |title=Karst Geology in Tennessee |url=https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/W453-C.pdf |publisher=University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture |access-date=May 23, 2021 |location=Knoxville}}</ref>

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.<ref name=safford/> The eastern Highland Rim has a higher average elevation, however, than the western portion.<ref name=safford/> The eastern portion of Middle Tennessee consists of the western portion of the [[Cumberland Plateau]], part of the larger [[Appalachian Plateau]] of the [[Appalachian Mountains]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Geology and History of the Cumberland Plateau |url=https://www.nps.gov/biso/planyourvisit/upload/webgeo.pdf |website=nps.gov |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=May 27, 2021}}</ref>

The Cumberland Plateau has an average elevation of {{convert|2,000|ft|m}}, and is characterized by flat-topped [[table (landform)|tablelands]] separated by long, crooked stream valleys and rocky cliffs with numerous [[waterfall]]s.<ref name=maertens>{{cite thesis |last=Maertens |first=Thomas Brock |date=June 10, 1980 |title=The Relationship of Maintenance Costs to Terrain and Climate on Interstate 40 in Tennessee |type=MSc |chapter= |publisher=The University of Tennessee |docket=ADA085221 |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA085221.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210627180437/https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA085221.pdf |url-status=live |archive-date=June 27, 2021 |access-date=2021-06-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Moore |first=Harry |title=A Geologic Trip Across Tennessee by Interstate 40 |date=1994 |publisher=University of Tennessee Press |location=Knoxville |isbn=9780870498329 |pages=68–72|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sbo-dSSnF4kC |access-date=May 14, 2021 |via=Google Books}}</ref> Middle Tennessee's highest elevation, at {{convert|2,382|ft|m}}, is found on the Cumberland Plateau in [[Grundy County, Tennessee|Grundy County]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.peakbagger.com/list.aspx?lid=13504 |title=Tennessee County High Points |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=November 1, 2004 |publisher=Peakbagger |access-date=2021-08-27}}</ref>

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

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[Bedford County, Tennessee|Bedford]]
*[[Cannon County, Tennessee|Cannon]]
*[[Cheatham County, Tennessee|Cheatham]]
*[[Clay County, Tennessee|Clay]]
*[[Coffee County, Tennessee|Coffee]]
*[[Davidson County, Tennessee|Davidson]]
*[[DeKalb County, Tennessee|DeKalb]]
*[[Dickson County, Tennessee|Dickson]]
*[[Fentress County, Tennessee|Fentress]]
*[[Franklin County, Tennessee|Franklin]]
*[[Giles County, Tennessee|Giles]]
*[[Grundy County, Tennessee|Grundy]]
*[[Hickman County, Tennessee|Hickman]]
*[[Houston County, Tennessee|Houston]]
*[[Humphreys County, Tennessee|Humphreys]]
*[[Jackson County, Tennessee|Jackson]]
*[[Lawrence County, Tennessee|Lawrence]]
*[[Lewis County, Tennessee|Lewis]]
*[[Lincoln County, Tennessee|Lincoln]]
*[[Macon County, Tennessee|Macon]]
*[[Marshall County, Tennessee|Marshall]]
*[[Maury County, Tennessee|Maury]]
*[[Montgomery County, Tennessee|Montgomery]]
*[[Moore County, Tennessee|Moore]]
*[[Overton County, Tennessee|Overton]]
*[[Perry County, Tennessee|Perry]]
*[[Pickett County, Tennessee|Pickett]]
*[[Putnam County, Tennessee|Putnam]]
*[[Robertson County, Tennessee|Robertson]]
*[[Rutherford County, Tennessee|Rutherford]]
*[[Sequatchie County, Tennessee|Sequatchie]]
*[[Smith County, Tennessee|Smith]]
*[[Stewart County, Tennessee|Stewart]]
*[[Sumner County, Tennessee|Sumner]]
*[[Trousdale County, Tennessee|Trousdale]]
*[[Van Buren County, Tennessee|Van Buren]]
*[[Warren County, Tennessee|Warren]]
*[[Wayne County, Tennessee|Wayne]]
*[[White County, Tennessee|White]]
*[[Williamson County, Tennessee|Williamson]]
*[[Wilson County, Tennessee|Wilson]]
{{div col end}}

The Official Tourism Website of Tennessee has a definition of Middle Tennessee slightly different from the legal definition; the website includes [[Cumberland County, Tennessee|Cumberland County]] while excluding Grundy and Sequatchie counties.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tennessee Vacations – Tennessee Dept. of Tourism |url=http://www.tnvacation.com |website=Tennessee Vacation}}</ref>

==Population and demographics==
{{US Census population
|1790= 7042
|1800= 32183
|1810= 160360
|1820= 290674
|1830= 381892
|1840= 419129
|1850= 483179
|1860= 504431
|1870= 558336
|1880= 661870
|1890= 708584
|1900= 778192
|1910= 803672
|1920= 828382
|1930= 868396
|1940= 956659
|1950= 1023994
|1960= 1105138
|1970= 1236614
|1980= 1510077
|1990= 1684825
|2000= 2081346
|2010= 2455911
|2020= 2883086
|estimate=
|estyear= 
|align-fn=center
|footnote=Source: 1910–2020<ref name=histpopdata>{{cite web |title=Historical Population Change Data (1910–2020) |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |website=Census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 1, 2021 |archive-date=April 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429012609/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{fv|date=April 2025|reason=No mention of Middle Tennessee at this URL; these numbers don't appear there}}
}}
Middle Tennessee is the largest in area and most populated of the state's three Grand Divisions. At the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]] it had 2,883,086 inhabitants living in its 41 counties, an increase of 427,175, or 17.39%, over the [[2010 United States census|2010]] figure of 2,455,911 inhabitants.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|title=U.S. Census website|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=2010|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2019-12-29}}</ref> This represented the region's largest net population increase in history.<ref name=histpopdata/> Its population was 41.72% of the state's total. Its [[population density]] was {{convert|169.50|PD/sqmi|PD/sqkm}}, making it the second-most densely populated Grand Division, behind [[East Tennessee]]. Prior to the 2010 census, Middle Tennessee was the second-most populous of the state's Grand Divisions, behind East Tennessee.

===Cities and metropolitan areas===
Nashville, the state's capital and largest city, is located in north-central Middle Tennessee. It has nearly 700,000 residents, and anchors a [[Nashville metropolitan area|13-county metropolitan area]] with about 2 million residents that has been Tennessee's largest since the early 1990s. [[Clarksville, Tennessee|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, Tennessee|Murfreesboro]], located about {{convert|35|mi|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 largest [[suburb]] of Nashville. Other important suburbs of Nashville include [[Franklin, Tennessee|Franklin]], [[Hendersonville, Tennessee|Hendersonville]], [[Smyrna, Tennessee|Smyrna]], [[Spring Hill, Tennessee|Spring Hill]], [[Gallatin, Tennessee|Gallatin]], [[Mount Juliet, Tennessee|Mount Juliet]], [[Lebanon, Tennessee|Lebanon]], [[Columbia, Tennessee|Columbia]], [[Dickson, Tennessee|Dickson]], and [[Springfield, Tennessee|Springfield]].

In addition to the Nashville and Clarksville metropolitan areas, [[Cookeville, Tennessee|Cookeville]], located in the eastern part of the region, and [[Shelbyville, Tennessee|Shelbyville]], located about {{convert|50|mi|km}} southeast of Nashville, anchor important population centers in Middle Tennessee. Other important cities in the region include [[Manchester, Tennessee|Manchester]], [[McMinnville, Tennessee|McMinnville]], [[Tullahoma, Tennessee|Tullahoma]], [[Winchester, Tennessee|Winchester]], [[Lewisburg, Tennessee|Lewisburg]], and [[Lawrenceburg, Tennessee|Lawrenceburg]].

{{Largest cities
| country = Middle Tennessee
| stat_ref = Source:<ref name=PopEstCities>{{cite web|url= https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2010s-total-cities-and-towns.html|title=City and Town Population Totals: 2010-2019|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division|access-date=May 21, 2020}}</ref>
| list_by_pop = 
| div_name = 
| div_link = Counties of Tennessee{{!}}County
| city_1 = Nashville, Tennessee{{!}}Nashville
| div_1 = Davidson County, Tennessee{{!}}Davidson
| pop_1 = 689,447
| img_1 = Nashville (2).jpg
| city_2 = Clarksville, Tennessee{{!}}Clarksville
| div_2 = Montgomery County, Tennessee{{!}}Montgomery
| pop_2 = 166,722
| img_2 = Downtown Clarksville TN.jpg
| city_3 = Murfreesboro, Tennessee{{!}}Murfreesboro
| div_3 = Rutherford County, Tennessee{{!}}Rutherford
| pop_3 = 152,769
| img_3 = Rutherford county courthouse 9736.JPG
| city_4 = Franklin, Tennessee{{!}}Franklin
| div_4 = Williamson County, Tennessee{{!}}Williamson
| pop_4 = 83,454
| img_4 = 4th ave main street historic franklin tennessee 2010.jpg
| city_5 = Hendersonville, Tennessee{{!}}Hendersonville
| div_5 = Sumner County, Tennessee{{!}}Sumner
| pop_5 = 61,753
| img_5 = 
| city_6 = Smyrna, Tennessee{{!}}Smyrna
| div_6 = Rutherford County, Tennessee{{!}}Rutherford
| pop_6 = 53,070
| img_6 = 
| city_7 = Spring Hill, Tennessee{{!}}Spring Hill
| div_7 = Maury County, Tennessee{{!}}Maury
| pop_7 = 50,005
| img_7 = 
| city_8 = Brentwood, Tennessee{{!}}Brentwood
| div_8 = Williamson County, Tennessee{{!}}Williamson
| pop_8 = 45,373
| img_8 = 
| city_9 = Gallatin, Tennessee{{!}}Gallatin
| div_9 = Sumner County, Tennessee{{!}}Sumner
| pop_9 = 44,431
| img_9 = 
| city_10 = Columbia, Tennessee{{!}}Columbia
| div_10 = Maury County, Tennessee{{!}}Maury
| pop_10 = 41,690
| img_10 = 
}}

==Economy==
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.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2017/08/09/the-10-big-u-s-cities-with-the-fastest-growing-economies/ |title=The 10 Big U.S. Cities With the Fastest-Growing Economies |work=Forbes |first=Karsten |last=Strauss |date=August 9, 2017}}</ref>

===Music and entertainment===
Nicknamed "Music City", Nashville is perhaps best known as the home of country music. The [[music industry|Big Three record labels]], as well as numerous independent labels, have offices in Nashville, mostly in the [[Music Row]] area.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.clubnashville.com/labels.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070808102905/http://www.clubnashville.com/labels.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 8, 2007 |title=Country Music Labels |work=ClubNashville.com}}</ref> Today, Nashville is the second-largest music recording center, behind [[New York City]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,711961,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071205011236/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,711961,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 5, 2007 |title=Hoedown on a Harpsichord |magazine=Time |date=November 14, 1960 |access-date=August 3, 2011}}</ref> Nashville's music industry is estimated to have a total economic impact of about $10{{nbsp}}billion per year and to contribute approximately 56,000 jobs to the Nashville area.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/nashville-music-industry-study.pdf |title=Nashville Music Industry: Impact, Contribution and Cluster Analysis|work=[[Recording Industry Association of America]]|date=September 2015 |access-date=February 21, 2020}}</ref>

===Business===
The largest service industry in Middle Tennessee is healthcare. More than 300 healthcare firms are based in the Nashville area, including [[Hospital 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.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://businessclimate.com/nashville-tn-area-economic-development/nashvilles-health-care-industry-has-great-prognosis |title=Nashville's Health-Care Industry has Great Prognosis |work=Businessclimate.com |first=Melanie |last=Hill |date=September 12, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130503003012/http://businessclimate.com/nashville-tn-area-economic-development/nashvilles-health-care-industry-has-great-prognosis |archive-date=May 3, 2013 |url-status=dead |access-date=March 8, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2010/12/17/hospital-corporation-of-america-has-4-000-job-openings/ |title=Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) has 4,000 Job Openings |work=AOL Jobs |first=Jane |last=Genova |date=December 17, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110309015338/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2010/12/17/hospital-corporation-of-america-has-4-000-job-openings/ |archive-date=March 9, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> 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 as [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] and [[Oracle Corporation|Oracle]] pledging investments in the area in 2018 and 2021, respectively, that are expected to employ thousands.<ref name=wsmv040621/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newschannel5.com/news/report-amazon-to-announce-nashville-will-be-home-to-east-coast-hub |title=Amazon's Operations Center bringing 5K jobs to Nashville |publisher=WTVF |date=November 13, 2018 |access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Gonzalez |first1=Tony |title=Oracle Pitches Nashville On Record-Setting 8,500-Person Tech Hub |url=https://wpln.org/post/oracle-pitches-nashville-on-record-setting-8500-person-tech-hub/ |access-date=May 5, 2021 |work=WPLN-FM |publisher=Nashville Public Radio |date=April 14, 2021 |location=Nashville}}</ref> Other major corporations headquartered in Middle Tennessee include [[Caterpillar Inc.]] in Nashville, Acadia Senior Living in Franklin, [[Dollar General]] in Goodlettsville, [[Tractor Supply Company]] and [[Delek US]] in Brentwood, and [[Cracker Barrel]] in Lebanon.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kolmar |first1=Chris |title=The 100 Largest Companies in Tennessee For 2021 |url=https://www.zippia.com/advice/largest-companies-in-tennessee/ |website=zippia.com |publisher=Zippia |date=June 7, 2021}}</ref>

===Industry===
Automotive manufacturing is the largest manufacturing sector in Middle Tennessee.<ref name=grigsby>{{cite news |last=Grigsby |first=Karen |title=Tennessee's huge auto industry: 7 things you may not know |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/cars/2018/03/27/tennessee-auto-industry-smyrna-nissan-gm-spring-hill-vw-chattanooga/447779002/ |work=The Tennessean |date=March 27, 2018 |access-date=February 21, 2020}}</ref> [[Nissan]] operates [[Nissan Smyrna Assembly Plant|an assembly plant]] in [[Smyrna, Tennessee|Smyrna]], which is the largest automotive assembly plant in North America, and also operates an engine plant in [[Decherd, Tennessee|Decherd]].<ref>{{Cite news|url= https://dailykanban.com/2015/02/makes-cars-north-america-largest-auto-factory-u-s-dont-embarrassed-get-right/ |title=Who makes the most cars in North America? Who has the largest auto factory in the U.S.? Don't be embarrassed, few get it right |date=2015-02-27|work=DailyKanban|access-date=2017-10-28|language=en-US}}</ref> [[General Motors]] operates [[Spring Hill Manufacturing|an assembly plant]] in [[Spring Hill, Tennessee|Spring Hill]] that was formerly the sole manufacturing facility for [[Saturn Corporation]]. Nissan relocated its North American headquarters from California to Franklin in 2005,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Peters |first1=Jeremy W. |title=Nissan to Move U.S. Headquarters to Tennessee |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/10/business/nissan-to-move-us-headquarters-to-tennessee.html |work=The New York Times |date=November 10, 2005}}</ref> and [[Mitsubishi Motors]] did the same in 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McGee |first1=Jamie |last2=West |first2=Emily R.|title=Mitsubishi North America to move headquarters to Nashville area |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2019/06/25/mitsubishi-moves-headquarters-franklin-tennessee-california/1549906001/ |access-date=October 9, 2020 |work=The Tennessean |date=June 25, 2019}}</ref> [[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.<ref name=grigsby/> Other products manufactured in Middle Tennessee include processed foods, consumer electronics, electrical equipment, computer products, chemicals, and firearms.<ref>{{cite web |title=Advanced Manufacturing |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/nashvillechamber.com/Advanced-Manufacturing.pdf |website=nashvillechamber.com |publisher=Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce |access-date=June 12, 2021}}</ref>

===Agriculture===
[[Soybeans]] and [[tobacco]] are grown throughout Middle Tennessee, and [[beef cattle]] is raised throughout the region. Middle Tennessee is perhaps best known for its [[horticulture|horticultural]] products and for being a prime breeding ground for [[horse]]s. [[Warren County, Tennessee|Warren County]] is one of the top producers of nursery products in the nation, and is nicknamed the "Nursery Capitol of the World".<ref>{{cite journal|last=Mozo|first=Jessica|date=February 10, 2012|title=McMinnville, Tennessee: Nursery Capital of the World|url=https://www.tnhomeandfarm.com/agriculture/mcminnville-nursery-capital/|journal=Tennessee Home & Farm|volume=|issue=Winter 2011-12|pages=<!--Needed-->|doi=|access-date=2021-04-09}}</ref> 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. The [[Tennessee 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://imh.org/index.php/exhibits/online/horse-breeds-of-the-world/north-america/item/2201-tennessee-walking-horse |title=Tennessee Walking Horse |publisher=International Museum of the Horse |access-date=March 1, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130628085230/http://imh.org/index.php/exhibits/online/horse-breeds-of-the-world/north-america/item/2201-tennessee-walking-horse |archive-date=June 28, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The Cumberland Plateau is a major source of timber, and reportedly ranks as one of the top producers of [[hardwood]] in the country.<ref>{{cite report|author=Ummey Honey|date=2019|title=Economic Impacts of Forestry and Forest Product Industries in Tennessee|url=https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI22585121/|publisher=Tennessee State University|docket=AAI22585121|access-date=2021-04-09}}</ref>

===Energy===
The [[Tennessee Valley Authority]] (TVA) provides electric power to Middle Tennessee. TVA operates coal and gas fired plants in the region, including the [[Cumberland Fossil Plant]], [[Gallatin Fossil Plant]], and the [[Johnsonville 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 the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]].<ref>{{cite report|last1=Clem|first1=Clayton L.|last2=Nelson|first2=Jeffrey H.|title=2010 International Conference on High Voltage Engineering and Application |date=October 2010|chapter=The TVA Transmission System: Facts, Figures and Trends|pages=1–11 |chapter-url=https://zenodo.org/record/1270775|publisher=Proceedings of the 2010 IEEE International Conference on High Voltage Engineering and Application|doi=10.1109/ichve.2010.5640878 |isbn=978-1-4244-8283-2 |access-date=2021-04-18|via=[[Zenodo]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tva.gov/Energy/Our-Power-System |title=Our Power System |date=2018 |website=tva.gov |publisher=Tennessee Valley Authority |access-date=January 7, 2019 }}</ref> The largest provider of power to the region, however, is the [[Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant]] in northern Alabama, the second-largest nuclear plant in the United States.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Popovich |first1=Nadja |last2=Plumer |first2=Brad |title=How Does Your State Make Electricity? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/10/28/climate/how-electricity-generation-changed-in-your-state-election.html |access-date=June 12, 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=October 28, 2020}}</ref>

===Tourism===
[[File:Rymanauditorium1.jpg|right|thumb|150px|[[Ryman Auditorium]], known as the "Mother Church of Country Music"]]
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.<ref name=tdtdreport>{{cite report|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=August 2020|title=2019 Economic Impact of Travel on Tennessee|url=https://industry.tnvacation.com/sites/industry/files/component/pod/2019%20Economic%20Impact.pdf|publisher=Tennessee Department of Toursit Development|access-date=2021-04-18}}</ref> Top attractions in the region include the [[Grand 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]], [[Parthenon (Nashville)|The Parthenon]], the [[Tennessee State Museum]], and [[Jack Daniel's Distillery]]. A number of antebellum residences are preserved in the region, including [[The Hermitage (Nashville, Tennessee)|The Hermitage]], the home of [[Andrew Jackson]], the [[Belle Meade Plantation]], and several homes in Franklin. As well as the [[President James K. Polk Home & Museum]] in Columbia. The National Park Service preserves two Civil War battlefields in Middle Tennessee: [[Fort Donelson National Battlefield]] near [[Dover, Tennessee|Dover]], and [[Stones River National Battlefield]] in Murfreesboro. In addition, the [[American Battlefield Trust]] operates the [[Franklin Battlefield]]. The [[Natchez 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.

==Education==
Middle Tennessee has an abundance of institutions of higher learning—most notably [[Vanderbilt University|Vanderbilt]], [[Belmont University|Belmont]], [[Lipscomb University|Lipscomb]], and [[Tennessee State University|Tennessee State]] universities in Nashville and [[Tennessee Technological University|Tennessee Tech University]] in [[Cookeville, Tennessee|Cookeville]]. Other prominent universities are [[Austin Peay State University]] in Clarksville, the [[Sewanee, The University of the South|University of the South]] in [[Sewanee, Tennessee|Sewanee]], [[Cumberland University]] in [[Lebanon, Tennessee|Lebanon]], [[University of Tennessee Southern]] in [[Pulaski, Tennessee|Pulaski]] and [[Middle Tennessee State University]] in Murfreesboro, which is the state's second-largest institution of higher learning, just behind the [[University of Tennessee]] in Knoxville.

==Legal structure==
Unlike the geographic designations of regions of most [[U.S. state]]s, the term Middle Tennessee has legal as well as socioeconomic meaning.<ref>Tennessee Department of State, [http://state.tn.us/sos/bluebook/05-06/40-history.pdf A History of Tennessee], [[Tennessee Blue Book]], 2005-2006.</ref> Middle Tennessee, [[West Tennessee]], and [[East Tennessee]] are the state's three [[Grand Divisions (Tennessee)|Grand Divisions]]. According to the [[Tennessee State Constitution]], no more than two of the [[Tennessee Supreme Court|state 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 in [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]]. A similar rule applies to certain other commissions and boards, in order to prevent a geographic bias.<ref>[http://state.tn.us/sos/bluebook/05-06/46-tnconst.pdf Tennessee State Constitution]</ref>

==Health care==
{{see also|List of hospitals in Middle Tennessee}}
{{empty section|date=May 2021}}
{{clear}}

==Climate==
{{Nashville, Tennessee weatherbox|collapsed=Y}} The weather in [[Nashville]] is a decent mix of extremes. Plenty of sunshine in the summer, and crisp, cold air throughout the winter.

==Transportation==
===Roads===
[[Interstate 40 in Tennessee|Interstate 40]] (I-40) traverses Middle Tennessee in an east to west alignment, passing through Nashville and its suburbs to the east. [[Interstate 65 in Tennessee|Interstate 65]] (I-65) runs north to south through the region, serving Nashville and its suburbs to the north and south, including [[Brentwood, Tennessee|Brentwood]], [[Franklin, Tennessee|Franklin]], and [[Spring Hill, Tennessee|Spring Hill]]. [[Interstate 24 in Tennessee|Interstate 24]] (I-24) enters the region in Clarksville and runs in a southeast to northwest alignment, passing through Nashville and its southeastern suburbs of [[La Vergne, Tennessee|La Vergne]], [[Smyrna, Tennessee|Smyrna]], and [[Murfreesboro, Tennessee|Murfreesboro]], before exiting the region in the southeast. [[Interstate 440 (Tennessee)|I-440]] serves as a bypass around downtown Nashville, and [[Interstate 840 (Tennessee)|I-840]] is an outer bypass around Nashville, passing though suburban counties to the south. Other important freeways in Middle Tennessee include [[Tennessee State Route 155|State Route 155]] (SR 155/Briley Parkway), a northern bypass around downtown Nashville, [[U.S. Route 31E#Tennessee|Ellington Parkway]], part of [[U.S. Route 31E]] (US 31E) in Nashville, [[Tennessee State Route 386|SR 386]] (Vietnam Veterans Boulevard), which serves Nashville's northwestern suburbs of [[Hendersonville, Tennessee|Hendersonville]] and [[Gallatin, Tennessee|Gallatin]], and [[Tennessee State Route 396|SR 396]] (Saturn Parkway), which connects Spring Hill and its [[Spring Hill Manufacturing|General Motors plant]] to I-65. Middle Tennessee also has several other important corridors that are part of the [[National Highway System (United States)|National Highway System]] (NHS), including [[List of U.S. Highways in Tennessee|U.S. Routes]] [[U.S. Route 43 in Tennessee|43]], [[U.S. Route 64 in Tennessee|64]], [[U.S. Route 70S|70S]], [[U.S. Route 79 in Tennessee|79]], and [[U.S. Route 231 in Tennessee|231]], and [[List of state routes in Tennessee|State Routes]] [[Tennessee State Route 55|55]] and [[Tennessee State Route 111|111]].<ref name=tdotmap>{{cite map|title = 2020 Official Transportation Map|year = 2020 |url = https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/maps/state-maps/2020_Transportation_Map.pdf|publisher = Tennessee Department of Transportation|access-date = June 4, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite map|title=National Highway System : Tennessee|url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/nhs_maps/tennessee/tn_tennessee.pdf|date=September 30, 2020|publisher=Federal Highway Administration|location=Washington, D.C.|access-date=June 5, 2021}}</ref>

[[File:Nashville International Airport restaurants.jpg|thumb|right|Interior of the terminal of the [[Nashville International Airport]]]]

===Air, rail, and water===
[[Nashville International Airport]] (BNA) is the region's primary airport and the busiest airport in Tennessee.<ref>{{cite web | title = Nashville, TN: Nashville Metropolitan (BNA) | url =https://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?20=E&Nv42146=OaN&Nv42146_anzr=an5u8vyyr,%20ga:%20an5u8vyyr%20V06r40n6v10ny&pn44vr4=SNPgf | publisher = United States Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics | access-date=May 24, 2021}}</ref> The [[WeGo Star]] is a [[commuter rail]] service that serves Nashville and its eastern suburbs of Mt. Juliet and Lebanon.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2006/08/a-star-is-born-nashville-commuter-trains-to-begin-sept-18 |title=A Star is born: Nashville commuter trains to begin Sept. 18 |work=Trains |date=August 31, 2006 |access-date=August 6, 2010}}</ref> [[CSX Transportation]] operates most freight trackage in Middle Tennessee, and runs a [[classification yard]] in Nashville called Radnor Yard.<ref>{{cite web |title=Freight Rail in Your State |url=https://www.aar.org/data-center/railroads-states/ |website=aar.org |publisher=Association of American Railroads |access-date=May 27, 2021 |location=Washington, D.C.}}</ref> Both the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers are [[Inland waterways of the United States|navigable]] in Middle Tennessee.<ref>{{cite report |date=2019 |title=Economic Impact of Tennessee's Inland Waterways |url=https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/freight-and-logistics/HO_WaterwaysProfile_TN.pdf |publisher=National Waterways Foundation|access-date=2021-05-25}}</ref>
{{clear}}

==Politics==
{| class="wikitable" class="toccolours" style="float:right; margin:1em 0 1em 1em; font-size:95%;"

|+ '''Middle Tennessee vote by party in presidential elections<ref name="DL">{{cite web |title = Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections |url = http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/ |access-date = August 26, 2018 }}</ref>'''
|-
! Year
![[Republican Party (United States)|GOP]]
![[Democratic Party (United States)|DEM]]
!Others
|-
|  style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[2020 United States presidential election in Tennessee|2020]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2020&fips=26&f=0&off=0&elect=0 |title=Election results|date=2020 |website=uselectionatlas.org}}</ref>'''
|  style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''59.20%''' ''756,984''
|  style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|38.67% ''494,567''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.13% ''27,243''
|-
|  style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[2016 United States presidential election in Tennessee|2016]]'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2016&fips=26&f=0&off=0&elect=0 |title=Election results|date=2016 |website=uselectionatlas.org}}</ref>
|  style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''59.68%''' ''601,726''
|  style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|35.21% ''354,980''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.11% ''51,519''
|-
|  style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[2012 United States presidential election in Tennessee|2012]]'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2012&fips=26&f=0&off=0&elect=0 |title=Election results|date= 2012|website=uselectionatlas.org}}</ref>
|  style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''60.3%''' ''565,563''
|  style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|39.7% ''372,777''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|
|-
|  style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[2008 United States presidential election in Tennessee|2008]]'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2008&fips=26&f=0&off=0&elect=0 |title=Election results|date=2008 |website=uselectionatlas.org}}</ref>
|  style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''56.29%''' ''562,182''
|  style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|42.31% ''422,589''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.40% ''13,937''
|}

Historically, Middle Tennessee was predominately Democratic following the [[American 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 effectively [[Disfranchisement after Reconstruction era|disenfranchised most blacks]] and many poor whites, particularly due to the requirement of payment of a [[Poll tax (United States)|poll tax]] in order to register to vote, which reduced the competitiveness of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] in this part of the state.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Williams |first=Frank B. |date=1952 |title=The Poll Tax as a Suffrage Requirement in the South, 1870-1901 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2955220 |journal=The Journal of Southern History |volume=18 |issue=4 |pages=469–496 |doi=10.2307/2955220 |jstor=2955220 |issn=0022-4642|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

=== Government ===
Middle Tennessee is represented by the [[Tennessee's 4th congressional district|4th]],  [[Tennessee's 5th congressional district|5th]], [[Tennessee's 6th congressional district|6th]], and [[Tennessee's 7th congressional district|7th]] congressional districts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Congress Districts |url=https://comptroller.tn.gov/maps/u-s--congress-districts.html |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=comptroller.tn.gov |language=en}}</ref>

The [[Tennessee Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] building for Middle Tennessee is in [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]]. Similar rules apply to certain other state commissions and boards, as well, to prevent them from showing any geographical biases.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rust |first=Randal |title=Tennessee Supreme Court |url=https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/tennessee-supreme-court/ |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=Tennessee Encyclopedia |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Mayoral elections in Middle Tennessee ===

* [[Mayoral elections in Clarksville, Tennessee]]
* [[Mayoral elections in Murfreesboro, Tennessee]]

=== Nashville ===

* [[2015 Nashville mayoral election]]
* [[2018 Nashville mayoral special election]]
* [[2019 Nashville mayoral election]]
* [[2023 Nashville mayoral election]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Albright|first=Edward|author-link=Edward Albright|date=1909|title=Early History of Middle Tennessee|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RmpAAAAAYAAJ|location=Nashville|publisher=Brandon Printing Company|pages=18–19|isbn=1166645126|via=Google Books}}
* {{cite book |last=Connelly |first=Thomas Lawrence |date=1979 |title=Civil War Tennessee: Battles and Leaders |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xN9Um2IJKO0C |location=Knoxville |publisher=University of Tennessee Press |isbn=9780870492617 |via=Google Books}}
* {{cite book |last1=Corlew |first1=Robert E. |last2=Folmsbee |first2=Stanley E. |last3=Mitchell |first3=Enoch |date=1981 |title=Tennessee: A Short History|url=https://archive.org/details/tennesseeshorthi0000corl_y4h1/ |location=Knoxville |publisher=University of Tennessee Press |edition=2nd |isbn=9780870496479 |ref={{sfnref|Corlew|1981}} |via=Internet Archive}}
* {{cite book |last=Finger |first=John R. |title=Tennessee Frontiers: Three Regions in Transition |title-link=Tennessee Frontiers: Three Regions in Transition |publisher=Indiana University Press |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-253-33985-0 }}
* {{cite book |last=Lamon |first=Lester C. |title=Blacks in Tennessee, 1791–1970 |url=https://archive.org/details/blacksintennesse0000lamo |url-access=registration |publisher=University of Tennessee Press |year=1980 |isbn=978-0-87049-324-9 }}
* {{cite book |last=Langsdon |first=Phillip R. |title=Tennessee: A Political History |date=2000 |publisher=Hillboro Press |location=Franklin, Tennessee |isbn=9781577361251 |url=https://archive.org/details/tennesseepolitic0000lang |via=Internet Archive}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
*[https://www.tnvacation.com/middle-tennessee Travel and Discover Middle Tennessee] – the part of the official Tennessee Tourism website dedicated to Middle Tennessee.

{{Tennessee}}
{{Tennessee in the Civil War}}

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[[Category:Regions of Tennessee]]
[[Category:Middle Tennessee| ]]