Nashville²

 

city (1990 pop. 487,969), state capital, coextensive with Davidson co., central Tenn., on the Cumberland River, in a fertile farm area; inc. as a city 1806, merged with Davidson co. 1963. It is a port of entry and an important commercial and industrial center. The city has railroad shops and diverse manufacturing, including wood, glass, and rubber products; shoes; aircraft parts; and steel. Nashville is noted for its music industry; it is a major recording center, especially for country music. It also has many publishing houses producing religious materials, school annuals, magazines, and telephone directories. Large insurance, finance, and health-care companies have their headquarters in Nashville.

The city was founded (1779) by a group of pioneers under James Robertson (who is buried there). Fort Nashborough was built on the banks of the river, and the next year 60 families arrived to settle the area. As the northern terminus of the Natchez Trace, the settlement developed early as a cotton center and river port and later as a railroad hub. It became the permanent capital of the state in 1843. After the fall of Fort Donelson in Feb., 1862, Nashville was abandoned to Union troops under D. C. Buell and became an important Union base for the remainder of the Civil War. Union Gen. G. H. Thomas won a decisive victory (Dec. 15–16, 1864) over J. B. Hood there.

Sometimes called the “Athens of the South,” Nashville has many buildings of classical design, including a replica of the Parthenon, built in 1897. Among its many institutions of higher education are Vanderbilt Univ., Fisk Univ., Tennessee State Univ., Meharry Medical College, American Baptist College, Lipscomb Univ., and Belmont Univ. Points of interest include the capitol (completed 1855), with the tomb of James K. Polk; the War Memorial Building; Ryman Auditorium, the home of country music's Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974; the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum; the Bluebird Cafe, drawing songwriters and new and established performers; the Schermerhorm Symphony Center; a replica of Fort Nashborough; and several old churches and antebellum homes. The Predators (hockey) and Tennessee Titans (football) are the city's professional sports teams. Nearby is the Hermitage, home of Andrew Jackson.

Nashville, Tennessee
Flag Seal
Nickname: Music City
Location in Davidson County and the state of Tennessee
Coordinates: 36°10′00″N 86°47′00″W / 36.166667, -86.783333
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
Counties	Davidson County
Founded:	1779
Incorporated:	1806
Government
- Mayor	Karl Dean (D)
Area
- City	sq mi (km²)
- Land	sq mi ( km²)
- Water	sq mi ( km²)
Elevation	ft ( m)
Population (2005)[1][2][3]
- City	{{formatnum:607413 (consolidated) 552120 (balance)}}
- Density	/sq mi (/km²)
- Metro
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	37201–37250
Area code(s)	615
Website: http://www.nashville.gov/

Nashville is the capital and the second most populous city of the U.S. state of Tennessee, after Memphis. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. Nashville is a major hub for the health care, music, publishing, and transportation industries.

Nashville has a consolidated city-county government which includes seven smaller municipalities in a two-tier system. The population of Nashville-Davidson County stood at 607,413 as of 2005,^[1][2] according to United States Census Bureau estimates. The 2005 population of the entire 13-county Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area was 1,498,836,^[4] making it the largest and fastest-growing metropolitan area in the state.

History

Main article: History of Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville was founded by James Robertson and a party of Wataugans in 1779, and was originally called Fort Nashborough, after the American Revolutionary War hero Francis Nash. Nashville quickly grew because of its prime location, accessibility as a river port, and its later status as a major railroad center. In 1806, Nashville was incorporated as a city and became the county seat of Davidson County, Tennessee. In 1843, the city was named the permanent capital of the state of Tennessee.

By 1860, when the first rumblings of secession began to be heard across the South, antebellum Nashville was a very prosperous city. The city's significance as a shipping port made it a desirable prize as a means of controlling important river and railroad transportation routes. In February 1862, Nashville became the first state capital to fall to Union troops.

Though the Civil War left Nashville in dire economic straits, the city quickly rebounded.^{[citation needed]} Within a few years, the city had reclaimed its important shipping and trading position and also developed a solid manufacturing base. The post-Civil War years of the late 19th century brought a newfound prosperity to Nashville. These healthy economic times left the city with a legacy of grand classical-style buildings, which can still be seen around the downtown area.

It was the advent of the Grand Ole Opry in 1925, combined with an already thriving publishing industry, that positioned it to become "Music City USA". In 1963, Nashville consolidated its government with Davidson County and thus became the first major city in the United States to form a metropolitan government. Since the 1970s, the city has experienced tremendous growth, particularly during the economic boom of the 1990s under the leadership of Mayor (now-Tennessee Governor) Phil Bredesen, who made urban renewal a priority, and fostered the construction or renovation of several city landmarks, including the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Nashville Public Library downtown, the Sommet Center, and LP Field.

The Sommet Center (formerly Nashville Arena and Gaylord Entertainment Center) was built as both a large concert facility and as an enticement to lure either a National Basketball Association or National Hockey League (NHL) sports franchise. This was accomplished in 1997 when Nashville was awarded an NHL expansion team which was subsequently named the Nashville Predators. LP Field (formerly Adelphia Coliseum) was built after the National Football League's (NFL) Houston Oilers agreed to move to the city in 1995. The NFL debuted in Nashville in 1998 at Vanderbilt Stadium, and LP Field opened in the summer of 1999. The Oilers changed their name to the Tennessee Titans and saw a season culminate in the Music City Miracle and a close Super Bowl game.

Today the city along the Cumberland River is a crossroads of American culture, and easily the fastest-growing part of the Upper South and the territory between Atlanta and Texas. Currently, there are many plans of building multiple residential and business towers in the downtown area, including the Signature Tower. If constructed, this will be the tallest building in both Nashville and Tennessee surpassing the BellSouth Building, and will also become the tallest building in the USA outside of New York and Chicago surpassing the Bank of America Plaza in Atlanta.

Geography

Nashville lies on the Cumberland River in the northwestern portion of the Nashville Basin. Nashville's topography ranges from 117 meters (385 ft) above sea level at the Cumberland River to 354 meters (1,160 ft) above sea level at its highest point.^[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1,362.6 km² (526.1 mi²). 1,300.8 km² (502.3 mi²) of it is land and 61.8 km² (23.9 mi²) of it (4.53%) is water.

Climate

Nashville lies in a transitional climate zone between humid subtropical and humid continental , above the 0 °C mesotherm for genuine subtropical areas, but still below the −3 °C mesotherm for genuinely continental areas. The city has unusually pronounced seasons for a Southern city, because of both the elevation of the area and the lack of a significant body of water nearby. Summers in Nashville are generally hot and humid, with July afternoons averaging 89 °F (32 °C). Winters are moderately cold by U.S. standards, with nighttime lows in January averaging 28 °F (−2 °C). Average annual rainfall is 48.1 inches (1222 mm), typically with winter and spring being the wettest and autumn being the driest. Average annual snowfall is about 9 inches (229 mm), falling mostly in January and February.^[6] Spring and fall are generally pleasantly warm but prone to severe thunderstorms, which occasionally bring tornadoes—with recent major events on April 16, 1998 and April 7, 2006.

The coldest temperature ever recorded in Nashville was −17 °F (−27 °C), on January 21, 1985, and the highest was 107 °F (42 °C), on July 28, 1952.^[7] The largest one-day snow total was 17 inches (432 mm) on March 17, 1892. The largest and most memorable event in the last few years was the storm on January 16, 2003, on which date Nashville received 7 inches (178 mm).^[8]

Nashville's long springs and autumns combined with a diverse array of trees and grasses can often make it uncomfortable for allergy sufferers.^[9] In 2007, Nashville was ranked as the 65th-worst spring allergy city in the U.S. by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.^[10]

Weather averages for Nashville, TN
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	78 (26)	84 (29)	86 (30)	91 (33)	95 (35)	106 (41)	107 (42)	104 (40)	105 (41)	94 (34)	84 (29)	79 (26)	()
Average high °F (°C)	46 (8)	52 (11)	61 (16)	70 (21)	77 (25)	85 (29)	89 (32)	88 (31)	82 (28)	71 (22)	59 (15)	49 (9)	()
Average low °F (°C)	28 (-2)	31 (-1)	39 (4)	47 (8)	57 (14)	65 (18)	70 (21)	68 (20)	61 (16)	49 (9)	40 (4)	30 (-1)	()
Record low °F (°C)	-17 (-27)	-13 (-25)	2 (-17)	23 (-5)	34 (1)	42 (6)	54 (12)	49 (9)	36 (2)	26 (-3)	-1 (-18)	-10 (-23)	()
Precipitation inch (mm)	3.97 (100.8)	3.69 (93.7)	4.87 (123.7)	3.93 (99.8)	5.07 (128.8)	4.08 (103.6)	3.77 (95.8)	3.28 (83.3)	3.59 (91.2)	2.87 (72.9)	4.45 (113)	4.54 (115.3)	()
Source: The Weather Channel[11] 2007-09-16

Metropolitan area

Main article: Nashville metropolitan area

Nashville has the largest metropolitan area in the state of Tennessee, spanning several counties. The Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area encompasses the Middle Tennessee counties of Cannon, Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Hickman, Macon, Maury, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, Williamson, and Wilson.^[12]

Government and politics

See also: List of mayors of Nashville, Tennessee

The City of Nashville and Davidson County merged in 1963 as a way for Nashville to combat the problems of urban sprawl. The combined entity is officially known as "the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County," and is popularly known as "Metro Nashville" or simply "Metro". It offers services such as police, fire, electricity, water, and sewage treatment. When the Metro government was formed in 1963, the government was split into two service districts-- the "urban services district" and the "general services district." The urban services district encompasses the 1963 boundaries of the former City of Nashville, and the general services district includes the remainder of Davidson County.

Nashville has a strong-mayor form of government. It is governed by a mayor, vice-mayor and 40-member Metropolitan Council. The current mayor of Nashville is Karl Dean. The Metropolitan Council is the legislative body of government for Nashville and Davidson County. There are 5 council members who are elected at large and 35 council members that represent individual districts. The Metro Council has regular meetings that are presided over by the vice-mayor, who is currently Diane Neighbors. The Metro Council meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m., according to the Metropolitan Charter.

Nashville is one of the few major Southern cities that has remained loyal to the Democratic Party. Most local elections are officially nonpartisan. However, Democratic dominance is so absolute that most local races take place between the populist (moderate-to-conservative) and "good government" (liberal) wings of the Democratic Party. [3]; the "good government" faction has held the upper hand for some time; mayor-elect Dean may be said to represent that perspective. Elected Republicans are few and far between. At the state level, only two Republicans—one in the State House and one in the State Senate—represent significant portions of Nashville. Most area residents who prefer conservative politics generally live in the outlying suburban counties (which themselves were represented by conservative Democrats well into the late 1970s). Much of this, of course, is a reaction in many respects, somewhat akin to urban-suburban polarizations elsewhere in America, to the lifestyle-driven liberal orientation of the city's unusually large (for the South) collegiate and white-collar professional population (with the musician community divided between the cultural traditionalists in country and gospel music and the progressive, even leftist, slant among rock musicians and those in similar genres).

Democrats are no less dominant at the federal level. Since the end of Reconstruction, the Democratic presidential candidate has carried Nashville and Davidson County in every election with the exception of two. In the 1968 U.S. presidential election, George Wallace of the American Independent Party (and governor of nearby Alabama) carried the city by a large margin, although he did not win the state (Richard Nixon did). In the 1972 presidential election, Nixon became the only Republican to carry Nashville since Reconstruction, gaining support from the then-dominant conservative Democrats in the area. However, since then, Democrats have usually won Nashville by some of the largest, if not the largest, margins in Tennessee, even when the rest of the state strongly favors the Republican. In the 2000 presidential election, Al Gore carried Nashville with over 59% of the vote even as he narrowly lost his home state. In the 2004 election, John Kerry carried Nashville with 55% of the vote even as George W. Bush won the state by 14 points. The only part of Tennessee more heavily Democratic than Nashville is the major portion of the city of Memphis, which has a far larger population of African-Americans (some 60 percent as compared to Nashville's 25 or so), making Nashville's continued loyalty to the Democratic Party all the more remarkable--and increasingly unique--for a city so far south in the U.S.

Despite its size, all of Nashville has been in one congressional district for most of the time since Reconstruction. For most of the time, it has been numbered as the 5th District, currently represented by Democrat Jim Cooper. A Republican has not represented a significant portion of Nashville since 1875. While Republicans made a few spirited challenges in the mid-1960s and early 1970s, they have not made a serious bid for the district since 1972, when the Republican candidate gained only 38% of the vote even as Nixon carried the district by a large margin. The district's best-known congressman was probably Jo Byrns, who represented the district from 1909 to 1936 and was Speaker of the House for much of Franklin Roosevelt's first term. Another nationally prominent congressman from Nashville was Percy Priest, who represented the district from 1941 to 1956 and was House Majority Whip from 1949 to 1953. Former mayors Richard Fulton and Bill Boner also sat in the U.S. House before assuming the Metro mayoral office.

A tiny portion of southern Davidson County (between Hillsboro and Nolensville Roads, split by Interstate 65) was drawn into the heavily Republican 7th District after the 2000 Census. That district is currently represented by Marsha Blackburn of neighboring Williamson County. Despite this, many living Nashvillians have never been represented by a Republican on the state or federal levels.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1830			—
1840			24.5%
1850			46.7%
1860			67.1%
1870			52.3%
1880			67.6%
1890			75.7%
1900			6.2%
1910			36.5%
1920			7.2%
1930			30.0%
1940			8.8%
1950			4.1%
1960			-2.0%
1970			162.2%
1980			1.7%
1990			7.2%
2000			16.7%
Source: U.S. Census[13]

The data below is for all of Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County, including other incorporated cities within the consolidated city-county (such as Belle Meade and Berry Hill). See Nashville-Davidson (balance) for demographic data on Nashville-Davidson County excluding separately incorporated cities.

As of the census of 2000, there were 569,891 people, 237,405 households, and 138,169 families residing in the city. The population density was 438.1/km² (1,134.6/mi²). There were 252,977 housing units at an average density of 194.5/km² (503.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 66.99% White, 25.92% African American, 0.29% Native American, 2.33% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 2.42% from other races and 1.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.58% of the population. Nashville's estimated population for 2005 is 607,413 people.^[1][2]

There were 237,405 households out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.9% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.8% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $39,797, and the median income for a family was $49,317. Males had a median income of $33,844 versus $27,770 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,069. About 10.0% of families and 13.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over. 4.6% of the civilian labor force is unemployed.

Because of its relatively low cost of living and large job market, Nashville has become a popular city for immigrants.^[14] Nashville’s foreign-born population more than tripled in size between 1990 and 2000, increasing from 12,662 to 39,596. Large groups of Mexicans, Kurds, Vietnamese, Laotians, Arabs, and Somalis call Nashville home, among other groups.^[15] Nashville has the largest Kurdish community in the United States, numbering approximately 11,000.^[16] During the Iraqi election of 2005, Nashville was one of the few international locations where Iraqi expatriates could vote.^[17] The American Jewish community in Nashville dates back over 150 years ago, and numbers about 6,500 (2001).^[18]

Economy

As the "home of country music", Nashville has become a major music recording and production center. All of the Big Four record labels, as well as numerous independent labels, have offices in Nashville, mostly in the Music Row area.^[19] Since the 1960s, Nashville has been the second biggest music production center (after New York) in the U.S.^[20] As of 2006, Nashville's music industry is estimated to have a total economic impact of $6.4 billion per year and to contribute 19,000 jobs to the Nashville area.^[21]

In 2009, the Signature Tower will be built in Downtown Nashville. Standing at more than 1,000 feet above the ground, it'll be the largest skyscraper out of either Chicago or New York City and among the top 20 tallest buildings in the world.

Although Nashville is renowned as a music recording center and tourist destination, its largest industry is actually health care. Nashville is home to more than 250 health care companies, including Hospital Corporation of America, the largest private operator of hospitals in the world. As of 2006, it is estimated that the health care industry contributes $18.3 billion per year and 94,000 jobs to the Nashville-area economy.^[22] The automotive industry is also becoming increasingly important for the entire Middle Tennessee region. Nissan North America moved its corporate headquarters in 2006 from Gardena, California (Los Angeles County) to Nashville, with corporate headquarters temporarily located in the BellSouth Building until 2008, when the Japanese auto maker will establish permanent headquarters in the Nashville suburb of Franklin, Tennessee. Nissan also has its largest North American manufacturing plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, a Nashville suburb.

Other major industries in Nashville include insurance, finance, and publishing (especially religious publishing). The city hosts headquarters operations for several Protestant denominations, including the United Methodist Church, Southern Baptist Convention, and National Baptist Convention, USA., and the National Association of Free Will Baptists.

Nashville has a small but growing film industry. Several major motion pictures have been filmed in Nashville, including The Green Mile, The Last Castle, Gummo, Coal Miner's Daughter, and Robert Altman's Nashville.

Fortune 500 companies within Nashville include HCA Inc. (formerly Hospital Corporation of America), Caremark Rx, and Dollar General Corporation (in Goodlettsville).

Companies based in Nashville with over $1 Billion in annual revenue

Bridgestone Americas Holding (Bridgestone-Firestone) CBRL Group (in Lebanon, Tennessee) Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation (finance arm of Caterpillar, Inc.) Central Parking Corporation Community Health Systems (in Brentwood, Tennessee) Corrections Corporation of America Delek US Holdings (in Franklin, Tennessee) Genesco Inc.

Iasis Healthcare (in Franklin, Tennessee) Ingram Industries LifePoint Hospitals (in Brentwood, Tennessee) Louisiana-Pacific Corporation Nissan North America Inc. Tractor Supply Co. (in Brentwood, Tennessee) Vanguard Health Systems

Education

Nashville is often labeled the "Athens of the South" due to the many colleges and universities in the city and metropolitan area. These colleges and universities in Nashville include American Baptist College, Aquinas College, The Art Institute of Tennessee- Nashville, Belmont University, Draughons Junior College, Fisk University, Free Will Baptist Bible College, Gupton College, Lipscomb University, Meharry Medical College, Nashville School of Law, Nashville Auto Diesel College, Nashville State Community College, Strayer University, Tennessee State University, Trevecca Nazarene University, University of Phoenix, Vanderbilt University, and Watkins College of Art and Design.

Within 30 miles (50 km) of Nashville in Murfreesboro is Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), a full-sized public university with Tennessee's largest undergraduate population. Enrollment in post-secondary education in the city is around 43,000. Within the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area which includes MTSU, Cumberland University (Lebanon), Volunteer State Community College (Gallatin), and O'More College of Design (Franklin) total enrollment exceeds 74,000. Within a 40 mile (65 km) radius are Austin Peay State University (Clarksville) and Columbia State Community College (Columbia), enrolling an additional 13,600.

The city is served by the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools and numerous private schools.

Culture

Much of the city's cultural life has revolved around its large university community. Particularly significant in this respect were two groups of critics and writers who were associated with Vanderbilt University in the early twentieth century, the Fugitives and the Agrarians.

Popular destinations include Fort Nashborough, a reconstruction of the original settlement; the Tennessee State Museum; and The Parthenon, a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece. The State Capitol is one of the oldest working state capitol buildings in the nation, while The Hermitage is one of the older presidential homes open to the public. The Nashville Zoo is one of the city's newer attractions.

Country music

Many popular tourist sites involve country music, including the Country Music Hall of Fame, Ryman Auditorium, which was for many years the site of the Grand Ole Opry, and Belcourt Theater. Each year, the CMA Music Festival (formerly known as Fan Fair) brings thousands of country fans to the city.

Nashville was once home to the