Nashville was founded in 1779 and it grew rapidly because of its excellent location on the Cumberland River. It was incorporated in 1806 and became the county seat of Davidson County. Nashville was named the capital of Tennessee in 1843.

Like many Southern cities, Nashville was not immune to the economic woes of the post-Civil War South but it quickly rebounded. It only took a few years for the city to reclaim its important shipping and trading position and to develop a solid manufacturing base. The post-Civil War years of the late 19th century brought a new-found 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.

Since the 1970s, the city has experienced tremendous growth, particularly during the economic boom of the 1990s under the leadership of Mayor (former 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, Bridgestone Arena, and Nissan Stadium.

• 36.162781-86.7781261 Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, 150 Fourth Avenue North, ☏ +1 615-259-4730. (updated May 2017)

Nashville sits in the middle of a geographic region known as the Nashville Basin. It is surrounded by the Cumberland Highlands and is bordered by the Cumberland Plateau to the east. The Nashville Basin is characterized by rich, fertile farm country and high natural wildlife diversity.

Nashville has cool, relatively short winters and hot, humid summers, with long spells of spring and autumn in between. Winter temperatures commonly hover slightly above freezing, and a fair amount of light snow generally falls throughout the months of December to February, though large storms of 6-plus inches in a day do occur every few years. Nashville can be prone to severe thunderstorms and tornadoes during the spring and fall months. Summers are hot, but no more than the rest of the southeastern U.S. with temperatures around 90°F (32°C) during the day.

• 36.126667-86.6819441 Nashville International Airport (BNA  ^IATA) (About 5 mi (8.0 km) from downtown), ☏ +1 615-275-1675. The most inexpensive way to travel to and from the Nashville International Airport and downtown Nashville is to ride the Nashville MTA's Route 18 Airport/Elm Hill bus, which serves the airport and downtown on an hourly basis, from about 7AM to about 10PM, seven days a week. Schedules are located at the Welcome Center located on the baggage claim level of the airport. BNA was the first major US airport to authorize ridesharing services with dedicated pickup and drop off areas. Passengers utilizing these services may wait in a specially designated area located on Level 1 outside of the main terminal. BNA is a hub for Southwest Airlines and serves numerous domestic destinations, as well as international service to Toronto Canada, Calgary, Cancún, Punta Cana, Freeport Bahamas, Montego Bay Jamaica, Cozumel, London-Heathrow and Frankfurt. (updated Nov 2018)
• 36.182222-86.8866672 John C. Tune Airport, 110 Tune Airport Dr, ☏ +1 615 350-5000. General aviation airport just eight miles from downtown Nashville. (updated Nov 2021)
• 36.008889-86.523 Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport, 278 Doug Warpoole Rd, Smyrna, ☏ +1 615-459-2651. A reliever airport for BNA, located 12 nautical miles (22 km) south of it. 

Nashville is a nexus of several interstate highways, including I-65 (north-south), I-40 (east-west), and I-24 (northwest-southeast). The various highways sometimes merge and split without the typical exit-offramp design, so travellers should consult maps before attempting to navigate the area. There is easy access to/from Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis and Louisville, among others.

• 36.15196-86.7732674 Greyhound, 709 5th Ave South, ☏ +1 615-255-3556. (updated Mar 2017)
• 36.167104-86.7826045 Megabus. Service from Atlanta, Chattanooga, Louisville, Indianapolis, and Chicago. Buses stop on the east side of 5th Avenue North between Gay Street and Charlotte Avenue, outside the Musicians Hall of Fame. (updated May 2017)

• Gray Line Shuttle, +1 615 275-1180. Tours and charter buses.

• Nashville MTA (WeGo Public Transit), ☏ +1 615-862-5969. Operates routes throughout downtown and the surrounding area. $2 for an adult local fare, with no transfers allowed. An all-day pass for an adult is $4. Nashville's bus system is designed around a central station. The schedule accommodates a 9AM-5PM schedule with limited late night service. Route maps and schedules are subject to change but are available from the Nashville MTA website. (updated Mar 2015)

• The Music City Star, ☏ +1 615-862-8833. Commuter train runs Monday - Friday. The train runs from Lebanon to Downtown's 36.162-86.7746 Riverfront Station. One-Way tickets purchased at the platform are $5 each. There are two shuttle services that transport people for no extra charge, passengers use their Music City Star ticket to board. Shuttle 93 goes up Broadway, West End, and around the Vanderbilt area. Shuttle 94 loops through Downtown. If you wish to go to any other place in the city, you can catch the Downtown Shuttle at the Riverfront Station and exit at the downtown bus mall then catch the bus that is going to your destination. (updated Mar 2015)

Car is always your best bet. The average speed on highways ranges from 55-70 mph, while city streets are generally 35 mph unless otherwise posted.

I-40, I-65, and I-24 are the major interstate highways that run through Nashville.

All major national car rental agencies operate in Nashville.

Taxis are also very prevalent in Nashville, especially Downtown. Taxi companies that operate in Nashville are:

• Allied Cab, +1 615-885-1499.
• Music City Taxi, +1 615-262-0451.
• Checker Cab, +1 615-256-7000.
• Metro Cab, +1 615-365-3434.

Transportation network companies Uber and Lyft operate in Nashville.

For executive transportation, sedan or limousine services are available; these often work like black cars in New York City, and offer executive sedans, SUVs, or even full limo transports to and from downtown or the airport.

The center of Nashville is not too big for an able-bodied person to traverse on foot in decent weather, and walking downtown can be quite pleasant.

Most telephone numbers in Nashville consist of +1 615 plus a seven-digit number, but the region is now served by an overlay complex of two area codes, with +1 629 being the second. A local or in-state telephone call now requires all 10 digits of the local number be dialed (omitting just the leading +1 from a local landline call).

Signage on many established businesses may still display the original seven-digit numbers; dial 615 before these if no area code is indicated.

• The Tennessean. The main daily newspaper.
• Nashville Scene. Nashville's oldest and largest weekly, now run by the Village Voice. Excellent entertainment news and reliable features, plus useful special issues (Annual Manual, Dining Guide, You're So Nashville If..., College Guide, Best of Nashville, etc.)

• Denmark (Honorary), Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, 2200 Children's Way Rm 1424, ☏ +1 615-936-4952, fax: +1 615 936-4944, [email protected]. 
• Germany (Honorary), 201 Fourth Ave N Ste 1420, ☏ +1 615-251-5447, fax: +1 615-251-5453, [email protected]. 
• Italy (Honorary), 113 Wynthrope Way, Franklin, ☏ +1 615-725-1669, [email protected]. 
• Japan, 1801 W End Ave Ste 900, ☏ +1 615-340-4300, fax: +1 615-340-4311, [email protected].