Southern Living calls Franklin one of “The South’s Prettiest Towns.”  Money Magazine calls it the #8 “Best Place to Live in America” – the third consecutive year in the top ten. The National Civic League designated us as an “All American City.’ You can call it home!

While Franklin is widely celebrated today for its charming main street and its amazing array of trendy restaurants, eclectic shopping, and active arts and entertainment scene, it has long been cherished for its Southern hospitality and rich history. Founded in 1799 and named after Benjamin Franklin, the area was the site of the one of the fiercest battles in the Civil War. History buffs come to Franklin to visit the site of the Battle of Franklin, Carnton Plantation, the Carter House, and other historic locations throughout the city.

In 2009, The National Trust for Historic Preservation awarded Franklin the prestigious title of Distinctive Destination for offering an authentic visitor experience by combining dynamic downtowns, cultural diversity, attractive architecture and a strong commitment to historic preservation. In the same year the American Planning Association named the downtown Franklin area a Top Ten Great Neighborhood for the Downtown Franklin’s outstanding historic character and architecture and meaningful protection measures the City has adopted to ensure Franklin’s unique sense of place is not compromised by future growth and development.

Business Week Magazine named Franklin one of the Top 50 Cities to Start a Small Business. Some of the other awards the city has received recently include:

• 2010 Most Romantic Main Street-National Trust for Historic Preservation
• 2010 One of the Best Cities for Startups-Zoom Prospector.com-Bloomberg Businessweek
• 2012 Best Places to Live, 52th-Money Magazine
• 2009 Top 50 City to Start a Small Business-Business Week Online
• 2009 Best Neighborhood-American Planning Association
• Money Magazine’s Top 10 Places to Retire
• Great American Main Street Award
• Number One Small Town in Tennessee
• Five National Register Historic Districts
• Ranked 10th in America for new jobs created – and projected to be 3rd in America for new jobs over the next twenty years.
• One of Five Best Places in America to Antique Shop
• “Voice of the People” awards for Education and Enrichment and for Community Engagement.

Downtown Franklin is well known for its annual festivals and parades including: The Main Street Festival in Spring; Fourth of July in Summer; PumpkinFest in October; The Veterans Day Parade in November; and Dickens of a Christmas in December.

Thousands of tourists visit Franklin each year to attend these festivals and many more throughout the year. Visitors enjoy the beautiful 15 block historic district that offers true southern hospitality. The uniquely elegant shops downtown offer a variety of restaurants, clothing, gifts and galleries.

Not only is Franklin one of the most celebrated towns in America, the quality of life keeps getting better and better. There is a full complement of Active Road Projects to keep transportation efficient and convenient. In fact, the northwest extension of Mack Hatcher Memorial Parkway will make it easier than ever for Westhaven residents to enjoy all of the restaurants, recreation, activities and conveniences of Franklin and the greater Nashville area.

More information about Franklin is available through the Williamson County Convention and Visitors Bureau.