Nashville city (regional capital), landscape - Pictures
Nashville and Davidson County consolidated governments in 1963, creating one of the nation's largest cities in territory; its land area is 1225.6 sq km (473.2 sq mi). Nashville's metropolitan area is much larger, covering, in addition to Davidson, the counties of Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson, Wilson, Robertson, Dickson, and Cheatham. The metropolitan area has 10,549.3 sq km (4073.1 sq mi). The important cities and towns in the metropolitan region include Franklin, site of a major battle of the American Civil War (1861-1865), Murfreesboro, Gallatin, Lebanon, and Springfield. Nashville's suburbs also have spread into adjacent counties in recent years, particularly Williamson County to the south.
Nashville's downtown is located on high, limestone bluffs overlooking the Cumberland River, with four bridges connecting the east and west sides. Along the riverfront, historic Second Avenue is a thriving street of restaurants, dance halls, and nightclubs. The principal shopping district extends along Church Street. Union Station (1900), a former railroad station near downtown, has been restored as a hotel and restaurant. Surrounding the downtown are historic suburban neighborhoods, including Rutledge Hill, Germantown, and Edgefield. Music Row, the center of the recording industry, and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum lie 5 km (3 mi) from the city center near the Vanderbilt University campus.
