The city grew quickly due to its strategic location as a port on the Cumberland River and, in the 19th century, a railroad center. Named for Francis Nash, a general of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, the city was founded in 1779.
Located on the Cumberland River, the city is the center of the Nashville metropolitan area, and is one of the fastest growing in the nation. census, Nashville is the 21st most-populous city in the United States, and the fourth most populous city in the southeastern U.S. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. state of Tennessee, as well as the seat of Davidson County. Nashville is the capital and most populous city of the U.S.
