Introduction | ENVISION FRANKLIN 9 PLANNING AREA The City of Franklin municipal limits encompass an area of approximately 41 square miles, with an estimated population in 2015 of 73,000 (City of Franklin Planning & Sustainability Department). The planning area for this Plan includes the State-mandated Urban Growth Boundary (UGB), which includes an additional 34 square miles of land area surrounding the City. See Figure 1.1. Franklin is part of the Nashville-DavidsonMurfreesboro-Franklin, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area. HISTORIC TRENDS Founded in 1799 as the seat of Williamson County, the City of Franklin existed as a distinct community connected to, but separate from, the rest of Tennessee. It was a small city surrounded by agricultural land and rolling hills, connected to surrounding regions by a transportation and communication network. Franklin has a long and proud history with deeply rooted cultural, educational, governmental, and social institutions that have evolved over time. The City understands the critical importance of a strong community and its dedicated people, which have helped Franklin survive and prosper through many challenges and opportunities during its history. The City was a stable community that prospered but did not grow much for the first 150 years. Then, as national trends toward suburbanization began in the mid-20th Century, Franklin began to experience change in both population and land area. See Figure 1.3. In 1950, the population was 5,475 and by 1980 the population had grown to 12,407 (U.S. Census). While the growth more than doubled over those 30 years, it was only a preview to the explosive change that would occur in the next 30 years. Between 1980 and 2010, the population of Franklin more than quadrupled, to 62,487 (U.S. Census). Similarly, Franklin grew from two square miles in the early 1960s to 41 square miles by 2010. “BETWEEN 1980 AND 2010, THE POPULATION OF FRANKLIN MORE THAN QUADRUPLED, TO 62,487.”
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