Downtown Nashville has typical big city skyscrapers like the AT&T “Batman” building with downtown loft spaces. Laid out on a loop rather than a grid, getting around Nashville and its suburbs is guided by the three main interstates: 65, 24, and 40. 

Living and working in downtown Nashville isn’t always practical, affordable, or accessible. The commuting population heads to the sprawling Nashville suburbs that offer everything from nationally ranked school systems to major malls and restaurants.

With major interstates in play, a commute downtown can take less than an hour in peak times and 30 minutes or less outside of rush hour. If the suburban feel or a charming town square is appealing after a commute downtown, here are nine Nashville suburb options to get you started on your house hunt. 

Photo courtesy of John P. Holt Brentwood Library

Brentwood 

On the south side of town, Brentwood is a bedroom community of around 40,000 people that offers a nationally ranked school district and amenities including big-box shopping, family and fine dining restaurants, plus greenways and parks nestled among houses with average prices of around $500,000.

While Brentwood is mainly residential, national chains like Nordstrom Rack and Uncle Julio’s Mexican Kitchen bring a big-city feel to this suburb. Families enjoy the amenities of the John P. Holt Brentwood Library. I-65 makes commutes into downtown a direct trip by car.

Nolensville

Just a little further south and tucked up against Brentwood is Nolensville, an incorporated town with less than 6,000 residents. A rapidly growing town with an easy downtown commute from I-65 or I-24, Nolensville has highway accessibility but no direct transit. 

Local businesses include the family-owned Martin’s BBQ, Masters Martial Arts Academy, Amish Market, Hwy 55 Diner, and boutique stores. A school campus with elementary, middle and high schools built in 2016 responds to the rapid growth in the southern Nashville suburbs.

Photo courtesy of Downtown Franklin

Franklin

Franklin is also on the south side of Nashville and appeals to suburbanites with its quintessential southern small-town feel complete with a thriving, walkable town square. Located within a Historic Preservation Overlay, historic homes, local restaurant favorites like Merridee's Breadbasket, and quaint shops like Early’s Honey Store fill the town square alongside family restaurants. 

Trolleys run through Franklin, but transit to downtown isn’t an option. Franklin is less than 20 miles from downtown with an I-65 commute that has earned the suburb the phrase “14 miles and 100 years” away from downtown.

Lebanon 

Take a trip to the east side of Nashville and find Lebanon with the extensive Lebanon Outlet Marketplace featuring stores like Brooks Brothers and the nearby Watertown Stardust Drive-In movie theater.

I-40 makes Lebanon a straight trip into downtown and the airport. Median home prices in Lebanon's neighborhoods range from just under $200,000 to $730,000 with a lot in between, making the town a more affordable suburban option.

Photo courtesy of Cool Springs

Cool Springs

Cool Springs straddles the line between southern suburbs Franklin and Brentwood just 10 miles outside Nashville. The area’s largest indoor mall, Cool Springs Mall, features a wide range of stores along with the newly-renovated AMC Dine-In Thoroughbred 20 movie theater. Cool Springs’ access to I-65 makes the 10-mile downtown commute easier for residents.

Mt. Juliet

Mt. Juliet is a family-friendly neighborhood with a median home price of under $200,000. Providence Marketplace includes 828,000 square feet of big-box stores like Target and family-friendly dining at restaurants like Salsaritas.

Belle Meade Plantation Home photo courtesy of NatureBoyMD

Belle Meade

South of downtown, Belle Meade’s center attraction is the Belle Meade Plantation Home the city was named after. After making the convenient commute from downtown to Belle Meade up Interstates 24 or 65, Belle Meade residents can enjoy fine dining at restaurants like Sperrys with live jazz. Located a short commute away from the Nashville Airport, Belle Meade is home to celebrities like Al Gore and music icons Vince Gill and Amy Grant.

Goodlettsville

Goodlettsville’s 17,000 residents enjoy an easy commute to downtown and an average home price under $200,000. Antique malls and the Historic Mansker Station Frontier Life Center offer residents fun shopping and historic family field trip options.  

Photo courtesy of Warner Parks

Bellevue

After an average 30-minute commute to Downtown Nashville, Bellevue residents enjoy the two parks that make up Warner Parks—Edwin Warner Park and Percy Warner Park—or a meal at the Nashville standard ,The Loveless Cafe. The revitalized One Bellevue Place mall showcases unique shopping opportunities in the area.