Williamson

Formed October 26, 1799 (17^th county)

Williamson County (247,773), Franklin (83,547)

The red brick columned 1859 courthouse is located at Public Square at 3^rd Avenue.  The augmenting brick Justice Center was built in 2004.  United States Highway 31 is on block away.  John W. Miller is the courthouse designer.  The building was renovated in 1937, 1964 and 2009 and enlarged in 1976.  Williamson County was formed on October 26, 1799 from Davidson County as the 17^th county with Franklin as the only county seat.  The county is named for signer of the Constitution Hugh Williamson.  The county seat is named for American statesman Benjamin Franklin.  He is also the namesake for Franklin County.  Williamson County was the birthplace of 2 Tennessee Governors, John P. Buchanan and William B. Lee. 

Williamson County government consists of a sheriff, a County Mayor, and 24 Commissioners.  Two Circuit Court Judges, One Chancery Court Judge, Three General Court Judges, and One Juvenile Court Judge serve Williamson, Hickman, Lewis, and Perry counties.  The county is in west central Tennessee.  Nashville, Tennessee is directly north and Memphis, Tennessee is southwest of the county.  The county center is in Franklin .8 miles Southeast of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Davidson, Rutherford, Marshall, Maury, Hickman, Dickson, and Cheatham counties. 

The area of the county is 582 square miles.  It is 16 out of 95 in the state.  It ranks 6 out of 95 in population in the state.  It has a density of 425.7 persons per square mile making it 6 out of 95 in the state.  Williamson County has 55.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 40 clips the northwest corner from Cheatham County, north, to Dickson County, west.  Interstate Highway 65 crosses through the county from north to south from Davidson County to Maury County.  United States Highway 31 parallels Interstate Highway 65 from Davidson to Maury counties.  United States Highway 31 Alternate enters from Davidson County and exits to Maury County.  United States Highway 41 Alternate is joined with United States Highway 31 Alternate from Davidson County, splits and continues southeast into Rutherford County.  The county is shaped like the State of Washington.  Franklin is located slightly north of center in the county.  Franklin is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 33.7% of the county population.  This county is in the Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin Metropolitan Statistical Area.