Best Neighborhoods in Franklin TN: A Local Guide

by Nik Shewmaker

Quick answer: Popular Franklin, TN neighborhoods include Westhaven and Berry Farms for a walkable town center, Lockwood Glen for a lake and river trails, Forrest Crossing and Vanderbilt Legends Club for golf, McKay's Mill for quick access to Cool Springs, and Founders Pointe for a short drive to downtown Franklin. Ladd Park and Fieldstone Farms add newer and established options, and Lookaway Farms offers gated estates on large lots.

Franklin sits in Williamson County, about 20 miles south of downtown Nashville, and offers everything from historic streets near Main Street to large master-planned communities. Below is a quick guide to the neighborhoods buyers ask me about most, with a link to a full guide for each.

Franklin Neighborhoods at a Glance

Ashton Park

Ashton Park is a gated community in the Cool Springs area of Franklin, about a mile east of I-65 with entrances on Cool Springs Boulevard and McEwen Drive, built mostly from 2002 to 2007, with single-family homes, cottage homes, and townhomes around a wooded common area. Read the full Ashton Park guide.

Avalon

Avalon is a gated community in the Cool Springs area of Franklin, off Cool Springs Boulevard East, with estate homes on large lots, the townhomes and smaller homes of The Meade of Avalon, a clubhouse, pool, trails, and Arthurian street names like Road of the Round Table. Read the full Avalon guide.

Berry Farms

A 600-acre community at I-65 and Peytonsville Road with its own Town Center, a pool, and trails. Read the full Berry Farms guide.

Clovercroft Preserve

Clovercroft Preserve is a neighborhood of about 100 newer homes in east Franklin off Clovercroft Road, built from 2017 to 2019, with two-story homes on lots of roughly a third to a half acre, many backing to wooded common ground. Read the full Clovercroft Preserve guide.

Cool Springs East

Cool Springs East is a large neighborhood of about 700 homes off Carothers Parkway and Bakers Bridge Road, minutes from CoolSprings Galleria, built from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s, with a clubhouse, pools, tennis and pickleball courts, and a playground. Read the full Cool Springs East guide.

Cottonwood Estates

Cottonwood Estates is an established neighborhood of just under 500 homes in north Franklin along the Hillsboro Road corridor near the Harpeth River, built from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, with a pool, clubhouse, tennis courts, disc golf, trails, and more than 100 acres of common space. Read the full Cottonwood Estates guide.

Fieldstone Farms

An established neighborhood known for spacious homes, trails, and neighborhood amenities. Read the full Fieldstone Farms guide.

Forrest Crossing

Brick homes and townhomes around Franklin Bridge Golf Club, with pools and tennis. Read the full Forrest Crossing guide.

Founders Pointe

About 350 homes off Highway 96 West near downtown Franklin, with a pool, clubhouse, and trail. Read the full Founders Pointe guide.

Hincheyville

Franklin's historic district just west of downtown along West Main Street, laid out in 1819, with homes dating from about 1828 to the 1930s. Read the full Hincheyville guide.

Ladd Park

A newer master-planned community with modern homes, neighborhood amenities, and easy commuter access. Read the full Ladd Park guide.

Laurelbrooke

A guard-gated community of about 300 estate homesites on nearly 600 acres in north Franklin's Grassland area, with preserved woodland, a clubhouse, and a pool. Read the full Laurelbrooke guide.

Lockwood Glen

A 220-acre community off South Carothers Parkway with a lake, Harpeth River trails, and a saltwater pool. Read the full Lockwood Glen guide.

Lookaway Farms

Gated estates on large lots, for buyers who want privacy and space. Read the full Lookaway Farms guide.

McKay's Mill

Brick homes, townhomes, and condos off Liberty Pike near Cool Springs, with a pool, clubhouse, and nearby Liberty Park. Read the full McKay's Mill guide.

Monticello

An established Grassland-area neighborhood off Hillsboro Road with ranch and brick traditional homes on lots of roughly a third to two-thirds of an acre. Read the full Monticello guide.

Polk Place

Polk Place is a neighborhood of about 370 all-brick homes in Franklin off Mack Hatcher Parkway near Columbia Avenue, about a mile and a half from downtown, built from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s, with a pool, clubhouse, playground, and stocked fishing pond. Read the full Polk Place guide.

Stream Valley

Stream Valley is a newer neighborhood in south Franklin off Lewisburg Pike near Berry Farms, built in many phases starting around 2013, with Craftsman and traditional single-family homes, cottage homes, a beach-entry pool, playgrounds, and walking trails. Read the full Stream Valley guide.

Sullivan Farms

Sullivan Farms is an established neighborhood of about 700 single-family homes in south Franklin between Mack Hatcher Parkway and Lewisburg Pike, built from about 1997 to the early 2000s, with brick traditional homes, a pool, clubhouse, tennis courts, and Scottish-inspired street names. Read the full Sullivan Farms guide.

Vanderbilt Legends Club

Championship golf and established neighborhoods nearby, for buyers who want golf course living. Read the full Vanderbilt Legends Club guide.

Waters Edge

Waters Edge is a Goodall Homes community in Franklin off South Carothers Parkway near the Harpeth River, started around 2016, with single-family homes, courtyard cottages, and townhomes, plus a resort-style pool, clubhouse with fitness center, and walking trails. Read the full Waters Edge guide.

Westhaven

A master-planned community with a walkable town center and quick access to downtown Franklin. Read the full Westhaven guide.

Willowsprings

Willowsprings is a neighborhood of about 340 homes off Downs Boulevard in Franklin, built mostly in the 2000s, with custom homes, cottage homes, and townhomes set around four spring-fed lakes, plus a pool, playground, tennis court, and walking trails. Read the full Willowsprings guide.

How to Choose a Franklin Neighborhood

Walkable town center: Westhaven and Berry Farms
Close to downtown Franklin: Founders Pointe and Westhaven
Near Cool Springs: McKay's Mill
Golf: Forrest Crossing and Vanderbilt Legends Club
Lake and river trails: Lockwood Glen
Established neighborhood: Fieldstone Farms
Newer master-planned community: Ladd Park
Gated estates and large lots: Lookaway Farms

School Zoning in Franklin

Franklin is served by Williamson County Schools, and parts of the city are also served by the Franklin Special School District for elementary and middle grades. Assignments follow address boundaries, so confirm zoning for any specific home directly with the district. For objective school data, the Tennessee Department of Education publishes the State Report Card for every public school.

More Franklin Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most popular neighborhoods in Franklin, TN?

Buyers often look at Westhaven, Berry Farms, Ladd Park, Fieldstone Farms, McKay's Mill, Lockwood Glen, Founders Pointe, Forrest Crossing, Lookaway Farms, and the neighborhoods around Vanderbilt Legends Club. Each has a different mix of home styles, amenities, and location.

Which Franklin neighborhoods have a walkable town center?

Westhaven and Berry Farms both include their own town center areas with shops and dining within the community.

Which Franklin neighborhoods are close to Cool Springs?

McKay's Mill sits off Liberty Pike near Cool Springs, which puts shopping, dining, and offices close by.

How do I check school zoning for a Franklin home?

Franklin is served by Williamson County Schools, and parts of the city are also served by the Franklin Special School District for elementary and middle grades. Look up the exact address with the district before you buy, since boundaries can change.

Find Your Franklin Neighborhood

Touring a few of these back to back is the fastest way to know which one fits. Call or text Nik Shewmaker at (615) 585-0022 or email NashvillesNik@gmail.com to set up a neighborhood tour.