The town of Nashville was founded by James Robertson, John Donelson, and a party of Overmountain Men in 1779, near the original Cumberland settlement of Fort Nashborough. It was named for Francis Nash, the American Revolutionary War hero. Nashville quickly grew because of its strategic location, accessibility as a river port, and its later status as a major railroad center. In 1806, Nashville was incorporated as a city and became the county seat of Davidson County, Tennessee. In 1843, the city was named the permanent capital of the state of Tennessee.

By 1860, when the first rumblings of secession began to be heard across the South, antebellum Nashville was a very prosperous city. The city's significance as a shipping port made it a desirable prize as a means of controlling important river and railroad transportation routes. In February 1862, Nashville became the first state capital to fall to Union troops. The Battle of Nashville (December 15–16, 1864) was a significant Union victory and perhaps the most decisive tactical victory gained by either side in the war.

Within a few years after the Civil War the city had reclaimed its important shipping and trading position and also developed a solid manufacturing base. The post–Civil War years of the late 19th century brought a newfound prosperity to Nashville. These healthy economic times left the city with a legacy of grand classical-style buildings, which can still be seen around the downtown area.

Since the 1970s, the city has experienced tremendous growth, particularly during the economic boom of the 1990s under the leadership of then-Mayor and later-Tennessee Governor, Phil Bredesen, who made urban renewal a priority, and fostered the construction or renovation of several city landmarks, including the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the downtown Nashville Public Library, the Bridgestone Arena, and LP Field.

LP Field (formerly Adelphia Coliseum) was built after the National Football League's (NFL) Houston Oilers agreed to move to the city in 1995. The NFL team debuted in Nashville in 1998 at Vanderbilt Stadium, and LP Field opened in the summer of 1999. The Oilers changed their name to the Tennessee Titans and saw a season culminate in the Music City Miracle and a close Super Bowl game that came down to the last play.

In 1997 Nashville was awarded an NHL expansion team which was subsequently named the Nashville Predators. Since coming into the league the team has made the playoffs every season except one, and has only ever had one head coach, Barry Trotz.

Today, the city along the Cumberland River is a crossroads of American culture, and one of the fastest-growing areas of the Upland South.

The downtown area of Nashville features a diverse assortment of entertainment, dining, cultural and architectural attractions. The Broadway and 2nd Avenue areas feature entertainment venues, night clubs and an assortment of restaurants. North of Broadway lies Nashville's central business district, Legislative Plaza, Capitol Hill and the Tennessee Bicentennial Mall. Cultural and architectural attractions can be found throughout the city.

The downtown area of Nashville is easily accessible. Three major interstate highways (I-40, I-65 and I-24) converge near the core area of downtown, and many regional cities are within a day's driving distance.

Nashville's first skyscraper, the Life & Casualty Tower, was completed in 1957 and started the construction of high rises in downtown Nashville. After the construction of the AT&T Building (commonly known to locals as the "Batman Building") in 1994, the downtown area saw little construction until the mid-2000s. Many new residential developments have been constructed or are planned for the various neighborhoods of downtown and midtown. A new high rise office building, The Pinnacle, was recently opened in 2010.

Many civic and infrastructure projects are either being planned, in progress, or recently completed. A new MTA bus hub was recently completed in downtown Nashville, as was the Music City Star pilot project. Several public parks have been constructed, such as the Public Square. Riverfront Park is scheduled to be extensively updated. The Music City Center, a convention center project, has been approved for the downtown area and is currently under construction.

The DISTRICT program began in the late 1980's as a collaboration between Historic Nashville Inc. and the Metropolitan Historical Commission. Patterned after the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s successful Main Street Program, the two organizations sought to focus on the historic areas of Nashville, specifically 2nd Avenue, Broadway and Printer’s Alley. The Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency provided a three-year block grant of $30,000 per year as seed money to fund the startup of The DISTRICT organization.

The Historic Riverfront Association 501(c)(3), established in the mid-1980's, sought to promote, preserve and protect the businesses, residents and buildings along 1st Avenue North and the Riverfront. When approached by Historic Nashville and the Metro Historic Commission to merge into The DISTRICT program, the Historic Riverfront Association 501(c)(3) welcomed the opportunity to expand its scope and continue its work.  The Historic Riverfront Association already had a 501(c)(3) and the new organization, The DISTRICT, used The Historic Riverfront Association's non-profit designation.

Geographically, The DISTRICT consists of three of downtown Nashville's National Register Historic Districts: 2nd Avenue, Broadway and Printer’s Alley. Organizationally, it is a partnership of the business community, property owners, preservationists, non-profits and government agencies with an interest in downtown Nashville.