Welcome to Cowan!

Cowan, Tennessee is your small-town destination for fine dining, specialty shopping, cultural events, historic preservation, and all the fine arts!  This region of Tennessee has some of the South's finest and most famous attractions, from Chattanooga Choo-Choo to Jack Daniel's Distillery; from the Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration to the Sewanee Summer Music Festival!  It's all here!

We're located in Southern Middle Tennessee on Hwy 41A between Sewanee and Winchester, Tennessee.  We're conveniently accessible from I-24 via Exit 134, and from US Hwy 64 via the Cowan/Sewanee/41A exit.  Click here to find us on Google Maps.

Cowan Welcome Center...

Stop here when you pull into town!  The Cowan Welcome Center is located in the heart of downtown at the corner of Cumberland Street and Tennessee Avenue.  You can pick up maps, brochures, and other helpful information while browsing through Mr. Leonard Brown's collection of automotive memorabilia.  The Welcome Center is open Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. until 5 p.m.  Open for limited hours on Saturday as well.  We're always looking for volunteer hosts at the Welcome Center, especially during major events.  E-mail us at visitcowan@yahoo.com if you would like to learn more.

101 Cumberland Street E., Cowan, Tenn.

Tel: (931) 563-3868

Click here to e-mail the Welcome Center.

A Great Place to Visit...A Great Place to Live!

If you're moving to the area for employment or retirement, let us give you 10 Reasons why you should make Cowan, Tennessee your hometown:

1) Education - Cowan, Tennessee and Franklin County are home to a truly fine public school system for grades K-12.  We're also home to fine private institutions including the School of the Good Shepherd (K-5) and St. Andrew's-Sewanee (6-12).  Higher education ranges from an associates degree program at Motlow College to the undergraguate program at The University of the South in Sewanee.  Cowan is only an hour's drive from Chattanooga State, the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, and Middle Tennessee State University.  Classes and lectures are also offered year-round at Cowan Center for the Arts.

2) Commerce - Cowan, Tennessee has a revitalized and growing historic downtown with retail, dining, banking, insurance and health care industries.  Cowan has a growing sales-tax revenue base with the potential for additional growth.

3) Historic Preservation - In Cowan, Tennessee, old buildings and landmarks have new life!  The century-old Cowan Depot, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is home to Cowan Railroad Museum!  Cumberland Moutain Tunnel, also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, still host dozens of trains every day.  The old railroad hotel, built in 1886, is still a hotel.  A former gas station, built in the 1940's, is a welcome center.  A former bank building is City Hall.  A former textile mill is a popular expo center.  And the list goes on!

4) Sustainable Development - Unlike some of our neighboring communities, Cowan does not feature miles and miles of sprawl.  In fact, some 90% of our commercial trade takes place in the Historic Downtown or in the City Limits Business District.  This is one community in the state where you can do more and drive less!  Cowan is also dedicated to the building and expansion of sidewalks to make the town more pedestrian friendly!  We've invested more than $250,000 in sidewalk improvements since 2005!

5) Unspoiled Landscape - Cowan is surrounded by thousands of square miles of unspoiled mountain wilderness, thousands of acres of productive farm and ranch land, plus dozens of lakes, streams, and wetlands!  Although we want our area population to grow, we're planning ahead to keep our area green and lush!

6) Fine Arts - Cowan is home to Cowan Center for the Arts, featuring music recitals, theatre productions, art classes, and educational lectures.  Downtown Cowan features two art galleries selling locally-produced work, book-signings, and feature artist programs.

7) Community-Mindedness - if you're looking for a hometown where you can be involved in activities and a contributor to the health of the community, Cowan is right for you!  We have one of Tennessee's oldest community organizations - Cowan Commercial Club, founded in 1922 - to market and promote the town.  This community has abundant opportunities for civic involvement from planting flowers in the Railroad Park to coaching teams in the Cowan Ballpark; from the Cowan Cemetery Committee to the various boards of the City Government; from Halloween-in-the-Park to the Cowan Christmas Parade, and the list goes on.

8) Cultural Events - you're only bored in Cowan when you want to be because our calendar is filled with cultural events and small-town festivals!  The most famous of them all is the Annual Polly Crockett festival on the third weekend in September.  The area around us features everything from the International Dogwood Festival in Winchester to the Sewanee Summer Music Festival at The University of the South.

9) Lower Cost of Living - the cost of living in Cowan is among the lowest in the entire country!  When you factor in lower real estate costs, lower taxes, and a lower cost of doing business, Cowan makes economical sense!

10) Friendly People - we can't put a price on the friendliness of a place like Cowan because it's our most valuable asset!  This is a caring community widely known for hospitality and a welcoming spirit!  You should come and be part of it!