Cowan, Tennessee
Cowan is a city of 1,934 people in Franklin County, Tennessee, founded in 1808.
Why visit Cowan
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks and 1 park or trail in and around town.
Highlights include Cowan Tunnel.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 30°F.
Weather in Cowan
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Cowan
Cowan is a city in Franklin County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2020 census, Cowan had a population of 1,759. It is part of the Tullahoma, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article Cowan, Tennessee (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks2
Cowan Tunnel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Railroad tunnel near Cowan, Tennessee The tunnel was built by the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad Company and was completed in 1852...
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Churches and places of worship10
Schools, colleges and libraries6
History
The earliest settlers arrived in the Cowan area in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The home of one such settler, William Russell, served as the Franklin County Courthouse until the establishment of Winchester in 1810.
The town of Cowan dates from the mid-19th century and developed mostly as a railroad town. It was the site where several branch lines met the main Nashville to Chattanooga trunk of the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway which ran through the important Cowan Tunnel. As the last stop before the uphill climb onto the nearby Cumberland Plateau, pusher engines to assist trains in making the steep ascent were based there, and are still in use today.
The town's economy declined with the importance of the railroad after U.S. Route 41A was built in the 1940s. The old passenger depot, built in 1904, was restored as a museum, and is a focal point of the downtown area.
From the History section of Cowan, Tennessee on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Map of Cowan
19 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49°F | 30°F | 4.8 in | 1.4 in |
| Feb | 53°F | 33°F | 5.4 in | 1.0 in |
| Mar | 61°F | 40°F | 5.8 in | 1.0 in |
| Apr | 71°F | 47°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 78°F | 56°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 85°F | 64°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 68°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 66°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 82°F | 60°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 72°F | 48°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 60°F | 38°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 52°F | 33°F | 5.8 in | 0.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Winchester 5Se (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Franklin County has had 8 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-02-06: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2025-04-02: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-04-02: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2011-05-01: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Associated Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Franklin County Airport (UOS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.
- Tullahoma 19 mi northwest, about 30 min by car
- Manchester 21 mi north, about 34 min by car
- Bridgeport 22 mi southeast, about 36 min by car
- Stevenson 23 mi southeast, about 36 min by car
- Altamont 24 mi northeast, about 39 min by car
- New Market 30 mi southwest, about 48 min by car
- Shelbyville 34 mi northwest, about 55 min by car
- Scottsboro 36 mi south, about 58 min by car
- Moores Mill 36 mi southwest, about 58 min by car
- Chattanooga 44 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Cowan-from-front-tn1, Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0
- CowanTunnelNorthPeopleStanding, Bryanmackinnon, CC BY-SA 4.0
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