Cross Plains
A ten-block town on US-25 east of Springfield with a famous general store, honest prices, and one small inn.
Cross Plains historic storefront on Highway 25
Why people stay in Cross Plains
Cross Plains is the kind of Tennessee town that survives because the general store never closed. Thomas Drugs on Main Street has been running a soda fountain since 1912, and it still is, at fountain prices that will make you laugh. The town is tiny — maybe fifteen minutes to walk end to end — and centers on the US-25 and TN-49 junction. There's one traffic light. That's the whole geography.
This is a stop, not a base, for most travelers, but if you want to sleep somewhere with actual small-town character under $80, it works. Ten minutes east of Springfield, twenty minutes to the Kentucky line, close to a couple of state parks. Skip if you need any nightlife, gym, or restaurant option beyond home cooking. Perfect for a quiet family weekend and for people who like sitting on porches.
One small inn on TN-49 just south of the junction, family-owned, $70-$85 a night, five or six rooms. Call rather than book online — availability is more honest that way. That's essentially the only option in town. For more choice within a fifteen-minute drive, look at downtown Springfield west or the Portland area east. Avoid the tobacco-warehouse roadside stops on US-25 outside town limits; they’re not for tourists.
What to see
Hotels in Cross Plains
Getting around Cross Plains
Car only. From Nashville International drive I-65 north to exit 112, west to Springfield, then east on TN-49, about an hour. From downtown Springfield it's ten minutes east on TN-49. US-25 runs north-south through town — Portland is fifteen minutes south, the Kentucky line about twenty minutes north. No transit within thirty miles.
Questions about Cross Plains
Yes, and it's not a re-creation — it's the original operation. The pharmacy side still fills prescriptions and the fountain still makes milkshakes and phosphates. Closed Sunday. Go on a Saturday morning for the full effect.
There's a small grocery on Main Street with basics. Full-size supermarket options are ten minutes west in Springfield or fifteen minutes south in Portland. Plan accordingly if you’re self-catering.
