Dickson is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Located in Dickson County. It is portion of the Nashville metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, Dickson’s population was 16,058.

Dickson was named for Congressman William Dickson, as was Dickson County. The City started as a stop on the railroad line with Nashville and the Tennessee River. When Union Troops had the end the supply line during the Civil War, the area was known as Mile 42 post.

Dickson is located in south-central Dickson County at 36°4′17″N 87°22′28″W / 36.07139°N 87.37444°W / 36.07139; -87.37444 (36.071485, -87.374539). It is bordered to the east by the town of Burns. U.S. Route 70 passes through the north side of the city as Henslee Drive; it leads east 40 miles (64 km) to Nashville and west 62 miles (100 km) to Huntingdon. Interstate 40 passes through the Dickson city limits 5 miles (8 km) south of the middle of town, with entrance from Exit 172 (Tennessee State Route 46). I-40 leads east 37 miles (60 km) to Nashville from Exit 172 and west 92 miles (148 km) to Jackson.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Dickson has a total area of 20.0 square miles (51.9 km), of which 20.0 square miles (51.7 km²) is home and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km), or 0.41%, is water. The city center sits on the Tennessee Valley Divide, with the southwest side of the city draining via the East Piney River to the Piney River, then to the Duck River, and subsequently to the Tennessee River, while the northeast side drains via Turnbull Creek or Jones Creek to the Harpeth River and thence to the Cumberland River.