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Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName FRANKLIN TAX FREE TRUST
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Sep. 15, 2016
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading Fund Summary
Franklin Tax-Free Trust - TF2-10 | Franklin Kentucky Tax-Free Income Fund  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment Goal
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock To provide investors with as high a level of income exempt from federal income taxes as is consistent with prudent investment management and the preservation of shareholders’ capital. The Fund also tries to provide a maximum level of income exempt from personal income taxes, if any, for resident shareholders of Kentucky.
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fees and Expenses of the Fund
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock These tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts in Class A if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in Franklin Templeton funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and under “Your Account” on page 113 in the Fund's Prospectus and under “Buying and Selling Shares” on page 47 of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] rr_ShareholderFeesCaption Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 5.91% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 5.91%
Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text] rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts You may qualify for sales charge discounts in Class A if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in Franklin Templeton funds.
Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount] rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount $ 100,000
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of the period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in securities whose interest is free from federal income taxes, including the federal alternative minimum tax. In addition, under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in securities that pay interest free from the personal income taxes, if any, of Kentucky. Although the Fund tries to invest all of its assets in tax-free securities, it is possible that up to 20% of the Fund's total assets may be in securities that pay interest that may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax and, although not anticipated, in securities that pay taxable interest.

The Fund only buys municipal securities rated, at the time of purchase, in one of the top four ratings categories by one or more U.S. nationally recognized rating services (or comparable unrated or short-term rated securities).

The Fund also may invest up to 35% of its total assets in municipal securities issued by U.S. territories.

Although the investment manager will search for investments across a large number of municipal securities that finance different types of projects, from time to time, based on economic conditions, the Fund may have significant positions in municipal securities that finance similar types of projects.

The investment manager selects securities that it believes will provide the best balance between risk and return within the Fund’s range of allowable investments and typically uses a buy and hold strategy. This means it generally holds securities in the Fund’s portfolio for income purposes, rather than trading securities for capital gains, although the investment manager may sell a security at any time if it believes it could help the Fund meet its goal.
Strategy Portfolio Concentration [Text] rr_StrategyPortfolioConcentration Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in securities whose interest is free from federal income taxes, including the federal alternative minimum tax.
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock

You could lose money by investing in the Fund. Mutual fund shares are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank, and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency of the U.S. government.

Interest Rate

When interest rates rise, debt security prices generally fall. The opposite is also generally true: debt security prices rise when interest rates fall. Interest rate changes are influenced by a number of factors, including government policy, monetary policy, inflation expectations, perceptions of risk, and supply and demand of bonds. In general, securities with longer maturities or durations are more sensitive to interest rate changes.

Market

The market values of securities or other investments owned by the Fund will go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. The market value of a security or other investment may be reduced by market activity or other results of supply and demand unrelated to the issuer. This is a basic risk associated with all investments. When there are more sellers than buyers, prices tend to fall. Likewise, when there are more buyers than sellers, prices tend to rise.

Credit

An issuer of debt securities may fail to make interest payments or repay principal when due, in whole or in part. Changes in an issuer's financial strength or in a security's credit rating may affect a security's value.

A change in the credit rating of a municipal bond insurer that insures securities in the Fund’s portfolio may affect the value of the securities it insures, the Fund’s share price and Fund performance. The Fund might also be adversely impacted by the inability of an insurer to meet its insurance obligations.

Kentucky and U.S. Territories

Because the Fund invests predominantly in Kentucky municipal securities, events in Kentucky are likely to affect the Fund's investments and its performance. As with Kentucky municipal securities, events in any of the territories, such as Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where the Fund is invested may affect the Fund's investments and its performance. These events may include economic or political policy changes, tax base erosion, constitutional limits on tax increases, budget deficits and other financial difficulties, and changes in the credit ratings assigned to municipal issuers of Kentucky or U.S. territories.

Focus

The Fund may invest more than 25% of its assets in municipal securities that finance similar types of projects, such as utilities, hospitals, higher education and transportation. A change that affects one project, such as proposed legislation on the financing of the project, a shortage of the materials needed for the project, or a declining need for the project, would likely affect all similar projects, thereby increasing market risk.

Tax-Exempt Securities

While the Fund endeavors to purchase only bona fide tax-exempt securities (i.e., a security issued as paying tax-exempt interest income), there are risks that: (a) a tax-exempt security may be reclassified by the Internal Revenue Service, or a state tax authority, as paying taxable interest income instead and/or (b) future legislative, administrative or court actions could adversely impact the qualification of income from a tax-exempt security as tax-free. Such reclassifications or actions could cause interest from a security to become taxable, possibly retroactively, subjecting you to increased tax liability. In addition, such reclassifications or actions could cause the Fund to have to sell securities at inopportune times or prices and may cause the value of the security, and therefore the value of the Fund’s shares, to decline.

Income

Because the Fund can only distribute what it earns, the Fund's distributions to shareholders may decline when prevailing interest rates fall or when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds.

Prepayment

Prepayment risk occurs when a debt security can be repaid in whole or in part prior to the security's maturity and the Fund must reinvest the proceeds it receives, during periods of declining interest rates, in securities that pay a lower rate of interest. Also, if a security has been purchased at a premium, the value of the premium would be lost in the event of prepayment. Prepayments generally increase when interest rates fall.

Liquidity

From time to time, the trading market for a particular security or instrument or type of security or instrument in which the Fund invests may become less liquid or even illiquid. Reduced liquidity will have an adverse impact on the Fund’s ability to sell such securities or instruments when necessary to meet the Fund’s liquidity needs or in response to a specific economic event and will also generally lower the value of a security or instrument. Market prices for such securities or instruments may be volatile.

Management

The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio. The Fund's investment manager applies investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows changes in the Fund's performance from year to year for Class A shares. The table shows how the Fund's average annual returns for 1 year, 5 years, 10 years or since inception, as applicable, compared with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You can obtain updated performance information at franklintempleton.com or by calling (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236.

Sales charges are not reflected in the bar chart, and if those charges were included, returns would be less than those shown.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows changes in the Fund's performance from year to year for Class A shares. The table shows how the Fund's average annual returns for 1 year, 5 years, 10 years or since inception, as applicable, compared with those of a broad measure of market performance.
Performance Availability Phone [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236
Performance Availability Website Address [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress franklintempleton.com
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading Annual Total Returns
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text] rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads Sales charges are not reflected in the bar chart, and if those charges were included, returns would be less than those shown.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock
Best Quarter:Q3'096.36%
Worst Quarter:Q3'08-4.53%
As of March 31, 2016, the Fund's year-to-date return was 1.26%.
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading

Average Annual Total Returns
(figures reflect sales charges)

For the periods ended December 31, 2015
Performance Table Closing [Text Block] rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock

Historical performance for Advisor Class shares prior to their inception is based on the performance of Class A shares. Advisor Class performance has been adjusted to reflect differences in sales charges between classes.

After-tax returns are shown only for Class A and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

The after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown.
Franklin Tax-Free Trust - TF2-10 | Franklin Kentucky Tax-Free Income Fund | Class A  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as percentage of offering price) rr_MaximumCumulativeSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice 4.25%
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as percentage of the lower of original purchase price or sale proceeds) rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice none [1]
Management fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.57%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets 0.10%
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.09% [2]
Total annual Fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.76%
1 year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 500
3 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 659
5 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 832
10 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 1,332
2006 rr_AnnualReturn2006 4.55%
2007 rr_AnnualReturn2007 2.01%
2008 rr_AnnualReturn2008 (5.49%)
2009 rr_AnnualReturn2009 14.47%
2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 1.42%
2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011 10.08%
2012 rr_AnnualReturn2012 7.89%
2013 rr_AnnualReturn2013 (5.14%)
2014 rr_AnnualReturn2014 10.24%
2015 rr_AnnualReturn2015 1.57%
Year to Date Return, Label rr_YearToDateReturnLabel As of March 31, 2016, the Fund's year-to-date return was 1.26%.
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Best Quarter:
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 6.36%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Worst Quarter:
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (4.53%)
Franklin Tax-Free Trust - TF2-10 | Franklin Kentucky Tax-Free Income Fund | Advisor Class  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as percentage of offering price) rr_MaximumCumulativeSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as percentage of the lower of original purchase price or sale proceeds) rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOfferingPrice none
Management fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.57%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.09% [2]
Total annual Fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.66%
1 year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 68
3 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 212
5 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 370
10 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 827
Franklin Tax-Free Trust - TF2-10 | Franklin Kentucky Tax-Free Income Fund | Return Before Taxes | Class A  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Column rr_AverageAnnualReturnColumnName Franklin Kentucky Tax-Free Income Fund
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel Return Before Taxes
Past 1 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (2.75%)
Past 5 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 3.85%
Past 10 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 3.52%
Franklin Tax-Free Trust - TF2-10 | Franklin Kentucky Tax-Free Income Fund | Return Before Taxes | Advisor Class  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Past 1 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 1.56%
Past 5 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 4.75%
Past 10 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 3.97%
Franklin Tax-Free Trust - TF2-10 | Franklin Kentucky Tax-Free Income Fund | After Taxes on Distributions | Class A  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Column rr_AverageAnnualReturnColumnName Franklin Kentucky Tax-Free Income Fund
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel Return After Taxes on Distributions
Past 1 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (2.75%)
Past 5 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 3.85%
Past 10 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 3.52%
Franklin Tax-Free Trust - TF2-10 | Franklin Kentucky Tax-Free Income Fund | After Taxes on Distributions and Sales | Class A  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Column rr_AverageAnnualReturnColumnName Franklin Kentucky Tax-Free Income Fund
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
Past 1 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (0.03%)
Past 5 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 3.86%
Past 10 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 3.61%
Franklin Tax-Free Trust - TF2-10 | Franklin Kentucky Tax-Free Income Fund | Barclays Municipal Bond Index (index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Past 1 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 3.30%
Past 5 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 5.35%
Past 10 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 4.72%
[1] There is a 0.75% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $1 million or more (see "Investments of $1 Million or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge.
[2] "Other Expenses" for Advisor Class are estimated based on the current expenses of each Fund's existing classes.