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Bedford County, Tennessee facts for kids

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Bedford County
Bedford County courthouse in Shelbyville
Bedford County courthouse in Shelbyville
Official seal of Bedford County
Seal
Map of Tennessee highlighting Bedford County
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Map of the United States highlighting Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Tennessee
Founded December 7, 1807
Named for Thomas Bedford, early settler
Seat Shelbyville
Largest city Shelbyville
Area
 • Total 475 sq mi (1,230 km2)
 • Land 474 sq mi (1,230 km2)
 • Water 1.2 sq mi (3 km2)  0.2%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 50,237 Increase
 • Density 105.99/sq mi (40.92/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 4th

Bedford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 50,237. Its county seat is Shelbyville. Bedford County comprises the Shelbyville, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro, TN Combined Statistical Area.

History

The county was created in 1807 when the citizens of Rutherford County living south of the Duck River and the Stones River successfully petitioned the governor to split Rutherford County into two. The new county was named after American Revolutionary War officer Thomas Bedford, who was a large landowner in the area. Once the state's largest and most populous county, Bedford County's size (in terms of area) has been steadily reduced since 1809. The county was pro-Confederate during the Civil War, but Shelbyville was mostly loyal to the Union.

Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest was born in 1821 in Chapel Hill (now in Marshall County).

Texas pioneer William Whitaker Reed was born in Bedford County in 1816.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 475 square miles (1,230 km2), of which 474 square miles (1,230 km2) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2) (0.2%) is water.

Adjacent counties

State protected areas

  • Normandy Wildlife Management Area (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1810 8,242
1820 16,012 94.3%
1830 30,396 89.8%
1840 20,546 −32.4%
1850 21,511 4.7%
1860 21,584 0.3%
1870 24,333 12.7%
1880 26,025 7.0%
1890 24,739 −4.9%
1900 23,845 −3.6%
1910 22,667 −4.9%
1920 21,737 −4.1%
1930 21,077 −3.0%
1940 23,151 9.8%
1950 23,627 2.1%
1960 23,150 −2.0%
1970 25,039 8.2%
1980 27,916 11.5%
1990 30,411 8.9%
2000 37,586 23.6%
2010 45,058 19.9%
2020 50,237 11.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2014
USA Bedford County, Tennessee.csv age pyramid
Age pyramid, Bedford County

2020 census

Bedford County racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 36,499 72.65%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 3,563 7.09%
Native American 127 0.25%
Asian 337 0.67%
Pacific Islander 13 0.03%
Other/Mixed 2,033 4.05%
Hispanic or Latino 7,665 15.26%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 50,237 people, 17,029 households, and 12,704 families residing in the county.

Communities

City

Towns

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

  • Branchville
  • Center Grove
  • Cortner's Station
  • Fairfield
  • Fall Creek
  • Flat Creek
  • Haley's Station
  • Hawthorne
  • Mount Harmond
  • Palmetto
  • Pleasant Grove
  • Poplin's Crossroads
  • Richmond
  • Roseville
  • Rover

Major Highways

  • I-24
  • US-41
  • US-41A
  • US-231
  • State Route 16
  • State Route 64
  • State Route 82
  • State Route 130
  • State Route 269
  • State Route 270

Education

Bedford County School District operates nine elementary schools, four middle schools, and three high schools, in Shelbyville (Shelbyville Central High School), Wartrace (Cascade High School), and Unionville (Community High School).

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Bedford (Tennessee) para niños

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