Bedford, New Hampshire facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bedford, New Hampshire
Town
Bedford Presbyterian Church
Seal
Location in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire
Country	United States
State	New Hampshire
County	Hillsborough
Incorporated	1750
Named for	John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford
Area
• Total	33.1 sq mi (85.6 km2)
• Land	32.8 sq mi (84.9 km2)
• Water	0.3 sq mi (0.7 km2)  0.85%
Elevation	308 ft (94 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	23,322
• Density	711/sq mi (274.7/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP code	03110
Area code	603
FIPS code	33-011-04500
GNIS feature ID	0873541

Bedford is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. It's a growing community and a suburb of Manchester, which is New Hampshire's largest city. In 2020, about 23,322 people lived in Bedford. This number shows that the town has grown quite a bit over the years!

Bedford's Story: A Look at Its History

How Bedford Got Started

Bedford was first created in 1733 by the Province of Massachusetts Bay. It was known as "Narragansett, No. 5" and was set aside for soldiers. These soldiers had fought in a conflict against the Narragansett people in Rhode Island. The area was also called "Souhegan East."

In 1750, the settlement officially became a town and was named "Bedford." It was named after John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford. He was a close friend of the governor at the time, Benning Wentworth.

Early Settlers and Growth

The first English settlers in Bedford were Robert and James Walker III. You can still find a monument from 1737 on Station Road that marks where the first settlement was. The town's first leader, called a "moderator," was Mayor John Goffe. His father, Colonel John Goffe, is the person Goffstown was named after.

In the late 1800s, trains started serving Bedford. This helped the town connect with other places.

Bedford's Recent Growth

Bedford has grown very quickly, especially in the last half of the 1900s. For example, in 1950, only about 2,176 people lived there. By 2000, that number had jumped to over 18,000! This fast growth continued, and by 2020, Bedford became the 11th largest town in New Hampshire.

Exploring Bedford's Geography

Bedford covers an area of about 85.6 square kilometers (about 33 square miles). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water. The largest body of water is Sebbins Pond. It connects to smaller ponds through Sebbins Brook. The famous Merrimack River also flows nearby.

Cool Natural Features

One interesting natural spot in Bedford is a rock formation called Pulpit Rock. It's part of the town's Pulpit Rock Conservation Area. The highest point in Bedford is Holbrook Hill, which is about 845 feet (258 meters) above sea level. All the water in Bedford eventually flows into the Merrimack River.

Neighboring Towns

Bedford shares its borders with several other towns:

• Goffstown to the north
• Manchester to the east
• Merrimack to the south
• Amherst to the southwest
• New Boston to the west

Getting Around Bedford: Transportation

Bedford has two main highways that help people travel easily. The Everett Turnpike runs north and south, and Route 101 runs east and west. These highways connect to Interstate 293, making it simple to reach other areas. US 3 also passes through the town.

If you need to fly, the Manchester–Boston Regional Airport is very close by, just one town away in Manchester.

There are also plans to extend the MBTA Commuter Rail's Lowell Line to Manchester. This would include a stop in Bedford, which would be great for both the town and the airport!

Who Lives in Bedford: Demographics

In 2020, Bedford had a population of 23,322 people. Most residents were White (86.1%), with smaller percentages of Asian (7.2%), African American (1.5%), and other groups. About 3.2% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Many households in Bedford have families. In 2010, about 40.9% of households had children under 18 living there. The average household had about 2.81 people. The median age in Bedford was 42.3 years old.

Bedford is known for having a good economy. Between 2006 and 2010, the average household income was quite high, making Bedford one of the wealthiest towns in New Hampshire.

Learning in Bedford: Education

Bedford has a great school system with six schools.

• Elementary Schools: Memorial Elementary School, Peter Woodbury Elementary School, and Riddle Brook Elementary School teach students from kindergarten to 4th grade. Riddle Brook has even won the National Blue Ribbon School award multiple times!
• Intermediate School: McKelvie Intermediate School is for 5th and 6th graders.
• Middle and High Schools: Ross A. Lurgio Middle School (grades 7-8) and Bedford High School (grades 9-12) opened in 2007. These two schools share a large building, which helps them save money by sharing things like the kitchen and auditorium. However, they operate as separate schools with different entrances and schedules.

A part of Saint Anselm College, a higher education institution, is also located in Bedford, including some of its sports fields.

Before 2007, high school students from Bedford used to go to Manchester West High School. But now, all high school students attend Bedford High School.

Famous People from Bedford

Images for kids

• 

  A monument marking the first settlement in Bedford, dated 1737.

See also

In Spanish: Bedford (Nuevo Hampshire) para niños