Bedford County, Tennessee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bedford County
U.S. county
Bedford County Courthouse in Shelbyville
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
Founded	December 7, 1807
Named for	Thomas Bedford
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
• 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 place in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It's a type of area called a county. In 2020, about 50,237 people lived here. The main town, or county seat, is Shelbyville. Bedford County is part of a larger area around Shelbyville. This area is also included in the bigger Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro area.

History of Bedford County

How Bedford County Was Formed

Bedford County was created in 1807. People living south of the Duck River and the Stones River wanted their own county. They asked the governor to split Rutherford County into two parts.

The new county was named after Thomas Bedford. He was an officer in the American Revolutionary War. He also owned a lot of land in this area.

Changes Over Time

Bedford County used to be the largest county in Tennessee. It also had the most people living there. But its size has gotten smaller since 1809. Parts of it were used to create other counties. These include Coffee County, Moore County, Lincoln County, and Marshall County.

During the American Civil War, many people in the county supported the Confederate side. However, the town of Shelbyville mostly stayed loyal to the Union.

A famous pioneer named William Whitaker Reed was born in Bedford County in 1816. He later became important in Texas history.

Geography of Bedford County

Land and Water Areas

Bedford County covers about 475 square miles. Most of this area, about 474 square miles, is land. Only a small part, about 1.2 square miles, is water. This means only 0.2% of the county is water.

Neighboring Counties

Bedford County shares its borders with several other counties:

• Rutherford County (to the north)
• Coffee County (to the east)
• Moore County (to the southeast)
• Lincoln County (to the south)
• Marshall County (to the west)

Protected Natural Areas

Part of the Normandy Wildlife Management Area is located in Bedford County. This area helps protect wildlife and nature.

People of Bedford County

2020 Census Information

The 2020 United States census counted 50,237 people living in Bedford County. There were 17,029 households, which are groups of people living together. Also, 12,704 families lived in the county.

Towns and Communities

Cities

• Shelbyville (This is the main town, also called the county seat.)

Towns

• Bell Buckle
• Normandy
• Wartrace

Census-Designated Place

• Unionville (These are areas that are like towns but not officially set up as one.)

Other Communities

These are smaller places that are not officially cities or towns:

Major Roads

These are the main highways that go through Bedford County:

• Interstate 24
• U.S. Route 41A
• U.S. Route 231
• State Route 16
• State Route 64
• State Route 82
• State Route 130
• State Route 269
• State Route 270
• State Route 276
• State Route 437

Education

The schools in Bedford County are part of the Bedford County School District.

Images for kids

• 

  This chart shows the age groups of people living in Bedford County.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Bedford (Tennessee) para niños