Bedford County, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bedford County
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Bedford County Courthouse
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Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
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 Virginia's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Virginia |
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| Founded | 1754 | ||
| Named for | John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford | ||
| Seat | Bedford | ||
| Largest town | Bedford | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 769 sq mi (1,990 km2) | ||
| • Land | 753 sq mi (1,950 km2) | ||
| • Water | 16 sq mi (40 km2) 2.1% | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 79,462 | ||
| • Density | 103.33/sq mi (39.897/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | ||
| Congressional districts | 5th, 9th | ||
Bedford County is a United States county located in the Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is the town of Bedford, which was an independent city from 1968 until rejoining the county in 2013.
Bedford County was created in 1753 from parts of Lunenburg County, and several changes in alignment were made until the present borders were established in 1786. The county was named in honor of John Russell, an English statesman and fourth Duke of Bedford.
Bedford County is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, Bedford's population was 79,462. The county population has more than doubled since 1980.
Contents
History
The Piedmont area had long been inhabited by indigenous peoples. At the time of European encounter, mostly Siouan-speaking tribes lived in this area.
Bedford County was established by the Virginia General Assembly on December 13, 1753, from parts of Lunenburg County. Later in 1756, a portion of Albemarle County lying south of the James River was added. The county is named for John Russell, the fourth Duke of Bedford, who was a Secretary of State of Great Britain. In 1782, Campbell County was formed from eastern Bedford County and the county seat was moved from New London to Liberty (now Bedford). Also in 1786, the portion of Bedford County south of the Staunton (Roanoke) River was taken with part of Henry County to form Franklin County.
The town of Bedford became an independent city in 1968, and remained the county seat. On September 14, 2011, the Bedford City Council voted to transition into a town and end its independent city status. The supervisors of Bedford County also voted to accept the town of Bedford as part of the county when it lost city status. The town of Bedford once more became part of Bedford County on July 1, 2013.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 769 square miles (1,990 km2), of which 753 square miles (1,950 km2) is land and 16 square miles (41 km2) (2.1%) is water.
Adjacent counties and city
- Rockbridge County – north
- Amherst County – northeast
- Lynchburg, Virginia – east (independent city)
- Campbell County – southeast
- Pittsylvania County – south
- Franklin County – southwest
- Roanoke County – west
- Botetourt County – northwest
National protected areas
- Blue Ridge Parkway (part)
- Jefferson National Forest (part). The Jefferson National Forest has roads and trails for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, dog-walking, scenic drives, wildlife viewing, camping, and photography as well as streams for paddling and fishing. Roads and trails are shown on National Geographic Map 789, "Lexington, Blue Ridge Mts Map, George Washington and Jefferson National Forests". The nearby Glenwood Cluster contains areas in the Jefferson Forest designated by the Wilderness Society as "Mountain Treasures".
- James River Face Wilderness (part)
- Thunder Ridge Wilderness (part)
State Park
- Smith Mountain Lake State Park
Major highways
US 221
US 460
US 501
SR 24
SR 43
SR 122
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 10,531 | — | |
| 1800 | 14,125 | 34.1% | |
| 1810 | 16,148 | 14.3% | |
| 1820 | 19,305 | 19.6% | |
| 1830 | 20,246 | 4.9% | |
| 1840 | 20,203 | −0.2% | |
| 1850 | 24,080 | 19.2% | |
| 1860 | 25,068 | 4.1% | |
| 1870 | 25,327 | 1.0% | |
| 1880 | 31,205 | 23.2% | |
| 1890 | 31,213 | 0.0% | |
| 1900 | 30,356 | −2.7% | |
| 1910 | 29,549 | −2.7% | |
| 1920 | 30,669 | 3.8% | |
| 1930 | 29,091 | −5.1% | |
| 1940 | 29,687 | 2.0% | |
| 1950 | 29,627 | −0.2% | |
| 1960 | 31,028 | 4.7% | |
| 1970 | 26,728 | −13.9% | |
| 1980 | 34,927 | 30.7% | |
| 1990 | 45,656 | 30.7% | |
| 2000 | 60,371 | 32.2% | |
| 2010 | 68,676 | 13.8% | |
| 2020 | 79,462 | 15.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010 2020 |
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2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 62,035 | 68,128 | 90.33% | 85.74% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 3,909 | 4,864 | 5.69% | 6.12% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 172 | 167 | 0.25% | 0.21% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 700 | 967 | 1.02% | 1.22% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 14 | 33 | 0.02% | 0.04% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 47 | 329 | 0.07% | 0.41% |
| Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | 709 | 2,919 | 1.03% | 3.67% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,090 | 2,055 | 1.59% | 2.59% |
| Total | 68,676 | 79,462 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2017
As of 2017, the largest self-reported ancestry groups were:
- English - 16.5%
- American - 14.3%
- German - 13.3%
- Irish - 11.3%
- Italian - 3.0%
- Scots-Irish - 2.7%
- Scottish - 2.6%
Economy
Historically, Bedford County was an agricultural economy. While agriculture is still an important factor in the county's economy, Bedford County has significant residential development to serve Lynchburg, Roanoke, and Smith Mountain Lake. Tourism and retail are also becoming more significant, with some new industry near Forest and New London.
Attractions
- Beale ciphers, the key to a supposed treasure buried somewhere in the county and which has attracted treasure hunters since the 19th century
- National D-Day Memorial
- Peaks of Otter
- Poplar Forest
- Smith Mountain Lake
- Bedford Museum & Genealogical Library
Communities
Town
Census-designated places
- Big Island
- Forest
- Moneta
- Montvale
- Stewartsville
Other unincorporated communities
Some of these unincorporated areas have mailing addresses in Bedford town and Lynchburg.
Notable people
- Nicholas H. Cobbs (1796-1861), former Episcopal prelate, served as the first Bishop of Alabama.
- Colonel Chaffin (1826 – April 1873), little person who toured the United States and was billed as the "Virginia Dwarf".
- Erik Estrada (born March 16, 1949), an American actor, voice actor, and subsequent Bedford County deputy sheriff, known for his co-starring lead role in the police drama television series, CHiPs, which ran from 1977 to 1983.
- Carl Overstreet, (1929-2015) first U2 pilot to fly over Soviet Air Space
- Thomas Jefferson had a summer retreat in Bedford County called "Poplar Forest".
- James P. Ownby (1845–1906), Illinois state representative; was born in Bedford County.
- Lacey Putney was born and raised in Bedford County, VA.
- Jerry Falwell Jr, former Liberty University President, lives in Bedford County on a farm.
- Sam Sloan, book publisher, lives in Bedford County and attended Boonsboro School Elementary School and High School in Bedford County
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Bedford (Virginia) para niños
