kids encyclopedia robot

Bedford County, Virginia facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Bedford County
Bedford County Courthouse
Bedford County Courthouse
Flag of Bedford County
Flag
Official seal of Bedford County
Seal
Map of Virginia highlighting Bedford County
Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
Map of the United States highlighting Virginia
Virginia's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Virginia
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)
 • 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 county in the Piedmont region of Virginia. The Piedmont is an area of rolling hills between the mountains and the coast. Its main town is Bedford. This town was an independent city from 1968 until it rejoined the county in 2013.

Bedford County was formed in 1753. It was created from parts of Lunenburg County. Over time, its borders changed a few times until 1786. The county was named after John Russell. He was an English leader and the fourth Duke of Bedford.

Bedford County is part of the Lynchburg area. In 2020, about 79,462 people lived there. The number of people living in the county has more than doubled since 1980.

History of Bedford County

4thDukeOfBedford
John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford, for whom the county was named

Long ago, the Piedmont area was home to many indigenous peoples. These were the first people to live in this land. Most of them spoke languages from the Siouan family.

The Virginia General Assembly created Bedford County on December 13, 1753. It was made from parts of Lunenburg County. Later, in 1756, a piece of Albemarle County was added. This part was south of the James River. The county got its name from John Russell. He was a very important government official in Great Britain.

In 1782, Campbell County was formed from the eastern part of Bedford County. The county seat, which is the main government town, moved from New London to Liberty. Liberty is now called Bedford. Also, in 1786, a part of Bedford County was used to create Franklin County. This part was south of the Staunton (Roanoke) River.

The town of Bedford became an independent city in 1968. This meant it was separate from the county for some government things. But it stayed the county seat. On September 14, 2011, the Bedford City Council decided to become a town again. This ended its independent city status. The leaders of Bedford County agreed to welcome the town back. On July 1, 2013, the town of Bedford officially became part of Bedford County again.

Geography

Bedford County covers about 769 square miles. Most of this area, 753 square miles, is land. The rest, about 16 square miles, is water.

Neighboring Areas

Bedford County shares borders with several other counties and one independent city:

Nature Areas

Bedford County has some beautiful natural places:

  • Blue Ridge Parkway (part of it runs through the county)
  • Jefferson National Forest (part of it is here). This forest has many roads and trails. You can go hiking, horseback riding, or mountain biking. It's also great for seeing wildlife, camping, and taking pictures. There are streams for paddling and fishing too.
  • James River Face Wilderness (part)
  • Thunder Ridge Wilderness (part)

State Park

  • Smith Mountain Lake State Park

Main Roads

These are some of the important highways in Bedford County:

  • US 221
  • US 460
  • US 501
  • SR 24
  • SR 43
  • SR 122

Population Information

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

2020 Census Details

The 2020 census showed how many people of different backgrounds live in Bedford County.

Bedford County, Virginia – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
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%

Ancestry Groups

In 2017, the largest ancestry groups reported by people in Bedford County were:

Economy

For a long time, farming was the most important part of Bedford County's economy. Farming is still important today. However, many people have built homes in Bedford County. They live there and work in nearby cities like Lynchburg and Roanoke.

Tourism and shopping are also growing in the county. There are also some new businesses and factories near the towns of Forest and New London.

Fun Places to Visit

Bedford County has many interesting places to see:

  • Beale ciphers: These are secret codes that supposedly lead to a hidden treasure somewhere in the county. People have been looking for it since the 1800s!
  • National D-Day Memorial: A special place to remember the soldiers who fought on D-Day in World War II.
  • Peaks of Otter: Beautiful mountains that offer great views and hiking trails.
  • Poplar Forest: This was the summer home of Thomas Jefferson, one of America's founding fathers.
  • Smith Mountain Lake: A large lake popular for boating, fishing, and swimming.
  • Bedford Museum & Genealogical Library: A place to learn about the county's history and its families.

Communities

Town

Census-designated places

These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated as towns.

Other Communities

These are smaller communities that are not officially towns or census-designated places.

Some of these places use mailing addresses from the town of Bedford or Lynchburg.

Famous People from Bedford County

  • Colonel Chaffin (1826 – 1873): He was a little person who traveled around the United States. He was known as the "Virginia Dwarf."
  • Erik Estrada (born 1949): A famous American actor. He was known for his role in the TV show CHiPs. He later became a deputy sheriff in Bedford County.
  • Carl Overstreet (1929-2015): He was the first U2 pilot to fly over Soviet Air Space.
  • Thomas Jefferson: He had a summer home in Bedford County called "Poplar Forest."
  • James P. Ownby (1845–1906): An Illinois state representative who was born in Bedford County.
  • Lacey Putney: He was born and grew up in Bedford County, Virginia.

See also

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

kids search engine
Bedford County, Virginia Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.