Bedford County, Virginia

Bedford County
Bedford County Courthouse
Bedford County Courthouse
Flag of Bedford County
Official seal of Bedford County
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.
Coordinates: 37°19′N 79°32′W / 37.31°N 79.53°W / 37.31; -79.53
Country United States
State Virginia
Founded1754
Named forJohn Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford
SeatBedford
Largest townBedford
Area
 • Total769 sq mi (1,990 km2)
 • Land753 sq mi (1,950 km2)
 • Water16 sq mi (40 km2)  2.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total79,462
 • Density100/sq mi (40/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts5th, 9th
Websitewww.bedfordcountyva.gov

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.[1]

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.[2] The county population has more than doubled since 1980.[3]

  1. ^ "Bedford opts for being a town instead of a city". VirginiaBusiness.com. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  2. ^ "Bedford County, Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  3. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved January 1, 2014.