Bedford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 50,237. Its county seat is Shelbyville. Bedford County comprises the Shelbyville, TN Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro, TN Combined Statistical Area.
History
The county was created in 1807 when the citizens of Rutherford County living south of the Duck River and the Stones River successfully petitioned the governor to split Rutherford County in two. The new county was named after American Revolutionary War officer and large landowner in the area, Thomas Bedford.
Once the state's largest and most populous county, Bedford County's size (in terms of area) has been steadily reduced since 1809 to form Coffee County, Moore County, Lincoln County, and Marshall County.
The county was pro-Confederate during the Civil War, but Shelbyville was mostly loyal to the Union.
Texas pioneer William Whitaker Reed was born in Bedford County in 1816.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.2%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Rutherford County (north)
- Coffee County (east)
- Moore County (southeast)
- Lincoln County (south)
- Marshall County (west)
State protected areas
- Normandy Wildlife Management Area (part)