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 area. As of the 2020 census, Bedford's population was 79,462. The county population has more than doubled since 1980.
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.County Formation during the Colonial Period. Encyclopedia Virginia. Accessed January 11, 2024. 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 , of which is land and (2.1%) is water.
Adjacent counties and city
Rockbridge County – north Amherst County – northeast Lynchburg – 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
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition +Bedford County, Virginia – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)30,70841,72155,35862,03568,12887.92%91.38%91.70%90.33%85.74%Black or African American alone (NH)3,9233,5843,7523,9094,86411.23%7.85%6.21%5.69%6.12%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)10591131721670.03%0.13%0.19%0.25%0.21%Asian alone (NH)571142587009670.16%0.25%0.43%1.02%1.22%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census71433xx0.01%0.02%0.04%Other race alone (NH)9128473290.03%0.00%0.05%0.07%0.41%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census4067092,919xx0.67%1.03%3.67%Hispanic or Latino (any race)2201774491,0902,0550.63%0.39%0.74%1.59%2.59%Total34,92745,65660,37168,67679,462 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 79,462. The median age was 47.3 years. 20.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.3 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 86.5% White, 6.2% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.0% from some other race, and 4.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.6% of the population.
29.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 70.7% lived in rural areas.
There were 32,486 households in the county, of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 22.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 37,249 housing units, of which 12.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 80.8% were owner-occupied and 19.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.5%.
2000 Census As of the census of 2000, there were 60,371 people, 23,838 households, and 18,164 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 26,841 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 92.18% White, 6.24% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. 0.74% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 28.2% were of American, 15.6% English, 11.0% German and 9.6% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 23,838 households, out of which 32.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.40% were married couples living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.80% were non-families. 20.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the county, the population's age distribution was: 24.00% under the age of 18, 5.80% from 18 to 24, 29.90% from 25 to 44, 27.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $43,136, and the median income for a family was $49,303. Males had a median income of $35,117 versus $23,906 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,582. About 5.20% of families and 7.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.30% of those under age 18 and 10.50% of those age 65 or over.
2017
As of 2017, the largest self-reported ancestry groups were:https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/17_5YR/DP02/0500000US51019
English - 16.5% American - 14.3% German - 13.3% Irish - 11.3% Italian - 3.0% Scots-Irish - 2.7% Scottish - 2.6% Government
Board of Supervisors District 1: Mickey M. Johnson (R) District 2: Edgar Tuck, (I) District 3: Charla Bansley (R) District 4: John Sharp, (R) District 5: Tommy W. Scott, (Vice-Chair) (R) District 6: Bob W. Davis (R) District 7: Tamara F. "Tammy" Parker, (Chair) (R)
Constitutional officers Clerk of the Circuit Court: Judy Reynolds (R) Commissioner of the Revenue: Tracy Patterson (R) Commonwealth's Attorney: Christopher Dolen (acting) Sheriff: Michael Miller (R) Treasurer: Will Perrow (R)
Bedford County is represented by Republican Mark Peake (8th District) in the Virginia Senate; Republicans Eric Zehr (51st District) and Tim Griffin (53rd District) in the Virginia House of Delegates; and Republicans John McGuire (VA 5th District) and Morgan Griffith (VA 9th District) in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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.
Politics Bedford has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1980. Like much of the Solid South, it was a reliably Democratic county until 1948, when Strom Thurmond's candidacy reduced Harry S. Truman's victory, and it was a swing county for the next three decades. It voted for segregationist third-party candidate George Wallace for president in 1968.
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 Bedford
Census-designated places Big Island Forest Moneta Montvale Stewartsville
Other unincorporated communities
Chamblissburg Coleman Falls Goode Goodview Hardy Huddleston New London Thaxton
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".Wood, Edward J. Giants and Dwarfs, p. 442-43 (1868) 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.'Directory of the Legislature of Illinois of 1895,' Biographical Sketch of James Polk Ownby, pg 61 Lacey Putney was born and raised in Bedford County. 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 National Register of Historic Places listings in Bedford County, Virginia Bedford Public Library System
References
External links
Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce's website Bedford County government's website Interactive Map of the Jefferson National Forest