Editing Bedford, Virginia

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Bedford, Virginia
|settlement_type          = [[Incorporated town]]
|nickname                 = The World's Best Little Town
|motto                    = Life. Liberty. Happiness.
|image_skyline            = File:Bedford County Courthouse.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Bedford County Courthouse
|image_flag               = Flag of Bedford, Virginia.png
|image_seal               = Bedford.gif
|image_map                = VAMap-doton-Bedford.png
|mapsize                  = 
|map_caption              = Location in Virginia
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_type1        = State
|subdivision_type2        = [[County (United States)|County]]
|subdivision_name         = [[United States]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Virginia]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Bedford County, Virginia|Bedford County]]
|government_type          = Town Council
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         = 
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_sq_mi         = 8.75
|area_land_sq_mi          = 8.72
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.03
|area_urban_sq_mi         = 
|area_metro_sq_mi         = 
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_note          = 
|population_total         = 6657
|population_metro         = 
|population_urban         = 
|population_density_sq_mi = auto
|timezone                 = Eastern (EST)
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|coordinates              = {{coord|37|20|04|N|79|31|23|W|region:US-VA|display=inline}}
|elevation_m              = 306
|elevation_ft             = 1004
|website                  = http://www.bedfordva.gov
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 24523
|area_code                = [[Area code 540|540]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 51-05544<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 1498450<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref>
|footnotes                = 
| pop_est_as_of          = 
| pop_est_footnotes      = 
| population_est         = 
|unit_pref = Imperial
|area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_51.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
| area_total_km2         = 22.67
| area_land_km2          = 22.59
| area_water_km2         = 0.07
| population_density_km2 = auto
}}
'''Bedford''' is an [[incorporated town]] and former [[Independent city (United States)#Virginia|independent city]] located within [[Bedford County, Virginia|Bedford County]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Virginia]]. It serves as the [[county seat]] of Bedford County. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 6,657. It is part of the [[Lynchburg metropolitan area]].

Bedford County surrounds the town and has the [[Blue Ridge Mountains]] to the north, [[Smith Mountain Lake]] to the south, Lynchburg to the east, and [[Roanoke, Virginia|Roanoke]] to the west.

==History==

Bedford was originally known as Liberty, "named after the Colonial victory over Cornwallis at Yorktown."<ref>Bedford County Sheriff's Office,  [http://www.co.bedford.va.us/res/sheriff/county.html Welcome to Bedford County!]</ref> Founded as a village in 1782, Liberty became Bedford County's seat of government, replacing [[New London, Virginia|New London]] which had become part of the newly formed [[Campbell County, Virginia|Campbell County]]. Liberty became a town in 1839 and in 1890 changed its name to Bedford City. In 1912, Bedford reverted to town status, it resumed city status in 1968,<ref>Bedford, Virginia Online, [http://www.bedfordva.gov/about_bedford.shtml About the Town of Bedford] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141005005738/http://www.bedfordva.gov/about_bedford.shtml |date=October 5, 2014 }}</ref> and once more it reverted to a town in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bedford opts for being a town instead of a city|url= https://www.virginiabusiness.com/article/bedford-opts-for-being-a-town-instead-of-a-city|access-date=June 5, 2023|website=VirginiaBusiness.com}}</ref>
In November 1923, the town was the site of an accidental mass poisoning in which nine men were killed after drinking apple cider served at the [[Elks National Home]]. A local farmer had produced the drink and stored in a barrel that had been used to hold a pesticide.<ref>{{cite news |title=VA Poisoned Cider Kills Nine at Elks Home |url=http://www.gendisasters.com/virginia/22902/bedford-va-poisoned-cider-kills-nine-elks-home-nov-1923 |access-date=September 23, 2020 |work=New York Times |date=November 12, 1923}}</ref>

Bedford is home to the [[National D-Day Memorial]] (despite the "National" in its name, the memorial is owned and operated by a [[private sector|non-governmental]], [[non-profit]], education foundation). The [[United States Congress]] warranted that this memorial would be the nation's [[D-Day]] Memorial and President [[Bill Clinton]] authorized this effort in September 1996. President [[George W. Bush]] dedicated this memorial as the nation's D-Day memorial on June 6, 2001. Bedford lost more residents [[per capita]] in the [[Normandy]] landings than any other American community. Nineteen of the thirty-four [[Virginia National Guard]] soldiers from Bedford who were in Company A, [[116th Infantry Regiment (United States)|116th Infantry Regiment]], [[29th Infantry Division (United States)|29th Infantry Division]] were killed on D-Day, and four more died during the rest of the Normandy campaign, two of them from other 116th companies. With a 1944 population of about 3,200, proportionally this community suffered the nation's most severe D-Day losses.<ref name=":0">{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/us/23nance.html?scp=1&sq=bedford&st=cse | work=The New York Times | first=Richard | last=Goldstein | title=Ray Nance, Last of the Bedford Boys, Dies at 94 | date=April 23, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Why Bedford?|url=https://www.dday.org/the-memorial/why-bedford-the-bedford-boys.html|publisher=National D-Day Memorial Foundation|access-date=April 22, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927150319/https://www.dday.org/the-memorial/why-bedford-the-bedford-boys.html|archive-date=September 27, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Bedford was designated as an [[Independent city (United States)#Virginia|independent city]] in 1968, but remained the county seat of [[Bedford County, Virginia|Bedford County]]. Its status as an independent city was ended on July 1, 2013, returning to a town within Bedford County.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.newsadvance.com/news/local/article_5dcbc886-e1e9-11e2-a412-001a4bcf6878.html |publisher=newsadvance.com |access-date=July 21, 2013 |work=The News and Advance |first=Justin |last=Faulconer |title=Bedford Reversion to Town Becomes Official Today |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801044750/http://www.newsadvance.com/news/local/article_5dcbc886-e1e9-11e2-a412-001a4bcf6878.html |archive-date=August 1, 2017  }}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|6.9|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|6.9|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|0.02|sqmi}} (0.3%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

Bedford sits at the foot of the [[Peaks of Otter]].

==Demographics==
[[File:D-Day National Memorial.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The D-Day National Memorial, as viewed from the nearby visitor center]]
{{US Census population
|1860= 722
|1870= 1208
|1880= 2191
|1890= 2897
|1900= 2416
|1910= 2508
|1920= 3243
|1930= 3713
|1940= 3973
|1950= 4061
|1960= 5921
|1970= 6011
|1980= 5991
|1990= 6073
|2000= 6299
|2010= 6222
|2020= 6657
|estyear=
|estimate=
|estref=
|align-fn=right
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 5, 2014}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=January 5, 2014}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/va190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 5, 2014}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 5, 2014}}</ref> 2010-2012<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/51/51515.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106040237/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/51/51515.html|archive-date=January 6, 2014|url-status = dead}}</ref>}}

===2020 census===
At the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]] there were 6,657 people in the town. There were 3,163 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 74.4% White, 16.8% Black or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.2% American Indian, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from other races, and 6.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.9%.

===2000 census===
At the [[2000 United States Census|2000 census]] there were 6,299 people in 2,519 households, including 1,592 families, in the then city. The population density was {{convert|914.5|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|persons&nbsp;|persons}}. There were 2,702 housing units at an average density of {{convert|392.3|/mi2|/km2}}. The [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census#2000 census|racial makeup]] of the city was 75.33% White, 22.38% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.89%.<ref name="GR8">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=May 14, 2011 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>

Of the 2,519 households, 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% were married couples living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 33.0% of households were one person, and 15.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the city the population was spread out, with 21.6% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 22.6% 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males.

The median household income was $29,792 and the median family income was $35,023. Males had a median income of $31,668 versus $18,065 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,423. About 11.4% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 19.4% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.

==Economy==

===Top employers===
[[File:Bedford County Court House.jpg|thumb|right|upright|The [[cupola]] atop the Bedford County Court House was built in 1866.]]
According to the town's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bedfordva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2125/Town-of-Bedford-VA-CAFR-Fiscal-Year-Ended-June-30-2022 |title=Town of Bedford ACFR |access-date=August 7, 2023 }}</ref> the top employers in the town are:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! #
! Employer
! # of Employees
|-
|1
| Centra Bedford Memorial Hospital & Centra Medical Group
|364
|-
|2
| [[Bedford County Public Schools]]
|315
|-
| 3
| [[Walmart]]
|301
|-
|4
| Sam Moore Furniture LLC
|237
|-
|5
|Smyth Companies Bedford
|132
|-
|6
|[[Cintas]]
|130
|-
|7
| Bedford Weaving Mills
|123
|-
|8
|[[Lowe's]]
|117
|-
|9
| [[Elks National Home|English Meadows]]
|70
|-
|10
|[[Food Lion]]
|63
|}

== Education ==
Bedford is served by [[Bedford County Public Schools]]. Public school students residing in Bedford are zoned to attend Bedford Elementary School, Liberty Middle School, and [[Liberty High School (Bedford, Virginia)|Liberty High School]].

[[Central Virginia Community College]] operates a branch campus in Bedford.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cvcc.vccs.edu/Off-site%20Centers/Bedford.asp|title=Bedford CVCC}}</ref>

==Climate==
The climate in this area is characterized by mild, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Bedford has a [[humid subtropical climate]], abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=155044&cityname=Bedford%2C+Virginia%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Bedford, Virginia]</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = Bedford, Virginia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present)
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 81
|Feb record high F = 79
|Mar record high F = 89
|Apr record high F = 95
|May record high F = 100
|Jun record high F = 102
|Jul record high F = 104
|Aug record high F = 101
|Sep record high F = 100
|Oct record high F = 99
|Nov record high F = 87
|Dec record high F = 73
|year record high F = 104
|Jan high F = 46.9
|Feb high F = 49.9
|Mar high F = 58.1
|Apr high F = 69.7
|May high F = 74.7
|Jun high F = 82.4
|Jul high F = 86.4
|Aug high F = 85.2
|Sep high F = 78.9
|Oct high F = 68.7
|Nov high F = 58.8
|Dec high F = 49.5
|year high F = 67.4
|Jan mean F = 37.3
|Feb mean F = 39.2
|Mar mean F = 47.1
|Apr mean F = 57.4
|May mean F = 64.3
|Jun mean F = 72.1
|Jul mean F = 76.5
|Aug mean F = 74.9
|Sep mean F = 68.7
|Oct mean F = 57.5
|Nov mean F = 48.1
|Dec mean F = 40.4
|year mean F = 57.0
|Jan low F = 27.8
|Feb low F = 28.5
|Mar low F = 36.0
|Apr low F = 45.1
|May low F = 53.8
|Jun low F = 61.8
|Jul low F = 66.7
|Aug low F = 64.7
|Sep low F = 58.6
|Oct low F = 46.2
|Nov low F = 37.3
|Dec low F = 31.3
|year low F = 46.5
|Jan record low F = −10
|Feb record low F = −6
|Mar record low F = 4
|Apr record low F = 20
|May record low F = 28
|Jun record low F = 36
|Jul record low F = 43
|Aug record low F = 42
|Sep record low F = 29
|Oct record low F = 21
|Nov record low F = 8
|Dec record low F = -6
|year record low F = -10
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 3.62
|Feb precipitation inch = 3.01
|Mar precipitation inch = 3.45
|Apr precipitation inch = 3.85
|May precipitation inch = 4.60
|Jun precipitation inch = 4.71
|Jul precipitation inch = 4.29
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.81
|Sep precipitation inch = 4.37
|Oct precipitation inch = 3.59
|Nov precipitation inch = 3.27
|Dec precipitation inch = 3.74
|year precipitation inch = 46.31
| source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name= nws>
{{cite web
| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=rnk
| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = July 2, 2021}}</ref><ref name=NCEI>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00440551&format=pdf
| title = Station: Bedford, VA
| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = July 2, 2021}}</ref>
}}

==Transportation==
[[U.S. Route 221 in Virginia|U.S. Route 221]] runs through the town; and [[U.S. Route 460 in Virginia|U.S. Route 460]] circumvents the main part of town. State routes 43 and 122 converge onto the town.

Until the late 1960s, there were three different Southern Railway/Norfolk & Western Railroad trains operating daily at [[Bedford station (Virginia)|Bedford station]].<ref>Norfolk and Western Timetable, April 1966 documenting stops at the Bedford station http://streamlinermemories.info/South/N&W66-4TT.pdf</ref>
*''[[Birmingham Special]]''—New York City to Birmingham, and branch to Memphis
*''[[Pelican (train)|Pelican]]''—New York to New Orleans
*''[[Tennessean (train)|Tennessean]]''—Washington to Memphis

[[Amtrak]] service to [[Roanoke, Virginia|Roanoke]] travels through, but there were plans to build a new station stop in Bedford.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cockerham |first1=Amy |title=Town of Bedford seeks funding for Amtrak stop |url=https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/12/05/town-of-bedford-seeks-funding-for-amtrak-stop/ |access-date=December 11, 2023 |work=[[WSLS]] |date=December 5, 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

==International links==
Bedford has a Friendship Treaty with:
*{{flagicon|England}} {{flagicon|Devon}} [[Ivybridge]], [[Devon]], England (signed in 2004).<ref>[http://www.burrows.co.uk/ivybridge/index.htm Ivybridge International Links] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080708185010/http://www.burrows.co.uk/ivybridge/index.htm |date=July 8, 2008 }} from the Ivybridge Town Guide</ref>

Bedford maintains relationships with 11 communities on the [[Normandy]] Coast of France. One [[sister city]], [[Trévières]], France, sent Bedford an exact [[replica]] of its own World War I memorial [[statue]]. The face of the statue was damaged in World War II by artillery fire from US forces retaking the town. The Bedford statue also bears these wounds and is erected on the grounds of the [[National D-Day Memorial]].

==Notable people==
*[[Roger Anderson]], NFL player
*[[F.W. Caulkins]], architect
*[[Lawrence Chambers]], the first [[African American]] to command a [[U.S. Navy]] [[aircraft carrier]] and the first African American graduate of the [[U.S. Naval Academy|Naval Academy]] to reach flag rank.<ref>{{cite book|author=Catherine Reef|title=African Americans in the Military|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QF9grMa_84YC&pg=PA56|access-date=November 3, 2016|date=January 1, 2004|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=978-1-4381-0775-2|pages=56–7}}</ref>
*[[Joseph P. Cleland]]. U.S. Army major general<ref>{{cite news |agency=[[United Press]] |date=January 21, 1956 |title=Death Notice, Mrs. Effie Cleland |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/winston-salem-journal-cleland/125528703/ |work=[[Winston-Salem Journal]] |location=Winston-Salem, NC |page=2 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
*[[John Goode (Virginia politician)|John Goode Jr]]., Virginia Congressman, [[Solicitor General of the United States]]
*[[Richard Urquhart Goode]], [[geographer]] with the [[United States Geological Survey]] and [[Panama Canal]]
*[[Carol M. Swain]], American political scientist and legal scholar
*The "Bedford Boys", 34 local men who served in the [[116th Infantry Regiment (United States)|National Guard's 116th Infantry Regiment]] during the amphibious landing on [[Omaha Beach]] on [[Normandy landings|D-Day]] in World War II.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Rogers|first=Kyle|date=2019|title=D-Day 75th Anniversary – The Bedford Boys|url=https://uncommonwealth.virginiamemory.com/blog/2019/06/05/d-day-75th-anniversary-the-bedford-boys/|url-status=live|access-date=August 18, 2021|website=The UncommonWealth: Voices from the Library of Virginia|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818182207/https://uncommonwealth.virginiamemory.com/blog/2019/06/05/d-day-75th-anniversary-the-bedford-boys/ |archive-date=August 18, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Kershaw|first=Alex|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/53896163|title=The Bedford boys : one American town's ultimate D-Day sacrifice|date=2003|publisher=Da Capo Press|isbn=0-585-48196-2|edition=1st Da Capo Press|location=Cambridge, Mass.|oclc=53896163}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Bedford, Virginia}}
{{Wikivoyage|Bedford (Virginia)}}
*{{Official website|http://www.bedfordva.gov/}}

{{Coord|display=title|37.334591|-79.522783}}
{{Bedford County, Virginia}}
{{Virginia county seats and independent cities}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bedford, Virginia| ]]
[[Category:County seats in Virginia]]
[[Category:Towns in Virginia]]
[[Category:Towns in Bedford County, Virginia]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1782]]
[[Category:1782 establishments in Virginia]]