Bedford, Indiana
Bedford is a city of 13,837 people in Lawrence County, Indiana, founded in 1864.
Why visit Bedford
Townapedia lists 14 museums and landmarks, 18 parks and trails, 48 places to eat, 9 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Premiere Theatre 7, Bedford Courthouse Square Historic District, C.S. Norton Mansion and Otis Park and Golf Course.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 20°F.
Weather in Bedford
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Bedford
Bedford is a city in Shawswick Township and the county seat of Lawrence County, Indiana, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 13,792. That is up from 13,413 in 2010. Bedford is the principal city of the Bedford, IN Micropolitan Statistical Area, which comprises all of Lawrence County.
From the Wikipedia article Bedford, Indiana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Little Theatre of Bedford
Cinema and theater · 0.4 mi
1704 Brian Lane Way, Bedford
Museums and landmarks14
Bedford Courthouse Square Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Indiana, United States
C.S. Norton Mansion
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in Indiana, United States
Helton-Mayo Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Human settlement in Indiana, United States of America
Indiana Limestone Company Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Building in Indiana, United States of America
Madden School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
United States historic building
William A. Ragsdale House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Historic house in Indiana, United States
Zahn Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic district in Indiana, United States
Lawrence County Historical Society
Museum
929 15th Street, Bedford
Tu-Fr 09:00-16:00; Sa 09:00-15:00; Su-Mo off
Easter Island Figure
Monument and historic site · 0.4 mi
1709 Washington, Bedford
2 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds18
Otis Park and Golf Course
Park · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
6 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes48
Buffalo Wings & Rings
Restaurant · Wings · 1.4 mi
3230 John A Williams Boulevard, Bedford
Su-Sa 11:00-22:00
Casa Brava
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.6 mi
3405 16th Street, Bedford
Mo-Th, Su 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:30
Coffee & Monsters
Cafe · Coffee Shop
1423 L Street, Bedford
Mo-Tu 07:00-19:00; We off; Th-Sa 07:00-19:00; Su 07:00-16:00
El Compadre
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.3 mi
3126 John A Williams Boulevard, Bedford
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Golden Corral
Restaurant · American, Buffet · 1.6 mi
1521 James Avenue, Bedford
Sa 08:00-21:00; Su 09:00-21:00; Mo-Th 10:00-20:00; Fr 10:00-21:00
Grecco's Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.9 mi
519 Lincoln Avenue, Bedford
Mo-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00; Su 16:00-22:00
Phat Daddy's BBQ
Restaurant · Barbecue · 0.4 mi
905 15th Street, Bedford
Mo-Sa 11:00-20:00; Su 11:00-17:00
36 more on the map.
History
Bedford was laid out as a town and the county seat of Lawrence County, Indiana, United States in 1825. The original county seat was in Palestine, four miles to the south, but was moved, at the urging of the legislature, to a new location as the original location near the White River was deemed unhealthy because of malaria spread by mosquitoes. The new site was named Bedford at the suggestion of a prominent local businessman, Joseph Rawlins, who had relocated to the area from Bedford County, Tennessee. It incorporated as a town in 1864 and received its city charter in 1889. Bedford was a stop on the Underground Railroad.
From the History section of Bedford, Indiana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay9
Churches and places of worship24
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 0.5 mi
1010 22nd Street, Bedford
Shopping13
Gas and EV charging13
Schools, colleges and libraries16
Healthcare10
Map of Bedford
167 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°F | 20°F | 3.4 in | 5.1 in |
| Feb | 42°F | 23°F | 2.8 in | 4.7 in |
| Mar | 53°F | 31°F | 3.9 in | 2.1 in |
| Apr | 64°F | 41°F | 5.1 in | 0.1 in |
| May | 74°F | 52°F | 5.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 60°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 64°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 62°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 54°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 67°F | 42°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 33°F | 3.8 in | 0.2 in |
| Dec | 42°F | 25°F | 3.5 in | 4.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Oolitic Purdue Ex Fm Hcn (4 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Lawrence County has had 14 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2025-07-22: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2020-04-03: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2011-06-23: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And (Severe Storm)
- 2009-04-22: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Virgil I Grissom Municipal Airport (BFR) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Oolitic 3 mi northwest, about 5 min by car
- Needmore 5 mi northwest, about 8 min by car
- Avoca 5 mi northwest, about 9 min by car
- Mitchell 9 mi south, about 14 min by car
- Smithville-Sanders 14 mi north, about 22 min by car
- Orleans 14 mi south, about 22 min by car
- Owensburg 14 mi west, about 23 min by car
- Medora 17 mi east, about 28 min by car
- Bloomington 21 mi north, about 34 min by car
- Bargersville 49 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- St. Vincent de Paul in Bedford, front and southern side horizontal, Nyttend, Public domain
- Lawrence County Courthouse in Bedford, interior with stairs, Nyttend, Public domain
- Lawrence County Courthouse in Bedford, southern front, Nyttend, Public domain
- Lawrence County Courthouse in Bedford, northern entrance, Nyttend, Public domain
- Lawrence County Courthouse in Bedford, interior, Nyttend, Public domain
- Lawrence County Courthouse in Bedford, northern front and eastern side, Nyttend, Public domain
- St. Vincent de Paul in Bedford, rectory, Nyttend, Public domain
- Downtown Bedford, Indiana, Nyttend, Public domain
- St. Vincent de Paul in Bedford, sculpture above entrance, Nyttend, Public domain
- St. Vincent de Paul in Bedford, southeastern angle vertical, Nyttend, Public domain
- St. Vincent de Paul in Bedford, front and southern side vertical, Nyttend, Public domain
- St. Vincent de Paul in Bedford, front, Nyttend, Public domain
- 1800 block of I Street in Bedford, Nyttend, Public domain
- 1809 I Street in Bedford, Nyttend, Public domain
- Indiana Limestone Company Building, Bedford, Nyttend, Public domain
- Madden School in Bedford, Nyttend, Public domain
- Bedford, IN 47421, USA - panoramio, Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Bedford, IN 47421, USA - panoramio (2), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Bedford, IN 47421, USA - panoramio (1), Evan Nichols (Virtua…, CC BY 3.0
- Helton-Mayo Farm, Nyttend, Public domain
- C.S. Norton Mansion, Nyttend, Public domain
- Constant Gaussin House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Dunn Memorial Hospital, Nyttend, Public domain
- Soo Line Station P5250477, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Soo Line Station P5250476, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Monon Station P5250481, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Soo Line Station P5250478, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- William A. Ragsdale House, tower from base, Nyttend, Public domain
- William A. Ragsdale House, side closeup, Nyttend, Public domain
- William A. Ragsdale House, side distant, Nyttend, Public domain
- William A. Ragsdale House, front, Nyttend, Public domain
- William A. Ragsdale House, side middle distance, Nyttend, Public domain
- William A. Ragsdale House with gazebo, Nyttend, Public domain
- Otis Park Golf Club, stone wall side, Nyttend, Public domain
- Otis Park Golf Club, fairway on Tunnelton, Nyttend, Public domain
- Otis Park Golf Club, fairway and Ragsdale House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Otis Park Golf Club, stone wall with snow, Nyttend, Public domain
- Otis Park Golf Club, stone wall, Nyttend, Public domain
- SR 37, limestone and motorcycles - panoramio, emu4286, CC BY 3.0
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