Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Murfreesboro is a city in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. According to the 2004 census estimate the city had a total population of 81,511. It is the county seat of Rutherford County.

Although Murfreesboro is sometimes considered a suburb or exurb of Nashville, Tennessee, it is far enough away and has a large enough population to maintain a separate identity from its larger neighbor.

Murfreesboro is the location of Middle Tennessee State University, the largest undergraduate university in the state of Tennessee.

Murfreesboro is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. From 1990 to 2000, the town's population grew 50%, from 46,000 to 69,000.

Swanson building 9743.JPG|thumb|200px|right|Swanson Building, Murfreesboro.
Joseph Swanson is a major developer in the area.]]

History

In 1811, the Tennessee State Legislature established a county seat for Rutherford County. The town was first named "Cannonsburgh" in honor of Tennessee politician Newton Cannon, but was soon renamed "Murfreesboro" for Revolutionary War hero Colonel Hardy Murfree, later the great-grandfather of author Mary Noailles Murfree.

As Tennessee grew westward, it became clear that having the state capital in Knoxville would be a burden to those who had to travel from the western end of the state. So in 1819, Murfreesboro became the capital of Tennessee until 1826, when Nashville became the state capital.

On December 31, 1862, the Battle of Stones River, also called the Battle of Murfreesboro, was fought near Murfreesboro. This was a major engagement of the American Civil War. After the battle, Murfreesboro was used as a supply depot for the Union Army. Stones River National Battlefield is now an historical site.

Geography

Murfreesboro is located at (35.857700, -86.394725).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 101.5 km² (39.2 mi²). 101.0 km² (39.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (0.54%) is water.

Murfreesboro is the geographic center of the state of Tennessee. A stone monument marks the official site on Old Lascassas Pike, about a half-mile (800m) north of MTSU.

Transportation

Murfreesboro is served by Nashville International Airport (IATA Airport Code BNA) and The Murfreesboro Municipal Airport (MBT)

Murfreesboro has many highways through the city. These include the following:

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 68,816 people, 26,511 households, and 15,747 families residing in the city. The population density was 681.5/km² (1,764.9/mi²). There were 28,815 housing units at an average density of 285.3/km² (739.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.85% White, 13.89% African American, 0.28% Native American, 2.69% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.88% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.53% of the population.

There were 26,511 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 20.5% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $39,705, and the median income for a family was $52,654. Males had a median income of $36,078 versus $26,531 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,219. About 8.2% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.0% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.

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History

Geography

Transportation

Demographics

Notable natives

Points of interest

External links