Bedford, Virginia · Area guide
The Bedford County seat at the foot of the Peaks of Otter: a historic downtown, mountain views and Smith Mountain Lake to the south.
The Bedford County seat
Bedford sits where the Piedmont meets the Blue Ridge. The Peaks of Otter rise to the north, Smith Mountain Lake spreads out to the south, and the town itself is the county seat of Bedford County, about halfway between Lynchburg and Roanoke.
It has had more names and titles than most places its size. It began in 1782 as a village called Liberty, became a town in 1839, was renamed Bedford City in 1890, went back to being a town in 1912, became an independent city in 1968, and returned to town status on July 1, 2013. That last change matters to buyers today: Bedford is now part of Bedford County again, so town homes attend Bedford County schools.
What has not changed is the feel of the place. Centertown, the historic downtown, is still the center of things, and a short drive in almost any direction puts you on a mountain trail, a lake or a winery porch.
A short drive in almost any direction puts you on a mountain trail, a lake or a winery porch.
From Liberty to Bedford
June 6, 1944
On June 6, 1944, 34 men from Bedford were serving in Company A of the 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division. Nineteen of them were killed on D-Day, and four more died later in the Normandy campaign. Proportionally, no other American community lost more on D-Day.
That loss is why the National D-Day Memorial is here. President George W. Bush dedicated it on June 6, 2001, before a crowd of about 15,000. Its more than 50 acres overlook the town with the Blue Ridge behind them, and its centerpiece, the Overlord Arch, stands 44 feet 6 inches tall. Necrology walls list the 4,427 Allied soldiers who died in the invasion.
Town or county
A Bedford address can be inside the Town of Bedford or out in Bedford County, and the difference shows up on your tax bill, your power bill and even who answers a 911 call.
$0.69 per $100
$0.28 town + $0.41 county
about $2,070
Bedford Electric, the town's own utility
Public service in most of town
Bedford Police Department
Bedford County Public Schools
$0.41 per $100
about $1,230
AEP or Southside Electric Cooperative, depending on location
Often a private well and septic system
Bedford County Sheriff's Office
Bedford County Public Schools
*Illustration only, assuming the assessed value equals $300,000. Your actual bill depends on the assessment.
In-town living buys you walkability to Centertown and town services. The county buys you land and a lower rate. I confirm which side of the line every home is on, and what that means for its costs, before you make an offer.
Rates per $100 of assessed value, as of October 5, 2026. Confirm with the locality.
Neighborhoods
Centertown is a National Register historic district with restaurants, galleries and shops, and it hosts Centerfest every September. The streets around it hold some of Bedford's oldest homes.
Beyond the downtown blocks, Bedford's in-town neighborhoods offer established homes, town water and power from the town's own electric utility.
Growth around Bedford has added newer neighborhoods just outside the center, many of them in the county, with county taxes.
North of town, the land rises toward the Peaks of Otter. Expect larger lots, wells and septic systems, and views that are hard to find anywhere else in the region.
MixedSouth of town, the county stretches toward Smith Mountain Lake. Waterfront homes are a market of their own; the homes in between offer space and a shorter drive to the water.
Drive times
U.S. 460 skirts the main part of town and connects it east to Lynchburg and west to Roanoke. U.S. 221 runs through town, and State Routes 43 and 122 head toward the Peaks of Otter and Smith Mountain Lake. The average commute is about 20 minutes.
By air
Lynchburg Regional Airport is about 19 miles away and Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport about 32 miles.
By train
the nearest Amtrak stations are in Lynchburg and Roanoke.
Census data
These figures cover the Town of Bedford only. Many homes with a Bedford mailing address are in the surrounding county.
Mountains and lake
Sharp Top, Flat Top, the easy Abbott Lake Loop and Fallingwater Cascades, a 100-foot waterfall, all on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Virginia's second-largest freshwater lake, with about 500 miles of shoreline for boating, fishing and swimming.
right in town, a 2-acre lake stocked with trout most of the year, an accessible fishing pier and a 0.4-mile loop trail.
Local favorites
guided and self-guided tours, and a moving visit for every age.
restaurants, galleries and shops in the historic downtown, plus Centerfest every September.
wineries, cideries, breweries and a meadery, including Peaks of Otter Winery and Burnbrae Vineyards, family-owned since the 1930s.
some of the best hiking in Virginia, minutes from town.
a summer weekend without a long drive.
Schools
Bedford is served by Bedford County Public Schools. Students in the town are zoned for Bedford Elementary, Liberty Middle and Liberty High School.
Homes outside the town limits may be zoned for other Bedford County schools, so I confirm zoning for every home.
Central Virginia Community College also runs a branch campus in Bedford.
Employers
About20minute average commute
Bedford's largest employers include Centra Bedford Memorial Hospital and Centra Medical Group, Bedford County Public Schools, Walmart, Sam Moore Furniture, Smyth Companies, Cintas and Bedford Weaving Mills. Many residents also commute to Lynchburg or Roanoke, both within about 40 minutes, which makes Bedford a rare place where you can choose between two job markets.
Before you commit
inside the town limits you pay both the town and county real estate tax, and you get town services. Outside, you pay the county rate only.
town homes are on Bedford Electric. County homes may be on AEP or Southside Electric Cooperative. I find out which, and what typical bills run.
most town homes have public service. Out in the county, I confirm the well and septic system and what inspections that calls for.
in and around Centertown, I look closely at wiring, plumbing, heating and foundations. Homes built before 1978 come with a lead-based paint disclosure.
providers vary by street. Shentel, Lumos, Verizon and B2X Online all serve parts of town.
mountain-view lots can be steep. Driveways, drainage and access in winter deserve a careful look.
Flat fee listing
Bedford buyers come from everywhere: Lynchburg, Roanoke and out of state, drawn by the mountains and the lake. The homes that sell best are priced from real comparable sales, prepared well and marketed to all of those buyers at once. I list Bedford homes for a flat fee instead of a percentage of your price, with the same full service.
FAQ
A town. Bedford was an independent city from 1968 until July 1, 2013, when it became a town again and rejoined Bedford County. Town homes now attend Bedford County Public Schools.
Outside the town limits, homes pay Bedford County's rate: $0.41 per $100 of assessed value. Inside the town limits, homes pay the Town of Bedford's $0.28 per $100 in addition, for a total of $0.69. Confirm current rates with the town and county before you buy.
Bedford County Public Schools. Students in the town are zoned for Bedford Elementary, Liberty Middle and Liberty High School. Homes outside the town may be zoned for other schools, so check the exact address.
About 30 to 35 minutes to Lynchburg and about 35 to 40 minutes to Roanoke, both on U.S. 460.
Inside the town limits, the Town of Bedford runs its own electric utility, Bedford Electric. Outside town, service comes from AEP or Southside Electric Cooperative, depending on location.
Bedford lost 19 of its 34 men serving in Company A, 116th Infantry, on D-Day, proportionally more than any other American community. Congress chose Bedford for the memorial, and it was dedicated on June 6, 2001.
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