Murfreesboro, Tennessee
| Murfreesboro, Tennessee | |||
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| Nickname(s): "The 'Boro" | |||
| Motto: Creating a better quality of life. | |||
  Murfreesboro, Tennessee
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| State | Tennessee | ||
| County | Rutherford | ||
| Settled | 1811 | ||
| Incorporated | 1817 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Type | Mayor-Council | ||
| - Mayor | Tommy Bragg | ||
| - Vice mayor | Chris Bratcher | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 39.2 sq mi (101.5 km²) | ||
| - Land | 39.0 sq mi (101.0 km²) | ||
| - Water | 0.20 sq mi (0.5 km²) 0.54% | ||
| Elevation | 619.0 ft (186 m) | ||
| Population (2008)[1] | |||
| - Total | 100,575 | ||
| - Density | 2,565.7/sq mi (990.6/km²) | ||
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) | ||
| ZIP codes | 37127-37130 | ||
| Area code(s) | 615 | ||
| FIPS code | 47-51560[2] | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 1295105[3] | ||
| Website: MurfreesboroTN.gov | |||
Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States.[4] The population was 100,575 according to the city's 2008 official special census, up from 81,393 residents certified during the 2005 special census.[1] The center of population of Tennessee is located in Murfreesboro.[5] The city is part of the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes thirteen counties and a population of 1,486,695 (2007).[6]
Although Murfreesboro is sometimes considered a suburb or exurb of Nashville, Tennessee, it is far enough away [about 35 miles (56 km)] and has a large enough population to maintain a separate identity from its larger neighbor. It is Tennessee's fastest growing major city and one of the fastest growing cities in the country, with a population growth from 46,000 to 69,000 between 1990 and 2000, a change of 66%. The city is also home to Middle Tennessee State University, the largest undergraduate university in the state of Tennessee, with a current undergraduate population of 20,899 and 23,264 total students.[7]
In 2006, Murfreesboro was ranked by Money as the 84th best place to live in the United States, out of 745 cities with a population over 50,000.[8][9]
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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. In 1818, Murfreesboro became the capital of Tennessee until 1826, when Nashville became the state capital.[10]
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)[11].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 39.2 square miles (102 km2). 39.0 square miles (101 km2) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) 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 (800 m) north of MTSU.
Transportation
Murfreesboro is served by Nashville International Airport (IATA code BNA), Smyrna Airport (MQY) and Murfreesboro Municipal Airport (MBT). The city also benefits from several highways running through the city, including Interstate 24; U.S. Routes 41 and 231; and State Routes 1, 2, 10, 96, 99, 268 and 840.
Public transportation
The City of Murfreesboro ordered nine buses to serve as the city's new transportation. Each bus is capable of holding sixteen people and includes two spaces for wheelchairs. With the system being called "Rover", the buses are bright green in color with "Rover" and a cartoon dog painted on the side.
The system has been in service since April 2007, with buses operating in six major corridors: Memorial Boulevard, NW Broad Street, Old Fort Parkway, South Church Street (Stopping at Warrior Drive), Mercury Boulevard and Highland Avenue.
A one-way fare is US$1.00 for adults, US$0.50 for children 6-16 and seniors 65 and over, and free for children under 6. The system operates Monday to Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.[12][13]
Joseph Swanson is a major developer in the area.
Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 68,816 people, 26,511 households, and 15,747 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,764.9 inhabitants per square mile (681.4 /km²). There were 28,815 housing units at an average density of 739.0 per square mile (285.3 /km²). 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 the age of 18 and 11.1% of those 65 and older.
According to Murfreesboro's 2008 special census, the population had reached 100,575. Special census estimates in 2005 indicated 81,393 residents, and in 2006 the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey estimated a population of 92,559, with 35,842 households and 20,979 families in the city.[1][14]
Parks
- Cannonsburgh Village, [1].
- Stones River National Battlefield, [2]. Civil War Battlefield.
- Oaklands Historic House Museum, [3]. Location of a Civil War house and baseball park.
- Old Fort Park, [4]. 50-acre (200,000 m2) park including baseball fields, tennis courts, Kids Castle playground, 18-hole championship golf course, picnic shelters, bike trails.
- Barfield-Crescent Park, [5]. 430-acre (1.7 km2) park including 8 baseball fields, 7 miles (11 km) of bike/running trails, 18-hole championship disc golf course, and 10 picnic shelters.
Culture
Music
Murfreesboro hosts several music-oriented events annually, including the Main Street Jazzfest, which is presented by MTSU's School of Music, and Uncle Dave Macon Days. Numerous bands also originate from the city, from hardcore acts A Plea for Purging and The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza to Indie Rock fixtures like The Features and Glossary.
Arts
Murfreesboro contains a Center for the Arts close to the Square. It entertains with an array of exhibits, theatre arts, concerts, dance, and magic shows.
Museums
The Discovery Center at Murfree Spring houses an interactive gallery of exhibits and is a local favorite for school trips.
Bradley Academy Museum contains collectibles and exhibits of the first school in Rutherford County. This school was later renovated to become to only African American school in Murfreesboro, which closed in 1955.
The Cannonsburgh Pioneer Village is a reproduction of what a working pioneer village would have looked like from the period of 1830s to the 1930s. Visitors can view the grist mill, school house, Leeman House, Caboose, Wedding Chapel, and even a doctor's office.
Shopping
There are current two main malls located within the city limits. One is the indoor mall, Stones River Mall, and an outdoor mall, The Avenue of Murfreesboro. The Historic Downtown Murfreesboro district offers a wide variety of unique shopping and dinning experiences that encircle the pre-Civil War Courthouse.
Media
Murfreesboro is serviced by the following media outlets:
Newspapers:
- The Daily News Journal
- Murfreesboro Post
Radio:
- WGNS - Talk radio
- WMOT - Jazz station operated by MTSU
- WMTS-FM - Free-form student-run radio station operated by MTSU
TV:
- Channel 3 - Murfreesboro government access channel
- WETV-LP
- Middle Tennessee Television (MTSU's student-run station)
Notable natives
- David Rankin Barbee, journalist and historian
- James M. Buchanan, Nobel Prize-winning economist
- Will Allen Dromgoole, author
- Winfield Scott Featherston, Confederate general in the American Civil War
- Bart Gordon, U.S. Congressman
- Andrew Nelson Lytle, author, novelist, member of Vanderbilt Fugitives
- Jean MacArthur, wife of Gen. Douglas MacArthur
- Matt Mahaffey, musician
- Carl P. Mayfield, talk show host, Sirius satellite radio show Carl P & The P-Team
- Hardy Murfree, Revolutionary War colonel
- Mary Noailles Murfree, author
- Andre Norton, science fiction and fantasy writer
- Sarah Childress Polk, First Lady of the United States; wife of Pres. James K. Polk
- David Price, baseball pitcher; 2007 Major League Baseball Draft first round pick, signed with the Tampa Bay Rays
- Grantland Rice, sportswriter
- Margaret Rhea Seddon, astronaut
- Chris Young, musician; 2006 Nashville Star winner
- Fernando Bryant, Cornerback for the New England Patriots
- Chad Chaffin, NASCAR driver
Points of interest
- Cannonsburgh Pioneer Village
- Discovery Center at Murfree Spring
- Geographic center of Tennessee
- Middle Tennessee State University
- Oaklands Historic House Museum
- Stones River Greenway Arboretum
- Stones River National Battlefield
Murfreesboro is the home of a Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP). It is part of an initiative by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide mail order prescriptions to veterans using computerization at strategic locations throughout the United States.
Top employers in Murfreesboro
| # | Employer | Number of employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Rutherford County government | 3,350 |
| 2. | Middle Tennessee State University | 1,700 |
| 3. | State Farm Operations Center | 1,450 |
| 4. | Alvin C. York Veterans Administration Medical Center | 1,411 |
| 5. | Middle Tennessee Medical Center | 1,300 |
| 6. | Verizon Wireless Call Center | 1,083 |
| 7. | Murfreesboro city government | 827 (full time) 234 (part time) |
| 8. | General Mills/Pillsbury Company | 750 |
| 9. | Johnson Controls, Inc. | 750 |
| 10. | MAHLE Tennex | 650 |
| 11. | Lewis Brothers Bakeries | 525 |
- Information is current as of November 2006.[15]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "City's special census tops 100,000", Daily News Journal (2008-05-24). Retrieved on 2008-05-24.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ↑ "Population and Population Centers by State: 2000". Census.gov. Retrieved on 2007-01-12.
- ↑ U.S. Census Population Estimates for 2007 - Counties
- ↑ "MTSU fall enrollment crosses 23,000 mark", Nashville Business Journal (2007-09-11). Retrieved on 2007-09-12. Archived from the original on 2007-09-12.
- ↑ "Best places to live 2006: Murfreesboro, TN snapshot". CNN.com (2006). Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
- ↑ "Murfreesboro a 'Best Place' to live", Nashville Business Journal (2006-07-17). Retrieved on 2007-07-23.
- ↑ "History of Murfreesboro, TN". MurfreesboroTN.gov. Retrieved on 2007-05-22.
- ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ↑ "'Rover' bus service set to begin in early April", MurfreesboroTN.gov. Retrieved on 2007-03-22.
- ↑ Hutchens, Turner (2007-01-05). "Work begins on Rover bus fleet", Daily News Journal.
- ↑ "2006 population estimate for Murfreesboro city". United States Census Bureau (2006). Retrieved on 2007-07-25.
- ↑ "Post Top 10 employers". The Murfreesboro Post (November 2006). Retrieved on 2007-03-26.
External links
- Murfreesboro city website
- Linebaugh Public Library System
- Daily News Journal (newspaper)
- Murfreesboro Post (newspaper)
- Murfreesboro, Tennessee is at coordinates
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