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Murfreesboro is a city in
Rutherford County, Tennessee Rutherford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is located in Middle Tennessee. As of a 2023 estimate, the population was 367,101, making it the fifth-most populous county in Tennessee. A study conducted by the Univer ...
, United States, and its
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
. Its population was 165,430 according to the 2023 census estimate, up from 108,755 residents certified in
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
. Murfreesboro is located in the
Nashville metropolitan area The Nashville metropolitan area (officially the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area) is a metropolitan statistical area in north-central Tennessee. Its principal city is Nashville, the capital of and l ...
of
Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the state's capital an ...
, southeast of downtown
Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
. It served as the state capital from 1818 to 1826. Today, it is the largest
suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...
of Nashville and the sixth-most populous city in Tennessee. The city is both the
center of population In Demography, demographics, the center of population (or population center) of a region is a geographical point that describes a centerpoint of the region's population. There are several ways of defining such a "center point", leading to dif ...
and the geographic center of Tennessee. Since the 1990s, Murfreesboro has been Tennessee's fastest-growing major city and one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. Murfreesboro is home to
Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU or MT) is a Public university, public research university in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Founded in 1911 as a normal school, the university consists of eight Undergraduate education, undergraduate colleges as ...
, one of the largest undergraduate universities in the state of Tennessee, with 20,540 total students as of fall 2024.


History

On October 27, 1811, the
Tennessee General Assembly The Tennessee General Assembly (TNGA) is the state legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is a part-time bicameral legislature consisting of a Tennessee Senate, Senate and a Tennessee House of Representa ...
designated the location for a new county seat for Rutherford County, giving it the name Cannonsburgh in honor of
Newton Cannon Newton Cannon (May 22, 1781 – September 16, 1841) was an American politician who served as the eighth Governor of Tennessee from 1835 to 1839. He also served several terms in the United States House of Representatives, from 1814 to 1817, and fr ...
, representative to the assembly for the local area. At the suggestion of William Lytle, it was renamed Murfreesborough on November 29, 1811, after Revolutionary War hero Colonel Hardy Murfree, great-grandfather of author Mary Noailles Murfree. The name was shortened to Murfreesboro in January 1812, when the town was formally chartered. As Tennessee settlement expanded to the west, the location of the state capital in
Knoxville Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...
became inconvenient for much of the population. In 1818, Murfreesboro was designated as the capital of Tennessee and its population boomed. Eight years later, however, it was superseded by Nashville.


Civil War

On December 31, 1862, the
Battle of Stones River The Battle of Stones River, also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Ci ...
, also called the Battle of Murfreesboro, was fought near the city between the Union Army of the Cumberland and the Confederate
Army of Tennessee The Army of Tennessee was a Field army, field army of the Confederate States Army in the Western theater of the American Civil War, Western Theater of the American Civil War. Named for the Confederate States of America, Confederate state of Tenn ...
. This was a major engagement of the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, and between December 31 and January 2, 1863, the rival armies suffered a combined total of 23,515 casualties. It was the bloodiest battle of the war by percentage of casualties. Following the Confederate retreat after the drawn
Battle of Perryville The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive (Kentucky Campaign) during the Ame ...
in central Kentucky, the Confederate army moved through East Tennessee and turned northwest to defend Murfreesboro. General
Braxton Bragg Braxton Bragg (March 22, 1817 – September 27, 1876) was an American army Officer (armed forces), officer during the Second Seminole War and Mexican–American War and Confederate General officers in the Confederate States Army, general in th ...
's veteran cavalry successfully harassed Union General William Rosecrans troop movements, capturing and destroying many of his supply trains, but they could not completely prevent supplies and reinforcements from reaching Rosecrans. Despite the large number of casualties, the battle was inconclusive. It is usually considered a Union victory, since afterward, General Bragg retreated south to Tullahoma. Even so, the Union army did not move against Bragg until six months later, in June 1863. The battle was significant, since the Union gained a base from which it could push its eventual drive further south, which enabled its later advances against
Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...
and
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
. The Union eventually divided the territory into the Eastern and
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
theaters, followed by Sherman's March to the Sea through the South. The Stones River National Battlefield is now a national historical site. General Rosecrans' move to the south depended on a secure source of provisions, and Murfreesboro was chosen for his supply depot. Soon after the battle, Brigadier General James St. Clair Morton, chief engineer of the Army of the Cumberland, was ordered to build Fortress Rosecrans, some northwest of the town. The fortifications covered about and were the largest built during the war. Fortress Rosecrans consisted of eight lunettes, four
redoubt A redoubt (historically redout) is a Fortification, fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on Earthworks (engineering), earthworks, although some are constructed of ston ...
s, and connecting fortifications. The fortress was built around the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad and the West Fork of the Stones River; two roads provided additional access and transportation. The fort's interior was a huge logistical resource center, including sawmills, warehouses, quartermaster maintenance depots, ammunition magazines, and living quarters for the 2,000 men who handled the operations and defended the post. After the fortress was completed in June 1863, Rosecrans ventured to the south. The fortress was never attacked, in part because the Union troops held the town of Murfreesboro hostage by training their artillery on the courthouse. Major portions of the earthworks still exist and have been incorporated into the battlefield historic site.


Post-Civil War

Murfreesboro was first developed as a mainly agricultural community, but by 1853, the area was home to several colleges and academies. Despite the wartime trauma, the town's growth had begun to recover by the early 1900s, in contrast to other areas of the devastated South. In 1911, the state legislature created Middle Tennessee State Normal School, a two-year institute to train teachers. It soon merged with the Tennessee College for Women. In 1925, the normal school was expanded to a full, four-year curriculum and college. With additional expansion of programs and addition of graduate departments in 1965, it became
Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU or MT) is a Public university, public research university in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Founded in 1911 as a normal school, the university consists of eight Undergraduate education, undergraduate colleges as ...
. MTSU now has the largest undergraduate enrollment in the state, including many international students.
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
was an impetus for industrial development, and Murfreesboro diversified into industry, manufacturing, and education. Growth has been steady since that time, creating a stable economy. Since the last decade of the 20th century, Murfreesboro has enjoyed substantial residential and commercial growth, with its population increasing 123.9% between 1990 and 2010, from 44,922 to 108,755. The city has been a destination for many refugee immigrants who have left areas affected by warfare; since 1990, numerous people from
Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...
and
Kurds Kurds (), or the Kurdish people, are an Iranian peoples, Iranic ethnic group from West Asia. They are indigenous to Kurdistan, which is a geographic region spanning southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northeastern Syri ...
from
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
have settled there. The city has also attracted numerous international students to the university.


Mosque controversy

Beginning in 2010, the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro faced protests related to its plan to build a new mosque. The county planning council had approved the project, but opposition grew in the aftermath, affected by this being a year of elections. Signs on the building site were vandalized, with the first saying "not welcome" sprayed across it and the second being cut in two. Construction equipment was also torched by arsonists. In August 2011, a Rutherford County judge upheld his previous decision allowing the mosque to be built, noting the US constitutional right to religious freedom and the ICM's observance of needed process. The center has a permanent membership of around 250 families and a few hundred students from the university. The case ultimately attracted national media attention as an issue of religious freedom.


2023 ordinance on homosexuality

In June 2023, the city passed an ordinance banning public homosexuality as indecent. In October 2023, the
American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million. T ...
filed suit against the city, in response to the ban and, in December 2023, the ordinance was repealed.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which of it (0.54%) is covered by water. As of 2013, though, the city reported its total area as . Murfreesboro is the geographic center of the state of Tennessee. A stone monument marks the official site on Old Lascassas Pike, about north of MTSU. The West Fork of the Stones River flows through Murfreesboro. A walking trail, the Greenway, parallels the river for several miles. A smaller waterway, Lytle Creek, flows through downtown, including historic Cannonsburgh Village. Parts of the long creek suffer from pollution due to the urban environment and its use as a storm-water runoff. Murfreesboro is home to a number of natural and man-made lakes, plus several small wetlands, including Todd's Lake and the Murfree Spring wetland area. Murfreesboro has been in the path of destructive tornados several times. On April 10, 2009, a low-end EF4 tornado with estimated windspeeds up to 170 miles per hour struck the fringes of Murfreesboro. As a result, two people were killed and 41 others injured; 117 homes were totally destroyed, and 292 had major damage. The tornado is estimated to have caused over $40 million in damage.


Climate

Being in the
Sun Belt The Sun Belt is a region of the United States generally considered stretching across the Southeast and Southwest. Another rough definition of the region is the area south of the Parallel 36°30′ north. Several climates can be found in the re ...
, Murfreesboro's climate is humid subtropical (''Cfa'') under the
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
system, with mild winters and hot, humid summers. Under the Trewartha system, it is an oceanic (''Do'') climate due to five months of winter chill (monthly means below ); however, Murfreesboro is close to being humid subtropical (''Cf'') even under Trewartha (March falls short of the threshold), supported by the fact that subtropical plants like
Southern magnolia ''Magnolia grandiflora'', commonly known as the southern magnolia or bull bay, is a tree of the family Magnoliaceae native to the Southeastern United States, from Virginia to central Florida, and west to East Texas. Reaching in height, it is a ...
trees and the occasional dwarf palmetto and
needle palm ''Rhapidophyllum hystrix'', the needle palm, is a palm native to coastal margins of the subtropical eastern Gulf and south Atlantic states of the United States. Populations can be found from coastal southeast South Carolina, southward to Florida ...
shrubs can thrive long-term there but struggle much further north. The
hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...
is 7. Temperatures range from a record low of on January 26, 1940, to a record high of on August 16, 1954. Precipitation is abundant year-round without any major difference, but there is still slight variation. The wet season runs from February through July, reaching its peak in June with of rain. The dry season runs from August through January with a September low of and a secondary December peak of .


Demographics


2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, 152,769 people, 52,530 households, and 31,732 families resided in the city. As of the 2010 census, 108,755 people were living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 75.62% White, 15.18% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 3.36% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.79% from other races, and 2.65% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5.93% of the population. Of the 26,511 households, 30.7% had children under 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 not families. About 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.02. In the city, the age distribution was 22.7% under 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 or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 97.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $39,705, and for a family was $52,654. Males had a median income of $36,078 versus $26,531 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $20,219. About 8.2% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 12.0% of those under 18 and 11.1% of those 65 and older. 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. Murfreesboro's 2008 special census reported that the population had reached 100,575, while preliminary information from the 2010 U.S. census indicates a population of 108,755. In October 2017, the City of Murfreesboro started another special census. Given the continuous growth in the general area, the population is expected to exceed the 2016 estimate of 131,947. According to Money.com in 2018, 136,000 people called Murfreesboro home and it would see a nearly 10% expansion of jobs in the coming years.


Economy


Top employers

According to Murfreesboro's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in Rutherford County are:


Arts and culture


Music

Murfreesboro hosts several music-oriented events annually, such as the Main Street Jazzfest presented by MTSU's School of Music and the Main Street Association each May. For over 30 years, Uncle Dave Macon Days has celebrated the musical tradition of Uncle Dave Macon. This annual July event includes national competitions for
old-time music Old-time music is a genre of North American folk music. It developed along with various North American folk dances, such as square dancing, contra dance, clogging, and buck dancing. It is played on acoustic instruments, generally centering ...
and dancing. Murfreesboro also hosts an annual DIY not-for-profit music festival called Boro Fondo, which is also a bike tour and local artist feature.


Arts

The Murfreesboro Center for the Arts, close to the Square, entertains with a variety of exhibits, theatre arts, concerts, dances, and magic shows. Murfreesboro Little Theatre has provided the community with popular and alternative forms of theatre arts since 1962. Murfreesboro's International FolkFest began in 1982, and is held annually during the second week in June. Groups from countries spanning the globe participate in the festival, performing traditional songs and dances while attired in regional apparel.


Museums

The Discovery Center at Murfree Spring is a nature center and interactive museum focusing on children and families. The facility includes of wetlands with a variety of animals. Bradley Academy Museum contains collectibles and exhibits of the first school in Rutherford County. This school was later renovated to become the only African American school in Murfreesboro, which closed in 1955. The Stones River National Battlefield is a national park that memorializes the
Battle of Stones River The Battle of Stones River, also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Ci ...
, which took place during the American Civil War during December 31, 1862, to January 3, 1863. The grounds include a museum, a national cemetery, monuments, and the remains of a large earthen fortification called Fortress Rosecrans. Oaklands Historic House Museum is a 19th-century mansion which became involved in the Civil War. It was occupied as a residence until the 1950s, after which it was purchased by the City of Murfreesboro and renovated into a museum by the Oaklands Association. Earth Experience: The Middle Tennessee Museum of Natural History is the only
natural history museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history scientific collection, collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, Fungus, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleo ...
in Middle Tennessee. The museum opened in September 2014 and features more than 2,000 items on display, including a complete replica ''
Tyrannosaurus rex ''Tyrannosaurus'' () is a genus of large theropoda, theropod dinosaur. The type species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' ( meaning 'king' in Latin), often shortened to ''T. rex'' or colloquially t-rex, is one of the best represented theropods. It live ...
'' skeleton.


Commerce

Two main malls are located within the city limits. Stones River Mall is a traditional enclosed mall featuring many stores and restaurants, and The Avenue Murfreesboro is an outdoor lifestyle center. The Historic Downtown Murfreesboro district also offers a wide variety of shopping and dining experiences that encircle the pre-Civil War Courthouse. Murfreesboro is the home of a Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy, 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. It is located on the campus of the
Alvin C. York Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964), also known by his rank as Sergeant York, was an American soldier who was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I. He received the Medal of Honor fo ...
Veterans Hospital. The City Center building (also known as the Swanson Building) is the tallest building in Murfreesboro. Located in the downtown area, it was built by Joseph Swanson in 1989. It has 15 floors, including a large penthouse, and stands tall. As a commercial building its tenants include
Bank of America The Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America) (often abbreviated BofA or BoA) is an American multinational investment banking, investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered at the Bank of America Corporate Center in ...
and is the headquarters for the National Healthcare Corporation (NHC).


Points of interest

* Discovery Center at Murfree Spring * Geographic center of Tennessee *
Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU or MT) is a Public university, public research university in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Founded in 1911 as a normal school, the university consists of eight Undergraduate education, undergraduate colleges as ...
* Oaklands Historic House Museum * Stones River Greenway Arboretum * Stones River National Battlefield


Parks and recreation

Cannonsburgh Village is a reproduction of what a working pioneer village would have looked like from the period of the 1830s to the 1930s. Visitors can view the grist mill, school house, doctor's office, Leeman House, Caboose, Wedding Chapel, and other points of interest. It is also home to the World's Largest Cedar Bucket. Old Fort Park is a park which includes baseball fields, tennis courts, children's playground, an 18-hole championship golf course, picnic shelters and bike trail. Barfield Crescent Park is a facility with eight baseball fields, of biking/running trails, an 18-hole championship disc golf course, and ten picnic shelters. Murfreesboro Greenway System is a system of greenways with of paved paths and 11 trail heads. In 2013, the city council approved a controversial 25-year "master plan" to extend the system by adding 173 miles worth of new greenways, bikeways and blueways at an estimated cost of $104.8 million.


Government

The city council has six members, all elected
at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...
for four-year terms, on staggered schedules with elections every two years. The mayor is also elected at large. City council members have responsibilities for various city departments. * Joshua Haskell, 1818 * David Wendel, 1819 * Robert Purdy, 1820 * Henry Holmes, 1821 * W. R. Rucker, 1822–1823 * John Jones, 1824 * Wm. Ledbetter, 1825, 1827 * John Smith, 1828, 1830 * Edward Fisher, 1829, 1836, 1839 * James C. Moore, 1831 * Charles Ready, 1832 * Charles Niles, 1833 * Marman Spence, 1834 * M. Spence, 1835 * L. H. Carney, 1837 * Edwin Augustus Keeble, 1838, 1855 * G. A. Sublett, 1840 * B. W. Farmer, 1841–1842, 1845–1846 * Henderson King Yoakum, 1843 * Wilson Thomas, 1844 * John Leiper, 1847–1848 * Charles Ready, 1849–1853, 1867 * F. Henry, 1854 * Joseph B. Palmer, 1856–1859 * John W. Burton, 1860–1861 * John E. Dromgoole, 1862 * James Monro Tompkins, 1863–1864 * R. D. Reed, 1865–1866 * E. L. Jordan, 1868–1869 * Thomas B. Darragh, 1870 * Joseph A. January 1871 * I. B. Collier, 1872–1873 * J. B. Murfree, 1874–1875 * H. H. Kerr, 1876 * H. H. Clayton, 1877 * N. C. Collier, 1878–1879 * Jas. Clayton, 1880–1881 * E. F. Burton, 1882–1883 * J. M. Overall, 1884–1885 * H. E. Palmer, 1886–1887 * Tom H. Woods, 1888–1895 * J. T. Wrather, 1896–1897 * J. O. Oslin, 1898–1899 * J. H. Chrichlow, 1900–1909 * G. B. Giltner, 1910–1918 * N. C. Maney, 1919–1922, 1932–1934 * Al D. McKnight, 1923–1931 * W. T. Gerhardt, 1934–1936, 1941–1942 * W. A. Miles, 1937–1940, 1943–1946 * John T. Holloway, 1947–1950 * Jennings A. Jones, 1951–1954 * A. L. Todd Jr., 1955–1964 * William Hollis Westbrooks, 1965-1982 * Joe B. Jackson, 1982-1998 * Richard Reeves, 1998-2002 * Tommy Bragg, 2002-2014 * Shane McFarland, 2014–present


Education

Elementary education within the city is overseen by Murfreesboro City Schools (MCS). MCS focuses on prekindergarten through sixth grade learning. The city has 12 schools serving 8,800 students between grades
pre-K Pre-kindergarten (also called pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...
through 6th. Secondary schools are overseen by Rutherford County Schools, which has 50 schools and a student population of over 49,000. The Japanese Supplementary School in Middle Tennessee (JSMT, 中部テネシー日本語補習校 ''Chūbu Teneshī Nihongo Hoshūkō''), a weekend Japanese education program, holds its classes in Peck Hall at
Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU or MT) is a Public university, public research university in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Founded in 1911 as a normal school, the university consists of eight Undergraduate education, undergraduate colleges as ...
, while its school offices are in Jefferson Square.


Media

Murfreesboro is serviced by the following media outlets: Newspapers: *'' The Daily News Journal'' *''The Murfreesboro Post'' *''The Murfreesboro Pulse'' *''Sidelines'' – MTSU student newspaper *''Rutherford Source'' *'' The Sword of the Lord'' Radio: * WGNS – Talk radio * WMOT – MTSU
public radio Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive ...
station * WMTS-FM – MTSU free-form student-run station *WRHW-LP - 3ABN Radio Christian TV: *City TV Murfreesboro, Channel 3 – Government-access television channel *MTN – MTSU student-run educational-access television channel


Infrastructure


Transportation

Murfreesboro is served by
Nashville International Airport Nashville International Airport is a public/military airport in the southeastern section of Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Established in 1937, its original name was Berry Field, from which its ICAO and IATA identi ...
(
IATA code IATA codes are abbreviations that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) publishes to facilitate air travel. They are typically 1, 2, 3, or 4 character combinations (referred to as unigrams, digrams, trigrams, or tetragrams, respec ...
BNA), Smyrna Airport (MQY) and Murfreesboro Municipal Airport (MBT). The city also benefits from several
highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It includes not just major roads, but also other public roads and rights of way. In the United States, it is also used as an equivalent term to controlled-access highway, or ...
s running through the city, including Interstates 24 and
840 __NOTOC__ Year 840 (Roman numerals, DCCCXL) was a leap year starting on Thursday in the Julian calendar, the 840th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 840th year of the 1st millennium, the 40th year of the 9th cen ...
; U.S. Routes 41, 70S, and 231; and State Routes 1, 2, 10, 96, 99, and
268 __NOTOC__ Year 268 (Roman numerals, CCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known in Rome as the Year of the Consulship of Paternus and Egnatius (or, less frequently, the year 1021 ''Ab urbe ...
. Industry also has access to north–south rail service with the rail line from Nashville to Chattanooga. Into the latter 1940s the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway's #3/#4 (Memphis - Nashville - Atlanta) served Murfreesboro. By 1950 that train's route was shortened to Nashville - Atlanta. Until 1965 the Louisville & Nashville's '' Dixie Flyer'' (Chicago - Florida) made a stop in the town on its route. Likewise, the #3/#2 (renumbered from #3/4) continued to that period as an overnight train between Nashville and Atlanta, also making a stop in town.


Public transportation

In April 2007 the City of Murfreesboro established a public transportation system with nine small buses, each capable of holding sixteen people and including two spaces for wheelchairs. The system is called Rover; the buses are bright green with Rover and a cartoon dog painted on the side. , buses operate in six major corridors: Memorial Boulevard, Gateway, Old Fort Parkway, South Church Street, Highland Avenue and Mercury Boulevard. A one-way fare is for adults, 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.


Notable people

* Jerry Anderson (1953–1989), football player * Rankin Barbee (1874–1958), journalist and author * Ronnie Barrett (born 1954), firearms manufacturer * Rex Brothers (born 1987),
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
pitcher, currently on the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
* James M. Buchanan (1919–2013), economist * Bryan M. Clayton - businessman and real estate investor, CEO and cofounder of GreenPal * Reno Collier, stand-up comedian * Crystal Dangerfield (born 1998),
Los Angeles Sparks The Los Angeles Sparks are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Crypto.co ...
point guard * Marisa Davila (born 1997), actress and singer * Colton Dixon (born 1991), singer * Will Allen Dromgoole, (1860–1934), author and poet * Harold Earthman (1900–1987), politician * Mary Ann Eckles (born 1947), politician * Corn Elder (born 1994), football player * Jeff Givens (died 2013), horse trainer * Bart Gordon (born 1949), politician and lawyer * Francis Avent Gumm (1886–1935), vaudevillian, theater manager, and father of
Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. Possessing a strong contralto voice, she was celebrated for her emotional depth and versatility across film, stage, and concert performance. ...
* Joe Black Hayes (1915–2013), football player * James Sanders Holman (1804–1867), 1st
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of
Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
* Montori Hughes (born 1990), football player * Yolanda Hughes-Heying (born 1963), professional female bodybuilder * Robert James (born 1947), football player *
Marshall Keeble Marshall Keeble (December 7, 1878 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee – April 20, 1968 in Nashville, Tennessee) was an African American preacher of the church of Christ, whose successful career notably bridged a racial divide in an important America ...
(1878–1962),
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
preacher A preacher is a person who delivers sermons or homilies on religious topics to an assembly of people. Less common are preachers who Open-air preaching, preach on the street, or those whose message is not necessarily religious, but who preach com ...
* Muhammed Lawal (born 1981), mixed martial artist * Mike Liles (1945–2022), businessman and politician * Sondra Locke (1944–2018), actress and director * Andrew Nelson Lytle (1902–1995), novelist, dramatist, essayist and professor * Jean MacArthur (1898–2000), wife of U.S. Army General of the Army
Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...
* Bayer Mack (born 1972), filmmaker, journalist and founder of Block Starz Music. *
Matt Mahaffey Matt Mahaffey is an American multi-instrumentalist, record producer, composer, and recording engineer best known for his band Self (band), Self and his composer collective Cake in Space. Early and personal life Mahaffey grew up in Kingsport, T ...
(born 1973), record producer and recording engineer * Marvin Maple (1936–2016), grandfather arrested at age 73 for kidnapping two of his grandchildren more than 20 years earlier * Philip D. McCulloch Jr. (1851–1928), politician * Ridley McLean (1872–1933),
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
* Judith Ann Neelley (born 1964), double murderer * William Northcott (1854–1917), lieutenant governor of Illinois * Andre Alice Norton (1912–2005), author of science fiction and fantasy * Joseph B. Palmer (1825–1890), lawyer, legislator, and soldier * Sarah Childress Polk (1803–1891), First Lady of the United States * Patrick Porter, singer-songwriter * David Price (born 1985),
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
pitcher *
Grantland Rice Henry Grantland Rice (November 1, 1880 – July 13, 1954) was an American sportswriter and poet known as the "Dean of American Sports Writers". He coined the famous phrase that it was not important whether you “won or lost, but how you playe ...
(1880–1954), iconic sportswriter, journalist and poet * Darryl Sage (born 1965), racing driver * Mary Scales (1928–2013), professor and civic leader * Robert W. Scales (1926–2000), Vice-Mayor of Murfreesboro * Margaret Rhea Seddon (born 1947),
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
astronaut *
Adam Smith Adam Smith (baptised 1723 – 17 July 1790) was a Scottish economist and philosopher who was a pioneer in the field of political economy and key figure during the Scottish Enlightenment. Seen by some as the "father of economics"——— or ...
(born 1990),
Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 Arena Football League season, 1987 season, making it the third longest-runnin ...
player * Chuck Taylor (born 1942), Major League Baseball relief pitcher * Audrey Whitby (born 1996), actress * Barry Wilmore (born 1962),
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
astronaut * Chris Young (born 1985), country music artist


Notable bands


See also

* Blackman, Tennessee * Boxwood (Murfreesboro, Tennessee) * Barrett Firearms Manufacturing *
First Presbyterian Church (Murfreesboro, Tennessee) Murfree Springs Presbyterian Church was founded in 1812 in a log cabin. In 1818 it changed its name to First Presbyterian Church and in 1820 moved to a brick meeting house on East Vine Street. First Presbyterian Church currently is a historic c ...
* Murfreesboro Musicians * Murphy Center * Evergreen Cemetery


References


Bibliography


External links

* {{Authority control Cities in Tennessee Cities in Rutherford County, Tennessee County seats in Tennessee
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
Cities in Nashville metropolitan area Populated places established in 1811 1811 establishments in Tennessee