HEB ISD: B+ (88)
Strong 2025 TEA rating; was A in 2022
City · Tarrant County
Bedford
Population ~49,337 · hurst-euless-bedford-isd
Small town charm with big city conveniences
☕ Bedford brief Mon, Jun 1
Local News
Bedford headlines
What's happening in Bedford right now
Civic
Population just under 50,000 in the heart of HEB
Bedford recorded 49,928 residents in the 2020 U.S. Census, sitting as the geographic middle of the 'HEB' Mid-Cities triad with Hurst to the west and Euless to the east. Source: U.S. Census; City of Bedford.
Updated 2026
Schools
Bell High School Blue Raiders anchor HEB ISD
L.D. Bell High School in Hurst draws from Bedford and is a flagship campus of Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD; Bedford's elementary and middle schools feed into Bell. Source: HEB ISD.
Ongoing
Development
Central Drive corridor and Old Bedford redevelopment
City planning has focused on revitalizing the Central Drive corridor and the Old Bedford School historic district to add walkable mixed-use and protect heritage architecture. Source: City of Bedford.
Ongoing
Council
Council meets second and fourth Tuesdays
Bedford's City Council meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 2000 Forest Ridge Drive. Source: City of Bedford.
Ongoing
🎓 Schools
HEB ISD's $997M Nov 2023 bond — largest in district history — funds Bedford-area rebuilds
HEB ISD voters approved a combined $997.3M bond in November 2023 — the district's largest ever. Funds replacing L.D. Bell HS, Trinity HS, four elementaries; supports KEYS HS, technology, school safety across Bedford and the Mid-Cities. Source: HEB ISD via Wikipedia.
From across Tarrant County
🗳️ Election
Contested mayor races in nine Tarrant cities on May 2 ballot
The May 2, 2026 ballot featured contested races for mayor in nine Tarrant cities: Arlington, Euless, Keller, Kennedale, North Richland Hills, Pelican Bay, Sansom Park, Westlake, and Westover Hills. The slate also included numerous city council positions, school board trustee seats, and other municipal offices across the county. Source: NBC 5 DFW / Tarrant County Elections.
🗳️ Politics
Taylor Rehmet (D) wins Texas State Senate District 9 special election
In Tarrant County's state Senate District 9 special election held November 4, 2025, Democrat Taylor Rehmet finished as the top vote-getter, ahead by roughly 14,000 votes and a margin of nearly 15%. Rehmet replaces Republican Kelly Hancock, who left the seat in 2025 to become acting state comptroller. Rehmet completes the remainder of Hancock's term. Source: NBC 5 DFW.
Around Town
Around Town
Bedford's places, people, and traditions
Heritage
Old Bedford School
The Old Bedford School, a stone schoolhouse built in 1915 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, anchors Bedford's pre-suburban heritage and hosts cultural programming. Source: National Register; City of Bedford.
Year-round
Park
Boys Ranch Park and the Tennis Center
Boys Ranch Park on Forest Ridge Drive is the largest park in Bedford and home to the Bedford Tennis Center, a regionally regarded municipal tennis facility. Source: City of Bedford Parks.
Year-round
Festival
Bedford Blues Festival
The Bedford Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival has run for two-plus decades as a Labor Day weekend tradition at Boys Ranch Park and is one of the largest blues festivals in north Texas. Source: City of Bedford.
Labor Day weekend
Civic
Bedford Public Library
The Bedford Public Library on Forest Ridge Drive serves as a major Mid-Cities library and a regional resource for HEB-area readers. Source: City of Bedford.
Year-round
Retail
Central Market on Central Drive
H-E-B's Central Market on Central Drive at SH 121 anchors the city's signature grocery retail and is one of the highest-volume Central Markets in the chain. Source: H-E-B.
Year-round
Trail
Bedford trails connect to HEB system
City and HEB-region trails along Bear Creek and through Boys Ranch Park link Bedford to the Mid-Cities trail network. Source: City of Bedford Parks.
Year-round
Known for
- Bedford Boys Ranch Park
- Old Bedford School historic site
- Central Mid-Cities location
- Blues, Bandits & BBQ festival
The Story of Bedford
Bedford was once one of the biggest towns in Tarrant County. A settlement formed in the 1870s after Weldon Wiles Bobo moved from Tennessee and opened a general store and gristmill; he and a group of farmers named the community Bedford, after the Tennessee county many had left. The post office opened in Bobo's home in 1877.
Through the 1880s and 1890s Bedford boomed, reaching a population that by some accounts trailed only Fort Worth among Tarrant County towns.
Then the railroads passed it by — both the Dallas–Fort Worth Interurban (1901) and the Rock Island line (1903) bypassed Bedford, businesses moved away, and the post office closed in 1909.
Bedford slumbered until the postwar suburban wave revived it, and today it thrives as the B in the Hurst–Euless–Bedford Mid-Cities.
Sources: Texas State Historical Association, Handbook of Texas.
🗓️ Coming this week Full calendar →
TUE
28
Birdville ISD Board of Trustees
6:30pm · agenda online
TUE
2
Tarrant County Commissioners Court
10am · agenda online
TUE
2
Fort Worth City Council
7pm · agenda online
TUE
2
Arlington City Council
6:30pm · agenda online
MON
8
Northwest ISD Board of Trustees
6:30pm · agenda online
MON
8
Keller ISD Board of Trustees
6:30pm · agenda online
MON
8
Carroll ISD Board of Trustees
5:30pm · agenda online
🎈 Kids Trading Post · Bedford 5 activities →
Storytime, classes, camps, leagues, and open-play in Bedford, sourced from libraries and partner orgs. Updated nightly · no manual data entry.
See all 5 kid activities →
Sports
Bedford Sports (HEB ISD)
Pennington Field + Bedford Boys Ranch Park
HS
L.D. Bell Blue Raiders play at Pennington Field — in Bedford
Pennington Field at 1501 Central Dr is HEB ISD's shared football stadium for L.D. Bell + Trinity.
Source: HEB ISD
Heritage
Bedford Boys Ranch Park
1950s home for wayward boys 10-14 (~100 residents) — converted to park 1974.
Source: TSHA, City of Bedford
Aquatics
Bedford Splash Family Aquatic Center
Outdoor city pool with slides + splash features.
Source: City of Bedford
Rec
Bedford Senior Center + community gym
Full menu of senior + community rec.
Source: City of Bedford
⭐ Game of the week
Carroll Dragons — district football (anchor program)
🏈 District football ·
Tarrant County's anchor programs — Carroll (8 state titles), Keller (top-of-district 5A), Mansfield (B-rated district), Arlington Martin (AISD flagship), Fossil Ridge (KISD power program) — get priority weekly coverage from the news radar. Carroll Dragons headline the off-season anchor framing; weekly schedule populates from MaxPreps DFW + each ISD's athletics site.
📜 On this day in Tarrant County sports
1988
🏈 Carroll (Southlake) Dragons claim 1st state football championship — beginning of the dynasty that would produce 8 UIL state titles. Under coach Bob Ledbetter.
1993
🏈 Carroll Dragons capture their 3rd state football title (1988, 1992, 1993 = three-in-a-row 3A run under Coach Ledbetter; QB Kris Brown led the '93 squad past Cuero).
2011
🏈 Carroll Dragons win their 8th and most recent UIL state football title — capping the program's run as Tarrant County's most successful HS football dynasty.
2018
🥎 Mansfield Tigers softball reaches UIL state semifinals — anchor moment for MISD's growing softball program under HC Gregory George's broader program leadership.
2026
🏃 Keller ISD sends 11 athletes to UIL State Track & Field — multiple medal-stand finishes per district release.
📻 Radio guide
Southlake Carroll Dragons football
KKGM 1630 AM (Fort Worth; news/sports) — exclusive radio home of Carroll football
Dragon Sports Network
Aledo Bearcats football (Tarrant-area marquee program)
KTFW-FM 92.1 'Hank FM' (LKCM Radio Group; country) — flagship for Aledo broadcasts
Aledo Sports Network
Arlington ISD football (Martin · Lamar · Bowie)
NFHS Network (streaming platform) — official AISD broadcast partner
NFHS Network
Mansfield Tigers football
NFHS Network (streaming platform) — Mansfield ISD live broadcasts
NFHS Network
Keller / Fossil Ridge (Keller ISD) football
NFHS Network (streaming platform) — Keller ISD live broadcasts
NFHS Network
Fort Worth-area HS football game of the week
KTCU-FM 88.7 'The Choice' (TCU student station, Fort Worth)
KTCU 88.7
🏆 UIL playoff bracket
No active Tarrant County UIL playoff bracket on the desk. Populates when a Tarrant County team is in a UIL playoff round (football, basketball, baseball/softball, volleyball). Source: UIL playoff records.
Activities
Things to do in Bedford
Kids, library, sports, fitness, classes, camps, open play — sourced from libraries, parks, and partner orgs across Bedford.
event
Bedford Splash — Family Aquatic Center
Memorial Day–Labor Day 2026
City of Bedford · Bedford Splash, 2300 Bedford Rd
story-time
Bedford Library Storytime
Weekly
Bedford Public Library · 2424 Forest Ridge Dr, Bedford
story-time
Baby Storytime — Bedford Library
Weekly
Bedford Public Library · 2424 Forest Ridge Dr, Bedford
event
Bedford Summer Reading Program
June–August
Bedford Public Library · 2424 Forest Ridge Dr, Bedford
camp
Bedford Boys Ranch Summer Camp
Week-long sessions
City of Bedford Parks & Recreation · Bedford Boys Ranch, 2801 Forest Ridge Dr
Civic & Government
Civic & Government
Bedford city hall, schools, and county connection
Government
Council-manager government with seven-member council
Bedford operates under a council-manager form with a mayor elected at-large and six council members. The city manager runs day-to-day operations from City Hall at 2000 Forest Ridge Drive. Source: City of Bedford.
Mayor
Mayor presides over at-large council
The Bedford mayor is elected citywide and presides over the council that sets policy, approves the budget, and appoints the city manager. Source: City of Bedford.
Schools
Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD serves the city
Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD serves Bedford, with most students attending L.D. Bell High School in Hurst. Source: HEB ISD.
County
City sits in Tarrant County (judge Tim O'Hare)
Bedford is fully within Tarrant County, governed at the county level by County Judge Tim O'Hare and the four-member commissioners court. Source: Tarrant County.
Reach the right desk
By the Numbers
By the Numbers
Census, TEA, City of Bedford
Pop 2020
49,928 residents
U.S. Decennial Census 2020 counted 49,928. 2024 Census Bureau estimate 48,771.
Source: Census
Area
10.03 sq mi, density 4,978/sq mi
10.03 sq mi. Census 2020 density 4,978 per sq mi. Median age 40.1. Elevation 600 ft.
Source: Census Gazetteer
Schools
HEB ISD: ~22,780 students, B (88)
HEB ISD enrolls ~22,780 students. TEA 2025 rating B (88). Bedford is district HQ.
Source: TEA / HEB ISD
Top Employer
Texas Health Resources (1,480)
Per 2023 ACFR, Texas Health Resources is largest employer at 1,480 jobs.
FY23 · Source: City of Bedford ACFR
Housing
53.5% owner-occupied; ZIP 76021/76022/76095
2020 Census: 53.5% owner-occupied housing. USPS ZIPs 76021, 76022, 76095.
Source: Census / USPS
Population
49,337
Type
city
School District
hurst-euless-bedford-isd
School ISDs in Tarrant County
Tarrant County ISDs by enrollment + TEA 2024-25 accountability rating.
| ISD | Enrollment | Rating | Mascot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Worth ISD | 70,184 | C | Panthers |
| Arlington ISD | 56,000 | C | Various |
| Lewisville ISD | 50,000 | B | Various |
| Mansfield ISD | 35,000 | B | Tigers |
| Keller ISD | 34,078 | B | Indians |
| Northwest ISD | 32,000 | B | Texans |
| Birdville ISD | 22,637 | C | Hawks |
| Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD | 22,000 | B | Eagles |
| Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD (HEB) | 22,000 | B | Trojans |
| Crowley ISD | 16,000 | C | Eagles |
| Grapevine-Colleyville ISD | 12,520 | B | Mustangs |
| Burleson ISD | 12,000 | B | Elks |
| Carroll ISD | 8,300 | A | Dragons |
| White Settlement ISD | 6,700 | C | Brewers |
| Azle ISD | 6,600 | C | Hornets |
| Everman ISD | 5,500 | C | Bulldogs |
| Castleberry ISD | 4,000 | B | Lions |
| Kennedale ISD | 3,400 | C | Wildcats |
| Lake Worth ISD | 2,700 | D | Bullfrogs |
Updated 2026-05-27
Population by city
Tarrant County city populations (Census 2020 + 2024 estimates).
| City | Population | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Worth | 935,508 | County seat, 4th-largest in TX (after Houston, San Antonio, Dallas) |
| Arlington | 392,304 | Cowboys + Rangers home |
| Grand Prairie | ~200,000 | Cross-county with Dallas |
| Mansfield | 79,708 | |
| Flower Mound | 78,854 | Cross-county with Denton |
| North Richland Hills | 71,564 | |
| Euless | 61,554 | |
| Burleson | 53,283 | Cross-county with Johnson |
| Grapevine | 50,898 | |
| Bedford | 49,337 | |
| Hurst | 39,337 | |
| Haltom City | 46,500 | |
| Keller | 46,044 | |
| Southlake | 32,376 |
Updated 2026-05-27
Ask the Desk
Questions about Bedford
What are Tarrant County's 2025 property tax rates?
Tarrant County (general portion): ~$0.19 per $100. City of Fort Worth: $1.0624. City of Arlington: $1.0929 (down ~1¢ from 2024). Combined rates from Fort Worth ISD + City of Fort Worth + Tarrant County College bring the total for most Fort …
Who is Tarrant County's County Judge?
Tim O'Hare. He is the 33rd County Judge of Tarrant County since the county's founding in 1849, took office January 1, 2023, and his current term runs through January 1, 2027. He is running for re-election November 3, 2026, and has said the …
Who is Tarrant County's Sheriff?
Bill E. Waybourn. Source: Tarrant County elected officials (tarrantcountytx.gov).
Who is the State Senator for Tarrant County's District 9?
Taylor Rehmet (Democrat), who won the November 4, 2025 special election to replace Republican Kelly Hancock — Hancock left to become acting state comptroller. Rehmet won by roughly 14,000 votes (~15% margin) and is completing the remainder …
Which ISD serves Bedford?
Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD (HEB ISD) serves Bedford and the neighboring cities of Hurst and Euless. HEB ISD earned a B (88) on the TEA 2024-25 accountability ratings and enrolls approximately 22,000 students. Its mascot system is anchored by …
All Bedford Q&As → Community Voice
History
Founded 1953
Frame settlement to Mid-Cities suburb
Bedford traces its name to Weldon Bobo, an early settler who arrived in 1881 from Bedford County, Tennessee, and the community grew slowly around a school and church on the Cross Timbers prairie between Fort Worth and Dallas. The Old Bedford School, built in 1915 of locally quarried stone, was the centerpiece of community life for decades and survives on the National Register. Bedford incorporated as a city on November 14, 1953 — the same wave of postwar incorporations that produced Euless, North Richland Hills, and other HEB Mid-Cities municipalities. Population grew explosively after the 1974 opening of DFW Airport and the expansion of Bell Helicopter and General Dynamics in the area, climbing from roughly 2,700 in 1960 past 20,000 by 1980 and past 47,000 by 2000. The city's modern identity has been shaped by HEB ISD's L.D. Bell High School, Central Market retail, and the annual Blues Festival at Boys Ranch Park. Sources: TSHA; City of Bedford; Wikipedia.
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