Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire
Ceremonial county
Dunstable Downs Bedford, Wrest Park
Location of Bedfordshire in England
Coordinates: 52°05′N 0°25′W / 52.083°N 0.417°W / 52.083; -0.417
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	East
Established	Ancient
Time zone	UTC+0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (BST)
Members of Parliament	List of MPs
Police	Bedfordshire Police
Largest town	Luton
Ceremonial county
Lord Lieutenant	Susan Lousada
High Sheriff	Russel Beard (2023-24)
Area	1,235 km2 (477 sq mi)
• Ranked	41st of 48
Population (2022)	704,736
• Ranked	36th of 48
Density	542/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
Ethnicity	72.0% White 16.6%. Asian 5.6% Black Mixed 3.8% 1.9% Other[1]
Districts
Districts of Bedfordshire   Unitary
Districts	Bedford Central Bedfordshire Luton

Bedfordshire (/ˈbɛdfərdʃɪər, -ʃər/; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the south and the south-east, and Buckinghamshire to the west. The largest settlement is Luton (225,262),^{[2][not verified in body]} and Bedford is the county town.^{[not verified in body]}

The county has an area of 1,235 km² (477 sq mi) and had a population of 704,736 at the 2021 census.^[1] Its other towns include Leighton Buzzard, Dunstable, Biggleswade, Houghton Regis, and Flitwick. Much of the county is rural. For local government purposes, Bedfordshire comprises three unitary authority areas: Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, and Luton.

The county's highest point is 243 m (797 ft) on Dunstable Downs in the Chilterns.^[3]