Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial and historic county in the East of England. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the south-east, and Buckinghamshire to the west. The largest settlement is Luton which had a population of 225,262 in 2021. The county has an area of and a population of 704,862 as of the 2021 census. Bedford is the county town. Market towns include Leighton Buzzard, Dunstable, and Biggleswade. Much of the county is rural. Bedfordshire contains the local government areas of Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton. The county's highest point is on Dunstable Downs in the Chilterns. History