Rutherford County is a county in Tennessee, United States, about 34 miles southeast of Nashville, in the north-central part of the state. It had a population of 341,486 at the 2020 census, an estimated 386,352 by 2025, and covers 624 square miles (1,616 km2) centred near 35°50′N 86°23′W.
Murfreesboro is the county seat and largest city; its postal code is 37130. The county holds 3 cities, 1 incorporated town and 3 census-designated places, plus a number of unincorporated communities, and it runs on Central Time. Its FIPS code is 47149.
Towns & Villages in Rutherford County
Rutherford County has 20 named places on record: 4 incorporated cities and towns, 3 census-designated places, and 13 unincorporated communities with no population count of their own. CDP stands for census designated place; Unincorp. covers crossroads and rural communities with no formal boundary.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murfreesboro | City · seat | 152,769 | 37130 |
| Smyrna | Town | 53,070 | 37167 |
| La Vergne | City | 38,719 | 37086 |
| Christiana | CDP | 4,305 | 37037 |
| Rockvale | CDP | 1,279 | 37153 |
| Eagleville | City | 813 | 37060 |
| Walterhill | CDP | 407 | — |
| Almaville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Barfield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blackman | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cedar Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Florence | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fosterville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kittrell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lascassas | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Midland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Milton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Overall | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Salem | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Versailles | Unincorp. | — | — |
The earlier version of this page listed more than 200 entries, most of them private subdivision names such as “Pointed Side Acres” and “Southern Aire” — residential developments, not Census-recognized places, several duplicated or misspelled. Those have been dropped; the table above keeps only incorporated places and Census-designated places, plus unincorporated communities with an independent Wikipedia or Census record.
ZIP Codes
- 37130 — Murfreesboro (downtown; the city also uses 37127, 37128, 37129, 37131, 37132 and 37133)
- 37167 — Smyrna
- 37086 — La Vergne
- 37037 — Christiana
- 37153 — Rockvale
- 37060 — Eagleville
Blackman, Almaville, Barfield, Cedar Grove, Florence, Fosterville, Kittrell, Lascassas, Midland, Milton, Overall, Salem, Versailles and Walterhill have no ZIP code of their own; mail there is delivered under the nearest post office’s code.
Geography
Rutherford County sits in the Nashville Basin, a fertile limestone lowland ringed by the Highland Rim. Of its 624 square miles, 619 are land and 4.7 are water, about 0.8 percent. The West Fork and East Fork of the Stones River join near Murfreesboro and flow north into Percy Priest Lake, the county’s main body of water along its northwestern edge with Davidson County.
Wilson County lies to the north, Cannon County to the east, Coffee County to the southeast, Bedford County to the south, Marshall County to the southwest, Williamson County to the west, and Davidson County, home to Nashville, to the northwest. Wilson County, Cannon County, Coffee County, Bedford County, Marshall County, Williamson County and Davidson County all border Rutherford directly.
Demographics
Rutherford County had a population of 341,486 at the 2020 census, and the latest estimate puts the county near 386,352 residents by 2025. Murfreesboro and Smyrna are the two largest communities, together holding well over half the county’s population. Median household income runs about $85,470, higher than Tennessee’s statewide figure of $67,631 (2023 ACS). Population density works out to roughly 552 people per square mile of land, reflecting the county’s position inside the Nashville metropolitan area.
Economy & Local Life
Health care and social assistance employs the most workers in the county, about 24,735 people, followed by manufacturing at 23,593 and retail trade at 22,775. The Nissan Smyrna Assembly Plant, the automaker’s largest vehicle-production facility in North America, employs around 8,400 workers and also builds Leaf battery packs. Rutherford County government and schools employ 7,441 people, and Amazon runs a fulfillment center with about 2,700 workers. Murfreesboro is home to Middle Tennessee State University, which has the largest undergraduate enrollment of any university in the state and employs roughly 2,205 people; State Farm Insurance employs about 1,650 more at its regional operations center. The county’s biggest annual event is Uncle Dave Macon Days, a national old-time music and dance competition held in Murfreesboro each July.
History
The Tennessee General Assembly formed Rutherford County on 25 October 1803, carving it out of Davidson, Williamson and Wilson counties. It was named for Griffith Rutherford, a Revolutionary War general who later settled in Middle Tennessee. Murfreesboro, laid out in 1811 and named for Colonel Hardy Murfree, became the county seat and served as Tennessee’s state capital from 1818 to 1826.
The Battle of Stones River was fought at Murfreesboro from 31 December 1862 to 2 January 1863, one of the Civil War’s costliest engagements with roughly 23,515 combined casualties. Stones River National Battlefield now preserves part of the site. Passenger trains served Murfreesboro into the 1960s — the Louisville & Nashville’s Dixie Flyer made its last stop there in 1965 — but no passenger rail service reaches the county today.
Getting There
Interstate 24 crosses the county through La Vergne, Smyrna and Murfreesboro; Interstate 840 skirts its western edge. US 41, US 70S and US 231 also run through the county.
- Nashville — about 34 miles northwest
- Shelbyville — about 25 miles south
- Lebanon — about 25 miles northeast
- Manchester — about 30 miles southeast
Nashville International Airport, about 30 miles northwest of Murfreesboro, is the nearest major commercial airport. Smyrna Airport, on the site of the former Sewart Air Force Base, handles general aviation and MTSU’s flight-training fleet. No Amtrak service currently reaches Rutherford County.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Rutherford County located?
It sits in the Nashville Basin in north-central Tennessee, about 34 miles southeast of Nashville, bordered by Wilson, Cannon, Coffee, Bedford, Marshall, Williamson and Davidson counties.
What is the population of Rutherford County?
341,486 at the 2020 census, with a 2025 estimate near 386,352.
How big is Rutherford County?
624 square miles (1,616 km2), of which 619 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Rutherford County?
Murfreesboro, laid out in 1811 and Tennessee’s state capital from 1818 to 1826, is the county seat and largest city.
How many towns and cities are in Rutherford County?
Four incorporated places — Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne and Eagleville — plus the census-designated places Christiana, Rockvale and Walterhill, and a number of smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes does Rutherford County use?
37130, 37127–37129 and 37131–37133 for Murfreesboro; 37167 for Smyrna; 37086 for La Vergne; 37037 for Christiana; 37153 for Rockvale; and 37060 for Eagleville.
What is Rutherford County known for?
The Nissan Smyrna Assembly Plant, Middle Tennessee State University, and the Battle of Stones River, fought at Murfreesboro over New Year’s 1862–63.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Tennessee.