Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Murfreesboro, Tennessee
From top left, cannon at Stones River National Battlefield, Rutherford County Courthouse, City Center, MTSU's Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors Building, Battle of Stones River.
Nickname: 
"The 'Boro"
Motto: 
Creating a better quality of life.
Location of Murfreesboro in Rutherford County, Tennessee.
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Coordinates: 35°50′46″N 86°23′31″W / 35.84611°N 86.39194°W / 35.84611; -86.39194
Country United States
State Tennessee
CountyRutherford
Settled1811
Incorporated1817
Named afterHardy Murfree
Government
  TypeCouncil–Manager
  MayorShane McFarland (R)
  Vice mayorBill Shacklett
  City ManagerDarren Gore
Area
  City
64.13 sq mi (166.08 km2)
  Land63.99 sq mi (165.73 km2)
  Water0.14 sq mi (0.35 km2)  0.25%
Elevation
610 ft (186 m)
Population
 (2023)
  City
165,430
  RankUS: 157th
TN: 6th
  Density2,387.43/sq mi (921.79/km2)
  Urban
350,000 (US: 241st)
Time zoneUTC−6 (CST)
  Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes
37127-37133
Area code(s)615, 629
FIPS code47-51560
GNIS feature ID1295105
WebsiteCity of Murfreesboro

Murfreesboro is a city in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Its population was 165,430 according to the 2023 census estimate, up from 108,755 residents certified in 2010. Murfreesboro is located in the Nashville metropolitan area of Middle Tennessee, 34 miles (55 km) southeast of downtown Nashville.

It served as the state capital from 1818 to 1826. Today, it is the largest suburb of Nashville and the sixth-most populous city in Tennessee. The city is both the center of population 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, one of the largest undergraduate universities in the state of Tennessee, with 20,540 total students as of fall 2024.