Murfreesboro, Tennessee#Music

{{For timeline}}

On October 27, 1811, the Tennessee General Assembly designated the location for a new county seat for Rutherford County, giving it the name Cannonsburgh in honor of Newton Cannon, representative to the assembly for the local area. At the suggestion of William Lytle, it was renamed Murfreesborough on November 29, 1811, after Revolutionary War hero Colonel Hardy Murfree, great-grandfather of author Mary Noailles Murfree.{{cite web |url=http://rutherfordtnhistory.org/a-history-of-rutherford-county/ |title=A History of Rutherford County |publisher=Rutherford County Tennessee Historical Society |access-date=March 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404122717/http://rutherfordtnhistory.org/a-history-of-rutherford-county/ |archive-date=April 4, 2019 |url-status=live }} The name was shortened to Murfreesboro in January 1812, when the town was formally chartered.{{cite news |url=https://www.wgnsradio.com/murfreesboros-200th-birthday-celebration-cms-2349 |title=Murfreesboro's 200th Birthday Celebration |publisher=WGNS |date=July 11, 2011 |access-date=March 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325024029/https://www.wgnsradio.com/murfreesboros-200th-birthday-celebration-cms-2349 |archive-date=March 25, 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ |title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States |publisher=Government Printing Office |location=Washington, D.C. |series=Geological Survey Bulletin, no. 258 |edition=2nd |first=Henry |last=Gannett |page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n217 218] |year=1905 |oclc=1156805 |access-date=October 16, 2016 }}

As Tennessee settlement expanded to the west, the location of the state capital in Knoxville became inconvenient for much of the population. In 1818, Murfreesboro was designated as the capital of Tennessee and its population boomed. Eight years later, however, it was superseded by Nashville.{{cite web |url=http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/visiting/history.htm |title=History of Murfreesboro, TN |work=MurfreesboroTN.gov |access-date=May 22, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070429175608/http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/visiting/history.htm |archive-date=April 29, 2007}}

On December 31, 1862, the Battle of Stones River, also called the Battle of Murfreesboro, was fought near the city between the Union Army of the Cumberland and the Confederate Army of Tennessee. This was a major engagement of the American Civil War, and between December 31 and January 2, 1863, the rival armies suffered a combined total of 23,515 casualties.{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/tn010.htm |title=Battle Summary: Stones River |publisher=US National Park Service |access-date=December 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110821061749/http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/tn010.htm |archive-date=August 21, 2011 |url-status=live }} It was the bloodiest battle of the war by percentage of casualties.

Following the Confederate retreat after the drawn Battle of Perryville in central Kentucky, the Confederate army moved through East Tennessee and turned northwest to defend Murfreesboro. General Braxton Bragg's veteran cavalry successfully harassed Union General William Rosecrans{{'}} troop movements, capturing and destroying many of his supply trains, but they could not completely prevent supplies and reinforcements from reaching Rosecrans. Despite the large number of casualties, the battle was inconclusive. It is usually considered a Union victory, since afterward, General Bragg retreated {{convert|36|mi}} south to Tullahoma. Even so, the Union army did not move against Bragg until six months later, in June 1863. The battle was significant, since the Union gained a base from which it could push its eventual drive further south, which enabled its later advances against Chattanooga and Atlanta. The Union eventually divided the territory into the Eastern and Western theaters, followed by Sherman's March to the Sea through the South. The Stones River National Battlefield is now a national historical site.

General Rosecrans' move to the south depended on a secure source of provisions, and Murfreesboro was chosen for his supply depot. Soon after the battle, Brigadier General James St. Clair Morton, chief engineer of the Army of the Cumberland, was ordered to build Fortress Rosecrans, some {{convert|2|mi}} northwest of the town. The fortifications covered about {{convert|225|acre|km2}} and were the largest built during the war. Fortress Rosecrans consisted of eight lunettes, four redoubts, and connecting fortifications. The fortress was built around the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad and the West Fork of the Stones River; two roads provided additional access and transportation.

The fort's interior was a huge logistical resource center, including sawmills, warehouses, quartermaster maintenance depots, ammunition magazines, and living quarters for the 2,000 men who handled the operations and defended the post. After the fortress was completed in June 1863, Rosecrans ventured to the south.{{cite web |url=https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/fortress-rosecrans/ |title=TN Encyclopedia: FORTRESS ROSECRANS |access-date=February 23, 2025}} The fortress was never attacked, in part because the Union troops held the town of Murfreesboro hostage by training their artillery on the courthouse. Major portions of the earthworks still exist and have been incorporated into the battlefield historic site.

Murfreesboro was first developed as a mainly agricultural community, but by 1853, the area was home to several colleges and academies. Despite the wartime trauma, the town's growth had begun to recover by the early 1900s, in contrast to other areas of the devastated South.

In 1911, the state legislature created Middle Tennessee State Normal School, a two-year institute to train teachers. It soon merged with the Tennessee College for Women. In 1925, the normal school was expanded to a full, four-year curriculum and college. With additional expansion of programs and addition of graduate departments in 1965, it became Middle Tennessee State University.{{cite web |url=http://www.mtsu.edu/about_facts.shtml |title=Facts |publisher=Middle Tennessee State University |access-date=November 19, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101119053321/http://mtsu.edu/about_facts.shtml |archive-date=November 19, 2010}} MTSU now has the largest undergraduate enrollment in the state, including many international students.

World War II was an impetus for industrial development, and Murfreesboro diversified into industry, manufacturing, and education. Growth has been steady since that time, creating a stable economy.

Since the last decade of the 20th century, Murfreesboro has enjoyed substantial residential and commercial growth, with its population increasing 123.9% between 1990 and 2010, from 44,922 to 108,755.{{cite web |url=http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/default.aspx?ekmenu=160&id=3140 |title=Murfreesboro History |publisher=City of Murfreesboro |date=2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100929041016/http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/default.aspx?ekmenu=160&id=3140 |archive-date=September 29, 2010}} The city has been a destination for many refugee immigrants who have left areas affected by warfare; since 1990, numerous people from Somalia and Kurds from Iraq have settled there.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}} The city has also attracted numerous international students to the university.{{cite news |author=|title=MTSU services nation's largest Kurdish community

|url=https://www.murfreesboropost.com/news/mtsu-services-nation-s-largest-kurdish-community/article_5492ca10-e902-58f9-a075-c743fcbd03ae.html|work=The Murfreesboro Post|date=August 18, 2010|access-date=June 2, 2020}}

{{Main|Islamic Center of Murfreesboro}}

Beginning in 2010, the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro faced protests related to its plan to build a new {{convert|12000|ft2|adj=on}} mosque. The county planning council had approved the project, but opposition grew in the aftermath, affected by this being a year of elections. Signs on the building site were vandalized, with the first saying "not welcome" sprayed across it and the second being cut in two.{{cite news |url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2011847,00.html |title=In Murfreesboro, Tenn.: Church 'Yes,' Mosque 'No' |magazine=Time |first=Elizabeth |last=Kauffman |date=August 19, 2010 |access-date=July 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811192437/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2011847,00.html |archive-date=August 11, 2011 |url-status=dead }} Construction equipment was also torched by arsonists.{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fire-at-tenn-mosque-building-site-ruled-arson/ |title=Fire at Tenn. Mosque Building Site Ruled Arson |work=Associated Press via CBS News |date=August 30, 2010 |access-date=July 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813125849/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/08/28/national/main6814690.shtml |archive-date=August 13, 2011 |url-status=live }}

In August 2011, a Rutherford County judge upheld his previous decision allowing the mosque to be built, noting the US constitutional right to religious freedom and the ICM's observance of needed process.{{cite web |url=http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110831/NEWS01/308310117/Judge-upholds-ruling-Murfreesboro-mosque |title=Judge upholds ruling for Murfreesboro mosque |author=Broden, Scott |date=August 31, 2011 |work=The Tennessean |publisher=Gannett Tennessee |access-date=September 4, 2011}}{{Dead link|date=August 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The center has a permanent membership of around 250 families and a few hundred students from the university.{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/WN/murfreesboro-tennessee-mosque-plan-draws-criticism-residents/story?id=10956381 |title=Plan for Mosque in Tennessee Town Draws Criticism from Residents |author=Blackburn, Bradley |date=June 18, 2010 |work=ABC News |access-date=September 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111218194158/http://abcnews.go.com/WN/murfreesboro-tennessee-mosque-plan-draws-criticism-residents/story?id=10956381 |archive-date=December 18, 2011 |url-status=live }} The case ultimately attracted national media attention as an issue of religious freedom.

In June 2023, the city passed an ordinance banning public homosexuality as indecent.{{cite web |last=Hansford |first=Amelia |date=November 11, 2023 |title=Officials are gunning for LGBTQ+ library books with sinister ordinance banning 'public homosexuality' |url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/11/11/tennessee-book-ban-public-ordinance-banning-homosexuality/ |access-date=November 13, 2023 |website=PinkNews }}{{Cite web |last=Reed |first=Erin |title=City Ordinance Banning Public Homosexuality Reaches Rutherford County Libraries |url=https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/city-ordinance-banning-public-homosexuality |access-date=November 13, 2023 |website=www.erininthemorning.com |language=en}} In October 2023, the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit against the city, in response to the ban{{cite news |title=City of Murfreesboro amends ordinance banning public homosexuality |author=Brianna Hamblin |date=November 18, 2023 |work= WTVF |url=https://www.newschannel5.com/news/city-of-murfreesboro-amends-ordinance-banning-public-homosexuality#:~:text=MURFREESBORO%2C%20Tenn.,against%20the%20city%20in%20response. |accessdate=November 18, 2023}} and, in December 2023, the ordinance was repealed.{{Cite tweet | author=Murfreesboro Holler| user=TheBoroHoller |number=1738385882225295378 |title=INBOX: We're told MURFREESBORO @cityofmborotn just quietly repealed their controversial "decency ordinance", which was being used as cover for anti-LGBTQ censorship. }}

File:Swanson building 9743.JPG

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|39.2|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|0.2|sqmi|km2|abbr=on}} of it (0.54%) is covered by water. As of 2013, though, the city reported its total area as {{convert|55.94|sqmi|km2}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/215 |title=Fiscal Year 2013-2014 Annual Budget |publisher=City of Murfreesboro |year=2013 |access-date=February 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108171023/http://murfreesborotn.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/215 |archive-date=January 8, 2017 |url-status=live }}{{rp|24}}

Murfreesboro is the geographic center of the state of Tennessee. A stone monument marks the official site on Old Lascassas Pike, about {{convert|0.5|mi|km|1}} north of MTSU.

The West Fork of the Stones River flows through Murfreesboro. A walking trail, the Greenway, parallels the river for several miles. A smaller waterway, Lytle Creek, flows through downtown, including historic Cannonsburgh Village. Parts of the {{convert|19|mi|km|adj=on}} long creek suffer from pollution due to the urban environment and its use as a storm-water runoff.{{cite web |url=http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/default.aspx?ekmenu=42&id=4770 |title=Lytle Creek |work=MurfreesboroTN.gov |date=November 3, 2009 |access-date=September 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927120826/http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/default.aspx?ekmenu=42&id=4770 |archive-date=September 27, 2011 |url-status=dead}}

Murfreesboro is home to a number of natural and man-made lakes, plus several small wetlands, including Todd's Lake and the Murfree Spring wetland area.{{cite web |url=http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/default.aspx?ekmenu=42&id=8190 |title=Understanding Town Creek |work=MurfreesboroTN.gov |year=2008 |access-date=November 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015230152/http://murfreesborotn.gov/default.aspx?ekmenu=42&id=8190 |archive-date=October 15, 2012 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |url=https://wiki.epa.gov/watershed2/index.php/Town_Creek,_Murfreesboro_Tennessee |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713205101/https://wiki.epa.gov/watershed2/index.php/Town_Creek,_Murfreesboro_Tennessee |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 13, 2014 |title=Town Creek, Murfreesboro Tennessee |work=EPA.gov |access-date=November 9, 2012}}

Murfreesboro has been in the path of destructive tornados several times. On April 10, 2009, a low-end EF4 tornado with estimated windspeeds up to 170 miles per hour struck the fringes of Murfreesboro. As a result, two people were killed and 41 others injured; 117 homes were totally destroyed, and 292 had major damage. The tornado is estimated to have caused over $40 million in damage.{{cite news |url=http://www.dnj.com/article/20090417/NEWS01/904170331 |title=Damage estimates hit $41.8M |work=The Daily News Journal |first=Doug |last=Davis |date=April 17, 2009 |access-date=April 17, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090421144408/http://dnj.com/article/20090417/NEWS01/904170331 |archive-date=April 21, 2009}}

Being in the Sun Belt, Murfreesboro's climate is humid subtropical (Cfa) under the Köppen system, with mild winters and hot, humid summers. Under the Trewartha system, it is an oceanic (Do) climate due to five months of winter chill (monthly means below {{Convert|50|F|C}}); however, Murfreesboro is close to being humid subtropical (Cf) even under Trewartha (March falls {{Convert|0.9|F|C}} short of the threshold), supported by the fact that subtropical plants like Southern magnolia trees and the occasional dwarf palmetto and needle palm shrubs can thrive long-term there but struggle much further north. The hardiness zone is 7. Temperatures range from a record low of {{Convert|-19|F|C}} on January 26, 1940, to a record high of {{Convert|109|F|C}} on August 16, 1954.{{Cite web|url=https://www.weather.gov/ohx/calendar|title=Calendar of Significant Weather Events in Middle Tennessee}} Precipitation is abundant year-round without any major difference, but there is still slight variation. The wet season runs from February through July, reaching its peak in June with {{Convert|144|mm}} of rain. The dry season runs from August through January with a September low of {{Convert|88|mm}} and a secondary December peak of {{Convert|141|mm}}.

{{Weather box

|location = Murfreesboro, Tennessee (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1890–present)

|single line = Y

|Jan record high F = 78

|Feb record high F = 83

|Mar record high F = 89

|Apr record high F = 91

|May record high F = 97

|Jun record high F = 108

|Jul record high F = 108

|Aug record high F = 109

|Sep record high F = 107

|Oct record high F = 97

|Nov record high F = 87

|Dec record high F = 77

|year record high F = 109

| Jan avg record high F = 68

| Feb avg record high F = 72

| Mar avg record high F = 79

| Apr avg record high F = 84

| May avg record high F = 89

| Jun avg record high F = 94

| Jul avg record high F = 96

| Aug avg record high F = 96

| Sep avg record high F = 94

| Oct avg record high F = 86

| Nov avg record high F = 78

| Dec avg record high F = 69

| year avg record high F = 98

|Jan high F = 47.9

|Feb high F = 52.5

|Mar high F = 61.1

|Apr high F = 70.9

|May high F = 79.0

|Jun high F = 86.2

|Jul high F = 89.2

|Aug high F = 89.0

|Sep high F = 83.8

|Oct high F = 73.1

|Nov high F = 60.9

|Dec high F = 51.3

|year high F = 70.4

|Jan mean F = 37.7

|Feb mean F = 41.4

|Mar mean F = 49.1

|Apr mean F = 58.3

|May mean F = 67.2

|Jun mean F = 75.3

|Jul mean F = 78.8

|Aug mean F = 77.8

|Sep mean F = 71.6

|Oct mean F = 59.9

|Nov mean F = 48.9

|Dec mean F = 41.2

|year mean F = 58.9

|Jan low F = 27.5

|Feb low F = 30.4

|Mar low F = 37.2

|Apr low F = 45.7

|May low F = 55.3

|Jun low F = 64.4

|Jul low F = 68.4

|Aug low F = 66.6

|Sep low F = 59.3

|Oct low F = 46.7

|Nov low F = 36.8

|Dec low F = 31.0

|year low F = 47.4

| Jan avg record low F = 9

| Feb avg record low F = 13

| Mar avg record low F = 20

| Apr avg record low F = 29

| May avg record low F = 39

| Jun avg record low F = 52

| Jul avg record low F = 59

| Aug avg record low F = 56

| Sep avg record low F = 43

| Oct avg record low F = 30

| Nov avg record low F = 20

| Dec avg record low F = 15

| year avg record low F = 7

|Jan record low F = −19

|Feb record low F = −16

|Mar record low F = 2

|Apr record low F = 19

|May record low F = 32

|Jun record low F = 38

|Jul record low F = 47

|Aug record low F = 41

|Sep record low F = 33

|Oct record low F = 21

|Nov record low F = -3

|Dec record low F = −9

|year record low F = -19

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 4.66

|Feb precipitation inch = 4.87

|Mar precipitation inch = 5.29

|Apr precipitation inch = 4.83

|May precipitation inch = 4.93

|Jun precipitation inch = 5.68

|Jul precipitation inch = 4.95

|Aug precipitation inch = 3.61

|Sep precipitation inch = 4.04

|Oct precipitation inch = 3.46

|Nov precipitation inch = 4.06

|Dec precipitation inch = 5.54

|year precipitation inch = 55.92

|Jan snow inch = 0.8

|Feb snow inch = 0.7

|Mar snow inch = 0.4

|Apr snow inch = 0.0

|May snow inch = 0.0

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 0.0

|Nov snow inch = 0.0

|Dec snow inch = 0.3

|year snow inch = 2.2

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 12.4

|Feb precipitation days = 11.7

|Mar precipitation days = 12.5

|Apr precipitation days = 11.1

|May precipitation days = 12.3

|Jun precipitation days = 12.4

|Jul precipitation days = 10.8

|Aug precipitation days = 9.9

|Sep precipitation days = 8.9

|Oct precipitation days = 9.6

|Nov precipitation days = 10.1

|Dec precipitation days = 12.8

|year precipitation days = 134.5

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 0.7

|Feb snow days = 0.7

|Mar snow days = 0.3

|Apr snow days = 0.0

|May snow days = 0.0

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.0

|Nov snow days = 0.0

|Dec snow days = 0.4

|year snow days = 2.1

| source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=ohx

| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = May 28, 2021}}

{{cite web

| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00406371&format=pdf

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| title = Station: Murfreesboro 5 N, TN

| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020)

| access-date = May 28, 2021}}

}}

{{US Census population

|1850= 1917

|1860= 2861

|1870= 3502

|1880= 3800

|1890= 3739

|1900= 3999

|1910= 4679

|1920= 5367

|1930= 7993

|1940= 9495

|1950= 13052

|1960= 18991

|1970= 26360

|1980= 32845

|1990= 44922

|2000= 68816

|2010= 108755

|2020= 152769

| estyear = 2023

| estimate = 165430

| estref = {{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/murfreesborocitytennessee/AFN120217 |date=May 16, 2024|title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=May 16, 2024}}

|footnote=Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau
U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 6, 2014}}
{{cbignore}}{{cite web|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=P1_001N,NAME&for=place:*&in=state:47&key=5ccd0821c15d9f4520e2dcc0f8d92b2ec9336108|title=Census Population API|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}

}}

As of the 2020 United States census, 152,769 people, 52,530 households, and 31,732 families resided in the city.

As of the 2010 census, 108,755 people were living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 75.62% White, 15.18% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 3.36% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.79% from other races, and 2.65% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5.93% of the population.

Of the 26,511 households, 30.7% had children under 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were not families. About 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the city, the age distribution was 22.7% under 18, 20.5% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $39,705, and for a family was $52,654. Males had a median income of $36,078 versus $26,531 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,219. About 8.2% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.0% of those under 18 and 11.1% of those 65 and older.

Special census estimates in 2005 indicated 81,393 residents, and in 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey estimated a population of 92,559, with 35,842 households and 20,979 families in the city. Murfreesboro's 2008 special census reported that the population had reached 100,575,{{cite news |url=http://dnj.com/article/20090701/NEWS01/907010331/ |title='Boro ranks 12th in U.S. for growth |work=Daily News Journal |first=Melinda |last=Hudgins |date=July 1, 2009 |access-date=July 1, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090715052419/http://dnj.com/article/20090701/NEWS01/907010331 |archive-date=July 15, 2009 |url-status=dead}} while preliminary information from the 2010 U.S. census indicates a population of 108,755. In October 2017, the City of Murfreesboro started another special census. Given the continuous growth in the general area, the population is expected to exceed the 2016 estimate of 131,947.{{cite web |url=https://www.murfreesborotn.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1881 |title='Be Murfreesboro, Be Counted': Special Census available online |publisher=City of Murfreesboro |date=November 28, 2017 |access-date=December 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171205093647/https://www.murfreesborotn.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1881 |archive-date=December 5, 2017 |url-status=dead}} According to Money.com in 2018, 136,000 people called Murfreesboro home and it would see a nearly 10% expansion of jobs in the coming years.{{Cite web |last=Lim |first=Christine |date=August 28, 2018 |title=Murfreesboro, Tennessee |url=https://money.com/collection-post/murfreesboro-tennessee/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819074918/https://money.com/collection-post/murfreesboro-tennessee/ |archive-date=August 19, 2020 |website=Money.com}}

According to Murfreesboro's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,{{cite web |url=https://www.murfreesborotn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/28344/2023-Financial-Report-PDF |title=Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, Fiscal Year June 30, 2023 |publisher=City of Murfreesboro, Tennessee |page=208 |date=January 31, 2024 |access-date=February 23, 2025 |url-status=live }} the top employers in Rutherford County are:

Murfreesboro hosts several music-oriented events annually, such as the Main Street Jazzfest presented by MTSU's School of Music and the Main Street Association each May.{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/moonhandbooksten0000litt |url-access=registration |title=Tennessee |series=Moon Handbooks |publisher=Avalon Travel |first=Margaret |last=Littman |pages=[https://archive.org/details/moonhandbooksten0000litt/page/271 271]–272 |year=2013 |isbn=978-1612381503 |access-date=October 16, 2016 }}{{cite news |url=http://southernmanners.com/mainstreet-murfreesboro-releases-lineup-jazzfest/2534 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310210949/http://southernmanners.com/mainstreet-murfreesboro-releases-lineup-jazzfest/2534 |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 10, 2014 |title=Main Street Murfreesboro releases lineup for JazzFest |work=Southern Manners |date=March 10, 2014 |access-date=March 26, 2014}} For over 30 years, Uncle Dave Macon Days has celebrated the musical tradition of Uncle Dave Macon. This annual July event includes national competitions for old-time music and dancing.{{cite news |url=http://www.murfreesboropost.com/uncle-dave-macon-days-celebrates-36-years-cms-36003 |title=Uncle Dave Macon Days celebrates 36 years |work=Murfreesboro Post |date=June 26, 2013 |access-date=March 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331174703/http://www.murfreesboropost.com/uncle-dave-macon-days-celebrates-36-years-cms-36003 |archive-date=March 31, 2014 |url-status=live }}

Murfreesboro also hosts an annual DIY not-for-profit music festival called Boro Fondo, which is also a bike tour and local artist feature.{{cite news |url=https://rutherfordsource.com/murfreesboros-music-festival-releases-lineup-itinerary/ |title=Murfreesboro's music festival releases lineup, itinerary |work=Rutherford Source |date=April 17, 2014 |access-date=May 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180503180448/https://rutherfordsource.com/murfreesboros-music-festival-releases-lineup-itinerary/ |archive-date=May 3, 2018 |url-status=live }}

The Murfreesboro Center for the Arts, close to the Square, entertains with a variety of exhibits, theatre arts, concerts, dances, and magic shows. Murfreesboro Little Theatre has provided the community with popular and alternative forms of theatre arts since 1962.{{cite news |url=http://www.murfreesboropost.com/murfreesboro-little-theatre-wraps-up-50th-season-cms-36318 |title=Murfreesboro Little Theatre wraps up 50th season |work=Murfreesboro Post |first=Michelle |last=Willard |date=July 25, 2013 |access-date=March 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331174552/http://www.murfreesboropost.com/murfreesboro-little-theatre-wraps-up-50th-season-cms-36318 |archive-date=March 31, 2014 |url-status=live }}

Murfreesboro's International FolkFest began in 1982, and is held annually during the second week in June. Groups from countries spanning the globe participate in the festival, performing traditional songs and dances while attired in regional apparel.{{cite news |url=http://www.murfreesboropost.com/international-folkfest-celebrates-diversity-cms-31473 |title=International Folkfest celebrates diversity |work=Murfreesboro Post |first=Marie |last=Kemph |date=June 10, 2012 |access-date=March 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331174826/http://www.murfreesboropost.com/international-folkfest-celebrates-diversity-cms-31473 |archive-date=March 31, 2014 |url-status=live }}

The Discovery Center at Murfree Spring is a nature center and interactive museum focusing on children and families. The facility includes {{convert|20|acre|0}} of wetlands with a variety of animals.{{cite news |url=http://www.dnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2014302220007 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140326205356/http://www.dnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2014302220007 |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 26, 2014 |title=Discovery Center adds Lifelong Learning classes |work=The Daily News Journal |date=February 21, 2014 |access-date=March 26, 2014}}

Bradley Academy Museum contains collectibles and exhibits of the first school in Rutherford County. This school was later renovated to become the only African American school in Murfreesboro, which closed in 1955.{{cite news |url=http://www.murfreesboropost.com/bradley-academy-dates-back-to-1811-cms-21514 |title=Bradley Academy dates back to 1811 |work=Murfreesboro Post |first=Mike |last=West |date=January 24, 2010 |access-date=March 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201165222/http://www.murfreesboropost.com/bradley-academy-dates-back-to-1811-cms-21514 |archive-date=February 1, 2014 |url-status=live }}

The Stones River National Battlefield is a national park that memorializes the Battle of Stones River, which took place during the American Civil War during December 31, 1862, to January 3, 1863. The grounds include a museum, a national cemetery, monuments, and the remains of a large earthen fortification called Fortress Rosecrans.

Oaklands Historic House Museum is a 19th-century mansion which became involved in the Civil War. It was occupied as a residence until the 1950s, after which it was purchased by the City of Murfreesboro and renovated into a museum by the Oaklands Association.{{cite web |url=http://www.oaklandsmuseum.org/history.php |title=History of Oaklands Plantation |publisher=Oaklands Historic House Museum |access-date=March 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127035624/http://www.oaklandsmuseum.org/history.php |archive-date=November 27, 2013 |url-status=dead}}

Earth Experience: The Middle Tennessee Museum of Natural History is the only natural history museum in Middle Tennessee. The museum opened in September 2014 and features more than 2,000 items on display, including a complete replica Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton.{{cite news |url=http://www.dnj.com/story/life/2014/09/08/earth-experience-museum-now-open/15298109/ |title=Earth Experience: Museum now open |work=Daily News Journal |first=Nancy |last=De Gennaro |date=September 8, 2014 |access-date=October 21, 2017}}{{cite news |url=http://mtsusidelines.com/2017/02/rock-on-murfreesboros-museum-of-natural-history/ |title='Rock on': Murfreesboro's Museum of Natural History |work=MTSU Sidelines |first=Caleb |last=Revill |date=February 24, 2017 |access-date=October 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171022033912/http://mtsusidelines.com/2017/02/rock-on-murfreesboros-museum-of-natural-history/ |archive-date=October 22, 2017 |url-status=live }}

Two main malls are located within the city limits. Stones River Mall is a traditional enclosed mall featuring many stores and restaurants, and The Avenue Murfreesboro is an outdoor lifestyle center.

The Historic Downtown Murfreesboro district also offers a wide variety of shopping and dining experiences that encircle the pre-Civil War Courthouse.{{cite web |url=http://www.downtownmurfreesboro.com/ |title=Main Street Murfreesboro |work=DowntownMurfreesboro.com |access-date=March 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331191224/http://www.downtownmurfreesboro.com/ |archive-date=March 31, 2014 |url-status=live }}

Murfreesboro is the home of a Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy, part of an initiative by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide mail-order prescriptions to veterans using computerization at strategic locations throughout the United States. It is located on the campus of the Alvin C. York Veterans Hospital.

The City Center building (also known as the Swanson Building) is the tallest building in Murfreesboro. Located in the downtown area, it was built by Joseph Swanson in 1989.{{cite web |title=100 E Vine Street – City Center |url=http://www.showcase.com/property/100-E-Vine-Street/Murfreesboro/Tennessee/833742 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110415004256/http://www.showcase.com/property/100-E-Vine-Street/Murfreesboro/Tennessee/833742 |archive-date=April 15, 2011 |work=Showcase.com}} It has 15 floors, including a large penthouse, and stands {{convert|211|ft|m}} tall.{{cite web |title=City Center |url=http://www.emporis.com/building/citycenter-murfreesboro-tn-usa |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701125552/http://www.emporis.com/building/citycenter-murfreesboro-tn-usa |archive-date=July 1, 2014 |access-date=March 30, 2014 |work=Emporis.com}} As a commercial building its tenants include Bank of America and is the headquarters for the National Healthcare Corporation (NHC).

• Discovery Center at Murfree Spring
• Geographic center of Tennessee
• Middle Tennessee State University
• Oaklands Historic House Museum
• Stones River Greenway Arboretum
• Stones River National Battlefield

Cannonsburgh Village is a reproduction of what a working pioneer village would have looked like from the period of the 1830s to the 1930s. Visitors can view the grist mill, school house, doctor's office, Leeman House, Caboose, Wedding Chapel, and other points of interest. It is also home to the World's Largest Cedar Bucket.{{cite web |url=http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/index.aspx?nid=164 |title=Cannonsburgh Village |publisher=City of Murfreesboro |access-date=March 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209053651/http://murfreesborotn.gov/index.aspx?NID=164 |archive-date=February 9, 2014 |url-status=live }}

Old Fort Park is a {{convert|50|acre|m2|adj=on}} park which includes baseball fields, tennis courts, children's playground, an 18-hole championship golf course, picnic shelters and bike trail.{{cite web |url=http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/government/parks_rec/Parks/old_fort.htm |title=Old Fort Park |publisher=City of Murfreesboro |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720074029/http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/government/parks_rec/Parks/old_fort.htm |archive-date=July 20, 2008}}

Barfield Crescent Park is a {{convert|430|acre|m2|adj=on}} facility with eight baseball fields, {{convert|7|mi|km}} of biking/running trails, an 18-hole championship disc golf course, and ten picnic shelters.{{cite web |url=http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/index.aspx?nid=181 |title=Barfield Crescent Park |publisher=City of Murfreesboro |access-date=March 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209054742/http://murfreesborotn.gov/index.aspx?NID=181 |archive-date=February 9, 2014 |url-status=live }}

Murfreesboro Greenway System is a system of greenways with {{convert|12|mi|km}} of paved paths and 11 trail heads.{{cite web |url=http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/default.aspx?ekmenu=126&id=3044 |title=Murfreesboro Greenway system |publisher=City of Murfreesboro |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130118130957/http://murfreesborotn.gov/default.aspx?ekmenu=126&id=3044 |archive-date=January 18, 2013}} In 2013, the city council approved a controversial 25-year "master plan" to extend the system by adding 173 miles worth of new greenways, bikeways and blueways at an estimated cost of $104.8 million.{{cite news |url=http://wgnsradio.com/concerns-and-enthusiasm-over-greenway-expansion-clash-at-city-council-meeting-cms-11578 |title=Concerns and Enthusiasm Over Greenway Expansion Clash at City Council Meeting |work=WGNS |date=March 7, 2013 |access-date=March 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713003415/http://wgnsradio.com/concerns-and-enthusiasm-over-greenway-expansion-clash-at-city-council-meeting-cms-11578 |archive-date=July 13, 2014 |url-status=live }}

{{see also|Mayoral elections in Murfreesboro, Tennessee}}

The city council has six members, all elected at-large for four-year terms, on staggered schedules with elections every two years. The mayor is also elected at large. City council members have responsibilities for various city departments.

{{hidden begin|title=List of mayors of Murfreesboro, Tennessee|titlestyle=background:#F8F8FF;width:80%}}

• Joshua Haskell, 1818{{cite book |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/publication02ruth#page/n85/mode/2up |chapter=Mayors of Murfreesboro, 1818-1973 |title=Publication No. 2 |publisher=Rutherford County Historical Society |location=Murfreesboro, TN |via=Internet Archive |first=W. H. |last=Westbrooks |pages=37–38 |date=Winter 1973}} {{free access}}{{cite book |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/tennesseecountyh75pitt#page/132/mode/2up |chapter=Appendix B: Mayors of Murfreesboro |title=Rutherford County |series=Tennessee County History Series |publisher=Memphis State University Press |via=Internet Archive |first=Mabel |last=Pittard |editor-first=Robert E. |editor-last=Corlew III |pages=132–133 |date=1984 |isbn=0-87870-182-6 |oclc=6820526}} {{free access}}
• David Wendel, 1819
• Robert Purdy, 1820
• Henry Holmes, 1821
• W. R. Rucker, 1822–1823
• John Jones, 1824
• Wm. Ledbetter, 1825, 1827
• John Smith, 1828, 1830
• Edward Fisher, 1829, 1836, 1839
• James C. Moore, 1831
• Charles Ready, 1832
• Charles Niles, 1833
• Marman Spence, 1834
• M. Spence, 1835
• L. H. Carney, 1837
• Edwin Augustus Keeble, 1838, 1855
• G. A. Sublett, 1840
• B. W. Farmer, 1841–1842, 1845–1846
• Henderson King Yoakum, 1843
• Wilson Thomas, 1844
• John Leiper, 1847–1848
• Charles Ready, 1849–1853, 1867
• F. Henry, 1854
• Joseph B. Palmer, 1856–1859
• John W. Burton, 1860–1861
• John E. Dromgoole, 1862
• James Monro Tompkins, 1863–1864
• R. D. Reed, 1865–1866
• E. L. Jordan, 1868–1869
• Thomas B. Darragh, 1870
• Joseph A. January 1871
• I. B. Collier, 1872–1873
• J. B. Murfree, 1874–1875
• H. H. Kerr, 1876
• H. H. Clayton, 1877
• N. C. Collier, 1878–1879
• Jas. Clayton, 1880–1881
• E. F. Burton, 1882–1883
• J. M. Overall, 1884–1885
• H. E. Palmer, 1886–1887
• Tom H. Woods, 1888–1895
• J. T. Wrather, 1896–1897
• J. O. Oslin, 1898–1899
• J. H. Chrichlow, 1900–1909
• G. B. Giltner, 1910–1918
• N. C. Maney, 1919–1922, 1932–1934
• Al D. McKnight, 1923–1931
• W. T. Gerhardt, 1934–1936, 1941–1942
• W. A. Miles, 1937–1940, 1943–1946
• John T. Holloway, 1947–1950
• Jennings A. Jones, 1951–1954
• A. L. Todd Jr., 1955–1964
• William Hollis Westbrooks, 1965-1982{{cite news |url=https://www.murfreesboropost.com/news/former-mayors-honored-with-street-names/article_03b71c81-509b-51c9-a350-144222914d7b.html |title=Former mayors honored with street names |work=Murfreesboro Post |date=September 8, 2013 |access-date=January 7, 2018}}
• Joe B. Jackson, 1982-1998{{cite news |url=https://www.murfreesboropost.com/news/update-former-mayor-joe-b-jackson-dies/article_89f7fdf8-f4f1-584d-a07a-b8fb7219cf6c.html |title=Update: Former Mayor Joe B. Jackson dies |work=Murfreesboro Post |date=April 22, 2008 |access-date=January 29, 2018}}{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=82F4jvxVUnoC&pg=PA8577 |section=Honoring the Distinguished Career of Mayor Joe B. Jackson |title=Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the 105th Congress, Second Session |publisher=Government Printing Office |first=Bart |last=Gordon |volume=144 |issue=6 |page=8577 |date=May 7, 1998|isbn=9780160857072 }}
• Richard Reeves, 1998-2002
• Tommy Bragg, 2002-2014{{cite news |url=http://www.murfreesboropost.com/end-of-the-bragg-era--cms-39113 |title=End of 'The Bragg Era' |work=The Murfreesboro Post |first=Jonathon |last=Fagan |date=April 27, 2014 |access-date=August 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825184559/http://www.murfreesboropost.com/end-of-the-bragg-era--cms-39113 |archive-date=August 25, 2017 |url-status=live }}
• Shane McFarland, 2014–present{{cite web |url=http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/497/Mayor |title=Mayor: Shane McFarland |publisher=City of Murfreesboro |access-date=August 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825194602/http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/497/Mayor |archive-date=August 25, 2017 |url-status=live }}

{{hidden end}}

Elementary education within the city is overseen by Murfreesboro City Schools (MCS). MCS focuses on prekindergarten through sixth grade learning.{{cite web |url=http://www.cityschools.net/schools |title=Schools |publisher=Murfreesboro City Schools |access-date=August 16, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729031131/http://www.cityschools.net/schools |archive-date=July 29, 2013 |url-status=live }} The city has 12 schools serving 8,800 students between grades pre-K through 6th.{{Cite web |url=http://www.cityschools.net/mcs/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/MCS-Community-Report-2017.pdf |title=Community Report |publisher=Murfreesboro City Schools |year=2017 |access-date=February 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413060648/http://www.cityschools.net/mcs/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/MCS-Community-Report-2017.pdf |archive-date=April 13, 2018 |url-status=live }}

Secondary schools are overseen by Rutherford County Schools, which has 50 schools and a student population of over 49,000.{{cite web |url=https://1.cdn.edl.io/vHCpnEAPvK39m0tD9hJzQbu8UCbviqy6lB4HSvjnPNzaIENI.pdf |title=Fact Book and Annual Report |publisher=Rutherford County Schools |date=May 2018 |access-date=February 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181219044138/https://1.cdn.edl.io/vHCpnEAPvK39m0tD9hJzQbu8UCbviqy6lB4HSvjnPNzaIENI.pdf |archive-date=December 19, 2018 |url-status=live }}

The Japanese Supplementary School in Middle Tennessee (JSMT, 中部テネシー日本語補習校 Chūbu Teneshī Nihongo Hoshūkō), a weekend Japanese education program, holds its classes in Peck Hall at Middle Tennessee State University, while its school offices are in Jefferson Square.{{cite web |url=http://www.jsmt.org/?page_id=148 |title=所在地・連絡先 |publisher=Japanese Supplementary School in Middle Tennessee |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150406023335/http://www.jsmt.org/?page_id=148 |archive-date=April 6, 2015 |access-date=April 5, 2015 |url-status=dead }}

{{see also|List of newspapers in Tennessee|List of radio stations in Tennessee|List of television stations in Tennessee}}

Murfreesboro is serviced by the following media outlets:

Newspapers:

• The Daily News Journal
• The Murfreesboro Post
• The Murfreesboro Pulse
• Sidelines – MTSU student newspaper
• Rutherford Source
• The Sword of the Lord

Radio:

• WGNS – Talk radio
• WMOT – MTSU public radio station
• WMTS-FM – MTSU free-form student-run station
• WRHW-LP - 3ABN Radio Christian

TV:

• City TV Murfreesboro, Channel 3 – Government-access television channel
• MTN – MTSU student-run educational-access television channel

Murfreesboro is served by Nashville International Airport (IATA code BNA), Smyrna Airport (MQY) and Murfreesboro Municipal Airport (MBT). The city also benefits from several highways running through the city, including Interstates 24 and 840; U.S. Routes 41, 70S, and 231; and State Routes 1, 2, 10, 96, 99, and 268.

Industry also has access to north–south rail service with the rail line from Nashville to Chattanooga. Into the latter 1940s the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway's #3/#4 (Memphis - Nashville - Atlanta) served Murfreesboro.{{cite journal |title=Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Ry, Table 1 |journal=Official Guide of the Railways |publisher=National Railway Publication Company |volume=78 |issue=12 |date=May 1946}} By 1950 that train's route was shortened to Nashville - Atlanta. Until 1965 the Louisville & Nashville's Dixie Flyer (Chicago - Florida) made a stop in the town on its route. Likewise, the #3/#2 (renumbered from #3/4) continued to that period as an overnight train between Nashville and Atlanta, also making a stop in town.{{cite journal |title=Louisville and Nashville, Table 2 |journal=Official Guide of the Railways |publisher=National Railway Publication Company |volume=94 |issue=1 |date=June 1961}}

In April 2007 the City of Murfreesboro established a public transportation system with nine small buses, each capable of holding sixteen people and including two spaces for wheelchairs. The system is called Rover; the buses are bright green with Rover and a cartoon dog painted on the side. {{As of|2019}}, buses operate in six major corridors: Memorial Boulevard, Gateway, Old Fort Parkway, South Church Street, Highland Avenue and Mercury Boulevard.{{cite web |url=http://murfreesborotn.gov/248/Public-Transit---Rover-Bus-System |title=Public Transit - Rover Bus System |publisher=City of Murfreesboro |access-date=May 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401051606/http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/248/Public-Transit---Rover-Bus-System |archive-date=April 1, 2019 |url-status=live }}

A one-way fare is {{US$|1.00}} for adults, {{US$|0.50}} for children 6–16 and seniors 65 and over, and free for children under 6. The system operates Monday to Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.{{cite news |url=http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/news/roverbegins.htm |title='Rover' bus service set to begin in early April |publisher=City of Murfreesboro |access-date=March 22, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070502191425/http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/news/roverbegins.htm |archive-date=May 2, 2007}}{{cite news |title=Work begins on Rover bus fleet |work=Daily News Journal |first=Turner |last=Hutchens |date=January 5, 2007}}

• Jerry Anderson (1953–1989), football player
• Rankin Barbee (1874–1958), journalist and author
• Ronnie Barrett (born 1954), firearms manufacturer
• Rex Brothers (born 1987), Major League Baseball pitcher, currently on the Chicago Cubs
• James M. Buchanan (1919–2013), economist
• Bryan M. Clayton - businessman and real estate investor, CEO and cofounder of GreenPal
• Reno Collier, stand-up comedian
• Crystal Dangerfield (born 1998), Los Angeles Sparks point guard
• Marisa Davila (born 1997), actress and singer {{Cite web|url= https://eu.dnj.com/story/life/2016/03/11/murfreesboros-marisa-davila-earns-roles-tv-shows/81653366/ |title= Murfreesboro's Marisa Davila earns roles on TV shows |first= Nancy |last= De Gennaro |publisher= Daily News Journal |date=March 11, 2016}}
• Colton Dixon (born 1991), singer
• Will Allen Dromgoole, (1860–1934), author and poet
• Harold Earthman (1900–1987), politician
• Mary Ann Eckles (born 1947), politician
• Corn Elder (born 1994), football player
• Jeff Givens (died 2013), horse trainer
• Bart Gordon (born 1949), politician and lawyer
• Francis Avent Gumm (1886–1935), vaudevillian, theater manager, and father of Judy Garland
• Joe Black Hayes (1915–2013), football player
• James Sanders Holman (1804–1867), 1st mayor of Houston, Texas{{cite web | last=Holman | first=Dixon W. | title=James Sanders Holman | work=Handbook of Texas Online | url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/holman-james-sanders | date=March 3, 2017 | access-date= November 24, 2023 | publisher=Texas State Historical Association}}
• Montori Hughes (born 1990), football player
• Yolanda Hughes-Heying (born 1963), professional female bodybuilder
• Robert James (born 1947), football player
• Marshall Keeble (1878–1962), African American preacher
• Muhammed Lawal (born 1981), mixed martial artist
• Mike Liles (1945–2022), businessman and politician
• Sondra Locke (1944–2018), actress and director
• Andrew Nelson Lytle (1902–1995), novelist, dramatist, essayist and professor
• Jean MacArthur (1898–2000), wife of U.S. Army General of the Army Douglas MacArthur
• Bayer Mack (born 1972), filmmaker, journalist and founder of Block Starz Music.
• Matt Mahaffey (born 1973), record producer and recording engineer
• Marvin Maple (1936–2016), grandfather arrested at age 73 for kidnapping two of his grandchildren more than 20 years earlier
• Philip D. McCulloch Jr. (1851–1928), politician
• Ridley McLean (1872–1933), United States Navy Rear Admiral
• Judith Ann Neelley (born 1964), double murderer{{Cite book |last=Newton |first=Michael |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DwNVbOcTncwC&pg=PA192 |title=The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers |date=February 2006 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-0-8160-6987-3 |pages=192 |language=en}}
• William Northcott (1854–1917), lieutenant governor of Illinois
• Andre Alice Norton (1912–2005), author of science fiction and fantasy
• Joseph B. Palmer (1825–1890), lawyer, legislator, and soldier
• Sarah Childress Polk (1803–1891), First Lady of the United States
• Patrick Porter, singer-songwriter
• David Price (born 1985), Major League Baseball pitcher
• Grantland Rice (1880–1954), iconic sportswriter, journalist and poet
• Darryl Sage (born 1965), racing driver
• Mary Scales (1928–2013), professor and civic leader
• Robert W. Scales (1926–2000), Vice-Mayor of Murfreesboro
• Margaret Rhea Seddon (born 1947), NASA astronaut
• Adam Smith (born 1990), Arena Football League player
• Chuck Taylor (born 1942), Major League Baseball relief pitcher
• Audrey Whitby (born 1996), actress
• Barry Wilmore (born 1962), NASA astronaut
• Chris Young (born 1985), country music artist

{{columns-list|colwidth=40em|

• Abated Mass of Flesh, brutal death metal
• Destroy Destroy Destroy, heavy metal
• De Novo Dahl, indie rock
• Feable Weiner, power pop
• Fluid Ounces, power pop
• Flummox, avant-garde metal
• Glossary, indie rock and roll/Americana
• The Katies, power pop
• The Plain, rock
• The Protomen, rock opera
• Self, alternative pop/rock
• The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza, mathcore
• Velcro Stars, pop

}}

{{Portal|United States}}

• Blackman, Tennessee
• Boxwood (Murfreesboro, Tennessee)
• Barrett Firearms Manufacturing
• First Presbyterian Church (Murfreesboro, Tennessee)
• Murfreesboro Musicians
• Murphy Center
• Evergreen Cemetery

{{reflist}}

{{See also|Timeline of Murfreesboro, Tennessee#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of Murfreesboro, Tennessee}}

{{commons category}}

• {{official website|http://www.murfreesborotn.gov/}}

{{Rutherford County, Tennessee}}

{{Nashville Metro}}

{{Tennessee}}

{{Tennessee county seats}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities in Tennessee

Category:Cities in Rutherford County, Tennessee

Category:County seats in Tennessee

Tennessee

Category:Cities in Nashville metropolitan area

Category:Populated places established in 1811

Category:1811 establishments in Tennessee