With its southern borders only 30 miles from London, the County of Bedfordshire is the gateway to the Midlands and East Anglia. Set in a rich rural landscape, the county is an attractive place to live, work and visit.
The geographical county of Bedfordshire, which includes Luton, has a population of about 580,000. Bedfordshire County Council provides services for the area covered by the three districts of Bedford, Mid Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire. This area has a population of about 390,000, with a fifth living in the historic town of Bedford on the River Great Ouse. In 1997 Bedfordshire's largest town, Luton, became a unitary local authority.