Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Nickname: 
The 'Boro
Motto: 
"Creating a better quality of life."
Location of Murfreesboro in Rutherford County, Tennessee
Murfreesboro
Murfreesboro
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
64.12 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
 (2020)
 • City
152,769
 • Estimate 
(2025)
173,625
 • RankUS: 157th
TN: 6th
 • Density2,387.4/sq mi (921.79/km2)
 • Urban
350,000 (US: 241st)
Time zoneUTC−6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes
37127-37133
Area codes615, 629
FIPS code47-51560
GNIS feature ID1295105
Websitewww.murfreesborotn.gov

Murfreesboro is a city in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. The population was 152,769 at the 2020 census (estimated at 173,625 in 2025). Located 34 miles (55 km) southeast of downtown Nashville, it is part of the Nashville metropolitan area in Middle Tennessee.

Settled in 1811, Murfreesboro was the state capital of Tennessee from 1818 to 1826. Today, it is the largest suburb of Nashville and the sixth-most populous city in the state. 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.