Cranfield is a village and civil parish in the west of Bedfordshire, England, situated between Bedford and Milton Keynes. It had a population of 4,909 in 2001. increasing to 5,369 at the 2011 census. The parish is in Central Bedfordshire unitary authority. It is best known for being the home of Cranfield University and Cranfield Airport. The hamlet of Bourne End is located just north of Cranfield, and is part of the civil parish.