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Alabama Counties

Alabama currently has sixty-seven counties. The oldest county, Washington, was created on June 4, 1800, when what is now Alabama was then part of the Mississippi Territory. The newest county is Houston, created on February 9, 1903.

In 1820, Alabama had 29 counties. By 1830 there were 36, with Indians still occupying land in northeast and far western Alabama. By 1840, 49 counties had been created; 52 by 1850; 65 by 1870; and the present 67 counties by 1903.

Jefferson County, Alabama

Jefferson County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat: Birmingham
Year Organized: 1819
Square Miles: 1,113

Court House:

716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N.
County Courthouse
Birmingham, AL 35203-0100

Etymology - Origin of County Name

It was named in honor of Thomas Jefferson.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

History

Jefferson County, Alabama

Formed by the Alabama legislature on 1819 Dec. 13. It was named in honor of Thomas Jefferson. The county is located in the north-central portion of the state, on the southern extension of the Appalachians, in the center of the iron, coal and limestone belt of the South. Jefferson County is bordered by Blount, Bibb, St. Clair, Shelby, Tuscaloosa, and Walker counties. It encompasses 1,119 square miles. The county seat was at Carrollsville from 1819-21, at Elyton from 1821-73, and since 1873 has been at Birmingham, which was named for England's iron and steel center in Warwickshire. Other towns and communities include Bessemer, Homewood, Hueytown, Mountain Brook, Hoover, Fultondale, Trussville, and Warrior.

According to the census of 2000, there were 662,047 people, 263,265 households, and 175,861 families living in the county. The population density was 230/km² (595/mi²). There were 288,162 housing units at an average density of 100/km² (259/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 58.10% White, 39.36% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.90% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. 1.55% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 263,265 households out of which 30.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.10% were married couples living together, 17.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.20% were non-families. 28.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.80% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 29.70% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 89.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,868, and the median income for a family was $45,951. Males had a median income of $35,954 versus $26,631 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,892. About 11.60% of families and 14.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.20% of those under age 18 and 12.70% of that age 65 or over.

Neighboring Counties:

Northeast: Blount County; St. Clair County
Southeast: Shelby County
Southwest: Bibb County; Tuscaloosa County
Northwest: Walker County

Cities and Towns:

- Adamsville	city	Incorporated Area
- Bessemer	city	Incorporated Area
- Birmingham (County Seat)	city	Incorporated Area
- Brighton	city	Incorporated Area
- Brookside	town	Incorporated Area
- Cardiff	town	Incorporated Area
- Center Point	city	Incorporated Area
- County Line	town	Incorporated Area
- Dora	city	Incorporated Area
- Fairfield	city	Incorporated Area
- Fairview	town	Incorporated Area
- Fultondale	city	Incorporated Area
- Gardendale	city	Incorporated Area
- Graysville	city	Incorporated Area
- Homewood	city	Incorporated Area
- Hoover	city	Incorporated Area
- Hueytown	city	Incorporated Area
- Irondale	city	Incorporated Area
- Kimberly	town	Incorporated Area
- Leeds	city	Incorporated Area
- Lipscomb	city	Incorporated Area
- Maytown	town	Incorporated Area
- Midfield	city	Incorporated Area
- Morris	town	Incorporated Area
- Mountain Brook	city	Incorporated Area
- Mulga	town	Incorporated Area
- North Johns	town	Incorporated Area
- Oak Grove	town	Incorporated Area
- Pleasant Grove	city	Incorporated Area
- Sylvan Springs	town	Incorporated Area
- Tarrant	city	Incorporated Area
- Trafford	town	Incorporated Area
- Trussville	city	Incorporated Area
- Vestavia Hills	city	Incorporated Area
- Warrior	city	Incorporated Area
- West Jefferson	town	Incorporated Area

County Resources:

Enter County Resources and Information Here

Online High Schools

County Resource Guide

Counties: US Map

The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of our country!"

But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.

Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."

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