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Alabama Counties

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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.

Mobile County, Alabama

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

County Seat: Mobile
Year Organized: 1812
Square Miles: 1,233

Court House:

205 Government Street
County Courthouse
Mobile, AL 36602-2613

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Both the city and the county derive their name from Fort Louis de la Mobile, a French fortification erected near Mount Vernon in 1702.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

County History

Mobile County, Alabama

Formed by proclamation of Gov. Holmes of the Mississippi Territory on 1812 Dec. 18. Mobile County is located in the southwestern corner of the State of Alabama, and is bordered by the State of Mississippi on the west, Washington County on the north, Baldwin County and Mobile Bay on the east, and the Gulf of Mexico on the south. It encompasses 1, 238 square miles. The city of Mobile is the county seat. Both the city and the county derive their name from Fort Louis de la Mobile, a French fortification erected near Mount Vernon in 1702. The word Mobile is believed to come from a Choctaw Indian word for "paddlers." The area was occupied by the French from 1702-63, by the British from 1763-80, and by the Spanish from 1780-1813. Courthouse fires occurred in 1823, 1840, and 1872. Other towns and communities include Citronelle, Bayou LeBatre, and Theodore.

According to the census of 2000, there were 399,843 people, 150,179 households, and 106,777 families living in the county. The population density was 125/km² (324/mi²). There were 165,101 housing units at an average density of 52/km² (134/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 63.07% White, 33.38% Black or African American, 0.67% Native American, 1.41% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. 1.22% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 150,179 households out of which 34.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.50% were married couples living together, 17.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.90% were non-families. 24.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the county the population was spread out with 27.50% under the age of 18, 10.00% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 21.90% from 45 to 64, and 12.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 91.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,710, and the median income for a family was $40,378. Males had a median income of $32,329 versus $21,986 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,178. About 15.60% of families and 18.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.20% of those under age 18 and 14.60% of that age 65 or over.

Neighboring Counties:

North: Washington County
East: Baldwin County
South: Gulf of Mexico
Southwest: Jackson County, Miss.
Northwest: George County, Miss.; Greene County, Miss.

Cities and Towns:

- Bayou La Batre	city	Incorporated Area
- Chickasaw	city	Incorporated Area
- Citronelle	city	Incorporated Area
- Creola	town	Incorporated Area
- Dauphin Island	town	Incorporated Area
- Mobile (County Seat)	city	Incorporated Area
- Mount Vernon	town	Incorporated Area
- Prichard	city	Incorporated Area
- Saraland	city	Incorporated Area
- Satsuma	city	Incorporated Area

County Resources:

Enter County Resources and Information Here

County Resources

The history of our nation was a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names given the counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of this 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."