The state of Alabama has 67 . Each county serves as the local level of government within its borders. The land enclosed by the present state borders was joined to the United States of America gradually. Following the American Revolutionary War, West Florida was ceded to Spain by treaty while the remainder was organized primarily as the Mississippi Territory, and later the Alabama Territory.[1] The territorial assembly established some of the earliest county divisions that have survived to the present, including the earliest county formation, that of Washington County, created on June 4, 1800.[2] In 1814, the Treaty of Fort Jackson opened the territory to American settlers, which in turn led to a more rapid rate of county creation. Alabama was admitted to the Union as the 22nd state in 1819.[3] The Alabama state legislature formed additional counties from former Indian lands as the Indian Removal Act took effect and settlers populated different areas of Alabama.[4] In 1820, Alabama had 29 counties. By 1830 there were 36 and Native Americans still occupied large areas of 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.[5] Houston County was the last county created in the state, on February 9, 1903.[2]
According to 2010 U. S. Census data, the average population of Alabama's 67 counties is 71,399, with Jefferson County as the most populous (658,466), and Greene County (9,045) the least.[6] The average land area is 756 sq mi (1,958 km2). The largest county is Baldwin County (1,590 sq mi, 4,118 km2) and the smallest is Etowah County (535 sq mi, 1,386 km2).[7] The Constitution of Alabama requires that any new county in Alabama cover at least 600km2 in area, effectively limiting the creation of new counties in the state.[8]
The Alabama Department of Revenue's Motor Vehicle Division issues standard automobile license plates that bear a one- or two-digit number identifying the county in which the vehicle is registered. This number is given in the fourth column in the table below. The first three prefixes are reserved for the state's historically most populous counties, and thereafter proceed alphabetically. Individual license plate numbers are assigned sequentially in each licensing office. The numbers are in the format XA1111A or XXA111A, depending on whether the prefix is one or two digits. Overflow registrations are accommodated by substituting a letter for one of the registration numbers, such that XXZ999Z is followed by XXA0A0A.[9]
The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code, used by the United States government to uniquely identify counties, is provided with each entry. The FIPS code links in the table point to U. S. Census "quick facts" pages for each county.
Counties[]
| County |
FIPS code |
County seat |
Established |
Origin |
Etymology |
Population |
Area |
Map | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autauga County | 001 | Prattville | 4 | 1818 | Montgomery County | The Autauga or Atagi people, Native Americans who were a sub-group of the Alabama | 54,571 | 594 sq mi (1,538 km2]]) | State map highlighting Autauga County |
| Baldwin County | 003 | Bay Minette | 5 | 1809 | Washington County and West Florida | Abraham Baldwin (1754–1807), U.S. legislator from Georgia | 182,265 | 1,590 sq mi (4,118 km2) |
State map highlighting Baldwin County |
| Barbour County | 005 | Clayton | 6 | 1832 | Pike County | James Barbour (1775–1842), Governor of Virginia and U.S. Senator | 27,457 | 885 sq mi (2,292 km2) |
State map highlighting Barbour County |
| Bibb County | 007 | Centreville | 7 | 1818 | Montgomery County (as Cahawba County) | William Wyatt Bibb (1781–1820), 1st Governor of Alabama | 22,915 | 623 sq mi (1,614 km2) |
State map highlighting Bibb County |
| Blount County | 009 | Oneonta | 8 | 1818 | Montgomery County and Indian territories | Willie Blount (1768–1835), Governor of Tennessee. | 57,322 | 645 sq mi (1,671 km2) |
State map highlighting Blount County |
| Bullock County | 011 | Union Springs | 9 | 1866 | Barbour, Macon, Montgomery, and Pike counties | Edward Bullock (1822–1861), colonel in the Confederate States Army | 10,914 | 623 sq mi (1,614 km2) |
State map highlighting Bullock County |
| Butler County | 013 | Greenville | 10 | 1819 | Conecuh and Monroe counties | William Butler (?–1818), captain in Creek War | 20,947 | 777 sq mi (2,012 km2) |
State map highlighting Butler County |
| Calhoun County | 015 | Anniston | 11 | 1832 | St. Clair County (as Benton County) | John C. Calhoun (1782–1850), 7th U.S. Vice President | 118,572 | 606 sq mi (1,570 km2) |
State map highlighting Calhoun County |
| Chambers County | 017 | LaFayette | 12 | 1832 | Montgomery County | Henry H. Chambers (1790–1826), U.S. Senator | 34,215 | 597 sq mi (1,546 km2) |
State map highlighting Chambers County |
| Cherokee County | 019 | Centre | 13 | 1836 | Cherokee territory | Cherokee people | 25,989 | 554 sq mi (1,435 km2) |
State map highlighting Cherokee County |
| Chilton County | 021 | Clanton | 14 | 1868 | Autauga, Bibb, Perry, and Shelby counties (as Baker County) | William Parish Chilton (1810–1871), Alabama Supreme Court Justice Confederate congressman | 43,643 | 693 sq mi (1,795 km2) |
State map highlighting Chilton County |
| Choctaw County | 023 | Butler | 15 | 1847 | Sumter and Washington counties | Choctaw people, whose lands included Alabama | 13,859 | 914 sq mi (2,367 km2) |
State map highlighting Choctaw County |
| Clarke County | 025 | Grove Hill | 16 | 1812 | Washington County | John Clarke (1766–1832), general from Georgia | 25,833 | 1,238 sq mi (3,206 km2) |
State map highlighting Clarke County |
| Clay County | 027 | Ashland | 17 | 1866 | Randolph and Talladega counties | Henry Clay (1777–1852), U.S. legislator from Kentucky | 13,932 | 604 sq mi (1,564 km2) |
State map highlighting Clay County |
| Cleburne County | 029 | Heflin | 18 | 1866 | Calhoun, Randolph , and Talladega counties | Patrick Cleburne (1828–1864), major general in Confederate States Army | 14,972 | 560 sq mi (1,450 km2) |
State map highlighting Cleburne County |
| Coffee County | 031 | Elba | 19 | 1841 | Dale County | John Coffee (1772–1833), military leader in War of 1812 and Creek War | 49,948 | 679 sq mi (1,759 km2) |
State map highlighting Coffee County |
| Colbert County | 033 | Tuscumbia | 20 | 1867 | Franklin County | George Colbert (?–1839) and Levi Colbert (?–1834), Chickasaw chiefs | 54,428 | 593 sq mi (1,536 km2) |
State map highlighting Colbert County |
| Conecuh County | 035 | Evergreen | 21 | 1818 | Monroe County | The Conecuh River, which flows through the county | 13,228 | 850 sq mi (2,201 km2) |
State map highlighting Conecuh County |
| Coosa County | 037 | Rockford | 22 | 1832 | Montgomery County | The Coosa River, which flows through the county, after a Native American village | 11,539 | 651 sq mi (1,686 km2) |
State map highlighting Coosa County |
| Covington County | 039 | Andalusia | 23 | 1821 | Henry County | Leonard Covington (1768–1813), brigadier general in War of 1812 and U.S. Congressman | 37,765 | 1,030 sq mi (2,668 km2) |
State map highlighting Covington County |
| Crenshaw County | 041 | Luverne | 24 | 1866 | Butler, Coffee, Covington, Lowndes, and Pike Counties | Anderson Crenshaw (1783–1847), settler of Butler County | 13,906 | 609 sq mi (1,577 km2) |
State map highlighting Crenshaw County |
| Cullman County | 043 | Cullman | 25 | 1877 | Blount, Morgan, and Winston counties | Colonel John G. Cullmann (1823–1895), founder of county seat | 80,406 | 735 sq mi (1,904 km2) |
State map highlighting Cullman County |
| Dale County | 045 | Ozark | 26 | 1824 | Covington and Henry counties | Samuel Dale (1772–1841), brigadier general and state legislator | 50,251 | 561 sq mi (1,453 km2) |
State map highlighting Dale County |
| Dallas County | 047 | Selma | 27 | 1818 | Monroe and Montgomery counties | Alexander James Dallas (1759–1817) , U.S. Secretary of Treasury | 43,820 | 979 sq mi (2,536 km2) |
State map highlighting Dallas County |
| DeKalb County | 049 | Fort Payne | 28 | 1836 | Cherokee territory | Johann de Kalb (1721–1780), major general in American Revolutionary War | 71,109 | 777 sq mi (2,012 km2) |
State map highlighting DeKalb County |
| Elmore County | 051 | Wetumpka | 29 | 1866 | Autauga, Coosa, Montgomery, and Tallapoosa counties | John Archer Elmore (1762–1834), Revolutionary War veteran | 79,303 | 618 sq mi (1,601 km2) |
State map highlighting Elmore County |
| Escambia County | 053 | Brewton | 30 | 1868 | Baldwin and Conecuh counties | Escambia Creek, a tributary of the Conecuh River | 38,319 | 945 sq mi (2,448 km2) |
State map highlighting Escambia County |
| Etowah County | 055 | Gadsden | 31 | 1866 | Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, DeKalb, Marshall, and St. Clair counties (as Baine County) | Etowah Indian Mounds | 104,430 | 535 sq mi (1,386 km2) |
State map highlighting Etowah County |
| Fayette County | 057 | Fayette | 32 | 1824 | Marion, Pickens, Tuscaloosa, and Walker counties | Marquis de La Fayette (1757–1834), Revolutionary War commander | 17,241 | 628 sq mi (1,627 km2) |
State map highlighting Fayette County |
| Franklin County | 059 | Russellville | 33 | 1818 | Cherokee territory | Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790), politician, diplomat, inventor, and publisher | 31,704 | 634 sq mi (1,642 km2) |
State map highlighting Franklin County |
| Geneva County | 061 | Geneva | 34 | 1868 | Coffee, Dale, and Henry counties | county seat, named after Geneva, New York | 26,790 | 574 sq mi (1,487 km2) |
State map highlighting Geneva County |
| Greene County | 063 | Eutaw | 35 | 1819 | Marengo and Tuscaloosa counties | Nathanael Greene (1742–1786), American Revolutionary War general | 9,045 | 647 sq mi (1,676 km2) |
State map highlighting Greene County |
| Hale County | 065 | Greensboro | 36 | 1867 | Greene, Marengo, Perry, and Tuscaloosa counties | Stephen F. Hale (1816–1862), lieutenant colonel in Confederate States Army | 15,760 | 644 sq mi (1,668 km2) |
State map highlighting Hale County |
| Henry County | 067 | Abbeville | 37 | 1819 | Conecuh County | Patrick Henry (1736–1799), American Revolutionary War patriot and Governor of Virginia | 17,302 | 562 sq mi (1,456 km2) |
State map highlighting Henry County |
| Houston County | 069 | Dothan | 38 | 1903 | Dale, Geneva, and Henry counties | George S. Houston (1811–1879), 24th Governor of Alabama and U.S. Congressman | 101,547 | 580 sq mi (1,502 km2) |
State map highlighting Houston County |
| Jackson County | 071 | Scottsboro | 39 | 1819 | Cherokee territory | Andrew Jackson (1767–1845), 7th U.S. President | 53,227 | 1,078 sq mi (2,792 km2) |
State map highlighting Jackson County |
| Jefferson County | 073 | Birmingham | 1 | 1819 | Blount County | Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), 3rd U.S. President | 658,466 | 1,111 sq mi (2,877 km2) |
State map highlighting Jefferson County |
| Lamar County | 075 | Vernon | 40 | 1867 | Fayette and Marion counties (as Jones County) | Lucius Q. C. Lamar (1825–1893), U.S. Supreme Court justice | 14,564 | 605 sq mi (1,567 km2) |
State map highlighting Lamar County |
| Lauderdale County | 077 | Florence | 41 | 1818 | Cherokee and Chickasaw territories | James Lauderdale (1780–1814), Colonel in War of 1812 | 92,709 | 668 sq mi (1,730 km2) |
State map highlighting Lauderdale County |
| Lawrence County | 079 | Moulton | 42 | 1818 | Cherokee territory | James Lawrence (1781–1813), naval officer in War of 1812 | 34,339 | 691 sq mi (1,790 km2) |
State map highlighting Lawrence County |
| Lee County | 081 | Opelika | 43 | 1866 | Chambers, Macon, Russell, and Tallapoosa counties | Robert E. Lee (1807–1870), Commander of the Confederate States Army | 140,247 | 608 sq mi (1,575 km2) |
State map highlighting Lee County |
| Limestone County | 083 | Athens | 44 | 1818 | Elk and Madison counties | Limestone Creek, named for local geological deposits | 82,782 | 560 sq mi (1,450 km2) |
State map highlighting Limestone County |
| Lowndes County | 085 | Hayneville | 45 | 1830 | Butler, Dallas, and Montgomery counties | William Lowndes (1782–1822), U.S. Congressman from South Carolina | 11,299 | 716 sq mi (1,854 km2) |
State map highlighting Lowndes County |
| Macon County | 087 | Tuskegee | 46 | 1832 | Montgomery County | Nathaniel Macon (1758–1837), U.S. legislator from North Carolina | 21,452 | 609 sq mi (1,577 km2) |
State map highlighting Macon County |
| Madison County | 089 | Huntsville | 47 | 1808 | Cherokee and Chickasaw territories | James Madison (1751–1836), 4th U.S. President | 334,811 | 802 sq mi (2,077 km2) |
State map highlighting Madison County |
| Marengo County | 091 | Linden | 48 | 1818 | Choctaw territory | Battle of Marengo | 21,027 | 977 sq mi (2,530 km2) |
State map highlighting Marengo County |
| Marion County | 093 | Hamilton | 49 | 1818 | Tuscaloosa County | Francis Marion (1732–1795), military leader in American Revolutionary War | 30,776 | 742 sq mi (1,922 km2) |
State map highlighting Marion County |
| Marshall County | 095 | Guntersville | 50 | 1836 | Blount and Jackson counties and Cherokee territory | John Marshall (1755–1832), Chief Justice of the United States 1801–1835 | 93,019 | 566 sq mi (1,466 km2) |
State map highlighting Marshall County |
| Mobile County | 097 | Mobile | 2 | 1812 | Mobile District of West Florida after annexation into Mississippi Territory | County seat and Mobile Bay, on which it is located, after the Maubila tribe of Native Americans | 412,992 | 1,229 sq mi (3,183 km2) |
State map highlighting Mobile County |
| Monroe County | 099 | Monroeville | 51 | 1815 | Creek territory | James Monroe (1758–1831), 5th U.S. President | 23,068 | 1,026 sq mi (2,657 km2) |
State map highlighting Monroe County |
| Montgomery County | 101 | Montgomery | 3 | 1816 | Monroe County | Lemuel P. Montgomery (?–1814), Major in Creek War | 229,363 | 784 sq mi (2,031 km2) |
State map highlighting Montgomery County |
| Morgan County | 103 | Decatur | 52 | 1818 | Cherokee territory (as Cotaco County) | Daniel Morgan (1736–1802), U.S. Congressman | 119,490 | 579 sq mi (1,500 km2) |
State map highlighting Morgan County |
| Perry County | 105 | Marion | 53 | 1819 | Cahawba, Dallas, Marengo, and Tuscaloosa counties | Oliver Hazard Perry (1795–1819), naval officer in War of 1812 | 10,591 | 720 sq mi (1,865 km2) |
State map highlighting Perry County |
| Pickens County | 107 | Carrollton | 54 | 1820 | Tuscaloosa County | Andrew Pickens (1739–1817), General in the Revolutionary War | 19,746 | 881 sq mi (2,282 km2) |
State map highlighting Pickens County |
| Pike County | 109 | Troy | 55 | 1821 | Henry and Montgomery counties | Zebulon Pike (1779–1813), explorer and officer in War of 1812 | 32,899 | 672 sq mi (1,740 km2) |
State map highlighting Pike County |
| Randolph County | 111 | Wedowee | 56 | 1832 | St. Clair and Shelby counties | John Randolph (1773–1833), U.S. Senator from Virginia | 22,913 | 581 sq mi (1,505 km2) |
State map highlighting Randolph County |
| Russell County | 113 | Phenix City | 57 | 1832 | Montgomery and Pike counties | Gilbert C. Russell (1782-1861), officer in Creek War | 52,947 | 641 sq mi (1,660 km2) |
State map highlighting Russell County |
| St. Clair County | 115 | Ashville and Pell City | 59 | 1818 | Shelby County | Arthur St. Clair (1736–1818), President of Continental Congress | 83,593 | 632 sq mi (1,637 km2) |
State map highlighting St. Clair County |
| Shelby County | 117 | Columbiana | 58 | 1818 | Montgomery County | Isaac Shelby (1750–1826), Governor of Kentucky | 195,085 | 785 sq mi (2,033 km2) |
State map highlighting Shelby County |
| Sumter County | 119 | Livingston | 60 | 1832 | Choctaw territory | Thomas Sumter (1734–1832), U.S. legislator | 13,763 | 904 sq mi (2,341 km2) |
State map highlighting Sumter County |
| Talladega County | 121 | Talladega | 61 | 1832 | St. Clair and Shelby counties | Talatigi, Creek Indian name for the county seat, meaning "border town" | 82,291 | 737 sq mi (1,909 km2) |
State map highlighting Talladega County |
| Tallapoosa County | 123 | Dadeville | 62 | 1832 | Montgomery and Shelby counties | Tallapoosa River | 41,616 | 717 sq mi (1,857 km2) |
State map highlighting Tallapoosa County |
| Tuscaloosa County | 125 | Tuscaloosa | 63 | 1818 | Montgomery County and Choctaw territory | Black Warrior River and county seat | 194,656 | 1,322 sq mi (3,424 km2) |
State map highlighting Tuscaloosa County |
| Walker County | 127 | Jasper | 64 | 1823 | Blount, Jefferson, and Tuscaloosa counties | John Williams Walker (1783–1823), U.S. Senator from Alabama | 67,023 | 791 sq mi (2,049 km2) |
State map highlighting Walker County |
| Washington County | 129 | Chatom | 65 | 1800 | Adams and Pickering counties of Mississippi Territory | George u (1732–1799), 1st U.S. President | 17,581 | 1,080 sq mi (2,797 km2) |
State map highlighting Washington County |
| Wilcox County | 131 | Camden | 66 | 1819 | Dallas and Monroe counties | Joseph M. Wilcox (1790–1814), lieutenant in Creek War | 11,670 | 888 sq mi (2,300 km2) |
State map highlighting Wilcox County |
| Winston County | 133 | Double Springs | 67 | 1850 | Walker County (as Hancock County) | John A. Winston (1812–1871), 15th Governor of Alabama | 24,484 | 613 sq mi (1,588 km2) |
State map highlighting Winston County |
Former county names[]
| County[5] | Named for[5] | Changed to[2] |
|---|---|---|
| Baine County | David W. Baine, Colonel in the Civil War | Etowah County in 1868 |
| Baker County | Alfred Baker, a local landowner | Chilton County in 1874 |
| Benton County | Thomas Hart Benton, U. S. Senator from Missouri | Calhoun County in 1858, honoring Benton's rival John C. Calhoun of South Carolina after Benton's renunciation of slavery |
| Cahawba County | former state capitol of Cahawba | Bibb County in 1820 |
| Cotaco County | Cotaco Creek, a tributary of the Tennessee River | Morgan County in 1821 |
| Elk County | Elk River | Lauderdale County and Limestone County in 1818 |
| Hancock County | John Hancock, signer of the Declaration of Independence | Winston County in 1858 |
| Jones County | Josiah Jones, a local political leader | Covington County (its former name) in 1868 after Jones refused the honor |
| Jones County | E.P. Jones, a local landowner | Sanford County, which subsequently became Lamar County in 1877 |
| Sanford County | H.C. Sanford, a local landowner | Lamar County in 1877 |
See also[]
- List of census county divisions
References[]
- General
- "CountyState.info Alabama". Official County Websites. http://www.countystate.info/alabama.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-13.
- Specific
- ↑ "Alabama History Timeline, 1701-1800". Alabama Department of Archives and History. http://www.archives.state.al.us/timeline/al1702.html. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedNACO - ↑ "Alabama History Timeline, 1801-1860". Alabama Department of Archives and History. http://www.archives.state.al.us/timeline/al1801.html. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
- ↑ "Alabama Counties: Cherokee". Alabama Department of Archives and History. http://www.archives.state.al.us/counties/cherokee.html. Retrieved 2008-12-29.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Foscue, Virginia O. (1989) Place Names in Alabama. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press. ISBN 081730410X
- ↑ "American FactFinder". U.S. Census Bureau. http://factfinder2.census.gov/main.html. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- ↑ "2010 Census U.S. Gazetteer Files". U.S. Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazetteer2010.html. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- ↑ "Alabama Constitution of 1901". Wikisource, The Free Library. http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Alabama_State_Constitution_of_1901/Initial_Constitution#Section_39. Retrieved 2008-12-29.
- ↑ Nicholson, David. "Alabama License Plates, 1969-present". License Plates of North America, 1969–present. http://www.15q.net/al.html. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
External links[]
- Map series showing evolution of county boundaries. Cartographic Research Laboratory. University of Alabama Department of Geography.
Template:U.S. Counties
| Alabama | |
|---|---|
| Topics | History · Geography · people · Government · Governors · Lieutenent governors · Metropolitan Areas · · National Historic Landmarks |
| Metro areas | Greater Birmingham · Montgomery Metro Area · Mobile Metro Area · Huntsville Metro Area |
| Larger Cities | Auburn · Birmingham · Decatur · Dothan · Florence · Gadsden · Hoover · Huntsville · Madison · Mobile · Montgomery · |
| CDPs | Autauga · Baldwin · Barbour · Bibb · Blount · Bullock · Butler · Calhoun · Chambers · Cherokee · Chilton · Choctaw ·
Clarke · Clay · Cleburne · Coffee · Colbert · Conecuh · Coosa · Covington · Crenshaw · Cullman · Dale · Dallas · DeKalb · Elmore · Escambia · Etowah · Fayette · Franklin · Geneva · Greene · Hale · Henry · Houston · Jackson · Jefferson · Lamar · Lauderdale · Lawrence · Lee · Limestone · Lowndes · Macon · Madison · Marengo · Marion · Marshall · Mobile · Monroe · Montgomery · Morgan · Perry · Pickens · Pike · Randolph · Russell · Shelby · St. Clair · Sumter · Talladega · Tallapoosa · Tuscaloosa · Walker · Washington · Wilcox · Winston |
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