Colbert County, Alabama facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Colbert County
U.S. county
Colbert County Courthouse in Tuscumbia
Location within the U.S. state of Alabama
Alabama's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Alabama
Founded	February 6, 1867
Named for	George and Levi Colbert
Seat	Tuscumbia
Largest city	Muscle Shoals
Area
• Total	622 sq mi (1,610 km²)
• Land	593 sq mi (1,540 km²)
• Water	30 sq mi (80 km²) 4.7%
Population (2020)
• Total	57,227
• Estimate (2023)	58,361
• Density	92.00/sq mi (35.523/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	4th
County Number 20 on Alabama Licence Plates

Colbert County Courthouse Square District Historic Marker, September 2007

Colbert County (/ˈkɒlbərt/) is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census the county's population was 57,227. The county seat is Tuscumbia. The largest city is Muscle Shoals.

The county is named in honor of brothers George and Levi Colbert, who were Chickasaw chiefs in the early 19th century in this territory. Ultimately the federal government forced the removal of most of the Chickasaw and other historic tribes from the Southeast.

Colbert County is part of the Florence–Muscle Shoals, AL metropolitan statistical area, also known as "The Shoals".

History

The Chickasaw and Cherokee peoples are the earliest known inhabitants of Colbert County, an area that was part of their territories for hundreds of years. Before they emerged, there were earlier cultures of indigenous peoples who established settlements and seasonal villages for thousands of years in the area.

In the 1810s, settlers began to settle in an area at a crossroads that developed as Leighton, Alabama. Colbert County was originally established during the Reconstruction era after the American Civil War on February 6, 1867. The state legislature split it from Franklin County over political issues. It was abolished eight months later on November 29, 1867 by an Alabama constitutional convention, and reestablished by the legislature on February 24, 1870.

In 1890, the eastern boundary of Colbert County was changed from County Line Road to Town Creek; this resulted in all of the town of Leighton placed within Colbert County. Colbert County is the location of Ivy Green, the birthplace of noted author and activist Helen Keller. Colbert County includes the cities of Sheffield and Muscle Shoals, where many popular American and British musicians, such as Aretha Franklin and the Rolling Stones, respectively, recorded music.

Also located in Colbert County is the Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard established in 1937. Coon dogs were bred and trained for hunting in this region.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 622 square miles (1,610 km²), of which 593 square miles (1,540 km²) is land and 30 square miles (78 km²) (4.7%) is water. The county's elevation ranges from 410 feet at the Tennessee River in northwestern Colbert County to 980 feet in southeastern Colbert County at the broadcast facility's tower of WQPR-FM/WFIQ-TV.

National protected area

Natchez Trace Parkway (part)

River

Tennessee River

Major creeks

Bear Creek
Cane Creek
Mulberry Creek
Spring Creek
Town Creek

Waterfalls

Cane Creek Canyon Waterfall
Rainbow Branch Waterfall
Wilson Dam Waterfall

Notable springs

Big Spring at Tuscumbia
Buzzard Roost Spring at Margerum
Chalybeate Spring at Littleville
Milk Springs at Colbert Heights
Shegog Spring at Ford City

Notable mountains

Bald Knob
Coburn Mountain
Colbert Mountain
Hawk Pride Mountain
LaGrange Mountain
Mountain Mills Ridge
Sand Mountain
Underwood Mountain
Wagnon Mountain
Wheeler Mountain

Adjacent counties

Transportation

Major highways

U.S. Highway 43
U.S. Highway 72
State Route 13
State Route 17
State Route 20
State Route 133
State Route 157
State Route 184
State Route 247
Natchez Trace Parkway

Rail

Norfolk Southern Railway - freight lines going South, East, and West.

Airports

Big River Airpark
Northwest Alabama Regional Airport

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1870	12,537	—
1880	16,153	28.8%
1890	20,189	25.0%
1900	22,341	10.7%
1910	24,802	11.0%
1920	31,997	29.0%
1930	29,860	−6.7%
1940	34,093	14.2%
1950	39,561	16.0%
1960	46,506	17.6%
1970	49,632	6.7%
1980	54,519	9.8%
1990	51,666	−5.2%
2000	54,984	6.4%
2010	54,428	−1.0%
2020	57,227	5.1%
2023 (est.)	58,361	7.2%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020

2020 census

**Colbert County, Alabama – Racial and Ethnic Composition**
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	44,470	43,334	43,241	80.88%	79.62%	75.56%
Black or African American alone (NH)	9,096	8,702	9,222	16.54%	15.99%	16.11%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	195	262	222	0.35%	0.48%	0.39%
Asian alone (NH)	127	224	432	0.23%	0.41%	0.75%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	11	14	9	0.02%	0.03%	0.02%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	30	35	135	0.05%	0.06%	0.24%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	437	764	2,233	0.79%	1.40%	3.90%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	618	1,093	1,732	1.12%	2.01%	3.03%
Total	54,984	54,428	57,227	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the census of 2020, there were 57,227 people, 21,880 households, and 14,797 families residing in the county.

2010 census

According to the 2010 United States census Bureau:

There were 22,461 households, out of which 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.00% were married couples living together, 12.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.80% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,954, and the median income for a family was $39,294. Males had a median income of $32,112 versus $20,107 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,533. About 11.10% of families and 14.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.40% of those under age 18 and 11.90% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Education

Colleges

Northwest Shoals Community College

Public School Systems

Colbert County School System

Cherokee Elementary School
Cherokee High School
Colbert County High School
Colbert Heights Elementary School
Colbert Heights High School
Hatton Elementary School
Leighton Elementary School
New Bethel Elementary School

Muscle Shoals City School System

Muscle Shoals High School
Muscle Shoals Middle School
Muscle Shoals Career Academy
Highland Park Elementary School
Howell Graves Preschool
McBride Elementary School
Webster Elementary School

Sheffield City School System

Sheffield High School
Sheffield Junior High School
L.E. Wilson Elementary School
W.A. Threadgill Primary School

Tuscumbia City School System

Deshler High School
Deshler Middle School
Deshler Career Technical Center
G.W. Trenholm Primary School
R.E. Thompson Intermediate School

Parks and Recreation

Alabama Wildlife Refuge Area at Pleasant Site
Avalon Park, Tuscumbia
Buzzard Roost Park, Margerum
Colbert County Park, Pride and Margerum
Highland Park, Tuscumbia
John W. Gattman Park, Muscle Shoals
Colbert Ferry Park, Cherokee
North Alabama State Fair Park, Tuscumbia
Park West, Tuscumbia
Rivermont Park on the Tennessee River, Tuscumbia
Rosetrail Park, Margerum
Spring Park, Tuscumbia
Tenth Avenue Park, Sheffield
Thomas State Wildlife Refuge, Barton
York Terrace Park, Sheffield

Historical Sites and Attractions

Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Tuscumbia
Barton Hall, Cherokee - National Historic Landmarks
Belle Mont Mansion/Plantation
Cane Creek Canyon and Natural Preserve
Colbert County Courthouse Square Historic District, Tuscumbia
Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard of Key-Underwood, Cherokee
F.A.M.E. Recording Studios, Muscle Shoals
Ivy Green - Birthplace of Helen Keller, Tuscumbia
LaGrange College Site and Monument, Leighton
Natchez Trace Parkway
Nitrate Village Number 1 Historic District, Sheffield
Old Railroad Bridge of 1839 on the Tennessee River
Rosenwald School site, Cherokee
Tennessee Valley Art Museum, Tuscumbia
Tuscumbia Railroad Depot Museum
TVA Walking Trails and Recreation Area
Wilson Lock and Dam, Muscle Shoals

Annual Events

Belle Mont Celtic Fest - May
Muscle Shoals Area Street Rods Car Show Festival - May
Recall LaGrange Commemorations - May
North Alabama African Heritage Festival - June
Leighton Juneteenth Celebration - June
Helen Keller Festival - June
W.C. Handy Music Festival - July
Coon Dog Labor Day Celebration - September
"Oka Kapassa" – Return to Cold Water American Indian Festival - September
Annual Christmas Parades of Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia, Sheffield - December

In popular culture

Colbert County was featured in a three-part comedy feature on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report from November 28–30, 2006.
Colbert County is the setting for the Drive-by Truckers song, "Putting People on the Moon"

Notable People

Arthur Alexander
Jason Allen - American football
Beverly Barton
Lefty Bates
Deion Belue
Boyd Bennett
Robert Byrne - songwriter
Marcel Black
Archibald Hill Carmichael
Pete Carr
Amanda Chase
George Colbert
Levi Colbert
Mike Cooley (musician)
Dominique Croom
Ben Cunningham (activist)
Rece Davis
Bobby E. Denton
James Deshler
Leon Douglas
Cecil Dowdy
Alecia Elliott
Henry S. Foote
Douglas A. Foster
Al Gamble
Wayne Greenhaw
Wendell Wilkie Gunn
Rick Hall
Howell Heflin
Kelvin Holly
Dennis Homan
David Hood
Patterson Hood
Jimmy Hughes
Richard H. Jackson
Rick James (baseball)
Jimmy Johnson (session guitarist)
Helen Keller
John W. Keys
Adam Lazzara
Maud McKnight Lindsay
Robert B. Lindsay
Frank Manush
Heinie Manush
Guy Morton
Alfred Huger Moses
Stan Munsey
Ozzie Newsome
Gary Nichols
Jimmie Orr
Margaret Pellegrini
Anthony Piccione
Will Reynolds
Willie Ruff
Wimp Sanderson
William Henry Sawtelle
Mark Sears
Herschel Sizemore
Joseph Humphrey Sloss
William H. Steele (judge)
Phillip Swann
Percy Sledge
Leigh Tiffin
Chris Tompkins
Fred Thompson
Ken Tribble
Wilson D. Watson
Ed West
John Paul White
William Willis (artiest)