SHELBY COUNTY ALABAMA
Shelby County Alabama
Shelby County Alabama is located near the geographic center of the state of Alabama. The county seat of Shelby County is Columbiana Alabama. The county is named in honor of Isaac Shelby, Governor of Kentucky from 1792 to 1796 and again from 1812 to 1816.
Shelby County Alabama History:
The original county boundaries encompassed lands acquired from the Creek Indians in the 1814 Treaty of Fort Jackson following their defeat at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.
The first towns in the Cahaba Valley were Wilson’s Hill (now Montevallo) and Shelbyville (now Pelham). People also began settling the Coosa Valley, particularly in the vicinity of Bigs Springs (now Harpersville) and Wilsonville.
Shelby County Alabama Cities:
Alabaster Alabama
Alabaster is a city and southern suburb of Birmingham in Shelby County, Alabama. According to the 2013 Census Estimates, the city had a population of 31,342. Alabaster is the 16th largest city in Alabama by number of residents. Alabaster has been raned as one of Money Magazine’s 100 best places to live. Student to teacher ration is 13:1.
Birmingham Alabama
Calera Alabama
Calera is located in southern Shelby County. The city limits extend southward into Chilton County along U.S. Route 31, the main highway through the city. Interstate 65 passes through the eastern side of the city. Calera is the location of the Shelby County Airport. The census of 2000 reported 3,158 residents. As of the 2010 census the population has 11,620 residents making it the fastest-growing city in Alabama. The crime rate in Calera is 60 percent lower than the rest of the state. Calera is within the Birmingham-Hoover, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Chelsea Alabama
Chelsea is a city in Shelby County. It is part of the Birmingham metropolitan area. At the 2010 population for Chelsea was 10,183. Its seasonal campsite for visitors is Hargis Retreat. Chelsea is widely considered the fastest growing city in Shelby County, which is the fastest growing county in the state of Alabama.
Columbiana Alabama
Columbiana is a city in Shelby County. At the 2010 census the population was 4,197. The city is the county seat of Shelby County. Columbiana is home to the Shelby County Board of Education, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, the Shelby County Jail, and Harrison Regional Library, which is the main office for the Shelby County Library System.
Helena Alabama
Helena is a city in Jefferson and Shelby Counties. Helena is considered a suburb of Birmingham and part of the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 16,793. The Cahaba River and its tributary Buck Creek run through Helena. Buck Creek is dammed upstream of Alabama State Route 261 in the Old Town area to form Lake Davidson, which was used for recreation and water wheel power at the turn of the 20th century. Fishing, wading, and canoeing are popular uses of both waterways.Helena sits at the foothills of the very southern extent of the Appalachian Mountains as they descend into the Gulf of Mexico coastal plain. The area is largely rolling hills with numerous small streams, and undeveloped areas are primarily mixed woodlands.
As of the census of 2010, 16,793 people, 3,828 households, and 3,043 families resided in the city. The population density was 603.0 people per square mile. The 3,983 housing units averaged 233.3 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 82.5% White, 13.1% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 1.1% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races; 3.3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Hoover Alabama
Hoover is a city in Jefferson and Shelby counties in north central Alabama. The largest suburb near Birmingham, the city had a population of 84,848 as of the 2015 US Census estimate. Hoover is part of the Birmingham-Hoover, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area and is also included in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL Combined Statistical Area. Hoover’s territory is along the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
Leeds Alabama
Leeds is a tri-county municipality located in Jefferson, St. Clair, and Shelby counties in the State of Alabama and is an eastern suburb of Birmingham. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 11,773. Leeds has existed along the banks of the Little Cahaba River; beside an historic stagecoach route; and along two large railroads for the greater part of American History. The tale of John Henry was believed to have originated in Leeds. In this folk story, John Henry, the “steel-drivin’ man”, raced and won against a steam engine in the laying of railroad that penetrated the Oak Mountain Tunnel in Leeds.
Montevallo Alabama
Montevallo is a city in Shelby County. A college town, it is the home of the University of Montevallo, a public liberal arts university with approximately 3,000 students. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city of Montevallo is 6,323. The area where Montevallo is now was once controlled by the Creek Indians. After being acquired in 1814 Jesse Wilson claimed a small hill on the northern bank of the Shoal Creek and created a homestead there, making it the oldest settlement in Shelby County. Wilson’s friends and family followed afterwards and also settled in the area, and a settlement known as Wilson’s Hill developed on the site. The settlement’s location at almost the exact center of Alabama meant it was considered one of the potential sites for the University of Alabama. In an attempt to encourage the university to choose the site the settlement changed its name to Montevallo, which is Italian for the hill in the valley.
Pelham Alabama
Pelham is a city in Shelby County, Alabama. It incorporated in July 1964. At the 2010 census the population was 21,352. The first settlement located at the present site of Pelham, established in 1820, was named Shelbyville; it served as the location of the first county courthouse until Columbiana was named county seat in 1826. The town was renamed Pelham in 1867 after Civil War hero Major John Pelham, who reportedly camped overnight with his troops near Shelbyville during the war.
Pelham is a suburb of Birmingham and is one of the safest places with a crime rate almost 50 percent lower than the rest of the state. The median income is around $67,000 and median home values hover around $167,000.
Vestavia Hills Alabama
Vestavia Hills is a city in Jefferson and Shelby counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is a suburb of the city of Birmingham. As of the 2010 census, its population was 34,033.
Vincent Alabama
Vincent, originally known as Propel or Propel, is a city in Shelby, St. Clair, and Talladega counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. At the 2010 census the population was 1,988. The community was first known as Propel, but later named Vincent in honor of the Vincent family, who were early settlers of the area. It was incorporated in 1897.
Shelby County Alabama Towns:
Harpersville Alabama
Harpersville is a town in Shelby County, Alabama. Harpersville was settled just after the War of 1812 ended. It was originally called Big Springs. According to the 1950 U.S. Census, it formally incorporated in 1943. At the 2010 census, the population was 1,637, up from 1,620 in 2000. It is located southeast of Birmingham metro area.
History of Harpersville Alabama
Harpersville has two structures which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Chancellor House and the Old Rock House.
Indian Springs Village Alabama
Indian Springs Village (often simply called Indian Springs) is a town in Shelby County, Alabama, in the Birmingham metropolitan area. It incorporated effective November 14, 1990. At the 2010 census the population was 2,363.
Westover Alabama
Westover is a city in Shelby County, Alabama. It was officially incorporated on January 31, 2001 although it was established in 1901 and had a population of 961 when it was incorporated in 2001.
Wilsonville Alabama
Wilsonville is a town in southeastern Shelby County, Alabama, located northeast of Columbiana. At the 2010 census the population was 1,867. Wilsonville is named after the earliest settler in the area, Elisha Wilson.
The town was incorporated in 1897. 3 years later in 1900, it had the distinction of being the largest community in Shelby County with 1,095, edging out the county seat of Columbiana by 20 people. It lost the distinction to Columbiana in 1910 and would not exceed its 1900 population again until 1990.
Wilton Alabama
Wilton, also known by the previous names of Birmingham Junction, Bismark, and Catoosa, is a town in Shelby County, Alabama. It incorporated in 1918. This town is part of the Birmingham–Hoover–Cullman Combined Statistical Area. At the 2010 census the population was 687, up from 580 in 2000.
Shelby County Alabama Communities:
Aldrich Alabama
Aldrich is an unincorporated community in Shelby County, that is now part of Montevallo.
Coal was mined in the area around Aldrich beginning in 1839. In 1875, Truman H. Aldrich purchased the town surrounding the mines and named it Aldrich. He leased the mining operations to his younger brother, William F. Aldrich, who was married to Josephine Cables Aldrich, spiritualist, Theosophist, editor, and publisher. Convict labor was employed at some time during the operation of Aldrich’s coal mines, and is mentioned in Douglas Blackmon’s Slavery By Another Name. A prison was built to house the convicts, and the convict cemetery is located near where the prison once stood. The community was once home to churches, a school, and houses that were all built by the operators of the mines. A post office was established in 1883, with William Aldrich as the first postmaster, and was in use until it was closed in 1965. From 1895 to 1902, Aldrich had a locally published newspaper, The Alabama time-piece. The mines were closed on July 5, 1942. Today, Aldrich is home to the Aldrich Coal Mine Museum.
Credit: Wikipedia contributors, “Aldrich, Alabama,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, (accessed May 21, 2019).
Arkwright Alabama
Arkwright was an unincorporated community in Shelby County. The community lies near the banks of the Coosa River and is now within the city limits of Vincent.
At one point, the community was home to a railroad station, post office, bank, cotton gin, gristmill, general store, furniture store, and school. The post office was in operation from 1909 to 1926. In 1924, the railroad company raised the railroad bed, eliminating the need for a depot. The population soon began to decline and the post office was closed shortly afterwards.
Calcis Alabama
Calcis is an unincorporated community in Shelby County, located along Alabama State Route 25, 3 miles north-northwest of Vincent.
Cloverdale Alabama
Cloverdale is an unincorporated community in Shelby County, located along Alabama State Route 53, 5 miles north-northeast of Vincent.
Fourmile Alabama
Fourmile, also known as Redlawn, is an unincorporated community in Shelby County. Fourmile is located 4 miles northeast of Columbiana and 3 miles west of Wilsonville. A post office was established under the name Redlawn in 1898, at the residence of Pickens Miner, who served as the first postmaster. The post office was in operation until 1904. Coordinates: 33°14′55″N 86°33′11″W
Inverness Alabama
Inverness is a former census-designated place and now neighborhood within Hoover, a suburb of Birmingham.
Maylene Alabama
Maylene is an unincorporated community in Shelby County. While the community was once unincorporated, it is now part of southern Alabaster, Alabama. Maylene zipcode is 35114. One site in Maylene, the Meredith-McLaughlin House (McLaughlin Farm), is listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.
Pea Ridge Alabama
Pea Ridge is an unincorporated community in Shelby County, Alabama, United States. The community is named for Pea Ridge, the broadest ridge in the Cahaba Coal Field. This ridge divides the waters of the Cahaba River and Little Cahaba River. Pea Ridge has maintained a volunteer fire department since 1972.
Ryan Alabama
Ryan is an unincorporated community in Shelby County, Alabama, United States. The name was collected by the United States Geological Survey between 1976 and 1980, and entered into the Geographic Names Information System on September 4, 1980.
Saginaw Alabama
The community was named for Saginaw, Michigan. The latitude of Saginaw is 33.216N. The longitude is -86.791W.
Siluria Alabama
Siluria is an unincorporated community located in Shelby County, Alabama in the Birmingham, Alabama, metropolitan area. Siluria is a former town and now a neighborhood in Alabaster, Alabama. It was the home of a large cotton mill and company-built mill village which began operations in 1896 and finally closed in 1979. The community has been annexed by the city of Alabaster. Its named for the Silurian geological period because of rocks found there. A post office was established in 1872, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1972.
Shelby County Alabama Designated Places:
Brantleyville Alabama
Brantleyville is a census-designated place and Unincorporated community in Shelby County. Its population was 884 as of the 2010 census.
Brook Highland Alabama
Brook Highland (formerly known as Lake Purdy) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Shelby County. At the 2010 census the population was 6,746. Brook Highland is located at 33°25′43″N 86°41′35″W (33.428571, -86.693028).
The community has a total area of 2.9 square miles, of which 2.8 square miles is land and 0.05 square miles is water. As of the census of 2000, there were 5,799 people, 2,789 households, and 1,327 families residing in the community. The population density was 1,936.7 people per square mile. There were 3,044 housing units at an average density of 1,016.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the community was 86.62% White, 7.78% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 4.14% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.47% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. 3.43% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Dunnavant Alabama
Dunnavant, also spelled Dunavant, is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Shelby County. Its population was 981 as of the 2010 census. A post office was established in 1897 and was in operation until it was closed in 1958.
Highland Lakes Alabama
Meadowbrook Alabama
Meadowbrook is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Shelby County. At the 2010 census the population was 8,769.
Shelby Alabama
Shelby is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Shelby County. Its population was 1,044 as of the 2010 census. The area is near Lay Lake and Waxahatchee Creek. Shelby Iron Park is located at the heart of the area. Two sites in Shelby, The Brick House and the Old Shelby Hotel, are listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.
Shoal Creek Alabama
Shoal Creek is a private, gated/guarded residential community in Shelby County. Its population was 274 as of the 2010 census.The population is constantly fluctuating. The community has many features to provide its residents. Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club is located in Shoal Creek. Home of the 2018 U.S. Women’s Open Golf Championship. It is a part of the Birmingham, Alabama metropolitan area, approximately 15 miles southeast of downtown Birmingham.
Sterrett Alabama
Sterrett is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Shelby County. Its population was 712 as of the 2010 census. Sterrett was named in honor of a prominent local family, which included Alphonso A. Sterrett, who served in the Alabama Legislature.
At one point in its history, Sterrett was a center of pottery production in central Alabama. Also known as “Jugtown”, Sterrett was once home to at least ten potters. The pottery produced here was classified as being part of the East Alabama style of pottery, which used high quality clay and a two-toned glaze decoration.
Vandiver Alabama
Shelby County Alabama Historic Destinations:
American Village
Montevallo
Aldrich Coal Mine Museum
Montevallo
Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum*
Calera
Karl C. Harrison Museum of George Washington
Columbiana
Shelby County Museum and Archives
Columbiana
Shelby County Schools
410 East College Street
P.O. Box 1910
Columbiana, AL 35051
Main Office: 205-682-7000
Fax:205-682-7005
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- Shelby County Schools operates public schools in the county. Alabaster City Schools operates the six public schools in Alabaster. In 2014, Pelham began operating their own school system with three schools taken over from the Shelby County School System: Pelham High School, Riverchase Middle School, and Valley Elementary School. Pelham Ridge Elementary School opened during the 2016-2017 school year. Valley Elementary School closed and teachers relocated to Valley Intermediate School, renamed Pelham Oaks Elementary School (now serving kindergarten through fifth grade).
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Shelby County School News
Shelby County Things To Do & Places To See
Aldrich Coal Mine Museum
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American Village
Cahaba River Wildlife Management Area
Colonial Promenade Alabaster
Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum
Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
Oak Mountain State Park
Old Shelby County Courthouse and Museum
Shelby Iron Works Park
Shelby County Alabama Weblinks
Bluff Park sits on the summit of Shades Mountain which is an example of a "cuesta" - a mountain with a steep face or escarpment on one side and a long gentle slope on the other. On the crest of the steep northwestern face of the mountain Bluff Park offers dramatic vistas of Shades Valley below and Red Mountain to the north. In the other direction land slopes gently away from the crest toward the commercial and residential developments along Hwy. 31 and Hwy. 150 and the Galleria shopping complex. According to geologists, Shades Mountain is part of a formation that stretches northward as far as Pennsylvania. The underlying rock and jutting rock formations that line the crest are primarily sandstone, originally formed in rivers. Although the rocky outcroppings discouraged large scale agriculture in Bluff Park, early settlers had small farms, dairies, orchards, and sawmills.
Boat Launch, Canoeing, Drinking Water, Fishing, Hand/Small Boat Launch, Hiking, Motor Boating, Picnic, Picnic Shelter, Playground, Restroom, Shelter, and Walking Trail
Vincent is one of the few progressive Shelby County locations that still offers small town hospitality and personality. Vincent is located on Highway 231 between Interstate 20 and Highway 280, which offers area residents the proximity to work in various larger cities and leave the fast-paced city life after work and escape to the quiet country setting that is the essence of Vincent.
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