Montgomery County, Alabama

History

Montgomery County was established by dividing Monroe County on December 6, 1816, by the Mississippi Territorial Legislature. It is named for Lemuel P. Montgomery, a young U.S. Army officer killed at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, the final battle of the Creek Indian war, which was waged concurrently with the War of 1812.

The city of Montgomery, which is the county seat, is named for Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed in 1775 while attempting to capture Quebec City, Canada.

Over much of the 19th century great wealth was derived from the cotton crop, with the Civil War producing a temporary setback. More lasting trouble came in 1914 with the arrival of the boll weevil, which became very destructive to the cotton harvest from 1915 on. By the 1940s county farms earned more from cattle than cotton.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 800 sqmi, of which 784 sqmi is land and 16 sqmi (2.0%) is water.

Major highways

• [[Image:I-65 (AL).svg|20px]] Interstate 65
• [[Image:I-85 (AL).svg|20px]] Interstate 85
• [[Image:I-685 (AL).svg|20px]] Interstate 685 (future)
• [[Image:US 31.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 31
• [[Image:US 80.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 80
• [[Image:US 82.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 82
• [[Image:US 231.svg|24px]] U.S. Highway 231
• [[Image:US 331.svg|23px]] U.S. Highway 331
• [[Image:Alabama 21.svg|20px]] State Route 21
• [[Image:Alabama 94.svg|20px]] State Route 94
• [[Image:Alabama 108.svg|20px]] State Route 108
• [[Image:Alabama 110.svg|20px]] State Route 110
• [[Image:Alabama 126.svg|20px]] State Route 126
• [[Image:Alabama 152.svg|20px]] State Route 152
• [[Image:Alabama 271.svg|20px]] State Route 271
• [[Image:Alabama 293.svg|20px]] State Route 293

Transit

• Montgomery Area Transit System

Adjacent counties

• Elmore County (north)
• Macon County (northeast)
• Bullock County (east)
• Pike County (southeast)
• Crenshaw County (southwest)
• Lowndes County (west)
• Autauga County (northwest)

National protected area

• Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail (part)

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 228,954. The median age was 38.1 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 85.3 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 32.8% White, 57.0% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.5% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.7% from some other race, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.7% of the population.

87.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 12.4% lived in rural areas.

There were 93,223 households in the county, of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 39.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 105,293 housing units, of which 11.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 56.3% were owner-occupied and 43.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.3%.

2010 census

The 2010 census reported the following county population:

• 54.7% Black
• 39.5% White
• 3.6% Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
• 1.3% Two or more races
• 1.2% Asian
• 0.3% Native American
• 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 223,510 persons, 86,068 households, and 56,804 families in the county. The population density was 283 /mi2. There were 95,437 housing units, at an average density of 121 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county (including Hispanics in the racial counts) was 48.85% White, 48.58% Black or African American, 0.99% Asian, 0.25% Native American, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos, of any race, made up 1.19% of the population.

There were 86,068 households, 32.20% of which included children under the age of 18, 43.80% were married couples living together, 18.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.00% were non-families. Single-persons households were 29.50% of the total; 9.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46. The average family size was 3.06.

Persons younger than 18 were 25.80% of the population; those 18–24, 11.70%; 25–44, 29.80%; 45–64, 20.90%; and 65 and older, 11.80%. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.80 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 86.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,962, and the median income for a family was $44,669. Males had a median income of $32,018; females, $24,921. The per capita income for the county was $19,358. About 13.50% of families and 17.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.10% of those under age 18 and 13.70% of those 65 and older.

Politics

Montgomery County is a strongly Democratic county like most of the Black Belt in Alabama. The last Republican to win the county was George H. W. Bush in 1992.

Infrastructure inside Montgomery County includes both Interstate 85 and 65 along with shipping hubs on the Alabama River and rail hubs located in the City of Montgomery. The Montgomery Regional Airport also serves as a major airport for the State of Alabama and the Southeastern US for passenger service, military aviation, and commercial aviation.

Education

Montgomery Public Schools operates public schools serving most of the county. However, Pike Road City School District operates public schools in Pike Road. Additionally Maxwell Air Force Base is zoned to Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools. The DoDEA operates Maxwell Air Force Base Elementary/Middle School. For high school Maxwell AFB residents are zoned to Montgomery Public Schools facilities.

The Montgomery City-County Public Library operates public libraries.

Universities/Colleges include:

• Huntingdon College
• Faulkner University
• Alabama State University
• Auburn University Montgomery
• Virginia College
• Amridge University
• H. Council Trenholm Tech
• United States Air War College
• Troy University Montgomery

Cultural sites

Montgomery County is home to many cultural and historic sites including:

• Alabama Shakespeare Festival
• Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
• Montgomery Zoo
• Dexter Avenue Baptist Church
• Museum of Alabama (Alabama Department of Archives and History)
• Alabama State Capitol
• W. A. Gayle Planetarium
• Civil Rights Memorial
• First White House of the Confederacy
• Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald Museum
• Old Montgomery Greyhound Bus Station (Freedom Rides Museum)
• Rosa Parks Library and Museum

Communities

City

• Montgomery (county seat and largest municipality)

Town

• Pike Road

Unincorporated communities

• Ada
• Boylston
• Carter Hill
• Cecil
• Currys
• Dublin
• Grady
• Hope Hull
• Lapine (partly in Crenshaw County)
• Le Grand
• Mathews
• McDade
• Mount Meigs
• Pine Level
• Pintlala
• Ramer
• Red Level
• Snowdoun
• Waugh

References

References

1. A Digest of the Laws of the State of Alabama: Containing The Statutes and Resolutions in Force at the end of the General Assembly in January, 1823. Published by Ginn & Curtis, J. & J. Harper, Printers, New-York, 1828. Title 10. Chapter VII. Pages 83-84. [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_JvtKAAAAYAAJ/page/n24 "An Act to divide the County of Monroe, and form a new County by the name of Montgomery—Passed December 6, 1816." (Internet Archive)]
2. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
4. Hardy, Michael C.. (April 20, 2015). "The Capitals of the Confederacy: A History". Arcadia Publishing Incorporated.
5. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150917120951/http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/alabama/montgomeryAL1926/montgomeryAL1926.pdf usda.gov] Soil Survey of Montgomery County, Alabama
6. (February 5, 2016). "Poor But Proud". University of Alabama Press.
7. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
8. "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau.
9. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
10. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
11. (March 24, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
12. (April 2, 2001). "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
13. "P004 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Montgomery County, Alabama".
14. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Montgomery County, Alabama".
15. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Montgomery County, Alabama".
16. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
17. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
18. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
19. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
20. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Montgomery County, AL". [[United States Census Bureau]].
21. "Home". [[Department of Defense Education Activity]].
22. "Maxwell AFB Community". Department of Defense Education Activity.