Mobile County, Alabama

Mobile County, Alabama

Coordinates: 30°47′11″N 88°12′50″W / 30.78639°N 88.21389°W / 30.78639; -88.21389

Mobile County, Alabama
Government Plaza Mobile.JPG
Mobile Government Plaza in Mobile, Alabama
Seal of Mobile County, Alabama
Seal
Map of Alabama highlighting Mobile County
Location in the state of Alabama
Map of the U.S. highlighting Alabama
Alabama's location in the U.S.
Founded December 18, 1812 [1]
Seat Mobile
Largest city Mobile
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water
1,644.02 sq mi (4,258 km²)
1,233.09 sq mi (3,194 km²)
410.93 sq mi (1,064 km²), 25.0%
PopulationEst.
 - (2011)
 - Density
415,704
337.1/sq mi (130/km²)
Congressional district 1st
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website www.MobileCountyAL.gov

Mobile County[p] is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of a tribe of Indians, the Maubila tribe (see Mobilian). As of 2011, its population was 415,704. Its county seat is Mobile, Alabama. The entire county is included in the Mobile metropolitan statistical area.

Contents

History

This area was occupied for thousands of years by varying cultures of indigenous peoples. The historic Choctaw were among the Native Americans encountered by early French traders and colonists, who founded Mobile in the early eighteenth century. The British took over the territory in 1763 after defeating the French in the Seven Years War. During the American Revolutionary War, it came under Spanish rule as part of Spanish Florida. It was ceded to the United States after the War of 1812.

Most of the Native Americans in the area were removed in the 1830s under President Andrew Jackson's policy to relocate them to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River. The MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians was recognized as a tribe in 1979 by the state; it occupies land along the border of Mobile and Washington counties.

Mobile County was created by European Americans by a proclamation of Governor Holmes of the Mississippi Territory on December 18, 1812.[1] The area became part of the Alabama Territory on August 15, 1817, on the day that Mississippi became a state. Two years later, the county became part of the Alabama, when granted statehood on December 14, 1819.[2][3]

The city of Mobile, first settled by French colonists as part of La Louisiane, has always been designated as the county seat.[1] Both the county and city derive their name from Fort Louis de la Mobile, a French fortification established (near present-day Axis, Alabama) in 1702. The word "Mobile" is believed to stem from a Choctaw Indian word for "paddlers".[1] The area was occupied by French colonists from 1702–1763, by the British from 1763–1780, and by the Spanish from 1780-1813. Courthouse fires occurred in the years 1823, 1840, and 1872.[1]

Government

Local

Mobile County is governed by a three-member county commission. Each commissioner represents a district and is elected by the voters of that district to serve a four-year term. Each commissioner has an equal vote on the commission. One of the commissioners is selected as Commission President.

Current (as of June 2009) Mobile County Commissioners are:

  • District 1 (northern County) – Merceria L. Ludgood (D) (current Commission President)
  • District 2 (western and central County) – Connie Hudson (R)
  • District 3 (southern County) – Mike Dean (R)

State

Mobile County is represented in the Alabama Legislature by three senators and nine representatives. It is represented in the Alabama Senate by Democrat Vivian Davis Figures from the 33rd district, by Republican Rusty Glover from the 34th district, and by Republican Ben Brooks from the 35th district.[4] It is represented in the Alabama House of Representatives by Democrat Yvonne Kennedy from the 97th district, Democrat Napoleon Bracy from the 98th district, Democrat James Buskey from the 99th district, Republican Victor Gaston from the 100th district, Republican Jamie Ison from the 101st district, Republican Chad Fincher from the 102nd district, Democrat Joseph C. Mitchell from the 103rd district, Republican Jim Barton from the 104th district, and Republican David Sessions from the 105th district.[5]

Geography

Aerial view of the Mobile River at its confluence with Chickasaw Creek. This photograph was taken around 1990 during construction of the Cochrane-Africatown bridge carrying U.S. Route 90 across the river.

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 1,644.02 square miles (4,258.0 km2), of which 1,233.09 square miles (3,193.7 km2) (or 75.00%) is land and 410.93 square miles (1,064.3 km2) (or 25.00%) is water.[6] It includes several islands, including Dauphin Island, Gaillard Island and Mon Louis Island.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics

Mobile County, Alabama
Year Pop. ±%
1820 2,672 —
1830 6,267 +134.5%
1840 18,741 +199.0%
1850 27,600 +47.3%
1860 41,131 +49.0%
1870 49,311 +19.9%
1880 48,653 −1.3%
1890 51,587 +6.0%
1900 62,740 +21.6%
1910 80,854 +28.9%
1920 100,117 +23.8%
1930 118,363 +18.2%
1940 141,974 +19.9%
1950 231,105 +62.8%
1960 314,301 +36.0%
1970 317,308 +1.0%
1980 364,980 +15.0%
1990 378,643 +3.7%
2000 399,843 +5.6%
2010 412,992 +3.3%
Sources: "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml.  through 1960

2010

Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:

2000

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 399,843 people, 150,179 households, and 106,777 families residing in the county. The population density was 324 people per square mile (125/km2). There were 165,101 housing units at an average density of 134 per square mile (52/km2). 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 were 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 dispersal was 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 those age 65 or over.

2004 and 2008 election results

In 2004, the Republican George W. Bush presidential candidate won 59% of the vote and 92,014 votes. Democrat John F. Kerry won 40% of the vote and 63,732 votes. Other candidates won 1% of the vote.[8]

In the 2008 presidential election, Mobile County again cast the majority of its votes for the Republican candidate; this was John McCain. He won 54% of the vote and 98,049 votes. Democrat Barack Obama received 45% of the vote and 82,181 votes. Other candidates won 1% of the vote.[8]

In the Senate election in 2008, Republican Jeff Sessions did better than John McCain. Sessions won 57% of the vote and 102,043 votes. His challenger, Democrat Vivian D. Figures, won 43% of the vote and 77,292 votes. [8]

Settlements

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Education

All of the public schools in Mobile County, with the exception of Saraland city schools, are operated by the Mobile County Public School System.

See also

Interstate 10 entering the Wallace Tunnel in Mobile, Alabama.

References

  - The name "Mobile" is pronounced "mo-beel" with even emphasis on both syllables.

  1. ^ a b c d e "Mobile County, Alabama history". Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH). June 5, 2009. http://www.archives.state.al.us/counties/mobile.html. 
  2. ^ "An 1820 Claim to Congress: Alabama Territory : 1817". The Intruders. TNGenNet Inc.. 2001. http://www.tngenweb.org/tnland/intruders/claim-537.html. 
  3. ^ "Statehood Dates". 50states.com. 1998/2009. http://www.50states.com/statehood.htm. 
  4. ^ "Roster of the Alabama State Senate". Official Website of the Alabama Legislature. http://www.legislature.state.al.us/senate/senators/senateroster_alpha.html. Retrieved 2007-11-30. 
  5. ^ "Roster of the Alabama House of Representatives". Official Website Of The Alabama Legislature. http://www.legislature.state.al.us/house/representatives/houseroster_alpha.html. Retrieved 2007-11-30. 
  6. ^ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. http://www.census.gov/tiger/tms/gazetteer/county2k.txt. Retrieved 2011-02-13. 
  7. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  8. ^ a b c David Leip (2008). "Atlas of United States Presidential Election Results". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/. 

External links

Greene County, Mississippi Washington County
George County, Mississippi Baldwin County
   Mobile County, Alabama    
Jackson County, Mississippi Gulf of Mexico
v · d · eMunicipalities and communities of Mobile County, Alabama
Cities
Towns
CDPs

Axis | Belle Fontaine | Bucks | Calvert | Chunchula | Grand Bay | Theodore | Tillmans Corner
Unincorporated
communities

Alabama Port | Coden | Eight Mile | Fernland | Heron Bay | Irvington | Kushla | Le Moyne | Mauvilla | Mon Louis | St. Elmo | Whistler | Wilmer
Ghost town
v · d · e State of Alabama
Topics
Regions
Metros
Larger cities
Counties

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