Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the second- or third-most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama, with about 196,000 people living in it.[3] It is the county seat of Jefferson County. Its metropolitan area is the biggest in Alabama with more than 1.1 million people living in it. The city has an area of about 152 square miles (390 km2) and an elevation of 614 feet (187 m) above sea level.
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 Location in Jefferson County, Alabama | |
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| Coordinates: 33°31′03″N 86°48′34″W / 33.51750°N 86.80944°WCoordinates: 33°31′03″N 86°48′34″W / 33.51750°N 86.80944°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alabama |
| Counties | Jefferson, Shelby |
| Incorporated | December 19, 1871 |
| Named for | Birmingham, United Kingdom |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor – Council |
| • Mayor | Randall Woodfin (D) |
| Area | |
| • City | 149.54 sq mi (387.31 km2) |
| • Land | 147.02 sq mi (380.77 km2) |
| • Water | 2.52 sq mi (6.53 km2) |
| Elevation | 597 ft (182 m) |
| Population | |
| • City | 200,733 |
| • Estimate (2024)[3] | 196,357 |
| • Rank | 124th in the United States 2nd in Alabama |
| • Density | 1,365.37/sq mi (527.17/km2) |
| • Urban | 774,956 (US: 58th) |
| • Urban density | 1,521.7/sq mi (587.5/km2) |
| • Metro | 1,180,631 (47th) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 35201-35224, 35226, 35228-35229, 35231-35238, 35242-35244, 35246, 35249, 35253-35255, 35259-35261, 35266, 35270, 35282-35283, 35285, 35287-35288, 35290-35298 |
| FIPS code | 01-07000 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2403868[2] |
| Website | www |
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History
Birmingham was founded in 1871. Three smaller towns came together to make one, which grew into a large town. It was named after Birmingham, England, a British industrial city. The Alabama city is famous for its iron ore, coal, and limestone, which were used in the town's steel mills
Confederate monuments
The cornerstone of the Monument plinth was laid during the 1894 Reunion of United Confederate Veterans on Confederate Decoration Day, April 26.[5] and contained a Bible and Confederate flag.[6]
The Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument was erected in 1905. While the George Floyd protests were happening, it was removed by the city on June 1, 2020, which violated (broke) the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act of 2017, a law passed specifically to prevent them removing of this monument. It was the most prominent Confederate monument in the state.[7] The Alabama Attorney General has filed suit (sued) against the city of Birmingham for violating the statute. The city could be fined $25,000 for the violation but cannot be forced to put the moment back. Mayor Randall Woodfin said the fine would be much more affordable than the cost of continued unrest in the city.[8][9]
Birmingham Sunday
Birmingham became famous around the world when a bomb exploded in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church on Sunday September 15, 1963. Four young black girls were killed. A member of the Ku Klux Klan was charged for the bombing many years later. Richard Farina wrote a sad song called "Birmingham Sunday" in 1964 to the tune of "I Love A Lass".[10] It has been recorded by several singers, including Joan Baez.
Birmingham, Alabama Media
Child labor at Avondale Mills in Birmingham, 1910, photo by Lewis Hine
The Birmingham skyline at night from atop the City Federal Building, July 2015
The Birmingham skyline 
A racial distribution map of Birmingham, 2010 U.S. census
St. Paul's Cathedral in downtown Birmingham
AT&T City Center in downtown
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham. Birmingham's nickname "The Pittsburgh of the South" recalls the historical importance of the steel industry in both cities. This history is the focus of the Sloss Furnaces historical site in Birmingham.
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References
- ↑ 2020 U.S. Gazetteer FilesUnited States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Birmingham, Alabama
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Birmingham city, Alabama; Huntsville city, Alabama; Mobile city, Alabama; Montgomery city, AlabamaUnited States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
- ↑ 2020 Population and Housing State DataUnited States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
- ↑ UNITED CONFEDERATE VETERANS.; Fourth Annual Reunion, at Birmingham, Ala. -- Large Attendance. (in en). New York Times (25 April 1894). Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ↑ Watson, Nathan. A history of the Confederate monument in Birmingham's Linn Park. Bham Now (2 June 2020). Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ↑ Sheets, Connor (June 2, 2020). Obituary for a racist symbol: Birmingham takes down Confederate monument after 115 years. https://www.al.com/news/2020/06/obituary-for-a-racist-symbol-birmingham-takes-down-confederate-monument-after-115-years.html.
- ↑ Alabama attorney general sues Birmingham for removing Confederate monument. June 2, 2020. https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2020/06/alabama-attorney-general-sues-birmingham-for-removing-confederate-monument.html.
- ↑ Reeves, Jay (June 2, 2020). Confederate monuments targeted by protests come down in Alabama, Virginia, Florida. WPBI-LD. https://mynbc15.com/news/nation-world/confederate-monuments-targeted-by-protests-come-down-in-alabama-virginia-florida.
- ↑ Helfert, Manfred. History in Song, Birmingham Sunday. Retrieved 2008-07-21.
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