Calhoun County, Alabama
Calhoun County is a county in the U.S. state of Alabama. As of 2020 the population was 116,441.[1] It is included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its county seat is Anniston.
Calhoun County, Alabama | |
Map | |
Location in the state of Alabama | |
Alabama's location in the U.S. | |
Statistics | |
Founded | December 18, 1832 as Benton County |
---|---|
Seat | Anniston |
Largest City | Oxford |
Area - Total - Land - Water |
612 sq mi (1,585 km²) 606 sq mi (1,570 km²) 6.4 sq mi (17 km²), 1.0 |
Population - Density |
|
Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
Website: www.calhouncounty.org | |
Named for: John C. Calhoun |
History
Benton County was formed on December 18, 1832. It was named for Thomas Hart Benton, a member of the United States Senate from Missouri. The first county seat was at Jacksonville.
An F4 tornado struck here on Palm Sunday March 27, 1994. It destroyed Piedmont's Goshen United Methodist Church twelve minutes after the National Weather Service of Birmingham issued a tornado warning for northern Calhoun, southeastern Etowah, and southern Cherokee.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 612.32 square miles (1,585.9 km2). 608.46 square miles (1,575.9 km2) (or 99.37%) is land and 3.86 square miles (10.0 km2) (or 0.63%) is water.[2]
Major highways
Rail
Adjacent counties
- Cherokee County, Alabama - northeast
- Cleburne County, Alabama - east
- Talladega County, Alabama - south
- St. Clair County, Alabama - west
- Etowah County, Alabama - northwest
National protected areas
Cities and towns
- Alexandria
- Anniston
- Blue Mountain
- Bynum
- Choccolocco
- Eastaboga
- Hobson City
- Jacksonville
- Pleasant Valley
- Minden
- Ohatchee
- Oxford (part - part of Oxford is in Talladega County)
- Piedmont (part - part of Piedmont is in Cherokee County)
- Saks
- Weaver
- Webster's Chapel
- Wellington
- West End-Cobb Town
Places of interest
Calhoun County is home to the Anniston Museum of Natural History and the Berman Museum of World History. It also contains a part of the Talladega National Forest.
References
- ↑ "QuickFacts: Calhoun County, Alabama". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ↑ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. Retrieved 2011-02-13.