Limestone County, Alabama
| Limestone County, Alabama | |
 Limestone County Courthouse in Athens, Alabama
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 Location in the state of Alabama |
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 Alabama's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | February 6[1], 1818[1] |
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| Seat | Athens |
| Largest city | Athens |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
607.08 sq mi (1,572 km²) 568.05 sq mi (1,471 km²) 39.03 sq mi (101 km²), (6.43%) |
| Population - (2010) - Density |
82,782 146/sq mi (56/km²) |
| Congressional district | 5th |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Website | limestonecounty.net |
Limestone County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is included in the Huntsville Metropolitan Area.
It is also included in the merged Huntsville-Decatur Metro Area. Its name comes from Limestone Creek, a local stream. In 2000, the population was 65,676. As of 2010 the county's population was 82,782[2]. Its county seat is Athens.
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[edit] History
Limestone County was established by the Alabama Territorial legislature on February 6th, 1818.[1] On November 27th, 1821, the Alabama State legislature passed an Act that altered the boundary of Limestone County include the area east of the mouth of the Elk River with the Tennessee River. At the time, that area was a part of Lauderdale County.[3]
[edit] Local government
Limestone County comprises the Thirty-Ninth Judicial Circuit of Alabama. The Thirty-Ninth Judicial Circuit was created in the early 1980s when Limestone County broke away from Morgan County to form its own circuit.
The Thirty-Ninth Judicial Circuit has two circuit judges and two district judges. The two circuit judges are Judge James W. Woodroof and Judge Robert M. Baker. The two district judges are Judge Jeanne W. Anderson and Judge Jerry L. Batts.
The current District Attorney is Brian C.T. Jones.
The current Sheriff of Limestone County is Mike Blakely, who has been sheriff for 7 terms (since 1982). The term for sheriff is 4 years, and there is no term limit.
Stanley Menefee (R) is the Chairman of the County Commission.[4]
[edit] Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 607.08 square miles (1,572.3 km2), of which 568.05 square miles (1,471.2 km2) (or 93.57%) is land and 39.03 square miles (101.1 km2) (or 6.43%) is water.[5]
[edit] Major highways
Interstate 65
Interstate 565
U.S. Highway 31
U.S. Highway 72
Alternate US-72/State Route 20
State Route 99
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[edit] Rail
- CSX Transportation -- freight line that runs North to South[6]
- Norfolk Southern Railway -- freight line that runs East-West[6]
[edit] River
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Giles County, Tennessee - north
- Lincoln County, Tennessee - northeast
- Madison County, Alabama - east
- Morgan County, Alabama - southeast across the Tennessee River
- Lawrence County, Alabama - southwest across the Tennessee River (no bridges or ferries connect the two counties)
- Lauderdale County, Alabama - west across the Elk River
[edit] National protected area
[edit] Demographics
| Limestone County, Alabama | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1820 | 9,871 | — |
| 1830 | 14,807 | +50.0% |
| 1840 | 14,374 | −2.9% |
| 1850 | 16,483 | +14.7% |
| 1860 | 15,306 | −7.1% |
| 1870 | 15,017 | −1.9% |
| 1880 | 21,600 | +43.8% |
| 1890 | 21,201 | −1.8% |
| 1900 | 22,387 | +5.6% |
| 1910 | 26,880 | +20.1% |
| 1920 | 31,341 | +16.6% |
| 1930 | 36,629 | +16.9% |
| 1940 | 35,642 | −2.7% |
| 1950 | 35,766 | +0.3% |
| 1960 | 36,513 | +2.1% |
| 1970 | 41,699 | +14.2% |
| 1980 | 46,005 | +10.3% |
| 1990 | 54,135 | +17.7% |
| 2000 | 65,676 | +21.3% |
| 2010 | 82,782 | +26.0% |
| Sources: 1820-1890;[7] 1900-1980;[8] 1990[8][9]; 2000[9]; and 2010[2] | ||
As of the 2000 census[9], there were 65,676 people, 24,688 households, and 18,219 families residing in the county. The population density was 45/km2 (116/sq mi). There were 26,897 housing units at an average density of 18/km2 (47/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 83.79% White, 13.33% Black or African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.14% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. 2.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
According to the census[9] of 2000, the largest ancestry groups in Limestone County were English 66.31%, Scots-Irish 15.12%, and African 13.33%
There were 24,688 households, out of which 34.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.00% were married couples living together, 10.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.20% were non-families. 23.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the county, the population was spread out with 24.90% under the age of 18, 8.80% from 18 to 24, 32.10% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 11.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.80 males.
The median household income in the county was $37,405, and the median income for a family was $45,146. Males had a median income of $35,743 versus $23,389 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,782. About 9.80% of families and 12.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.20% of those under age 18 and 14.60% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Points of interest
Limestone County is home to Swan Creek Wildlife Management area, part of the Tennessee River, and a section of the Elk River. Athens is home to the Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention, an annual event that takes place each October, on the Athens State University campus.
[edit] Cities and towns
- Ardmore
- Athens
- Belle Mina (unincorporated)
- Decatur (part - most of Decatur is in Morgan County)
- Elkmont
- Huntsville (part - most of Huntsville is in Madison County)
- Lester
- Madison (part - most of Madison is in Madison County)
- Mooresville
- Tanner
[edit] Education
- Limestone County Schools[10] - K-12 education for the county
- Athens City Schools - K-12 education for the city of Athens
- Calhoun Community College - 2-year college located in the southern part of the county in Decatur
- Athens State University - 2-year upper level university located in Athens
[edit] Recreation
- Cowford Campground — riverside campgroud with 48 campsites with full hookups. Next to Cowford Landing.
- Cowford Landing — swimming, fishing, and boating. Next to Cowford Campground.
- Limestone County Canoe & Kayak Trail — a 21.9 miles (35.2 km) along the Elk River for canoeing with 5 access sites. Designated a National Recreation Trail in 2010.[11]
- Richard Martin Trail — a 10.2 miles (16.4 km) rail trail in northern part of the county for bicycling, horseback riding, and walking.[12] Designated a National Recreation Trail in 2010.[11]
[edit] See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Limestone County, Alabama
- Properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in Limestone County, Alabama
[edit] References
- ^ a b c 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 XII. Page 85. An Act to establish the western and southern Boundaries of Madison County, and to establish the Counties of Limestone and Lauderdale--Passed February 6, 1818.
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder2.census.gov. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
- ^ 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 XXXII. Page 99. An Act to alter and extend the Boundaries of Limestone County--Passed November 27, 1821.
- ^ Election. Limestone County, Alabama. Election Central Judge of Probate Office. November 2, 2010.
- ^ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. http://www.census.gov/tiger/tms/gazetteer/county2k.txt. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
- ^ a b Alabama Railway Map. 2008. Alabama Department of Transportation. Accessed 2010-12-10.
- ^ Table 4: Population of States and Territories by County, at each Census: 1790 to 1890. Alabama. Census of Population and Housing. Volume 1: Report on Population of the United States at the Eleventh Census. 1890 Census. Original Pagination 9. PDF Pagination 16.
- ^ a b Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990 for Alabama. Compiled 3/24/1995. Population Division. U.S. Bureau of the Census.
- ^ a b c d "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ *Limestone County Schools
- ^ a b 2010 NRT designations. National Recreation Trails. 2010-06-02. U.S. Department of Interior. Accessed 2012-03-15.
- ^ Richard Martin Trail National Recreation Trails Database. American Trails. Last Updated 06/09/2011.
[edit] External links
- Limestone County Government
- Limestone County District Attorney
- Limestone County Economic Development Association, Inc. promotes economic growth in the county by recruiting new businesses and industry to create jobs.
- University of Alabama's Cartographic Research Laboratory Historic Aerial Photos Collection for Athens and Limestone County
- University of Alabama's Cartographic Research Laboratory Historic Map Collection for Athens and Limestone County
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Giles County, Tennessee | Lincoln County, Tennessee | |
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| Lauderdale County |  |
Madison County | ||
 Limestone County, Alabama  |
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| Lawrence County | Morgan County |
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Coordinates: 34°48′40″N 86°59′03″W / 34.81111°N 86.98417°W
