Florala, Alabama
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2011) |
Florala, Alabama | |
|---|---|
 Location in Covington County and the state of Alabama | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alabama |
| County | Covington |
| Area | |
| • Total | 11.0 sq mi (28.4 km2) |
| • Land | 10.5 sq mi (27.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0.5 sq mi (1.2 km2) |
| Elevation | 262 ft (80 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,980 |
| • Density | 180.2/sq mi (72.6/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 36442 |
| Area code | 334 |
| FIPS code | 01-26848 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0159617 |
Florala is a town in Covington County, Alabama, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 1,984.[1]
Geography
Florala is located along the Alabama–Florida state line at 31°0′28″N 86°19′30″W / 31.00778°N 86.32500°W (31.007712, -86.324957).[2] It is bordered by the town of Lockhart, Alabama, to the west, and the town of Paxton, Florida, to the south.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.0 square miles (28.4 km2), of which 10.5 square miles (27.3 km2) is land and 0.46 square miles (1.2 km2), or 4.07%, is water.[1] Lake Jackson lies on the state line, half in Florala. Florala State Park occupies all of the lake's shoreline in Alabama.
Demographics
2000 Census data
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 1,964 people, 898 households, and 527 families residing in the city. The population density was 187.0 people per square mile (72.2/km²). There were 1,103 housing units at an average density of 105.0 per square mile (40.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 80.75% White, 15.68% Black or African American, 0.87% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.66% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. 2.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 898 households out of which 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.3% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the city the population was 21.8% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 82.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $17,377, and the median income for a family was $21,176. Males had a median income of $27,569 versus $15,625 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,495. About 29.3% of families and 32.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.8% of those under age 18 and 26.6% of those age 65 or over.
Origin of name
The name Florala refers to the town's location, adjacent to the Florida border: it combines the beginning letters in the words "Florida" and "Alabama".
History
In 1818, Andrew Jackson stopped at the lake with his soldiers, and thus Lake Jackson is named after him. Since 1870, Florala has served as the home of the world's oldest consecutive annual Masonic Day celebration, through Florala's Fidelity Masonic Lodge #685 (beginning with Chapel Hill and Lake City Lodge #377), and Chapter #441 of the Order of the Eastern Star. The celebration is in honor of St. John's Day, June 24, 1717, when the first Grand Masonic Lodge in England was established. The celebration is held each year on the Friday before the 24th of June and concluding on the Saturday after the 24th.
Notable residents
- Sgt. Rodney J. Evans (1948–1969), awarded the Medal of Honor after being killed in Vietnam while exposing himself to enemy fire in order to protect his men
- R. Barbara Gitenstein, current president of The College of New Jersey; grew up in Florala
- Mark Gitenstein, Ambassador to Romania; brother to Barbara Gitenstein
- Ray Goolsby, former Major League Baseball player for the Washington Senators
- Ernie Manning, former Major League Baseball pitcher, right fielder, and third baseman for the St. Louis Browns
- Dwight Stone, who played for the NY Jets, Carolina Panthers, Pittsburgh Steelers; born in Florala on January 28, 1964
Florala in pop culture
- Florala is mentioned in the lyrics of "Florida Bound" by the Destin, Florida-based band The Underdogs, released on their Unleashed album on Howlin' Muse Records.
References
- ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Florala town, Alabama". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links
31°00′28″N 86°19′30″W / 31.007712°N 86.324957°W
Municipalities and communities of Covington County, Alabama, United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||