Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Area

**Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area**

Core Cities	Anniston Oxford Jacksonville
Counties Included	Calhoun
Area - Total - Water	1,586 km² (612 mi²) 10 km² (4 mi²)
Population	112,249 (2000)
Time zone	Central: UTC–6

The Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area is the most populated metropolitan area in Northeast Alabama. At the 2000 census, it had a population of 112,249. Estimates expect it to rise 124,000 by 2010, making it the largest population boom in decades. In addition, some have suggested that Northern Talladega County be included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area because many residents commute from Northern Talladega County to jobs in Anniston and Oxford. Depending on which parts of the county would be inducted, it could rise from 10,000 to 20,000 more residents in the metropolitan area.

The cities included are: Anniston, Oxford, Jacksonville, Piedmont, Ohatchee, Hobson City, and Weaver,

Counties

Alabama

Calhoun

Core Cities

Suburbs with more than 5,000 inhabitants

Suburbs with less than 5,000 inhabitants

Education

K-12 education

Public

Anniston City Schools
Calhoun County Schools
Oxford City Schools
Jacksonville City Schools
Piedmont City Schools

Private

The Donoho School
Sacred Heart School
Jackonville Christian Academy
Trinity Christian Academy

Institutions of higher education

Jacksonville State University
- Main Jacksonville Campus
- McClellan Campus
Gadsden State Community College
- Ayers Campus
- McClellan Campus
Gadsden Business College

Transportation

Main roadways

Interstate 20 runs though the southern portion of the county, connecting Atlanta with Birmingham. It is four lane controlled access. Plans to widen to six lanes from the Talladega Speedway to Golden Springs Rd (also known as the Eastern Bypass or the Leon Smith Parkway) are underway with the first portion scheduled to be complete by 2007. The entire project is scheduled for 2011 or 2013.

Noble Street runs through downtown, lined with office buildings, specialty shops, and restaurants. A major revitalization effort in 2003, made this street more pedestrian friendly. The old four lane thoroughfare was gutted, and turn of the century trolley tracks were removed to help resurface the street. The road was converted to two lane traffic with wider sidewalks.

Quintard Avenue (Alabama State Route 21/US 431)runs parallel two blocks east of Noble Street. It serves as the main north/south traffic corridor for Anniston. The road is six lanes from East P street to 19th Street, the rest four lanes. It connects central Oxford to the south and Jacksonville, Gadsden, and the McClellan area of Anniston to the north. Traffic is relatively heavy on this road around downtown and in Oxford as well. Since the early 90’s, bypasses have been planned on both sides of town to alleviate traffic. The North end becomes McClellan Blvd and heads towards Jacksonville via AL 21 (US 431 and AL 21 split just outside Lagarde Park, where traffic headed for Saks, Alexandria, or Gadsden can turn left onto US 431 and other traffic can continue on McClellan Boulevard toward Jacksonville and Piedmont).

The Western Bypass is runs from I-20 in Oxford (the Coldwater exit) and runs north into the present AL 202. It is five lanes wide (handling Anniston Army Depot traffic). Future plans will extend it on the present County road 109 by widening it to connect with US 431.

The Eastern Bypass will run from McIntosh Road (in southeast Oxford) across I-20 following the Golden Springs Road route and cross the Choccolocco Foothills cutting back into 431 where it hits into AL route on McClellan Blvd. It is complete from McIntosh Road to Choccolocco Road (five lanes), but the northern portion, which is to be built at interstate grade with three interchanges, is still under construction. Much development have been the result of this highway in the past decade along I-20 in Oxford and many see it as way to redevelop McClellan as well as north Anniston.

US 78 (known as Hamric Drive in central Oxford) handles a good bit of traffic as well. It runs parallel to Interstate 20 in Oxford.

Pelham Road (Alabama State Route 21)runs trough Jacksonville and is a main road for commercial and retail traffic as well as college student commuting to JSU.

Air

The Anniston Metropolitan Airport is a general aviation facility, south of the city proper, in Oxford. Its single asphalt runway is 7,000 feet long and 150 feet wide. Birmingham International Airport in Birmingham is 57 miles west serving commercial flight, as well as Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (IATA: ATL, ICAO: KATL), the world's busiest airport as measured by passenger traffic and by aircraft traffic, provides air service between Atlanta many national and international destinations.

Train

Amtrak's Crescent train connects Anniston with the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans. The Amtrak station is situated at the Southern Railway Depot (which was built in 1926), located at 126 West 4th Street. The city purchased the station in 2001 for $430,000 from federal grants for the restoration, in hopes of turning the building into a multi modal transportation hub for the city. It will serve by Amtrak (train), Greyhound (bus), and local taxi and bus services if goes as planned.

Economy

The Military has played a big part in the economy in Anniston since the turn of the century. The Anniston Army Depot which is used for the maintenance of most Army tracked vehicles. The depot houses a major chemical weapons storage facility, the Anniston Chemical Activity, and a program to destroy those weapons, the Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal Facility.

Fort McClellan, formerly site of the U.S. Army Military Police Training Academy and Chemical Warfare training center, was de-commissioned in the 1990's. A commission of local city and county leaders known as the Joint Powers Authority deals with the redevelopment of the old fort. Plans for a research park, retail development, and new homes light the hopes of some, hoping it will spur more growth in the north Anniston region. A portion of the former fort is now home to the Alabama National Guard Training Center. Another 9000 acres (36 km²) of the fort were set aside for the Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge in 2003. The Department of Homeland Security also uses a portion of the decommissioned fort for training and fieldwork.

Top employers

Anniston Army Depot
Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center
Calhoun County School System
Jacksonville State University
Springs Industry
Homeland Security
BAE Systems
N.A.B.I.
Alabama Power Company
Federal-Mogul Corporation

Other employers with ties to county commerce

Media

newspapers

The Anniston Star daily
The Jacksonville News weekly
The Piedmont Journal weekly
The Oxford Independent weekly
The Chanticleer weekly college

Radio

WCKS 810 AM classic country
WPID 1280 AM AC-oldies
WHMA 1390 AM gospel
WDNG 1450 AM talk
WANA 1490 AM sports talk
WVOK 1580 AM oldies

WJCK 88.3 FM religious
WGRW 90.7 FM religious
WTBJ 91.3 FM religious
WLJS 91.9 FM college/alternative/NPR
WTDR 92.7 FM (Talladega, broadcasts from Oxford) country
WHMA 95.5 FM country
WVOK 97.9 FM hot AC

Television

WJXS TV24 (Ind.)

Note: Anniston-Oxford is part of the Birmingham Television Market.

Culture

Anniston long has served as a cultural center for northeastern Alabama. The Alabama Shakespeare Festival has its root here when it was founded in Anniston, back in 1972, before moving to Montgomery in 1985. Jacksonville State University holds many performances such as plays and operas throughout the year. The Knox Concert Series regularly brings world-renowned musical and dance productions to the area. Anniston is also home to the Anniston Museum of Natural History and the Berman Museum of World History. Other cultural notes is the Music at McClellan series, which is part of a project with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra at the former Fort McClellan, the perform outdoor concerts in the early summer.

The Anniston has many examples of Victorian-style homes, some of which have been restored or preserved. Many others have been destroyed or are in dilapidated conditions. Several of the city’s churches are architecturally significant or historic, including the Church of St. Michael and All Angels, Grace Episcopal Church, and Parker Memorial Baptist Church. Temple Beth EL, dedicated in 1893, has the oldest building in the state continuously and currently being used for Jewish worship. The Coldwater cover bridge sits at Oxford Lake Park, it was saved from demolition back in the early 90’s.

After decades of decay, Noble Street, is seeing a rebirth as a downtown shopping and dining district in the heart of downtown. There are several large shopping centers in the area as well, such as the Quintard Mall and the Oxford Exchange, both located in Oxford.

The Anniston-Oxford area is home to many restaurants ranging from American, Italian, Greek, Cuban, Cajun, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Southern cuisines. Many locally own dining establishments are located in the downtown Anniston, Buckner Circle, and around Jacksonville Square, as well as major chain restaurants along the interstate in Oxford.

Jacksonville is a center for the college activity in Northeast Alabama, as well as bar life. Brother's Bar, hosted Allman Bros. (unannounced) performances in the 1970s and is still a popular venue for local musicians. Many restaurant style bars are scattered around the square vicinity of Jacksonville. Jacksonville State has touring national acts on occasion.

Famous People from Anniston/Oxford

William Levi Dawson composer of Negro Folk Symphony
Cow Cow Davenport-Boogie-woogie pianist
Red Byron, NASCAR driver
David Satcher former Surgeon General
Michael Biehn actor
Kevin Greene, NFL Linebacker
Patrick J. Que Smith hip-hop songwriter

External links

Coordinates: 33.64° N 85.83° W

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