Baldwin County, Alabama

Baldwin County, Alabama
Seal
Location in the state of Alabama
Alabama's location in the U.S.
Founded	December 21, 1809
Seat	Bay Minette
Largest city	Daphne
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	2,026.93 sq mi (5,250 km²) 1,596.35 sq mi (4,135 km²) 430.58 sq mi (1,115 km²), 21.24%
PopulationEst.  - (2011)  - Density	186,717 114/sq mi (44/km²)
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Website	www.co.baldwin.al.us

There is also a Baldwin County, Georgia.

Baldwin County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is named in honor of Abraham Baldwin, a member of the United States Senate. He had never lived in what became Alabama. As of the 2010 census the population was 182,265.^[1] The U.S. Census Bureau estimated 2011 population is 186,717. The county seat is Bay Minette. The largest county in Alabama by area, it includes a portion of Mobile Bay.

The Daphne-Fairhope-Foley micropolitan area includes all of Baldwin County.

History

Baldwin County was established on December 21, 1809 ten years before Alabama became a state. Previously, the county had been a part of the Mississippi Territory until 1817, when the area was included in the separate Alabama Territory. Statehood was gained by Alabama in 1819.^[2]

There have been numerous border changes to the county and numerous armies have invaded.^[3]

In the first days of Baldwin County, the town of McIntosh Bluff on the Tombigbee River was the county seat. (It is now included in Washington County, west of Baldwin County.) The county seat was transferred to the town of Blakeley in 1810, and then to the city of Daphne in 1868. In 1900, by an act of the legislature of Alabama, the county seat was authorized for relocation to the city of Bay Minette, however, the city of Daphne resisted relocation.

To relocate the county seat to Bay Minette, the men of the town devised a scheme. To lure the Sheriff and his deputy out of the Daphne, the men fabricated a murder. While the law was chasing down the fictitious killer during the late hours, the group of Bay Minette men stealthily traveled the seventeen miles (27 km) to Daphne, stole the Baldwin County Courthouse records, and delivered them to the city of Bay Minette, where Baldwin County's county seat remains. A New Deal mural, completed by WPA artists during the Great Depression, depicts the events. It hangs in the Bay Minette post office .^[4]

Due to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, Baldwin County frequently endures tropical weather systems, including hurricanes. In recent years, the county was declared a disaster area in September 1979 due to damage from Hurricane Frederic^[5], in July 1997 due to Hurricane Danny^[6], in September 1998 from Hurricane Georges^[7], in September 2004 due to damage from Hurricane Ivan^[8], and again in August 2005 due to damage from Hurricane Katrina.^[9]

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 2,026.93 square miles (5,249.7 km²), of which 1,596.35 square miles (4,134.5 km²) (or 78.76%) is land and 430.58 square miles (1,115.2 km²) (or 21.24%) is water.^[10] It is the 12th largest county east of the Mississippi River and is larger than both the states of Delaware and Rhode Island.

Baldwin County's beaches

Major highways

• Interstate 10
• Interstate 65
• U.S. Highway 31
• U.S. Highway 90
• U.S. Highway 98
• State Route 59
• State Route 104
• State Route 180
• State Route 182

Airports

• Bay Minette, 1R8, has a single runway 08/26 that is 5,497'
• Fairhope, 4R4, has a single runway 01/19 that is 6,604'
• Foley, 5R4, has a single runway 18/36 that is 3,700'
• Gulf Shores, JKA, has two runways, 09/27 at 6,962' and 17/35 at 3,596'

There are numerous private airports and heliports in Baldwin County. Considerable military airspace overlies much of the county and adjacent bay and coastal waters.

Commercial, scheduled service is from Mobile Regional Airport or Pensacola International Airport.

Adjacent counties

• Monroe County, Alabama - northeast
• Escambia County, Florida - east
• Escambia County, Alabama - east
• Mobile County, Alabama - west
• Washington County, Alabama - northwest
• Clarke County, Alabama - northwest

Environmental recognition

Two separate areas in Baldwin County have been designated "Outstanding Alabama Water" by the Alabama Environmental Management Commission which oversees the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. As of April, 2007, only two other areas in Alabama have received what is the "highest environmental status" in the state. A portion of Wolf Bay and 42 miles (68 km) of the Tensaw River in northern Baldwin county have received the designation. Officials believe the "pristine water" will become an important eco-tourism destination.^[11]

National protected area

• Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

2010

Whereas according to the 2010 United States Census Bureau:

• 85.7% White
• 9.4% Black
• 0.7% Native American
• 0.7% Asian
• 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
• 1.5% Two or more races
• 4.4% Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

2000

As of the census^[12] of 2000, there were 200,100 people, 55,336 households, and 40,284 families residing in the county. The population density was 88 people per square mile (34/km²). There were 74,285 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile (18/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 87.15% White, 10.29% Black or African American, 0.58% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.54% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. 1.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 21.4% were of American, 12.5% English, 11.4% German and 9.9% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 55,336 households out of which 31.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.30% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.20% were non-families. 23.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.40% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 27.70% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,250, and the median income for a family was $47,028. Males had a median income of $34,507 versus $23,069 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,826. 10.10% of the population and 7.60% of families were below the poverty line. 13.10% of those under the age of 18 and 8.90% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

In 2000, the largest denominational groups were Evangelical Protestants (with 38,670 adherents) and Mainline Protestants (with 16,399 adherents).^[13] The largest religious bodies were The Southern Baptist Convention (with 27,789 members) and The Catholic Church (with 10,482 members).^[13]

Regions

• North Baldwin
• Eastern Shore
• Central Baldwin
• South Baldwin
• Southwest Baldwin
• East Baldwin

Municipalities

The water tower in central Foley.

Cities

• Bay Minette
• Daphne
• Fairhope
• Foley
• Gulf Shores
• Orange Beach
• Robertsdale
• Spanish Fort

Towns

• Elberta
• Loxley
• Magnolia Springs
• Perdido Beach
• Silverhill
• Summerdale

Unincorporated areas

Education

The Baldwin County Board of Education oversees most public education in the county. Numerous private and parochial schools also serve the area.

Local government

The county is governed by a four member county commission each elected by districts. A sheriff, coroner, revenue commissioner are elected countywide. The sheriff of Baldwin County is Hoss Mack (R) ^[14]

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Baldwin County, Alabama
• Properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in Baldwin County, Alabama

References

External links

• Baldwin County
• Baldwin County Strawberry Festival
• Baldwin County map of roads/towns (map © 2007 Univ. of Alabama).
• Baldwin County Economic Development
• Baldwin County Alabama Genealogy
• Baldwin County Alabama Free Census Records
• Baldwin County Alabama Archives and Libraries
• Baldwin County Alabama Cemeteries
• South Alabama Community Website

	Washington County and Clarke County		Monroe County
	Mobile County		Escambia County and Escambia County, Florida
		Baldwin County, Alabama
		Gulf of Mexico

v t e Municipalities and communities of Baldwin County, Alabama, United States County seat: Bay Minette Cities Bay Minette Daphne Fairhope Foley Gulf Shores Orange Beach Robertsdale Spanish Fort Towns Elberta Loxley Magnolia Springs Perdido Beach Silverhill Summerdale CDP Point Clear Unincorporated communities Barnwell Bayside Belforest Blackwater Bon Secour Bromly Clay City Crossroads Elsanor Fort Morgan Gasque Houstonville Josephine Lillian Magnolia Beach Malbis Marlow Miflin Montrose Oak Oyster Bay Perdido Perdido Key Pine Grove Pine Haven Rabun River Park Romar Beach Seacliff Seminole Stapleton Stockton Swift Tensaw Turkey Branch Weeks Bay Whitehouse Fork Yupon Ghost town Blakeley

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Coordinates: 30°43′59″N 87°43′13″W / 30.73306°N 87.72028°W / 30.73306; -87.72028