| Dale County, Alabama | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Alabama |
|
 Alabama's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | December 22, 1824 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Ozark |
| Largest city | Ozark |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
563 sq mi (1,458 km²) 561 sq mi (1,453 km²) 2 sq mi (5 km²), 0.3% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
49,129 39/sq mi (15/km²) |
Dale County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of General Samuel Dale. As of the 2000 census the population was 49,129. Its county seat and largest city is Ozark.
Dale County is part of the Enterprise–Ozark Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents |
History
The area now known as Dale County was originally inhabited by members of the Creek Indian nation, who occupied all of southeastern Alabama during this period. The county, together with the surrounding area, was ceded to the United States in the 1814 Treaty of Fort Jackson, ending the Creek Indian Wars. A blockhouse had been constructed during the conflict on the northwestern side of the Choctawhatchee River during the war, and the first non-Indian residents of Dale County would be veterans who began to settle in the area around 1820.[1]
Dale County was established on December 22, 1824. It originally included the whole of what is now Coffee County and the eastern half of Geneva County, together with part of the "panhandle" portion of Houston County. The original county seat was located at Dale's Court House (now the town of Daleville), but when Coffee County split from Dale in 1841, the seat was moved to Newton. Here it remained until 1870 when, following a courthouse fire in 1869 and the formation of Geneva County, the county seat was removed to the town of Ozark, where it still remains.
Geography
Dale County is located in the southeastern corner of the State of Alabama. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it has a total area of 563 square miles (1,457 km²), of which, 561 square miles (1,453 km²) of it is land and 2 square miles (4 km²) of it (0.3%) is water.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 84
U.S. Highway 231
State Route 27
State Route 51
State Route 85
State Route 92
State Route 123
State Route 134
Adjacent counties
- Barbour County (north)
- Henry County (east)
- Houston County (southeast)
- Geneva County (southwest)
- Coffee County (west)
- Pike County (northwest)
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Pike County | Barbour County | |
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| Coffee County |  |
Henry County | ||
 Dale County, Alabama  |
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| Geneva County | Houston County |
Demographics
| Dale County, Alabama | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | %± |
| 1830 | 2,031 | — |
| 1840 | 7,397 | 264.2% |
| 1850 | 6,382 | −13.7% |
| 1860 | 12,197 | 91.1% |
| 1870 | 11,325 | −7.1% |
| 1880 | 12,677 | 11.9% |
| 1890 | 17,225 | 35.9% |
| 1900 | 21,189 | 23.0% |
| 1910 | 21,608 | 2.0% |
| 1920 | 22,711 | 5.1% |
| 1930 | 23,175 | 2.0% |
| 1940 | 22,685 | −2.1% |
| 1950 | 20,828 | −8.2% |
| 1960 | 31,066 | 49.2% |
| 1970 | 52,995 | 70.6% |
| 1980 | 47,821 | −9.8% |
| 1990 | 49,633 | 3.8% |
| 2000 | 49,129 | −1.0% |
| Sources: "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. through 1960 | ||
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 49,129 people, 18,878 households, and 13,629 families residing in the county. The population density was 88 people per square mile (34/km²). There were 21,779 housing units at an average density of 39 per square mile (15/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 74.4% White, 20.4% Black or African American, 0.60% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 1.3% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. 3.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 2.85% of the population reported speaking Spanish at home, while 1.51% speak German.[1]
There were 18,878 households out of which 36% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.5 and the average family size was 3.0.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,998, and the median income for a family was $37,806. Males had a median income of $29,844 versus $19,988 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,010. 15% of the population and 12.6% of families were below the poverty line. 19.4% of those under the age of 18 and 16.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Municipalities and census-designated places
- Ariton
- Clayhatchee
- Daleville
- Dothan (part - parts of Dothan are also in Henry County and in Houston County)
- Enterprise (part - part of Enterprise is in Coffee County)
- Fort Rucker (U.S. Army base, treated as a census-designated place)
- Grimes
- Level Plains
- Midland City
- Napier Field
- Newton
- Ozark
- Pinckard
Unincoperated Communities
- Arguta
- Barefield Crossroads
- Barnes
- Beamon
- Bells Crossroads
- Bertha
- Browns Crossroad
- Clopton
- Dill
- Dillard
- Dykes Crossroad
- Echo
- Ewell
- Gerald
- Kelly
- Lewis
- Mabson
- Marley Mill
- Plainview
- Roberts Crossroads
- Rockey Head
- Skipperville
- Snells Crossroads
- Sylvan Grove
- Waterford
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Coordinates: 31°25′49″N 85°36′24″W / 31.43028°N 85.60667°W
References
- ^ http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/1767/. Retrieved on 21 July 2008.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
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