Andalusia was first settled in 1841. People moved there because of floods from the Conecuh River. They needed higher ground to live on. The main county office was moved to Andalusia in 1844.

The city's name, Andalusia, might come from Spanish explorers. This area was once part of Spanish Florida. Andalusia shares its name with a region in southern Spain. The new town was first called "New Site." But by 1846, when a post office opened, it was known as Andalusia.

Andalusia officially became a town in 1884.

In 1899, two important train lines, the Central of Georgia and the L & N Railroad, came to Andalusia. This helped the town grow a lot.

The Avant House is a special old building in Andalusia. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important historical site.

Geography and Location

Andalusia is located in the middle of Covington County. It covers about 51.3 square kilometers (19.8 square miles) of land and water. Most of this area is land.

The city has its own airport, the South Alabama Regional Airport. It used to be called the Andalusia-Opp Airport. It is about 5 miles east of the city center.

Andalusia's Climate

Andalusia has a climate with hot, humid summers. Winters are usually mild to cool. This type of weather is called a humid subtropical climate.

Climate data for Andalusia, Alabama, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1912–2018
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	84 (29)	87 (31)	89 (32)	97 (36)	100 (38)	105 (41)	105 (41)	105 (41)	101 (38)	99 (37)	88 (31)	84 (29)	105 (41)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	75.0 (23.9)	77.3 (25.2)	83.7 (28.7)	87.5 (30.8)	92.3 (33.5)	96.3 (35.7)	97.6 (36.4)	97.0 (36.1)	94.4 (34.7)	89.2 (31.8)	82.8 (28.2)	77.3 (25.2)	98.7 (37.1)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	60.5 (15.8)	64.6 (18.1)	71.5 (21.9)	77.7 (25.4)	84.2 (29.0)	89.0 (31.7)	90.6 (32.6)	90.2 (32.3)	86.9 (30.5)	79.1 (26.2)	70.0 (21.1)	62.8 (17.1)	77.3 (25.1)
Daily mean °F (°C)	47.9 (8.8)	51.5 (10.8)	57.8 (14.3)	63.9 (17.7)	71.6 (22.0)	78.3 (25.7)	80.4 (26.9)	80.1 (26.7)	76.0 (24.4)	66.0 (18.9)	55.7 (13.2)	50.0 (10.0)	64.9 (18.3)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	35.2 (1.8)	38.3 (3.5)	44.0 (6.7)	50.1 (10.1)	59.1 (15.1)	67.6 (19.8)	70.2 (21.2)	70.0 (21.1)	65.1 (18.4)	52.9 (11.6)	41.5 (5.3)	37.3 (2.9)	52.6 (11.5)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	17.9 (−7.8)	21.3 (−5.9)	26.2 (−3.2)	32.7 (0.4)	43.8 (6.6)	55.4 (13.0)	62.3 (16.8)	62.1 (16.7)	49.2 (9.6)	34.0 (1.1)	27.0 (−2.8)	19.8 (−6.8)	14.6 (−9.7)
Record low °F (°C)	0 (−18)	10 (−12)	16 (−9)	27 (−3)	34 (1)	44 (7)	50 (10)	54 (12)	34 (1)	28 (−2)	16 (−9)	2 (−17)	0 (−18)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	5.19 (132)	4.62 (117)	4.97 (126)	4.86 (123)	4.32 (110)	5.65 (144)	6.21 (158)	6.34 (161)	5.14 (131)	3.40 (86)	4.11 (104)	5.45 (138)	60.26 (1,530)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.3 (0.76)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.3 (0.76)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	7.8	6.7	7.0	6.2	6.4	9.2	10.9	9.4	6.8	4.2	5.6	6.7	86.9
Source: NOAA (mean maxima/minima 1981–2010)

Population of Andalusia

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	596	—
1890	270	−54.7%
1900	551	104.1%
1910	2,480	350.1%
1920	4,023	62.2%
1930	5,154	28.1%
1940	6,886	33.6%
1950	9,162	33.1%
1960	10,263	12.0%
1970	10,092	−1.7%
1980	10,415	3.2%
1990	9,269	−11.0%
2000	8,794	−5.1%
2010	9,015	2.5%
2020	8,805	−2.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

Andalusia first appeared in the U.S. Census in 1880. It officially became a city in 1884.

2020 Census Information

Andalusia racial composition
Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	5,829	66.2%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	2,270	25.78%
Native American	30	0.34%
Asian	114	1.29%
Other/Mixed	359	4.08%
Hispanic or Latino	203	2.31%

In 2020, there were 8,805 people living in Andalusia. They lived in 3,490 households, with 2,147 being families.

2010 Census Information

In 2010, Andalusia had 9,015 people. About 70.5% were White, and 25.9% were Black or African American. Other groups made up smaller parts of the population. About 1.9% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.

The average age of people in Andalusia was about 39.7 years old.

Media and News

Andalusia has local media to keep its citizens informed:

Cable TV Station:
- WKNI 25 shows community interests.
Radio stations:
- WAAO-FM 93.7 FM plays Country music.
- WSTF 91.5 FM plays Religious programs.
- WFXX FOX 107.7 FM plays Adult Contemporary music.
Newspaper:
- The Andalusia Star-News is published daily.

City Council Members

The city of Andalusia is governed by a City Council:

District	Name	Position
1	Mr. Joe Nix	Member
2	Mr. Kennith Mount	President
3	Mrs. Hazel Griffin	Member
4	Mr. Presley Boswell	Member
5	Mr. Terry Powell	Mayor Pro Tempore

Education in Andalusia

Students in Andalusia attend public schools run by Andalusia City Schools.

Andalusia Elementary School serves Pre-K through 6th Grade.
Andalusia Jr. High School serves 7th and 8th Grade.
Andalusia High School serves 9th through 12th Grade.

For higher education, students can go to Lurleen B. Wallace Community College.

Transportation Services

Long-distance bus service is provided by Greyhound Lines.
Local transportation is available through Covington Area Transit Service, which offers a dial-a-ride service.

Historic Places to Visit

Andalusia has several important historical sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

The Bank of Andalusia
Avant House
Central of Georgia Depot, which is now the Three Notch Museum
Covington County Courthouse and Jail
First National Bank Building

In 1975, a special plaque was placed at the Covington County Courthouse. It was part of the celebration for the 200th birthday of the United States. The plaque honors Philip Nolan, a character from a famous American story.

Notable People from Andalusia

Many interesting people have come from Andalusia, including:

Harold Albritton, a U.S. district court judge.
Dempsey J. Barron, who was the President of the Florida Senate.
Charles Brooks, an editorial cartoonist.
James U. Cross, a retired U.S. Air Force general and pilot for President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Cecil O. De Loach, Jr., a grape-grower and winemaker in California.
Quinton Dial, a defensive tackle for the Alabama Crimson Tide football team.
Irwin Gunsalus, a biochemist who worked at the United Nations.
Seth Hammett, who was the Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives.
Robert Horry, a basketball player who won championships with three different teams.
Nico Johnson, a football player who won multiple National Championships with the University of Alabama.
Alexa Jones, who was Miss Alabama in 2005 and placed second runner-up in Miss America 2006.
T. D. Little, a member of the Alabama Senate and House of Representatives.
Lamar Morris, a country music singer.
Mackey Sasser, a former Major League Baseball catcher.
Frank J. Tipler, a mathematical physicist and cosmologist.