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Baldwin County, Alabama facts for kids

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Baldwin County
The Baldwin County Courthouse in Bay Minette
The Baldwin County Courthouse in Bay Minette
Official seal of Baldwin County
Seal
Map of Alabama highlighting Baldwin County
Location within the U.S. state of Alabama
Map of the United States highlighting Alabama
Alabama's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Alabama
Founded December 21, 1809
Named for Abraham Baldwin
Seat Bay Minette
Largest city Daphne
Area
 • Total 2,027 sq mi (5,250 km2)
 • Land 1,590 sq mi (4,100 km2)
 • Water 437 sq mi (1,130 km2)  21.6%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 231,767
 • Estimate 
(2021)
239,294 Increase
 • Density 114.340/sq mi (44.147/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 1st
 
  • County Number 05 on Alabama Licence Plates

Baldwin County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Alabama, on the Gulf coast. As of the 2020 census, the population was 231,767. The county seat is Bay Minette. The county is named in honor of Senator Abraham Baldwin, though he never lived in what is now Alabama.

Baldwin was Alabama's fastest growing county from 2010 to 2020, with 4 of the top 10 fastest growing cities in the state in recent years.

The U.S. federal government designates Baldwin County as the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area.

It is the largest county in Alabama by area and is located on the eastern side of Mobile Bay. Part of its western border with Mobile County is formed by the Spanish River, a brackish distributary river.

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.

There have been numerous border changes to the county as population grew and other counties were formed. Numerous armies have invaded during the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War.

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 this relocation.

To achieve the relocation, the men of Bay Minette devised a scheme. They fabricated a murder to lure the Sheriff and his deputy out of the Daphne. 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 United States post office .

Due to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, Baldwin County frequently endures tropical weather systems, including hurricanes. Since the late 20th century, the county was declared a disaster area in September 1979 due to damage from Hurricane Frederic, in July 1997 due to Hurricane Danny, in September 1998 from Hurricane Georges, in September 2004 due to damage from Hurricane Ivan, and again in August 2005 due to damage from Hurricane Katrina.

Adjacent counties

Environmental recognition

Two separate areas in Baldwin County have been designated as "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.

National protected area

Transportation

Major highways

  • I-10 (AL).svg Interstate 10
  • I-65 (AL).svg Interstate 65
  • US 31.svg U.S. Highway 31
  • US 90.svg U.S. Highway 90
  • US 98.svg U.S. Highway 98
  • Alabama 59.svg State Route 59
  • Alabama 104.svg State Route 104
  • Alabama 180.svg State Route 180
  • Alabama 181.svg State Route 181
  • Alabama 182.svg State Route 182
  • Alabama 225.svg State Route 225
  • Alabama 287.svg State Route 287

Airports

  • Bay Minette, 1R8, has a single runway 08/26 that is 5,497'
  • Fairhope, KCQF, has a single runway 01/19 that is 6,604'
  • Foley, 5R4, has a single runway 18/36 that is 3,700'
  • Stockton, Hubbard Landing Seaplane Base HL2 has one water runway that is 6,000’
  • Gulf Shores, Jack Edwards Airport 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, Mobile Downtown Airport, or Pensacola International Airport.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1810 1,427
1820 1,713 20.0%
1830 2,324 35.7%
1840 2,951 27.0%
1850 4,414 49.6%
1860 7,530 70.6%
1870 6,004 −20.3%
1880 8,603 43.3%
1890 8,941 3.9%
1900 13,194 47.6%
1910 18,178 37.8%
1920 20,730 14.0%
1930 28,289 36.5%
1940 32,324 14.3%
1950 40,997 26.8%
1960 49,088 19.7%
1970 59,382 21.0%
1980 78,556 32.3%
1990 98,280 25.1%
2000 140,415 42.9%
2010 182,265 29.8%
2020 231,767 27.2%
2021 (est.) 239,294 31.3%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2020

2020

Baldwin County racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 186,495 80.47%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 18,001 7.77%
Native American 1,291 0.56%
Asian 2,029 0.88%
Pacific Islander 122 0.05%
Other/Mixed 11,143 4.81%
Hispanic or Latino 12,686 5.47%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 231,767 people, 82,325 households, and 53,962 families residing in the county.

2010

Whereas according to the 2010 United States census Bureau:

As of the census of 2010, there were 182,265 people, 73,180 households, and 51,151 families residing in the county. The population density was 110 people per square mile (40/km2). There were 104,061 housing units at an average density of 54 per square mile (23/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 85.7% White, 9.4% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.0% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. 4.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 73,180 households, out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.46 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.

According to the 2000 census, 21.4% were of American, 12.5% English, 11.4% German and 9.9% Irish ancestry.

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

Regions

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

Communities

Foleywatertower
The water tower in central Foley

Cities

Towns

Census-designated place

Unincorporated areas

Ghost town

Secession proposal

Perdido County, Alabama would contain northern Baldwin County, divided by a straight line extending westward from the northwestern tip of Florida, and western Escambia County, west of Big Escambia Creek. (The Flomaton area is excluded via a prominent power line easement, from Big Escambia Creek to the Florida state line.) The headwaters of the Perdido River rise near the center of this proposed county. The Perdido County seat would be Atmore. The county has been proposed by city of Atmore backers, who believe that their growing city of over 10,000 residents should be a county seat. Furthermore, county backers believe that Atmore belongs in the Mobile-Daphne-Fairhope metropolitan combined statistical area, which would become much more likely within its own exurban-leaning county. Brewton would remain the county seat of rural-leaning Escambia County. In addition to the incorporated city of Atmore, Perdido County would include the unincorporated communities of Blacksher, Canoe, Freemanville, Huxford, Nokomis, Perdido and Tensaw.

Education

The Baldwin County Board of Education / Baldwin County Public Schools oversees most public education in the county.

There are Catholic elementary schools in the county, including Christ the King (Daphne), St. Patrick (Robertsdale) and St. Benedict (Elberta). Beginning in 2016 there is also a Catholic high school, St. Michael Catholic High School, located just east of Fairhope.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Baldwin (Alabama) para niños

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