Chilton County, Alabama facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chilton County
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Chilton County Courthouse in Clanton
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Location within the U.S. state of Alabama
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 Alabama's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Alabama |
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| Founded | December 30, 1868 | ||
| Named for | William Parish Chilton, Sr. | ||
| Seat | Clanton | ||
| Largest city | Clanton | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 701 sq mi (1,820 km2) | ||
| • Land | 693 sq mi (1,790 km2) | ||
| • Water | 7.9 sq mi (20 km2) 1.1% | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 45,014 | ||
| • Estimate
(2023)
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46,431  |
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| • Density | 64.21/sq mi (24.793/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) | ||
| Congressional districts | 3rd, 6th | ||
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Chilton County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 45,014. The county seat is Clanton. Its name is in honor of William Parish Chilton, Sr. (1810–1871), a lawyer who became Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court and later represented Montgomery County in the Congress of the Confederate States of America.
Chilton County is included in the Birmingham Metropolitan Statistical Area.
In 2010, the center of population of Alabama was located in Chilton County, near the city of Jemison, an area known as Jemison Division.
The county is known for its peaches and its unique landscape. It is home to swamps, prairies, and mountains due to the foothills of the Appalachians which end in the county, the Coosa River basin, and its proximity to the Black Belt Prairie that was long a center of cotton production.
Contents
History
Baker County was established on December 30, 1868, named for Alfred Baker, with its county seat at Grantville. Residents of the county petitioned the Alabama legislature for the renaming of their county; it was not something forced upon them. On December 17, 1874, the petitioners accepted the suggestion of Chilton County, even though the Chief Justice had not lived within its boundaries. In 1871, the county seat was moved to what is now Clanton after the Grantville courthouse burned.
In 1942, the U.S. Navy commissioned a new vessel, the USS Chilton, in honor of Chilton County.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 701 square miles (1,820 km2), of which 693 square miles (1,790 km2) is land and 7.9 square miles (20 km2) (1.1%) is water.
Major highways
Interstate 65
U.S. Highway 31
U.S. Highway 82
State Route 22
State Route 139
State Route 145
State Route 155
State Route 191
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Adjacent counties
- Shelby County (north)
- Coosa County (east)
- Elmore County (southeast)
- Autauga County (south)
- Perry County (southwest)
- Dallas County (southwest)
- Bibb County (northwest)
National protected area
- Talladega National Forest (part)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 6,194 | — | |
| 1880 | 10,793 | 74.2% | |
| 1890 | 14,549 | 34.8% | |
| 1900 | 16,522 | 13.6% | |
| 1910 | 23,187 | 40.3% | |
| 1920 | 22,770 | −1.8% | |
| 1930 | 24,579 | 7.9% | |
| 1940 | 27,955 | 13.7% | |
| 1950 | 26,922 | −3.7% | |
| 1960 | 25,693 | −4.6% | |
| 1970 | 25,180 | −2.0% | |
| 1980 | 30,612 | 21.6% | |
| 1990 | 32,458 | 6.0% | |
| 2000 | 39,593 | 22.0% | |
| 2010 | 43,643 | 10.2% | |
| 2020 | 45,014 | 3.1% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 46,431 | 6.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 |
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2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 33,897 | 35,395 | 34,878 | 85.61% | 81.10% | 77.48% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 4,131 | 4,171 | 4,040 | 10.43% | 9.56% | 8.97% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 111 | 134 | 112 | 0.28% | 0.31% | 0.25% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 65 | 125 | 176 | 0.16% | 0.29% | 0.39% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 2 | 11 | 5 | 0.01% | 0.03% | 0.01% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 16 | 34 | 121 | 0.04% | 0.08% | 0.27% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 219 | 353 | 1,264 | 0.55% | 0.81% | 2.81% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,152 | 3,420 | 4,418 | 2.91% | 7.84% | 9.81% |
| Total | 39,593 | 43,643 | 45,014 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the census of 2020, there were 45,014 people, 16,927 households, and 11,908 families residing in the county.
2010 census
According to the 2010 United States census, the population identifies by the following ethnicities:
- 84.1% White
- 9.7% Black
- 0.4% Native American
- 0.3% Asian
- 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
- 1.2% Two or more races
- 7.8% Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Chilton County is the 23rd-richest county per capita income in Alabama.
Education
Chilton County contains one public school district. There are approximately 7,700 students in public PK-12 schools in Chilton County.
Districts
School districts include:
- Chilton County School District
Communities
Cities
- Clanton (county seat)
- Jemison
- Calera (Mostly in Shelby County)
Towns
Unincorporated communities
- Isabella
- Jumbo
- Mountain Creek
- Mulberry
- Pletcher
- Stanton
- Verbena
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Chilton para niños
