Colbert County, Alabama facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Colbert County
U.S. county
Colbert County Courthouse in Tuscumbia
Location within the U.S. state of Alabama
Alabama's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Alabama
Founded	February 6, 1867
Named for	George and Levi Colbert
Seat	Tuscumbia
Largest city	Muscle Shoals
Area
• Total	622 sq mi (1,610 km²)
• Land	593 sq mi (1,540 km²)
• Water	30 sq mi (80 km²) 4.7%
Population (2020)
• Total	57,227
• Estimate (2023)	58,361
• Density	92.00/sq mi (35.523/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	4th
County Number 20 on Alabama Licence Plates

Colbert County Courthouse Square District Historic Marker, September 2007

Colbert County is a county located in the northwestern part of Alabama, a state in the United States. In 2020, about 57,227 people lived here. The main city and county seat is Tuscumbia. The biggest city is Muscle Shoals.

The county is named after two brothers, George and Levi Colbert. They were important leaders, called chiefs, of the Chickasaw people in the early 1800s. Later, the U.S. government made many Native American tribes, including the Chickasaw, move from this area.

Colbert County is part of a larger area known as "The Shoals." This area also includes Florence and Muscle Shoals.

History of Colbert County

The first people known to live in this area were the Chickasaw and Cherokee tribes. They lived here for hundreds of years. Even before them, other ancient groups of people had settlements and villages in the area for thousands of years.

In the 1810s, new settlers started to arrive. They built a community at a crossroads that became the town of Leighton, Alabama. Colbert County was officially created on February 6, 1867. This happened after the American Civil War. The state decided to separate it from Franklin County because of political disagreements.

The county was briefly closed down later that year, but it was started again on February 24, 1870. In 1890, the county's eastern border was moved. This change meant that the entire town of Leighton was now inside Colbert County.

Colbert County is famous for being the birthplace of Helen Keller. She was a well-known author and activist who overcame being blind and deaf. The cities of Sheffield and Muscle Shoals in Colbert County are also famous for music. Many popular musicians, like Aretha Franklin and the Rolling Stones, recorded their songs here.

Another unique place in Colbert County is the Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard. It was started in 1937. This special graveyard is for coon dogs, which are dogs trained for hunting in this region.

Geography and Nature

Colbert County covers about 622 square miles. Most of this is land (593 square miles), and about 30 square miles is water. The land here has different heights. It's about 410 feet high near the Tennessee River and goes up to 980 feet in the southeastern part of the county.

Protected Areas

Natchez Trace Parkway (a part of it runs through the county)

Rivers and Creeks

Tennessee River
Bear Creek
Cane Creek
Mulberry Creek
Spring Creek
Town Creek

Waterfalls

Cane Creek Canyon Waterfall
Rainbow Branch Waterfall
Wilson Dam Waterfall

Natural Springs

Big Spring at Tuscumbia
Buzzard Roost Spring at Margerum
Chalybeate Spring at Littleville
Milk Springs at Colbert Heights
Shegog Spring at Ford City

Mountains and Hills

Bald Knob
Coburn Mountain
Colbert Mountain
Hawk Pride Mountain
LaGrange Mountain
Mountain Mills Ridge
Sand Mountain
Underwood Mountain
Wagnon Mountain
Wheeler Mountain

Neighboring Counties

Lauderdale County, Alabama - to the north
Lawrence County, Alabama - to the southeast
Franklin County, Alabama - to the south
Tishomingo County, Mississippi - to the west

Getting Around (Transportation)

Major Roads

U.S. Highway 43
U.S. Highway 72
State Route 13
State Route 17
State Route 20
State Route 133
State Route 157
State Route 184
State Route 247
Natchez Trace Parkway

Train Lines

Norfolk Southern Railway - carries goods to the South, East, and West.

Airports

Big River Airpark
Northwest Alabama Regional Airport

People and Population (Demographics)

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1870	12,537	—
1880	16,153	28.8%
1890	20,189	25.0%
1900	22,341	10.7%
1910	24,802	11.0%
1920	31,997	29.0%
1930	29,860	−6.7%
1940	34,093	14.2%
1950	39,561	16.0%
1960	46,506	17.6%
1970	49,632	6.7%
1980	54,519	9.8%
1990	51,666	−5.2%
2000	54,984	6.4%
2010	54,428	−1.0%
2020	57,227	5.1%
2023 (est.)	58,361	7.2%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020

In 2020, there were 57,227 people living in Colbert County. There were 21,880 households, which are groups of people living together. About 14,797 of these were families.

In 2010, about 30.5% of households had children under 18 living there. Most households (56%) were married couples. The average household had 2.42 people. The average family had 2.92 people.

The median age in the county was 39 years old. This means half the people were younger than 39 and half were older. About 23.8% of the population was under 18.

Communities in Colbert County

Cities

Muscle Shoals
Sheffield
Tuscumbia (This is the county seat, where the main government offices are.)

Towns

Other Communities

These are smaller places that are not officially cities or towns:

Education in Colbert County

Colleges

Northwest Shoals Community College

School Districts

There are several school districts in the county:

Colbert County School District
Muscle Shoals City School District
Sheffield City School District
Tuscumbia City School District

Colbert County School System Schools

Cherokee Elementary School
Cherokee High School
Colbert County High School
Colbert Heights Elementary School
Colbert Heights High School
Hatton Elementary School
Leighton Elementary School
New Bethel Elementary School

Muscle Shoals City School System Schools

Muscle Shoals High School
Muscle Shoals Middle School
Muscle Shoals Career Academy
Highland Park Elementary School
Howell Graves Preschool
McBride Elementary School
Webster Elementary School

Sheffield City School System Schools

Sheffield High School
Sheffield Junior High School
L.E. Wilson Elementary School
W.A. Threadgill Primary School

Tuscumbia City School System Schools

Deshler High School
Deshler Middle School
Deshler Career Technical Center
G.W. Trenholm Primary School
R.E. Thompson Intermediate School

Parks and Fun Places

Alabama Wildlife Refuge Area at Pleasant Site
Avalon Park, Tuscumbia
Buzzard Roost Park, Margerum
Colbert County Park, Pride and Margerum
Highland Park, Tuscumbia
John W. Gattman Park, Muscle Shoals
Colbert Ferry Park, Cherokee
North Alabama State Fair Park, Tuscumbia
Park West, Tuscumbia
Rivermont Park on the Tennessee River, Tuscumbia
Rosetrail Park, Margerum
Spring Park, Tuscumbia
Tenth Avenue Park, Sheffield
Thomas State Wildlife Refuge, Barton
York Terrace Park, Sheffield

Historical Sites and Attractions

Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Tuscumbia
Barton Hall, Cherokee - a very old and important building
Belle Mont Mansion/Plantation
Cane Creek Canyon and Natural Preserve
Colbert County Courthouse Square Historic District, Tuscumbia
Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard of Key-Underwood, Cherokee
F.A.M.E. Recording Studios, Muscle Shoals (where famous music was made!)
Ivy Green - Birthplace of Helen Keller, Tuscumbia
LaGrange College Site and Monument, Leighton
Natchez Trace Parkway
Nitrate Village Number 1 Historic District, Sheffield
Old Railroad Bridge of 1839 on the Tennessee River
Rosenwald School site, Cherokee
Tennessee Valley Art Museum, Tuscumbia
Tuscumbia Railroad Depot Museum
TVA Walking Trails and Recreation Area
Wilson Lock and Dam, Muscle Shoals

Annual Events

Belle Mont Celtic Fest - May
Muscle Shoals Area Street Rods Car Show Festival - May
Recall LaGrange Commemorations - May
North Alabama African Heritage Festival - June
Leighton Juneteenth Celebration - June
Helen Keller Festival - June
W.C. Handy Music Festival - July
Coon Dog Labor Day Celebration - September
"Oka Kapassa" – Return to Cold Water American Indian Festival - September
Annual Christmas Parades of Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia, Sheffield - December

Notable People from Colbert County

Many interesting people have come from Colbert County, including:

Arthur Alexander (musician)
Jason Allen (football player)
Beverly Barton (author)
Lefty Bates (musician)
Deion Belue (football player)
Boyd Bennett (musician)
Robert Byrne (songwriter)
Marcel Black (politician)
Archibald Hill Carmichael (politician)
Pete Carr (musician)
Amanda Chase (politician)
George Colbert (Chickasaw chief)
Levi Colbert (Chickasaw chief)
Mike Cooley (musician) (musician)
Dominique Croom (football player)
Ben Cunningham (activist) (activist)
Rece Davis (sportscaster)
Bobby E. Denton (politician)
James Deshler (Confederate general)
Leon Douglas (football player)
Cecil Dowdy (baseball player)
Alecia Elliott (singer)
Henry S. Foote (politician)
Douglas A. Foster (religious leader)
Al Gamble (musician)
Wayne Greenhaw (author)
Wendell Wilkie Gunn (civil rights activist)
Rick Hall (music producer)
Howell Heflin (politician)
Kelvin Holly (musician)
Dennis Homan (football player)
David Hood (musician)
Patterson Hood (musician)
Jimmy Hughes (singer)
Richard H. Jackson (naval officer)
Rick James (baseball) (baseball player)
Jimmy Johnson (session guitarist) (musician)
Helen Keller (author and activist)
John W. Keys (engineer)
Adam Lazzara (musician)
Maud McKnight Lindsay (educator)
Robert B. Lindsay (governor)
Frank Manush (baseball player)
Heinie Manush (baseball player)
Guy Morton (baseball player)
Alfred Huger Moses (businessman)
Stan Munsey (musician)
Ozzie Newsome (football player and executive)
Gary Nichols (musician)
Jimmie Orr (football player)
Margaret Pellegrini (actress)
Anthony Piccione (poet)
Will Reynolds (football player)
Willie Ruff (musician)
Wimp Sanderson (basketball coach)
William Henry Sawtelle (judge)
Mark Sears (basketball player)
Herschel Sizemore (musician)
Joseph Humphrey Sloss (politician)
William H. Steele (judge) (judge)
Phillip Swann (football player)
Percy Sledge (singer)
Leigh Tiffin (football player)
Chris Tompkins (songwriter)
Fred Thompson (politician and actor)
Ken Tribble (soccer player)
Wilson D. Watson (Medal of Honor recipient)
Ed West (football player)
John Paul White (musician)
William Willis (artiest) (artist)

Images for kids

Colbert County Courthouse in Tuscumbia