Lauderdale County, Alabama facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Lauderdale County
U.S. county
Lauderdale County Courthouse in Florence
Location within the U.S. state of Alabama
Alabama's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Alabama
Founded	February 6, 1818
Named for	James Lauderdale
Seat	Florence
Largest city	Florence
Area
• Total	721 sq mi (1,870 km²)
• Land	668 sq mi (1,730 km²)
• Water	53 sq mi (140 km²) 7.4%
Population (2020)
• Total	93,564
• Estimate (2023)	96,814
• Density	129.77/sq mi (50.10/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts	4th, 5th
County Number 41 on Alabama License Plates

Lauderdale County is a special area in the northwestern part of Alabama. It's like a big neighborhood with its own local government. In 2020, about 93,564 people lived here. The main town, or "county seat," is Florence.

The county is named after Colonel James Lauderdale from Tennessee. Lauderdale County is also part of a larger area called "The Shoals." This area includes Florence and Muscle Shoals.

History of Lauderdale County

Lauderdale County got its name from Colonel James Lauderdale. He was born in Virginia around 1780. Later, he moved to West Tennessee. Colonel Lauderdale was a brave soldier who fought alongside General Andrew Jackson. He was wounded in a battle and passed away in 1814. Many places in the southern states were named after him. It's interesting because he never actually visited Lauderdale County!

How Lauderdale County Started

Lauderdale County was officially created in 1818. This was just one year before Alabama became a state. The main town, Florence, was also started in 1818. A group of investors bought a large piece of land to build the town. Other early towns near the river were Savage's Spring and Waterloo.

Old Settlements and Towns

Many old settlements grew in Lauderdale County. One of them is Center Star. This area was once claimed by both the Chickasaw and Cherokee Native American tribes. They had to agree to give up the land before the settlement could be built. You could even see the remains of an old Native American village there once.

Other old places included Middleton and Elgin. Elgin was first known as Ingram's Elgin Cross Roads.

Rogersville is another old town, about 23 miles (37 km) east of Florence. It was named after John Rogers, who traded with Native Americans. His sons were good friends with the famous Sam Houston. An old ferry, Lamb's Ferry, operated near Rogersville for many years.

Lexington, Springfield, and Anderson are towns to the north. Lexington was also part of the land once claimed by the Cherokee. Many early settlers there came from Tennessee and the Carolinas. The first post office in Lexington opened in 1880. Mail was delivered by horseback and carts from Loretto, Tennessee.

The town of St. Florian was founded in 1872. It was named by its Catholic founders, who were of German descent, after their patron saint.

Governors from Lauderdale County

Four governors of Alabama came from Lauderdale County. They were Hugh McVay, Robert M. Patton, Edward A. O'Neal, and Emmett O'Neal.

Geography of Lauderdale County

Lauderdale County covers about 721 square miles (1,867 km²). Most of this area is land, about 668 square miles (1,730 km²). The rest, about 53 square miles (137 km²), is water. This means about 7.4% of the county is water.

The Tennessee River forms the entire southern and western borders of the county. This makes Lauderdale County a wedge shape between the river and the state of Tennessee.

Protected Natural Areas

Lauderdale County has some special protected areas:

Key Cave National Wildlife Refuge: A place that protects wildlife.
Natchez Trace Parkway: A historic road that runs through part of the county.

Important Rivers

Tennessee River: A major river that forms the county's border.
Elk River: Another important river in the area.

Neighboring Counties

Lauderdale County shares borders with several other counties:

To the north: Wayne County, Tennessee, Lawrence County, Tennessee, and Giles County, Tennessee
To the east: Limestone County
To the southeast: Lawrence County
To the south: Colbert County
To the west: Tishomingo County, Mississippi
To the northwest: Hardin County, Tennessee

Population and People

Lauderdale County has grown a lot over the years. Here's how the population has changed:

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	4,963	—
1830	11,781	137.4%
1840	14,485	23.0%
1850	17,172	18.6%
1860	17,420	1.4%
1870	15,091	−13.4%
1880	21,035	39.4%
1890	23,739	12.9%
1900	26,559	11.9%
1910	30,936	16.5%
1920	39,556	27.9%
1930	41,130	4.0%
1940	46,230	12.4%
1950	54,179	17.2%
1960	61,622	13.7%
1970	68,111	10.5%
1980	80,546	18.3%
1990	79,661	−1.1%
2000	87,966	10.4%
2010	92,709	5.4%
2020	93,564	0.9%
2023 (est.)	96,814	4.4%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020

Population in 2020

In 2020, there were 93,564 people living in Lauderdale County. There were also 38,761 households and 23,883 families.

**Lauderdale County, Alabama – Racial and ethnic composition**
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	77,240	79,228	76,491	87.81%	85.46%	81.75%
Black or African American alone (NH)	8,624	9,190	9,164	9.80%	9.91%	9.79%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	219	323	295	0.25%	0.35%	0.32%
Asian alone (NH)	305	675	748	0.35%	0.73%	0.80%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	13	23	31	0.01%	0.02%	0.03%
Other race alone (NH)	47	40	204	0.05%	0.04%	0.22%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	624	1,148	3,553	0.71%	1.24%	3.80%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	894	2,082	3,078	1.02%	2.25%	3.29%
Total	87,966	92,709	93,564	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

Population in 2010

In 2010, the people living in Lauderdale County were:

86.4% White
10.0% Black
0.4% Native American
0.7% Asian
0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
1.4% Two or more races
2.2% Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

Population in 2000

In 2000, there were 87,966 people living in the county. About 30.40% of households had children under 18. Most households (55.80%) were married couples living together.

The average age of people in the county was 38 years old. For every 100 females, there were about 91.70 males.

Transportation

Main Roads

Lauderdale County has several important highways that help people travel around.

U.S. Highway 43
U.S. Highway 72
State Route 17
State Route 20
State Route 64
State Route 101
State Route 133
State Route 157
State Route 207

Railroads

Tennessee Southern Railroad: A railway that helps move goods and materials.

Fun Places to Visit

Lauderdale County has some interesting historical sites. These include the W. C. Handy Home and Museum and the Rosenbaum House.

Outdoor Activities

Joe Wheeler State Park: A great place for outdoor fun and relaxation.
North Alabama Birding Trail: A collection of spots where you can watch different kinds of birds.
Natchez Trace Parkway: A long, scenic road that is 444 miles (715 km) long. It goes from Nashville, Tennessee to Natchez, Mississippi. Along the way, there are places to pull over and learn about the land, history, and local animals.
Shoal Creek Preserve Tract: This is a 298-acre (121 ha) area that helps protect native plants and animals. You can go bird watching, ride horses on a 2.1-mile (3.4 km) trail, or hike on 4.2 miles (6.8 km) of trails. It's located north of St. Florian, Alabama.

Education

There are two main school districts in Lauderdale County. The Lauderdale County School District serves students living outside of Florence. The Florence City Schools district serves students who live in Florence itself.