Opelika, Alabama facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Opelika, Alabama
City
Downtown Opelika
Motto(s):  "Rich in Heritage With a Vision for the Future"
Location of Opelika in Lee County, Alabama
Country	United States
State	Alabama
County	Lee
Area
• City	62.16 sq mi (161.00 km2)
• Land	61.15 sq mi (158.39 km2)
• Water	1.01 sq mi (2.62 km2)
Elevation	807 ft (246 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	30,995
• Density	506.84/sq mi (195.69/km2)
• Metro	150,933
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	36801-36804
Area code(s)	334
FIPS code	01-57048
GNIS feature ID	0152814

Opelika (pronounced /ˌoʊpəˈlaɪkə/ OH-pə-LY-kə) is a city in and the county seat of Lee County in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 census, the population of Opelika is 30,995, an increase of 17.1 percent from the 2010 Census where the population was 26,477. The Auburn-Opelika, AL MSA with a population of 150,933, along with the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, comprises the Greater Columbus combined statistical area, a region home to 501,649 residents.

History

The first white settlers in the area now known as Opelika arrived in the late 1830s and established a community called Lebanon. After the removal of the native Creek (Muscogee) peoples by federal troops in 1836-37, the area became known as "Opelika." This word taken from the Muskogee language means "large swamp". Settlement was sporadic until the late 1840s, when the railroad reached the town. This stimulated development of Opelika as a commercial center.

In 1848, the Montgomery & West Point Railroad Company extended a rail line from Montgomery, Alabama to Opelika, and in 1851 completed a connection to West Point, Georgia, thus connecting Opelika with Atlanta, Georgia. This line was the only direct rail route between New Orleans and the Eastern Seaboard. It rapidly became one of the primary trade lines for shipments of raw cotton from Southern plantations to the North. The Montgomery & West Point was soon joined by a rail connection to Columbus, Georgia in 1855, and a connection to Birmingham, Alabama in 1869. Almost overnight, Opelika became a regional hub for commerce.

To manage this rapid growth, Opelika was incorporated as a town on February 9, 1854, then within Russell County. As a result of Opelika's transportation infrastructure, many warehouses for storing cotton and other goods were built. With the onset of the Civil War these warehouses were converted to Confederate supply depots. In 1864 and 1865, Union raids commanded by Lovell Rousseau and James H. Wilson attacked Opelika, tearing up the railroads and destroying all government property, including Opelika's warehouses.

Soon after the end of the war, the Alabama state legislature created a new county out of parts of Macon, Russell, Chambers, and Tallapoosa counties to be named after Confederate general Robert E. Lee. In 1866, citizens of the new "Lee County" voted Opelika as the county seat. The town was technically unincorporated after having its charter revoked for abetting the rebellion against the United States.

After Opelika received a new charter in 1870, rapid growth resumed. The town nearly doubled in size between 1870 and 1900. During this time, Opelika began to gain a reputation as a wild, lawless town..

Opelika's downtown was packed with saloons catering to railroad workers and other men. .....

In 1882, two factions claimed to rule the city government, one known as the "Bar room" headed by Mayor Dunbar, a saloon keeper, and another known as the "Citizens". There was a riot in late November-December of that year, in which a dozen men were wounded. In the end a couple were killed. The Citizens had claimed control of the city via the elections, but Dunbar refused to give up. After continued violence, the state legislature revoked the city's charter and the governor sent in the militia to restore order. The legislature appointed five commissioners to manage the city,a situation that continued until 1899. That year the legislature restored the city's charter.

1900 to present

In 1900, local investors founded the Opelika Cotton Mill as the first textile plant in the city, employing 125. The city was located on the Fall Line of the Piedmont, where factories were established to take advantage of water power. Attempts to expand the textile industry in Opelika continued for the next three decades. In 1925 city officials used a $62,500 bribe to induce executives of the Pepperell Manufacturing Co. (now WestPoint Home) to construct a large mill just outside the city limits. From 1930 to 1970, Opelika continued industrialization, becoming a regional economic powerhouse.

In the 1950s, Opelika attracted the nation's first and largest magnetic tape manufacturing plant. In 1963, tire manufacturer Uniroyal constructed a massive plant in Opelika. Around the same time Diversified Products revolutionized the physical fitness equipment industry with products produced in their Opelika plant. By the early 1970s, Opelika's industries employed nearly 10,000 people.

Between the late 1970s and 2005, non-agricultural employment in the Auburn-Opelika, AL MSA grew at a slow and steady pace. Of the goods-producing industries, the metropolitan area has experienced the most change in manufacturing, which peaked in employment in the late 1980s. As many jobs moved offshore, employment declined. But this trend appears to be changing, as the number of manufacturing jobs has risen steadily since 2002.

In the late 1990s, Opelika purchased and developed the Northeast Opelika Industrial Park to increase its base. The 2,200-acre (8.9 km²) park site was purchased with funds from two bond issues, commonly called the 1998A and 1998B issues, totaling $10,280,000. Additional expenditures involved in constructing the Northeast Opelika Industrial Park included $4.3 million transferred from the City's general fund to the Opelika Industrial Development Authority (OIDA) between 1997 and 2000, a $1.9 million federal industrial park access road grant, $2.5 million from Opelika Water Works Board and the City of Opelika to sewer and water the park, $12.1 million from the Alabama Department of Transportation to construct an interchange. Additional expenditures were made by Tallapoosa Electric Cooperative for an electrical substation and by the OIDA for building construction for park tenants. Final expenditures for the land and development of the park totaled approximately $32 million. Since 1999, two major distribution centers, four tier-1 automotive suppliers and most recently Pharmavite, the global leader in the manufacturing and distribution of dietary supplements, have located within the park. The site has also attracted serious interest from automakers Audi, Nissan, and Hyundai. In the summer of 2003, the park was recognized as one of the "South's Best Automotive Assembly Plant Sites" by Southern Business & Development, an industry trade publication.

Opelika has had a related boom in retail development. TigerTown, a 130-acre (0.53 km²) mixed-use development, is east Alabama's largest retail center with more than 1,000,000 sq ft (93,000 m²) of retail space. Located at the intersection of Interstate 85 and Highway 280 (Exit 58) in Opelika and home to more than 70 businesses, TigerTown's tenants include The Home Depot, Target, Best Buy, Starbucks, Olive Garden, Kroger, PETCO, Office Depot, Dick's Sporting Goods, World Market, Hobby Lobby, Kohl's, Bed Bath & Beyond, T.J. Maxx, Kroger, Old Navy,and more.

Opelika's largest employer is the East Alabama Medical Center, which paid approximately $119 million in salaries and benefits to more than 2,700 employees in 2009.

Historic Downtown Opelika has had an urban design revitalization in association with the national Main Street, Inc. program. With a compact historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Downtown Opelika has attracted a variety of specialty shops, galleries, antique stores and restaurants.

With industrial and retail growth has come an increase in population. From 2000 to 2010, Opelika grew from 23,638 to 26,617.

Geography

Opelika is located in north-central Lee County, and is bordered by Auburn to the west. Opelika lies in the southern reaches of the Piedmont Plateau, and straddles the divide between the Tallapoosa and the Chattahoochee river watersheds. Opelika has an elevation of 812 feet (247 m).

Opelika is located at 32°38′50″N 85°23′22″W / 32.647183°N 85.389404°W / 32.647183; -85.389404.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 53.4 square miles (138 km²), of which 52.8 square miles (137 km²) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) (1.24%) is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 30,995 people, 11,866 households, and 7,199 families residing in the city.

2010 census

According to 2009 Census estimates, the median income for a household in the city was $35,243, and the median income for a family was $47,864.

The per capita income for the city is $18,023. Residents with income under poverty levels are 23.1% of the population, while 31.1% of children in the area are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 14.9% are 65 or older.

Economy

Northeast Opelika Industrial Park

Opelika's economy continues to grow at a healthy, diversified pace, and since 2004, has experienced revitalization in many segments of the economy, including commercial, residential and industrial activity. Over the last 20 years, since 2005, the city announced new industry investments and existing industry expansions totaling more than $2.6 billion and the creation of over 4,700 additional jobs.

Currently, Opelika's largest employer is East Alabama Health, which employes more than 3,700 employees.

Companies located in Opelika, or planning to locate here include:

Arts and culture

In 2021, the city opened the Opelika Public Library. It is the only public library in the city.

Parks and recreation

Opelika Sportsplex and Aquatics Center splashpark

Spring Villa Park, a 350-acre (140 ha) park in Opelika, features picnic and play areas, nature trails, and camping. Spring Villa, an antebellum house located in the park, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 2019, the city opened the Opelika Pickleball Facility, featuring 24 regulation courts.

In 2009, the City of Opelika built the Opelika SportsPlex and Aquatics Center, a $32 million facility.

The RTJ Golf Trail at Grand National, part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, is located in Opelika, and has hosted national championships.

Education

Opelika campus of Southern Union State Community College

Opelika City Schools is the public school system of Opelika. The Opelika City School System consists of eight schools. There are three primary schools serving grades Kindergarten – 2, three intermediate schools serving grades 3–5, one middle school (grades 6–8), and one high school, Opelika High School (grades 9–12).

A campus of Southern Union State Community College—a public, two-year college—is located Opelika.

Media

Opelika is included in the Columbus, Georgia market according to Nielsen. The Opelika-Auburn News is a city newspaper.

The movie Norma Rae (1979) was filmed in Opelika.

Infrastructure

Transportation

The last passenger train service was the Illinois Central Railroad's City of Miami (Chicago - Miami), having its final run in 1971. The Illinois Central's Seminole (Chicago - Jacksonville) served Opelika until 1969. Amtrak service is proposed under the American Jobs Plan.

See also

In Spanish: Opelika (Alabama) para niños