Roanoke, Alabama facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Roanoke, Alabama
City
Downtown Roanoke, Alabama
Location of Roanoke in Randolph County, Alabama.
Country	United States
State	Alabama
County	Randolph
Area
• Total	19.12 sq mi (49.51 km2)
• Land	18.74 sq mi (48.53 km2)
• Water	0.38 sq mi (0.99 km2)
Elevation	840 ft (256 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	5,311
• Density	283.46/sq mi (109.45/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	36274
Area code(s)	334
FIPS code	01-65040
GNIS feature ID	0153164

Roanoke is a city located in Randolph County, in the eastern part of Alabama, United States. It's in a hilly area called the Piedmont region. In 2020, about 5,311 people lived there.

History of Roanoke

Before Roanoke was settled, the area was home to the Creek people. In the 1830s, the United States made agreements to take their land. Later, the Creek people were forced to move away. This happened because of a law called the Indian Removal Act of 1830.

The land then became large cotton farms. Enslaved African Americans were forced to work on these farms. Even today, the area around Roanoke is mostly rural, meaning it has a lot of open land and fewer cities.

The town was first called High Pine in the 1830s. It was named after a nearby creek. Some stories say it was burned during a Native American uprising in 1836. In 1840, its name changed to Chulafinee. Later, it was renamed Roanoke. This new name came from the hometown of one of the first settlers, Roanoke, Virginia. The city officially became a city in December 1890.

Geography of Roanoke

Roanoke is located at 33°8′56″N 85°22′11″W / 33.14889°N 85.36972°W / 33.14889; -85.36972.

The city is in the southern part of Randolph County. U.S. Route 431 is the main road that goes through Roanoke. This road goes northwest about 13 miles (21 km) to Wedowee. Wedowee is the main town of Randolph County. U.S. 431 also goes south about 21 miles (34 km) to LaFayette.

Alabama State Route 22 also passes through Roanoke. It goes west 13 miles (21 km) to Wadley. It also goes northeast 9 miles (14 km) to the border of Georgia.

The U.S. Census Bureau says that Roanoke covers about 19.1 square miles (49.5 km2). Most of this area, about 18.8 square miles (48.7 km2), is land. The rest, about 0.3 square miles (0.8 km2), is water.

Life in Roanoke

The current Mayor of Roanoke is Jill Patterson. She has been the mayor since 2021.

Roanoke has three schools for students:

• Knight Enloe Elementary (for grades Pre-Kindergarten to 3rd grade)
• Handley Middle School (for grades 4th to 8th grade)
• Handley High School (for grades 9th to 12th grade)

The Handley High Tigers football team has won state championships! They won the AHSAA Football Class 3A State Championship on December 1, 2011. They also won the AHSAA 4A state title in 2016 and 2020.

Roanoke has its own weekly newspaper. It is called The Randolph Leader.

Population Changes in Roanoke

The population of Roanoke has changed over many years. In 2010, there were 6,074 people living in the city. About 57.6% of the people were White. About 40.5% were Black or African American. A small number of people were from other racial backgrounds. About 1.2% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

In 2020, the population was 5,311 people. There were 2,387 households and 1,562 families living in Roanoke.

Famous People from Roanoke

Many notable people have come from Roanoke:

• Admiral Edward A. Burkhalter was a high-ranking officer in the Navy. He was also a director at the CIA.
• Wilkie Clark was an entrepreneur and worked for civil rights.
• Jake Daniel was a professional baseball player.
• George Eddy is a basketball commentator and former player.
• Horace Gillom was a football player for the Cleveland Browns. He helped change how punting was done in football.
• William Anderson Handley was a congressman for the United States.
• Fred Hyatt was a professional football wide receiver. He also played for Auburn University.
• Odell McLeod was a country-gospel singer and songwriter. He also entertained on the radio.
• Stanley O'Neal used to be the head of Merrill Lynch, a big financial company.
• Clare Purcell was a bishop in the Methodist Church.
• Ella Gaunt Smith was famous for making dolls.
• David Vann was the mayor of Birmingham, Alabama.
• Bradley Bozeman is a current NFL football player for the Los Angeles Chargers. He also played for the University of Alabama.
• Henry Spec Bonner was a former mayor of Roanoke. He also owned the old Bonner hotel.
• Ronald L Traylor was a talented basketball player. He was MVP of the 1961 1A Alabama State Basketball Tournament. He also holds a record for scoring 39 points in a game.

See also

In Spanish: Roanoke (Alabama) para niños