Satsuma, Alabama facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Satsuma, Alabama
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| Motto(s):
"Enjoy Quality of Life in Satsuma"
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Location in Mobile County, Alabama
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| Country | United States |
| State | Alabama |
| County | Mobile |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.40 sq mi (19.16 km2) |
| • Land | 7.35 sq mi (19.03 km2) |
| • Water | 0.05 sq mi (0.13 km2) |
| Elevation | 13 ft (4 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 6,749 |
| • Density | 918.48/sq mi (354.62/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
36572
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| Area code(s) | 251 |
| FIPS code | 01-68352 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0126426 |
Satsuma is a city located in Mobile County, Alabama, in the United States. In 2020, about 6,749 people lived there. This was more than the 6,168 people counted in 2010. Before 1915, the area was known as "Fig Tree Island." The city got its name from the satsuma orange. These oranges were first grown successfully in Alabama in 1878. They were a gift from Emperor Meiji of Japan. Satsuma is part of the larger Mobile metropolitan area.
Contents
History of Satsuma
For thousands of years, different groups of native people lived in this area.
- 1878 – Farmers brought Mandarin Satsuma oranges from Japan to grow in Alabama.
- 1900 – The Satsuma area was known as Fig Tree Island.
- 1910 – The Pace Orange Orchard had about 100 acres (0.40 km2) of pecan and satsuma trees.
- 1915 – The town was officially named "Satsuma."
- 1918 – Norman E. McConaghy became the manager of the Satsuma Orange & Pecan Groves Company.
- 1922 – A packing house was built. It still stands near Mac's Landing today.
- 1912-1924 – Cold weather and a plant disease called citrus canker damaged the satsuma trees.
- 1959 – Plans for Satsuma to become an official town were approved. The first town election happened on April 6, 1959.
- 2011 – Satsuma decided to create its own school system, separate from Mobile County.
Geography of Satsuma
Satsuma is in the northeastern part of Mobile County. To its southwest is Saraland. To the northeast is Creola. An undeveloped part of Mobile is to its southeast.
The main roads through Satsuma are U.S. Route 43 and Interstate 65. These highways meet at the northern edge of the city. Downtown Mobile is about 13 miles (21 km) south of Satsuma.
The U.S. Census Bureau says Satsuma covers a total area of 7.4 square miles (19.16 km2). Only a small part, about 0.05 square miles (0.13 km2), is water. Gunnison Creek borders the city to the east. This creek flows into Bayou Sara, which then leads to the Mobile River.
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1960 | 1,491 | — | |
| 1970 | 2,035 | 36.5% | |
| 1980 | 3,822 | 87.8% | |
| 1990 | 5,194 | 35.9% | |
| 2000 | 5,687 | 9.5% | |
| 2010 | 6,168 | 8.5% | |
| 2020 | 6,749 | 9.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 Population Data
In 2010, there were 6,168 people living in Satsuma. These people lived in 2,290 households. About 1,774 of these were families. The city had about 948.9 people per square mile (366.4/km2).
The people in Satsuma were mostly White (88.7%). About 7.9% were Black or African American. Other groups included Native American (1.2%), Asian (0.6%), and people of two or more races (1.1%). About 1.1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
In the households, 31.0% had children under 18 years old. Most households (61.8%) were married couples living together. About 11.5% had a female head of household with no husband.
The average age of people in Satsuma was 40.7 years. About 23.8% of the population was under 18. About 14.9% was 65 or older.
2020 Population Data
| Race | Number | Percentage |
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| White (not Hispanic) | 5,733 | 84.95% |
| Black or African American (not Hispanic) | 525 | 7.78% |
| Native American | 88 | 1.3% |
| Asian | 29 | 0.43% |
| Pacific Islander | 3 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 286 | 4.24% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 85 | 1.26% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 6,749 people living in Satsuma. There were 2,205 households and 1,705 families in the city.
Education in Satsuma
Satsuma has its own school system called the Satsuma City School System. This system was created after Satsuma separated from the Mobile County Public School System in 2012.
On April 12, 2011, Satsuma voted to start its own school system. The Satsuma City School System has two schools:
- Robert E. Lee Elementary (for grades Kindergarten through 6th)
- Satsuma High School (for grades 7th through 12th)
Before the School System Split
Before the Satsuma City School System was formed, students attended schools run by Mobile County. These included:
- Robert E. Lee Primary School (Kindergarten to 2nd grade)
- Robert E. Lee Intermediate School (3rd to 5th grade)
- North Mobile County Middle School (6th to 8th grade)
- Satsuma High School (9th to 12th grade)
Lee Primary, Lee Intermediate, and Satsuma High were located in Satsuma. North Mobile County Middle School was in Axis.
For a while, Satsuma students went to Adams Middle School in Saraland. In 2003, officials from Satsuma, Saraland, and Chickasaw thought about forming a "Delta School District." This would have needed a special law from the Alabama Legislature.
In June 2006, the City of Saraland voted to create its own school system. This meant it would leave the Mobile County Public School System. On September 7, 2010, North Mobile County Middle School opened. It took over the role of Adams Middle School for students outside of Saraland.
Satsuma residents had been thinking about leaving Mobile County schools since about 2001. In 2010, Satsuma started studying if it could split from the Mobile County school system. Tom Williams, a council member, said he thought about splitting because Mobile County decided to build the new middle school in Axis. This was 12 miles (19 km) from Satsuma. This meant students had longer bus rides. Also, the school was farther from fire and police stations. Mobile County built the school outside Satsuma's city limits. This was so the city government could not take over the school if Satsuma decided to separate.
