Stewartville, Alabama facts for kids

Stewartville, Alabama is a name that can be a little confusing because it refers to two different places in the state of Alabama, USA! When you see a name like this, it means there's more than one location with the same name.

What is a "Census-Designated Place"?

One of the places called Stewartville is in Coosa County, Alabama. This particular Stewartville is known as a census-designated place, often shortened to CDP. A CDP is a special area that the United States Census Bureau defines for gathering information about people. It's like a small community or neighborhood that isn't officially a city or town, but it has enough people living there to be counted separately in the census.

Why Do We Have CDPs?

CDPs help the government collect accurate data about where people live, even in areas that don't have their own local government like a city hall. This information is important for planning things like schools, roads, and other services.

What is an "Unincorporated Community"?

The other place named Stewartville is in Lauderdale County, Alabama. This one is an unincorporated community. This means it's a group of homes and businesses that are not part of an official city or town. Instead, they are usually governed by the county they are in.

How Are Unincorporated Communities Different?

People living in an unincorporated community might not have their own local police department or fire department that is separate from the county's services. They rely on the county government for most of their public services, like law enforcement, road maintenance, and sometimes even schools.

Why Do Places Have the Same Name?

It's common for different places to have the same name, especially in the United States. This can happen for many reasons:

• Named after people: Both Stewartvilles might have been named after a person with the last name "Stewart" who was important in the area's history.
• Settlers moving: As people moved across the country, they sometimes brought names from their old homes to new places.
• Simple coincidence: Sometimes, it's just a coincidence that two different communities ended up with the same name.

Knowing whether a place is a "census-designated place" or an "unincorporated community" helps us understand more about how it's organized and how its residents are counted.