Chilton County, Alabama

Chilton County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. In 1942, the U.S. Navy commissioned a new vessel, the USS Chilton, in honor of Chilton County. In 2010, the population was 43,643. The county seat is Clanton. It is a dry county which means alcoholic drinks cannot be sold.

Chilton County
U.S. county
Chilton County Courthouse in Clanton, Alabama
Chilton County Courthouse in Clanton, Alabama
Map of Alabama highlighting Chilton County
Location within the U.S. state of Alabama
Map of the United States highlighting Alabama
Alabama's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 32°50′43″N 86°42′52″W
Country United States
State Alabama
FoundedDecember 30, 1868
SeatClanton
Largest cityCalera
Area
 • Total700.76 sq mi (1,815.0 km2)
 • Land693.98 sq mi (1,797.4 km2)
 • Water6.78 sq mi (17.6 km2)  (0.97%)%
Population
 (2010)
 • Total43,643
 • Density63/sq mi (24/km2)

The county is known for its peaches and its unique landscape. It is home to swamps, prairies and mountains due to the foothills of the Appalachians. It also has the Coosa River basin and is close to the Black Belt Prairie.

History

Baker County was formed on December 30, 1868. It was named for Alfred Baker, with its county seat at Grantville. Residents of the county asked the Alabama legislature for the renaming of their county. In 1874, they chose the name Chilton County. William Parish Chilton, Sr. (1810–1871), was a lawyer who became Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Later he represented Montgomery County in the Congress of the Confederate States of America. It is not known when the county seat was moved.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 700.76 square miles (1,815.0 km2). 693.98 square miles (1,797.4 km2) (or 99.03%) is land and 6.78 square miles (17.6 km2) (or 0.97%) is water.[1]

Major highways
  • Interstate 65
  • U.S. Highway 31
  • U.S. Highway 82
  • State Route 22
  • State Route 139
  • State Route 145
  • State Route 155

Adjacent counties

National protected area
  • Talladega National Forest (part)

Settlements

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated communities
  • Isabella
  • Mountain Creek
  • Stanton

References
  1. "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.