Winfield, Alabama

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Coordinates: 33°55′42″N 87°48′29″W / 33.92833, -87.80806
Winfield, Alabama
Location in Marion County and the state of Alabama
Country	United States
State	Alabama
Counties	Marion, Fayette
Area
- Total	16.2 sq mi (42.1 km²)
- Land	16.2 sq mi (42 km²)
- Water	0 sq mi (0.1 km²)
Elevation	476 ft (145 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	4,540
- Density	280.2/sq mi (107.8/km²)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	35594
Area code(s)	205
FIPS code	01-82992
GNIS feature ID	0154009

Winfield is a city in Marion County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 4,540, the second largest city in the county.

Johnny Micheal Spann is a notable Winfield citizen. He was an employee of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the first American killed in combat after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan.

1 History
2 Geography and Climate
- 2.1 Geography
- 2.2 Climate
3 Demographics
4 Culture
- 4.1 Festivals
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History

Winfield is a small city situated in Northwest Alabama some 30 miles from the Mississippi State line, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The town was originally called Needmore, but when it was incorporated in 1897 the name was changed to Winfield in honor of General Winfield Scott. Winfield was once part of the Chickasaw Indian domain, though there are no known former Indian settlements in the area.

[edit] Geography and Climate

[edit] Geography

Winfield is located at 33°55′42″N, 87°48′29″W (33.928258, -87.807990)^[1].

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.3 square miles (42.1 km²), of which, 16.2 square miles (42.0 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.31%) is water.

[edit] Climate

Winfield has a warm subtropical climate characterized by hot, dry summers, mild winters, and abundant rainfall during the late winter and spring. January sees average daily high temperatures of 53.0 °F (11.7 °C) and lows of 31.8 °F (−0.1 °C). In July the average daily high is 90.6 °F (32.6 °C) and the low is 69.2 °F (20.7 °C). Snowfall is infrequent in the area, with a yearly average of only 0.5 inches (1 cm). The average yearly rainfall in Winfield is about 52 inches (1330 mm), with March being the wettest month and October the driest.

The spring and fall months are pleasant but variable, but cold fronts frequently bring strong to severe thunderstorms and occasional tornadoes to the region. The fall season features less rainfall and fewer storms, as well as lower humidity than the spring, but it is also a secondary severe weather season.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 4,540 people, 1,849 households, and 1,310 families residing in the city. The population density was 279.9 people per square mile (108.1/km²). There were 2,126 housing units at an average density of 131.1/sq mi (50.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.56% White, 4.21% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.20% from other races, and 0.62% from two or more races. 1.19% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,849 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,317, and the median income for a family was $38,545. Males had a median income of $32,734 versus $21,184 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,814. About 11.1% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.6% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Culture

[edit] Festivals

Mule Day is hosted on the 4th Saturday in September each year, and has been termed "One of the top 20 events in the Southeast" by Travel and Tourism magazine. The keynote event is a horse parade through the downtown of the city, but there is also live entertainment, car shows and a diverse venue of homemade baked goods sold in a farmers market setting. Celebrated for over a quarter of a century, Mule Day has grown into a major event not only for the City of Winfield but also for the State of Alabama. Drawing crowds of over 25,000 each year, Mule Day features a variety of activities that appeal to any palate. Mule day started in honor of the Battle of Mule Run in the Civil War.