Jacksonville, Alabama

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Jacksonville
City
Jacksonville
Location in Alabama.
Coordinates: 33°48′57″N 85°45′38″W / 33.81583°N 85.76056°W / 33.81583; -85.76056
Country United States
State Alabama
County Calhoun
Area
 • Total 8.3 sq mi (21.4 km2)
 • Land 8.3 sq mi (21.4 km2)
 • Water 0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation 709 ft (216 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 12,548
 • Density 1,012.5/sq mi (392.7/km2)
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code 36265
Area code 256
FIPS code 01-38272
GNIS feature ID 0159857
Website http://www.jacksonville-al.org/

Jacksonville is a city in Calhoun County, Alabama, United States. According to the 2010 Census the population is now 12,548 which is a 49% increase since 2000. It is included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area. Jacksonville State University is located here, which is a center of commerce and one of the largest employers in the area.

History

Jacksonville was founded in 1833 on land purchased from Creek Indian Chief "Du-Hoag" Ladiga. First called Drayton, it was renamed to honor President Andrew Jackson in 1834. There are a few Civil War monuments in town, including a statue of Major John Pelham in the city cemetery and a statue of Gen John H. Forney in the middle of the square. Jacksonville served as the county seat for Calhoun County until 1899 when it moved to Anniston. Jacksonville State University was founded here in 1883.

Geography

Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachians, Jacksonville is located at 33°48'56.758" North, 85°45'37.681" West (33.815766, -85.760467)[1].

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.2 square miles (21 km2), all of it land. Jacksonville is a beautiful, often foggy valley.

Demographics

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 8,404 people, 3,274 households, and 1,735 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,018.5 people per square mile (393.3/km²). There were 3,605 housing units at an average density of 436.9 per square mile (168.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.20% White, 20.18% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 1.29% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.77% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. 1.87% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,274 households out of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.0% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the city the age distribution of the population shows 16.6% under the age of 18, 31.4% from 18 to 24, 21.4% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $23,726, and the median income for a family was $48,137. Males had a median income of $32,351 versus $22,534 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,035. About 13.0% of families and 24.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.9% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Two Alabama state routes pass through Jacksonville:

Education

Jacksonville is the home of Jacksonville State University, a public, coeducational university with an enrollment of approximately 10,000 students. It offers degrees in business, communication, education, family sciences, liberal arts and sciences, nursing and technology in addition to continuing education programs. The university's campus is located a few blocks north of the square.

Jacksonville is also home to two public schools run by Jacksonville City Schools:

There are also two public schools located northwest of the city proper that serve the unincorporated communities of Pleasant Valley and Williams and are run by Calhoun County Schools:

There is also a Christian school called Jacksonville Christian Academy (JCA) located within the city.

The Calhoun County Center for the Arts offers classes through the Community Center Calhoun County Center for the Arts:

Media

Newspaper

Magazine

Television

AM Radio

FM Radio

  • WLJS 91.9 - College radio, limited NPR station.

Notable residents

  • Rick Bragg, won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing in 1996 while working for The New York Times.
  • Neel Reid, prominent early-twentieth century architect.

References

  1. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
  2. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 

External links

Coordinates: 33°48′57″N 85°45′38″W / 33.815766°N 85.760467°W / 33.815766; -85.760467

Municipalities and communities of Calhoun County, Alabama, United States
Cities
Towns
CDPs
Unincorporated
communities
Ghost town
Footnotes
‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
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